MARKET TIP: Help for Mac-o-philes

PUBLICATION NAME: MacHome
FOCUS: computer info for Mac users
FREQUENCY: monthly
CIRCULATION: 62,000
OWNER: CCR Media
PAYMENT RATES: $100/page for features; reviews, $75-$250
KILL FEE: 25 percent
PAYMENT TERMS: on acceptance
RIGHTS: all
ARTICLE QUERIES TO: Executive Editor Amy R. Wood
ADDRESS: 200 Folsom St., Suite 150, San Francisco, CA 94105
PHONE: xxx
FAX: no
E-MAIL: xxxxx
WEB SITE: www.machome.com

MacHome, which has been around for 12 years, is aimed at readers who don't have the time or desire to be Mac geeks. In fact, most of the magazine's readers use PCs at work, but Macs at home. "Our readers just want to know how to use their computers," says Executive Editor Amy R. Wood, top editor in a two-person editorial department.

Q&As, Desktop Makeover and Application of the Month are written in-house. Everything else is written by contributors. Wood says she assigns freelancers to beats based on their knowledge and industry connections. But because the staff is so lean, writers must be able to troubleshoot a variety of technical problems that might arise when they are working on a story.

Bylines are scarce in MacHome. Wood keeps them to a minimum, preferring collaborative efforts. There are no columnists, but reviewers do get credit lines. "We prefer a friendly, jargon-free voice - like you're e-mailing your mom on how to do something," Wood says.

In the December issue, a freelancer wrote a six-page feature on new Mac games. A two-page how-to feature told how to create liner notes for a CD or DVD. In the current issue, a six-page feature discusses buying a wireless router and an eight-page tips package explains a variety of common Mac software. Both issues have dozens of reviews.

Pay is skimpy - about $100 per published page for features, $250 per page for full-page reviews. The magazine asks for all rights to your specific MacHome piece, too. But Wood says most writers also write for other Mac publications and find the work goes quickly.

Mac-savvy writers should introduce themselves to Wood via e-mail, including an explanation of your expertise and five story ideas. Wood says the ideas may not ever turn into stories, but on-point ideas give her confidence that the writer understands the publication. "If you become a freelancer for us, we'll probably use you a lot. We'll tell you what's coming up and help you be productive."