The 2008 editorial calendars of almost all major magazines are out now. Keep your eyes open for ones from the magazines you’re targeting.

Here’s a small primer for the uninitiated:

An editorial calendar lists the themes a magazine will publish during a calendar year. Now that the year is almost up and editors are assigning work well into 2008, take a look at the editorial calendars of magazines and note the themes listed. Not only is that a great jumping off point for coming up with ideas, but also increases your chances of acceptance substantially.

In smaller magazine offices, it is frequently the editor who creates these editorial calendars, but for bigger ones, the sales people will be involved equally. That’s because the editorial calendar isn’t a tool for writers at all, but for advertisers who want to promote their products in the magazine’s pages. Not all magazines publish them though. Really small magazines and labor-of-love publications will rarely, if ever, create an editorial calendar.

Since the editorial calendar spells out what a magazine will publish each month, many editors may already have assigned writers for some pieces. Your best bet is to get a foot in the door as soon as possible. Sometimes, the calendar is just a wishlist or a map for the editor to guide him/her in the right direction. If you see a home and gardening issue mentioned for October, for instance, propose a piece on the topic in January, when the editor doesn’t already have a whole bunch of proposals on her desk.

Look at previous editorial calendars, too, if they’re available. They can help you gain insight into what kind of topics the magazine covers frequently. There are also many special sections and themed issues that make their entry throughout the year, and you’ll find these also in the editorial calendar.

You’ll usually find the editorial calendar on a magazine’s website. Take a look through the “About Us” section or the “Contact us” section. If you’re out of luck on those, you’ll almost always find it under the heading “Advertising.”