Understanding Editorial Guidelines

Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules set forth by publishers for contributing authors. In order to have your article taken seriously you must review the guidelines prior to submission. It is also recommended that you review previous editions of the publication to get a better feel for the types of articles favored by the editor(s).

Outlined below are the typical issues covered in editorial guidelines along with their definitions and any additional information you should know.

Length of article: The minimum and maximum word count of articles considered for publication. Online articles are usually expected to be 750 to 1,000 words while off-line publications will often accept a longer article.

Topics: The subjects of articles accepted by the publication. Never submit an off topic article as this is very annoying and may result in further submissions from you being banned.

Illustrations/Photographs: Some publications require/accept illustrations or photographs and will usually specify the size and format required for acceptance.

Editorial style: Consistency and accuracy governs the use of a style selected by the editorial department of a publication. Many publications require the use of the Associated Press Stylebook which covers spelling, capitalization, grammar, punctuation and usage.

Author Photograph: Some publications require or accept a photograph of the author usually included with the submission of the article. Guidelines will often cover the size and format of photographs.

Byline length: Also known as an author biography or resource box. Some publications have certain requirements for length, characters per line and what or how much contact information can be included.

Payment: Your byline is often the only payment you will receive for your article. However, some publications (particularly those in print) pay for articles by the word or per article.

Rights: Governs whether or not the publication will accept original or reprinted articles, how long they plan to use the material and whether the article can be used elsewhere at the same time.

Query requirement: A query is a letter written to the editor that proposes an article topic and asks permission to submit. Some publications require that you query the editor (by e-mail, fax or mail) prior to forwarding your article.

Submission methods: Methods of submissions may include via fax, e-mail or hard copy sent by courier or standard mail.

Editorial calendar: It is not unusual for a publication to establish an editorial calendar for each year far in advance. The calendar will cover topics, themes, article types and required submission dates broken down by publication dates.

Format accepted: Each publication will accept articles in certain formats such as Word, WordPerfect, text or Adobe Acrobat.

Audience: Demographics such as number of subscribers, gender, educational level, age and income level.

Notification: When you will be contacted about your submission. Many publishers choose to contact only if an article is chosen for publication.

Acknowledgements: In some cases you will be required to sign (either electronically or on paper) an acknowledgement that you have read the guidelines.

It is very important to understand and follow the editorial guidelines of your target publications in order to maximize your chances of publication. Not all publications will include all of the above items in their editorial guidelines. Contact the editor if any of this information is not disclosed and you need it to refine your submission.

(c) 2004, Davis Virtual Assistance. All rights in all media reserved.

About The Author

Bonnie Jo Davis is an experienced shoestring marketer and her favorite technique is providing content for publishers. Her latest venture is the moderator of the Article Submission E-Gazette Yahoo! group which provides a spam free exchange for writers and publishers. To join the group visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/articlesubmission/

---

How to Finish Your Self-Published Book Fast

Started a book and then got bogged down? Like many... Read More

Top Seven Essential Hot-Selling Points To Implement Before Writing Chapter One

Every part of your book can be a sales tool.... Read More

Creating a Writing Space

It's important to have a space set aside in your... Read More

Self-Examination

Self-examination sheds light on a writers motives, goals, and aspirations,... Read More

Getting To Know Your Characters

Interesting characters that readers care about are the most important... Read More

A Writers Inner Battle

There is a psychological nuisance so powerful that can deflate... Read More

Through the Eyes of an Artist

As writers, we initially tend to be either more cerebral... Read More

Personal Journaling - Strategies To Make It Easy

Recently I was watching the Oprah show and it was... Read More

Get Rich Writing With Your Computer Word Processor

Your computer is a writing machine, a word processor, a... Read More

Effective Editing: It Spells the Difference!

If you think proofreading equals editing, then you're wrong! Editing... Read More

The Three Cs of Writing an Excellent all Purpose Headline

Since the headline is the first contact your readers have... Read More

Why We Dont Write Our Books

In the ten years that I've taught people how to... Read More

Apostrophe Usage Made Simple

According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More

Home Business Writing Made Simple

Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Ever... Read More

Ghostwriting - Making Money by Being Invisible

My bookcase take up one whole wall in the family... Read More

Have You Settled On First Choice When Choosing A Title?

Short Story Writing Tips -We've established what a title should... Read More

Memoir Writing Help, Memoir Writing Ideas

You might not need any memoir writing help, per se,... Read More

Idea-Mining for Writers, 102

As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all... Read More

7 Writing Muse Kickers to Fill Up That Blank Page

Nothing is more daunting for any writer than having to... Read More

Why Book Writers Need A Running Mate

By far, I have found that the lack of discipline... Read More

Whats Missing in your Nearly Finished Book?

Bookcoaching clients come to me at different stages of writing... Read More

When I Grow Up

I've just come back to work after nine glorious, sun-drenched... Read More

Written Communications ? 6 Tips on Language & Tone

In most aspects of business, we will be expected to... Read More

Writing Requires Self-Control

The only way to become a writer is to write.... Read More

Ways to Make Extra Income Using the Internet

To capitalize on ways to make extra income you can... Read More

71 Ways For A Writer To Make Money

There are so many ways for writers to make good... Read More

3 Quick and Easy Ways to Generate Story Ideas

There are many ways you can generate ideas you can... Read More

Writing New Ideas

Someone once commented that there were no new ideas to... Read More

The Heart of the Delay: Harnessing The Wisdom of Procrastination (AKA Writers Block)

I am sure that at in some era, at some... Read More

Retail Margin, Trade Discount, and What it Means for the Author

DEFINITIONSRetail margin is basically the difference between your book's wholesale... Read More

Use These 3 Editing Tips to Ensure Your Writing Hits the Bull?s-Eye

The first step in the writing process is to put... Read More

Freelancing Doesnt Mean Writing For Free. Does it?

Writer's forums are bustling with debate over whether or not... Read More

Write That Down! Compulsively Collecting Content for Your Writing

Have you ever read someone else's writing and thought one... Read More