Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Using Editorial Guidelines When Submitting Articles for Publication

A great way to get ink is to submit article for publication to industry trade magazines, e-zines and other sources of information. It’s important however to research and stick to the editorial guidelines. Some of the common matters addressed by editorial guidelines include:
  • Length of article: The minimum and maximum word count. An optimum number of words per article might also be listed.
  • Editorial calendars which include topics, themes, article types and required submission dates broken down by publication date
  • Preferred format of articles for submission
  • Topics accepted by the publication
  • Copyright rules
  • Use of illustrations and photographs
  • Editorial style such as compliance with the Associated Press Stylebook for abbreviations, capitalization, grammar, punctuation and spelling
  • Inclusion of an authors’ biography and headshot
  • Compensation
  • Query and submission requirements

It is important to comply with the editorial guidelines of your target publication in order to maximize your chances of publication. And if you’re not sure about something, contact the editor and ask. It’s a great way to open the door to conversation and to offer yourself as available for commentary on similar issues while getting the editorial information you need to submit your article. You should also remember not to boast or overtly promote your firm or your services. Such behavior is extremely frowned upon.

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