Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules set forth by pub-2403258503801684lishers 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 pub-2403258503801684lication 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 pub-2403258503801684lication. Online articles are usually expected to be 750 to 1,000 words while off-line pub-2403258503801684lications will often accept a longer article.

Topics: The subjects of articles accepted by the pub-2403258503801684lication. Never submit an off topic article as this is very annoying and may result in further submissions from you being banned.

Illustrations/Photographs: Some pub-2403258503801684lications 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 pub-2403258503801684lication. Many pub-2403258503801684lications require the use of the Associated Press Stylebook which covers spelling, capitalization, grammar, punctuation and usage.

Author Photograph: Some pub-2403258503801684lications 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 pub-2403258503801684lications 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 pub-2403258503801684lications (particularly those in print) pay for articles by the word or per article.

Rights: Governs whether or not the pub-2403258503801684lication 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 pub-2403258503801684lications 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 pub-2403258503801684lication 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 pub-2403258503801684lication dates.

Format accepted: Each pub-2403258503801684lication 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 pub-2403258503801684lishers choose to contact only if an article is chosen for pub-2403258503801684lication.

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 pub-2403258503801684lications in order to maximize your chances of pub-2403258503801684lication. Not all pub-2403258503801684lications 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.

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This article was posted on May 08, 2004