Writer's
Guidelines
updated 10/2/07
Birmingham Parent uses at least 50 percent freelance writers in its publication, but all articles are expected to carry a local slant. Therefore, the magazine usually prefers to work with local, established, professional writers. We run informative pieces of parenting news and advice, and we offer a strong guide to parenting in Birmingham and Alabama. We occasionally use reprints.
Don’t send us “written off the top of your head” pieces – we expect attribution except in cases like humor stories, professional columns, etc. No “how to have fun this summer” pieces, etc. We rarely do columns from submissions from businesses; we prefer stories with numerous sources by local writers. Sometimes these are more advertising than informative.
LOCAL FEATURES (1,000-2,500 words) cover topics that apply to parents and children in our area. These might include serious topics like education, health, family travel, nutrition, parenting and so on, or roundups of local parks, museums, etc. “Human Interest” stories are rare for us, but we do offer a local monthly column, “Community Heroes,” that highlights someone making a difference in the community We prefer to have photography/art with each story. Monthly columns include Family Travel, Parenting Solo (single parenting), Community Heroes, Family Feasts (rest. review) and Our Home & Garden, along with Baby & Me, Birmingham Teens, Birmingham Senior, etc.
QUERIES should explain the premise of your article, its structure and the sources you plan to quote, if you can supply photos, as well as your qualifications as a writer. Without clips or prior experience with our editor/publication, we may require the story on spec. Query at least 3 months in advance for timely material and expect us to take at least 4 weeks to respond. Query holiday-based articles 4 months in advance.
METHOD of receiving stories is as follows: Birmingham Parent can accept Word files, RTF and text files, or the article pasted into the e-mail. Or, a CD or floppy can be mailed, but should be mailed early enough to arrive by the set deadline. A signed copy of the agreement and an invoice should accompany the submission. A one-time W-9 is required. Digital photos are preferred, and should be 300 dpi or greater, preferably JPEG format. Please do not send photographs that must be returned.
FEES are paid on a case-by-case basis, negotiated between writer and editor, by contract. Full payment is made upon publication, within 30 days. Birmingham Parent purchases First North American Serial Rights, and 10% of the fee paid goes toward electronic rights. Each writer signs a contract on a story-by-story basis, and writers are expected to fulfill the agreement in order for the story to be used and them to be paid. Fees range from $25 for a reprint or short “fast facts” piece, to $300 for a full-length, heavily researched feature.
NOTES:
WEBSITES - Websites are not accepted as main sources of any story, except a story ABOUT a website or websites. Websites are not guaranteed accurate. Our niche/hook is that we are a local magazine - both for our readers and our advertisers. We need to have local people quoted and used as sources.
If you are having difficulty finding local sources on a certain topic, get in touch with us ASAP and we will try to help you locate someone appropriate. We're more than happy to help with this. Just ask!
In addition, if you ARE quoting a website, you should quote the website and not a person speaking on the website as though you have actually spoken with them, UNLESS you HAVE actually talked to that person. You live and learn!
ATTRIBUTION - all stories need attribution. We don't want "written off the top of your head" stories unless you are writing a column for us or have expertise in a particular subject and we can point that out. Those of you who are columnists - this doesn't apply to you, of course.
CONTRACTS - we are now using a writer's contract for all stories. It protects us ALL and makes clear what the assignment is. If you didn't get one, please remind me/let me know. (Again, columnists have a one-time contract.)
BASIC INFO - please use AP style whenever considering your writing style. One space between sentences, and please give your work a TITLE/HEADER of some sort. Of course, photos are always appreciated if you have access to them. Remember to give yourself a tag line at the end of your story. And I need an invoice for each story, and a one-time W-9, if you are a new writer. I pay within 30 days of PUBLICATION, but usually sooner. If your story doesn’t match what we agree upon by contract, a 20% kill fee will be paid.
ADDRESS your queries by e-mail to editor Carol Muse Evans at editor@BirminghamParent.com, putting “query” in the subject line. Or, mail queries to Carol Muse Evans, Editor, Birmingham Parent, 115-C Hilltop Business Dr., Pelham, AL 35124. Or fax to 205-739-0073. NO PHONE CALLS ON STORY IDEAS, PLEASE.
