Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are
rules set forth by publishers for contributing authors. In order to have your article taken seriously you must review guidelines prior to submission. It is also recommended that you review previous editions of publication to get a better feel for types of articles favored by editor(s).Outlined below are 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 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 size and format required for acceptance.
Editorial style: Consistency and accuracy governs use of a style selected by editorial department of a publication. Many publications require use of Associated Press Stylebook which covers spelling, capitalization, grammar, punctuation and usage.
Author Photograph: Some publications require or accept a photograph of author usually included with submission of article. Guidelines will often cover 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 only payment you will receive for your article. However, some publications (particularly those in print) pay for articles by word or per article.
