Submission Guidelines

Catskill Mountain Region Guide
Contact: Sarah Taft, Managing Editor
tafts@catskillmtn.org
(607) 280-9011

ARTICLE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES for ARTICLES & PHOTOS: FORMATS, RATES, DEADLINES

The Catskill Mountain Region Guide serves the Catskill Mountain, Hudson Valley and Leatherstocking Regions of New York State. It covers the following counties: Columbia, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster.

In addition to the regular monthly issues of the Catskill Mountain Region Guide?describing the history, culture, recreation, wildlife and personalities of the area?are the Greene County Vacation Planner and the Guide to Skiing and Snowboarding, which are distributed in the summer and fall (Greene County Vacation Planner) and the winter (Guide to Skiing and Snowboarding) months.

Writers should become familiar with the magazine and can do so by requesting a sample copy. Please send an address label and a check for $4.00 to cover postage. Along with a writer's query we like to see a few published stories.

All work submitted must be the original property of the writer and should not have appeared in another publication. The Guide does not publish works of poetry or fiction.

LENGTH OF ARTICLES: The suggested length pertains to the body copy of original documents written specifically for the Catskill Mountain Region Guide (minus title, byline, blurbs, and photo captions): minimum of 1,000 words, maximum of 3,000.

FORMAT: We caution contributors that hard copy submissions, especially lengthier articles, are more difficult to edit because they have to be retyped. To expedite the processing of your copy we recommend sending it in an electronic format because it allows staff to access and edit copy more easily and accurately. Whichever form you use, send copy in one of the following formats (listed in order of preference):

• Email: The document in an attachment in Microsoft Word format
• Email: The document pasted to the body of the message
• Computer diskette: Create a document in Word format accessible by a computer's "A" drive.
• Hard copy: fax or mail articles

Email to: tafts@catskillmtn.org or fax or mail hard copy, diskettes, and photos to:

Sarah Taft, Managing Editor
Catskill Mountain Region Guide
P.O. Box 924
Hunter, NY 12442

FORMATTING SUGGESTIONS: To simplify, please format text, especially hard copy, in accessible modes: Font: Times New Roman    Size: 10 -12 point    Double spaced

If copying from another format (Excel, WordPerfect, Lotus, etc.) please review the document to be sure there aren't any unusual codes that intrude upon the editor's transcription. If this is unavoidable, please warn the editor about formatting variations.

IDENTIFICATION: On the document, please include a header that identifies the:

• Author's name
• Contact information (address, telephone, fax and email if applicable)
• Title of document
• Auxiliary information, such as photo captions or illustrations.

FACT CHECKING: To avoid inaccuracies, please review all information, especially:

• Details that are time-sensitive--please verify dates
• If interviewing individuals, verify the spelling of all names and locations mentioned

The Catskill Mountain Region Guide editorial staff reserves the right to modify copy and edit it for the following reasons: Spelling, typographical, grammatical, and factual errors; elimination and reduction of duplicated information and redundancies; clarity and conciseness; uniform style; length.

PRESS/NEWS RELEASES

We may print some or all information from press releases in our calendar listings or "Places of Interest" sections. We do encourage photos and will pay for them. However, we cannot pay for any copy that is promotional or commercial in nature; that is to say, copy that disseminates information that will, can be, or has been distributed to other publications. We can only compensate writers for original copy generated specifically for the Catskill Mountain Region Guide.

We are dedicated to promoting the cultural and economical well-being of this vast and diverse region. If your copy is newsworthy and can be used to attract visitors to our region and to invite residents to explore and share our resources, and if it corresponds with thematic issues, we are more than pleased to accommodate your requests.

RATES & FORMATS: Only original articles and photos that are accepted for publication will receive compensation. Please provide an INVOICE with your name, social security number (for tax purposes) and mailing address for articles and photo submissions. The invoice should specify:

• The description or type of submission and title.
• The issue in which the work appeared.
• If billing for more than one item, give a breakdown of work done.

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS

CMRG pays $.10 per published word. Payment is made 30 days following publication of the article.

PHOTO SUBMISSIONS: We prefer photos to accompany articles.
Article photos: CMRG pays $15 for each article photo that we use. Please provide appropriate captions and credits for each photo.

Photos for articles can be emailed in a JPEG or TIF format to tafts@catskillmtn.org or they can be mailed to "Editorial Submissions" at the above address.

Center spread or cover photos: Portfolio color photos: $25 for a full-page print; $50 for the cover or a two-page center spread. Send color prints and include the following information on the back of each photo:

• Name of photographer and contact information and where the photo was taken (identify view, locale, and/or nearest landmark).
• To expedite the return of all photographs, please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Send portfolio photos with pertinent information to Sarah Taft, Managing Editor, at the above address. We may ask to borrow a negative if the photo is selected.

DEADLINES FOR COPY AND PHOTOGRAPHS:

• The 10th day of each month for the subsequent month's issue. Please honor deadlines to avoid omission.