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Writer and Photographer Guidelines

Writer's Guidelines

Northern Woodlands’ audience consists of stewardship-minded people with an interest in all aspects of the forests of the Northeast. Our articles and columns range in scope, and may include subjects such as ecology, forestry, practical how-tos and tools, nature education and access, conservation and habitat restoration, woodworking, and reflections on natural landscapes. We like to surprise our readers with stories they won't find anywhere else. We are not a trade magazine or an advocacy magazine; we promote respectful dialogue among a diverse community, with the common value of keeping forests as forests for future generations.

We welcome submissions from writers with varying backgrounds and levels of writing experience, but all should be familiar with the magazine, its contents, and our audience before contacting us. While we do accept unsolicited articles and essays, in most cases, we prefer receiving a pitch first.


How to Write for Northern Woodlands

Step 1: Submit a Query

The first step is to send us a short email (send to: pitch(at)northernwoodlands.org) to introduce yourself and briefly summarize the topic you are interested in covering. Please submit clips (no more than three) if you have them. Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions we receive and our limited staff time, we can't respond personally to every query, but you'll receive an automatic email confirming receipt, and we'll follow up directly with you if we think your idea is a good fit for the magazine.

Step 2: Pitch

For queries, once we have responded that we’re interested in your topic, email us your pitch as an attachment in Word format. Give us a clear idea of what your story will cover, and why we (and our readers) should care about it. We recommend that you include an outline that shows us your plan for covering this subject, including how the story will progress from its introduction, and people whom you’ll interview (if applicable). Let us know if you have photos or artwork available to illustrate the story. We will follow up with a decision from our editorial team.

Step 3: Write

Once we have reviewed and accepted your pitch, you’ll write your story. We’ll give you a deadline, word count, and any other necessary parameters. You should expect that the editing process may involve significant revisions and multiple drafts. All drafts should be shared as attachment in Word format.

How to Submit Drafts

We rarely accept articles on spec, although we will consider them, as well as short (no more than 3000 words) creative nonfiction essays. For "A Place in Mind" quarterly feature, we will consider 650-800 word essays that reflect the writer's personal connection to a northeastern landscape or place (broadly defined). Please review recent examples of "A Place in Mind" essays on our website prior to submitting your draft. Send your draft in Word format with an introductory email to: pitch(at)northernwoodlands.org.

 


Tips:

A good way to break into our magazine is to write a shorter article for Knots and Bolts (200-700 words). We cover a wide range of subjects in that section. Feature articles generally run from 1,000 to 3,000 words. When we assign you a story, we will discuss length. We also welcome pitches for our syndicated weekly ecology series, The Outside Story. Some of our frequent contributors started work for us in this way. To pitch an article for The Outside Story, send an email to our associate editor Meghan McCarthy McPhaul: meghan(at)northernwoodlands.org

Much of our magazine content, and our Outside Story archive, is online. If you’re not a subscriber, read the articles on our website to get a sense of our scope and tone.

Please keep in mind that, as a quarterly, we operate on an accelerated clock. We are planning the contents of each issue six months prior to the publication date. Be aware of the seasonal aspect of your material.

Issue Publication Date Stories Contracted Copy Deadline
Spring March 1 October 15 November 15
Summer June 1 January 15 February 15
Autumn September 1 April 15 May 15
Winter December 1 July 15 August 15

Payment

Book Reviews (400 - 800 words): $100

Features: begin at $.20 per word for writers new to the magazine.*

Poems: $100

A Place in Mind Column (~800 words): $250

Knots and Bolts Column (200 - 700 words): Varies. Average payment ranges from $100 to $750 depending on length, complexity and editing time.* 

*Payment may increase for established/experienced writers. Please note that these pay rates are based on the writer’s experience, our working relationship with them, and the amount of time we spend editing. We don't mind working with unpublished writers who have a grasp of their material, and we enjoy helping subject matter experts make their prose more appropriate for a general audience. However, the more time we have to spend editing a piece, the less we will be able to pay for it.


Poetry

If you would like to submit a poem, please be aware that we typically only have room for short poems, usually around a half page to one full page. We only choose four to eight poems per year and are therefore very selective. We generally use poems that are relevant in theme and imagery for the season in which they appear. Please email your poems to: pitch(at)northernwoodlands.org


Photographer's Guidelines

Cover photos need to be vertical and composed in such a way that accommodates our masthead and cover labels (2.5 inches is taken up at the top of the cover by our title). We have a short list of features at the bottom of the cover, so a non-essential area of the photo will be written over. Remember that our magazine is as much about the people who live and work in the forest as it is about the birds, animals, and plants in it. We are also interested in photographs of people interacting with nature.

We also welcome submissions for our "1,000 Words" inside feature. We typically use vertical photos for this feature, and as the name indicates, look for images that have a strong narrative element. Again, we welcome a range of photo topics, as long as they relate in some way to northeastern forests.

We occasionally assign photo essays, and will consider photo essays on spec. To ask about inside photo needs or deadlines, contact us via email: pitch(at)northernwoodlands.org


Format

Digital photos should be emailed. Please keep emails to less than 5 MB each, and only submit photos that are of high enough resolution be printed at 300 DPI for their intended purpose. We can read JPEG, PDF, or TIFF files. If your photo is chosen, we may request a higher-resolution image. You may also mail us a CD of your images, but digital files are strongly preferred. In rare cases we’ll work with photographers who shoot slides, but the photographs must be spectacular. We will not mail back CDs unless by prior arrangement. 

In most cases, Northern Woodlands purchases a nonexclusive permanent license for photos, meaning that you retain the copyright, and we have the right to permanently archive your work on our website and digital platforms.


Payment

Inside: $25-$75 or by the batch

Cover: $200

1,000 Words: $150