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Author guidelines
also known as "writer guidelines"
are a set of guidelines put together by a publisher or other
organization that specify their requirements for material from
writers.
As a freelance
writer you should read a publication's author guidelines
carefully. If you want to win assignments, be sure to follow
them. Editors are swamped with submissions from writers who
never bother to read either the publication or their author
guidelines.
By following the
editor's Author Guidelines you will automatically get to the
front of the line!
Good author guidelines will usually specify:
-
topics that
may be covered
-
the regular
sections (e.g. departments or features) that are available
to freelance writers
-
the sections
that are not available, i.e. they are covered in-house by
staff writers
-
how to query,
e.g. whether to submit completed manuscripts or query first
-
name of
appropriate editor or other contact person
-
contact
details
-
preferred
format & style
-
preferred
length
-
rights
purchased
-
rates of pay
To see examples of
writing market guidelines visit our
free database of author's guidelines.
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