Vision: A Resource for Writers is in it's tenth year of publication in 2010. We pay one cent a word for articles between 500 and 2000 words. Writing for the ezine is easier than you might think. Writers -- professionally published or not -- often have insights into things that help them work, or have specific knowledge about areas of specialization in real life. I am also interested in genre-related articles.


Here are the things to consider when you're writing an article for Vision:

  • Read the submission guidelines and follow them. If you have a question, email me at editor@visionforwriters.com .



  • Don't write an article and send it off without proofing. In fact, read it more than once. Let it sit for a day or two, even if you are running late. I would rather have a well-edited late article than a messy one sent on time.



  • I am looking for any articles related to writing, from first-person experience articles to genre-specific how-to's and informational articles about your area of specialization - whether that is history, science, nursing or long-distance running. Write something that will help other writers, and I'll be interested in taking a look.



  • You do not need to query about an article. I would rather see the finished product.



  • Did I mention reading the guidelines?
  • We strive to maintain professional standards. Manuscripts must be as free from spelling and grammatical errors as you can make them, and in what you perceive to be final draft. We will not welcome massive rewrites of a piece after we have accepted it. When an article is accepted, we will edit it to our standards. If we feel that it needs massive rewrites, it will not be accepted.


    Please note that Margaret Fisk is now the Features' Editor and will handle all the review articles.


    Guidelines:


    Articles must be at least 500 words with 2000 words as the 'soft' top. I'm willing to go over that count if the article needs it, but payment stops at 2000 words.


    Check your spelling and grammar! Also, if you are from a country that does not use US spelling conventions, let me know in the email. That will stop me from making several 'corrections' before I realize they aren't mistakes.


    Place your Title AND YOUR NAME at the top of the document. I hate having to go search through emails, checking attachments, to figure whose article I'm actually reading.


    Use either a Courier or Arial font, 12pt.


    Double space your manuscript.


    Do not indent.


    Please send articles as attachments in Word Doc format (.doc or docx) or .rtf files.


    Indicate book titles with italics. Yes, that means if you are doing a Word doc or rtf that you can use actual italics and not an underline to indicate italics.


    Do not use an underline for emphasis. Use italics or bold. (An underline on the Internet indicates a link. If there is an underline and it is not a link, people assume the link is broken and report it.)


    Use no HTML code except for links, and those written in this fashion: http://www.whatever.com/this.htm


    Provide the ISBN numbers and publishers for all books mentioned or reviewed. Do this by adding the title, author, publisher and ISBN# at the bottom of the article. The same is true for articles -- be certain to cite any work that is referenced.


    An additional note to Word users: Turn off the 'smart quotes' option in Word, which can be found under Tools-AutoCorrect and then the tabs AutoFormat while you type AND Autoformat. Also uncheck the symbol replacement for --. While Smart Quotes look really neat on the screen, they sometimes translate to funny little squares that cannot be taken out with the 'find-replace' feature, but have to be hunted down by hand. If you are submitting anything electronically, you will very likely hear back from the editor on these. And remember -- a lot of print publishers are now asking for electronic copy for their end as well.

    Articles may be sent to:

    Lazette Gifford,
    Publisher and Editor
    editor@visionforwriters.com


    Website and Book Reviews:

    Margaret McGaffey Fisk,
    Senior Associate Editor
    margaretfisk@fmwriters.com


    Additional Articles and Reprints:

    J.A. Marlow,
    Associate Editor
    jamarlow.sf@gmail.com



    I look forward to seeing articles from you!


    Thank you!


    Lazette Gifford


    Managing Editor