Contribute

Contribute

The New Colonist is on the lookout for articles, photos, references, links, and other information useful to people who want to live in or visit the great cities and towns of our country, or who already live there, love them passionately, and are looking for ways to make then better. If you have something to contribute, see our Writer's Guidelines below or write to editor Eric Miller at editor@newcolonist.com for other information.

Writers Guidelines

WHO WE ARE

Www.NewColonist.com is the Internet webzine for people interested in cities and city life. The New Colonist contains hard news about development, politics and preservation, as well as softer lifestyle stories about people, places and daily life in cities.

WHAT WE PUBLISH

We prefer stories written in a conversational manner and look for information detailed enough to appeal to someone who's never been to a particular city. We don't look for technical papers with meticulous details about a narrow subject. That doesn't mean we will refuse articles about a particular building or event in a specific city; we just prefer stories and articles that aren't weighed with information that's not interesting to a reader who may not know the area. When in doubt, explain why something is important or relevant. Devices that incorporate action and quotes and conversations that show interaction with local people, places and events are welcome.

We publish features, columns, photo essays with short, creative text and even short news briefs that illuminate something in a particular city, or city life in general.

DO WE PAY?

Let’s not beat around the bush. At this point, no one at The New Colonist is paid. Everything you read in our zine was contributed by someone who wanted to express their thoughts on urban life, expressing their creativity free from the confines of a paying editor. As you see in our pages, the quality is uncompromised. We regularly have contributions from nationally respected writers and have been recognized for our original and persuasive editorials. Should your article be accepted for publication, be assured it will be widely read and in the company of quality.

Features
Features must paint a verbal picture as well as tell a story. Features are usually about something that's going on in a city, such as a conflict over how to develop, an analysis of an issue, an examination of urban trends, or a story about people who have worked to improve their community. Opinion pieces are considered, as long as they don't promote an obvious political lines. Historical articles are also considered. The best stories will have a beginning, middle and an end. All stories must include a title and should include information on how to find out more, such as lists of web sites or local contacts.
Before sending a query or article, spend some time familiarizing yourself with The New Colonist at www.newcolonist.com.
Features should be between 750 and 2,500 words. Two-part stories are possible.
Lifestyle Features
Lifestyle features are about city life in general, not about particular cities. Potential topics include having a pet in the city, raising children in the city, gardening in close spaces, living with less space, living in a high-rise, using city parks, using public facilities, walking to work, riding public transit, cleaning up litter, getting along with neighbors, being elderly and living in a younger neighborhood, being handicapped in a city, etc. Lifestyle features should also have a beginning, middle and end and include information on where to learn more.

Featured City Guest Editors

The New Colonist is looking for featured city guest editors. Our guest editors, who are often from local publications, regularly compile a series of articles dealing with their city for a featured city series. Featured city editors obtain 5-8 articles about life in their city by seeking reprint rights for previously-published articles and by soliciting new articles from writers familiar with their region. The featured city editor also writes at least one of the articles. Featured city guest editors should also locate and request permission to publish photographs.

Featured city guest editors are promoted prominently on the front page of the issue where the articles appear. Publications giving permission to reprint articles are provided a space for a banner ad and link on the page where the article appears.

How Do I Become A City Page Editor?
Go to Your Block and see if your city is listed. If it isn't, we are in need of a page for that city. If it is, check on the page to see if there is already a city page editor. If there isn't we are in need of an editor for that page. If you can't determine, send an email to editor@newcolonist.com and ask if the page for your city is available.
What Does A City Page Editor Do?
Initially a city page editor compiles a page of factual information and links about a city they live in or are familiar with. In addition, a city page editor writes and submits or collects regular neighborhood features and timely articles and information for the page.
I Want To Be A City Page Editor, What Information Should Be Included On My Page?
After forming a city page editor volunteer agreement with The New Colonist, when creating your initial city page, you should collect and a minimum of the following information about your city:

A photo
Population statistics including population for the PSMA, and a racial breakdown by percentage.
The unemployment rate
A web address for the Chamber of Commerce
A web link to the local public transit organization (example: MUNI, MTA, MARTA, etc.)
Five entertainment venues including a brief description, address and phone number, plus web site link if available.
Five popular neighborhood shopping areas including a brief description, address and phone number, plus web site link if available.
Five places to eat including a brief description, address and phone number, plus web site link if available.
Five places to go at night including a brief description, address and phone number, plus web site link if available.
An employment resources web link
A link to the city government homepage
A list of community groups including a brief description, address and phone number, plus web site link if available.
One link to travel information.
A list of what you consider to be the best neighborhoods with a paragraph describing each.
A biography about who you are, why you like where you live, an email address, your homepage address (if available) and a photo if available.

Can I Ask Others In My Community To Help With My Page?
Yes. Ask your friends to help write a profile of their neighborhood, tell you about new places to eat or where to go for a night on the town. Tell them about your page.
Will I Be Paid For My Work?
Currently everyone at The New Colonist is a volunteer. We're all people who love the places we live and believe in the value of the city as an environment. City pages reflect the character of their editors and many have used the pages to create a popular destination for the people in their city, and as a gateway into other articles and features in The New Colonist. Each city page contains a biography and photo of its editor on the page.
Is My Town Too Small To Have A City Page?
It's most important that city pages feature city-like rather than suburban or rural environments. If you live in a city of 20,000, it's much more relevant to us and our readers than a suburb of 100,000.
How Much Work Will Being A City Page Editor Involve?
After the initial gathering of information on the page, you can update the information as often as you like, though we would like something new each month. All we ask is that you be committed to your page after volunteering as an editor.

ACCURACY

Before submitting your work, please check and double check to ensure all information is included and accurate.

OUR WRITERS

Percentage of each issue written by freelance contributors: 80%.

We require distinctive and careful work pieces written with clarity and high creative standards. We want writers who are skilled self-editors, who understand grammar and syntax, and who are familiar with style guidelines used by mainstream magazines and newspapers.

PHOTOS

We ask that writers supply photos to accompany their stories. Photos play a key role in each story so the more colorful and unique these are, the better. JPEGs and GIFS that can be e-mailed are preferable. Prints and slides will also be accepted via post and will be returned to the writer. Please do not mail photos until you have heard from the editor that the story is accepted for publication.

It is crucial to have meaningful and interesting captions accompanying each photo you submit. Without these, it is difficult for us to determine what is included in the photo and the photo's significance.

If you did not take the photo, please ensure you have permission to use the photo and include photo credits.

PAYMENT, TERMS, RIGHTS

The New Colonist cannot currently pay for articles. We can offer exchanges with other sites and advertising space or other promotional services in exchange for articles. When we agree to publish an article, we would like permission to run it for one month and make it available indefinitely in our archives. We would also like the rights to summarize a portion of the article for promotional purposes in our e-mail newsletter and posibly include it in full in our email newsletter. The writer retains all other rights to their work.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Completed manuscripts may be transmitted by e-mail, as an attachment or in the body of an e-mail, to Eric Miller, editor@newcolonist.com.

Finished articles must be submitted 1 month prior to intended publication date.

We are open to your ideas and different styles. We look forward to working with you.

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