Author's Guidelines
-- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 10/11/2007 12:58:00 PM
Author’s Guidelines
We have several places to contribute to CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER magazine. For items not described below, or for specific questions, please contact:
Michael Ivanovich, Editor in Chief
630-288-8150
michael.ivanovich@reedbusiness.com
News: News items with an industry impact or nationwide reach that would benefit all of our readers are best. News may be about trends that change our industry, association information, analysis of such information, government codes and standards changes, large achievements within a company, or other broad items. In the magazine, we typically do not run announcements on new hires or promotions, Web site launches, or other company-specific news, though we may run it online at www.csemag.com.
Send news to:
Scott Siddens, Senior Editor
630-288-8158
ssiddens@reedbusiness.com
Products: Product releases should include complete company contact information, a description of the product and its capabilities, and a color photo whenever possible. Products are selected based on their relevance to our readers, and may be included in a special product focus in a particular month.
Send products to:
Melissa Hillebrand, Associate Editor
630-288-8157
Melissa.hillebrand@reedbusiness.com
Letters/reader feedback: This is where industry opinions are sought. We welcome letters to the editor, comments on stories you've seen in CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER magazine or on general industry issues, and other comments you'd like to share.
Send comments to:
Michael Ivanovich, Editor in Chief
630-288-8150
michael.ivanovich@reedbusiness.com
Feature articles: This is the place where our industry experts and engineering leaders can best showcase their knowledge. Articles may range from 1,000 to 2,500 words and should include all appropriate graphics, tables, or art. Our editors will work with you on the development of your article and the details of submission. Feature articles are generally planned one year in advance in what is called an editorial calendar. CSE’s editorial calendar is available in PDF format online at www.csemag.com. When pitching an article, it is advised that the topic be tied to one that is on the editorial calendar at least three months in advance of the month the topic is listed.
Send feature story ideas to:
Michael Ivanovich, Editor in Chief
630-288-8150
michael.ivanovich@reedbusiness.com
Bylined departments: These are the one to two-page sections of the magazine that have contributors writing about topics germane to a given department. For example, the monthly department, Codes & Standards, will have a 500- to 800-word story on new specifications within a given code, standard, or guideline, or cover an interpretation issue. Some departments are planned in advance on the editorial calendar.
Send bylined department ideas to:
Amara Rozgus, Senior Editor & Manager of E-content
630-288-8777
amara.rozgus@reedbusiness.com
Product case studies: We welcome one-page stories (500-700 words) of how a product or solution technique (not a specific product) helped improve one of your client’s efficiency, productivity, or operational effectiveness. What we're looking for are unique solutions to a client’s problem. These articles can be suggested by a product manufacturer or the engineering team, but the focus of the article should be on how the product solved a difficult problem for the client. We will evaluate submissions to ensure they focus on the solution, not the product.
Send case study ideas to:
Scott Siddens, Senior Editor
630-288-8158
ssiddens@reedbusiness.com
E-newsletter feature stories: Each of our e-newsletters has one to two feature stories in each, which is both e-mailed to our readers and posted online. E-newsletters stories must meet the same strict requirements as our print magazine features, and should have multiple links to external sites for readers to acquire more information.
E-newsletters include:
* Business of Engineering
* Codes & Standards
* Electrical Solutions
* Fire & Life Safety Solutions
* Green Scene
* HVAC Solutions
* Pure PowerSend e-newsletter feature story ideas to:
Michael Ivanovich, Editor in Chief
630-288-8150
michael.ivanovich@reedbusiness.com
How to submit feature story/case study information:
* It’s critical to first e-mail an exclusive idea before writing a complete article. We can then see where it might fit in our editorial calendar, or when appropriate. We prefer that you contact us prior to writing your manuscript so that we can guide you in the content. We may ask for an abstract and outline and a commitment to a deadline before agreeing to a manuscript.
* If you’re suggesting a how-to article, please be sure to tell us what level of reader might be interested in this: the seasoned engineer or the novice.
* For engineering case studies, be sure to include who, what, when, where, the timeline of the project, how much it cost and how it was paid for, why it was done, and if post-occupancy performance data (such as datalogger readings, meter readings, and utility bills). Give us a feel for the story—as brief as possible.
* Include information about the bylined author, such as their title and a three-sentence bio.
* The availability of photos or other illustrative materials should be explained or samples provided (no high-resolution files via e-mail, please!!).
There are restrictions on such submissions:
* The article must be exclusive to CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER magazine. We require all writers to sign author's agreements to help us ensure the content is unique to our readers. The story, as submitted, cannot run in another publication. If already published elsewhere, or if the author desires to publish a CSE article elsewhere, the topic or project must have a different angle, making the story unique. Photos and other art elements remain the intellectual property of the originator, but anything used in the CSE article can be used by CSE in any spin-offs or republications of the article in print or electronic formats.
* The article is not product-specific or commercially biased. We encourage authors to include information about the engineering topic, a particular project or challenge, or a general technology issue. This allows us to maintain our editorial independence.
General policies and procedures
* Length of articles: Articles may range anywhere from 1 to 4 published pages, depending on the topic and the author. Each page is about 500 words.
* How to submit: Articles should be in Microsoft Word, and all graphics should be provided in separate 300 dpi, JPEG or TIF files at 4x6 inches in size. We may request larger image files be submitted on CD or DVD, or via our FTP site. Feel free to submit text on a CD or DVD, or via e-mail. Our art department will redraw most graphs, charts, and line drawings, and format tables for publication quality. This saves you time and provides a consistent, high-quality look.
* Deadlines for editorial material vary according to the type of material. A typical deadline for a feature story is two months prior to publication (so April 2008 stories are due about February 1, 2008). In the case of unsolicited features, we will contact you about when we plan to run a story. Because of production and magazine publishing issues, however, we cannot guarantee any story will run in a given issue.
* We receive a high volume of submissions. We won't use every article pitched for the magazine, but we may decide to share them with our readers on our Web site, or in one of our monthly e-newsletters. If an article is applicable to another Reed Business Information publication, we may pass the idea to the appropriate magazine.
* Complimentary copies: Feature article authors automatically receive three copies of the issue or issues in which their article appears.
Reprints are available after publication in CONSULTING-SPECIFYING ENGINEER magazine. All reprints are custom made in hardcopy or electronic format, and prices vary. For quotations, contact Ray Trynovich at rtry@reprintbuyer.com or 717-399-1900 x148.
