MUSKIE Magazine Editorial Guidelines

General:
All material submitted by M.I. members will be considered for publication. The decision to publish rests entirely with the Editorial Committee and the Managing Editor. (Opinions expressed by the authors' are not necessarily those of Muskies, Inc., its officers, board of directors or staff). All written material should be original and unpublished and must consist of accurate information that appeals to our special interest readership. Articles MUST include complete information as to name of lake(s), names of lures, color, etc. You are not expected to include specific locations or GPS coordinates unless you choose to do so. We accept fiction that contributes to the education, enlightenment or entertainment of our readers in some special way. We enjoy articles that are easy to read, which can mean supplemental text including sidebars, bulleted lists, graphic elements, etc. We also welcome copy that comes with subheads and pull quotes already written.
Definitions:
Muskie is the preferred spelling for MUSKIE Magazine articles. It appears that the spelling of muskie is generally a Minnesota derivation. Musky on the other hand appears to be that of a Wisconsin derivation. Since Muskies, Inc. was founded in Minnesota we prefer to favor that spelling.
Copyright
MUSKIE Magazine purchases first North American serial rights, and in some cases, all electronic rights to articles. Contributors (other than M.I. employees) grant rights for M.I. to publish once in MUSKIE Magazine, both the print and online versions, including archives, and on the M.I. Web site.
Article submissions:
Electronic submissions are preferred; next preferred format is 3.5" double-sided, double density or a high-density diskette (PC). Send a printed hard copy with the disk. If submitting hard copy (least preferred), please double-space; with 1.25" borders left/right and 1" top & bottom. Please use Microsoft Word, WordPerfect or ASCII format. Handwritten submissions will not be accepted. Articles should be sent via e-mail as an attachment to:
managingeditor@muskiesinc.org
Theme months:
MUSKIE will attempt to coordinate monthly articles with advertising and time-of-the-year activities, i.e. "Fall Fishing", "Sport Show Edition", etc. Even though your article may be a very good one, we may have recently published a similar story or have one in our files. Therefore your article may be held for a more appropriate time for publication. This does not constitute rejection.

Photographs
Note: Muskies, Inc. espouses the "Catch & Release" philosophy and as such is very particular about photos of muskies. We will not accept any photos of dead fish, fish held in an unsupported vertical position, or photos showing a muskie obviously stressed, for cover photos. In addition, we will generally not use these photos in our feature stories and/or articles. It is possible some fish held in a vertical position, but supported, may appear in our "member photos" section. We expect your photos to respect our revered symbol of this organization.
"Photo support" submissions:
We look for quality-clarity, sharpness, composition and correct exposure. Each photo should have a written caption with a description of the shot and the names of any people shown. All photos must be identified so as not to get lost or misplaced. DO NOT write on the back of any photos with ballpoint pen or permanent marker that will bleed thru.
Submit up to 20 images on a CD-ROM, ZIP disk. Submit color or black-and-white transparencies in a protective sleeve. Color or black-and-white prints are acceptable. Color images may be converted to black-and-white.
Specifications for digital images: 300 dpi; TIFF (for PC) or JPEG formats; 10 inches of image. "Photos submitted digitally should be in CMYK color mode.
Close-up shots;
Mugs are welcome for feature stories, Departments and member news. Either e-mail a digital photo or send the Managing Editor a transparency or print.
Specifications for digital mugs: 300 dpi; TIFF (for PC) or JPEG formats; 3 inches of image.

Articles
Note: MUSKIE follows the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook and Libel Manual and the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA) Stylebook.
Features articles: Preferred length is 1,200 – 1,500 words or less, with good
photo support. Longer articles are not encouraged. Articles may be edited and shortened without notification to the author at the discretion of the Managing Editor. General focus of articles, other than those from committee members, should be on muskie fishing techniques, how to, news of muskie fishing research, youth activities sponsored by M.I. chapters, or other news of general interest to M.I. members.
Short stories:
Preferred length is 500-1,000 words or less with some photo support. MUSKIE Magazine desires to print at least three to five articles per month in the following areas: (1) advanced muskie-fishing techniques. Example: Trolling with planner boards. (2) Intermediate level article on muskie fishing. Example: Choosing the correct size suckers for fall muskies. (3) Multiple articles on beginner and how-to-do-it Example: What length rod for bucktails vs. jerk baits.

Departments
Submissions accepted (with pre-determined word limits) as charged by the Editorial Committee. In general one page is reserved for the Presidents message. Word limit 800.
Miscellaneous Columns:
Columns such as: "About the Cover" and "Photo Contest" are written by Juris Ozols. "Lunge Log" is written by Jim Bunch. "Ask The Guide" is written by various guides answering member questions. The International Secretary writes various other reports such as the
report of Board Meeting summaries.
Press Releases: Press releases will be considered for publication and may be edited and/or abbreviated, usually to 50-75 words. Chapter News & Views and other relevant announcements should be limited to 350 words otherwise will be edited and/or abbreviated.
Calendar items: Calendar items contain information on activities of interest to members and appear as space permits, please include contact all information.

Miscellaneous
Deadline for submissions:
Usually the first of the month preceding the month of publication. For example, the August MUSKIE deadline is July 1st.
Trademarks: Trademark names are used throughout MUSKIE. Rather than place a trademark symbol at every occurrence, MUSKIE uses the name only in an editorial fashion, with no intent of trademark infringement.
Payment for articles:
MUSKIE Magazine does pay for material published in MUSKIE. However, members may contribute (donate) material for the benefit of the membership. Please include the following information with your article or photo submissions: your name, mailing address, contact number with area code,
your social security number or Federal I.D. number.
Please refer to separate schedule for specific categories of payment and fee schedule for authors.
Return policy: Text submissions and materials submitted for review will NOT be returned. Photographs and artwork are returned immediately after use; Members must submit a self addressed envelope and/or mailing label included with submission. MUSKIE pays for return mailing. Muskie is not liable for photographs/art work lost or damaged in shipping. Members who desire their photos/artwork returned insured or via special handling must inform the editor and pay insurance/special handling fees.
Commentaries:
Commentaries must relate to muskie issues or conservation issues surrounding muskies, muskie fishing, muskie research and/or issues covered in "The Purposes of Muskies, Inc." and/or our Mission Statement.
Reprint policies:
Permission to reprint from MUSKIE must be obtained from Muskies, Inc. and the author or photographer, both must receive credit lines. A copy of any reprinted material must be sent to Muskies, Inc.
Subscriptions: MUSKIE is a member entitlement. Others wishing to subscribe must submit requests to the Managing Editor; if approved, subscription cost is $30.00 per year.
Back issues: $3.00 each plus $2.00 handling for up to five copies.

MUSKIE Magazine Editorial Guidelines approved October 25, 2003 and become a part of Muskies, Inc. General Policies, Positions and Guidelines