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Writers' Guidelines School Transportation News is monthly news magazine devoted to the pupil transportation industry. More than than 22,000 subscribers receive the publication every month and thousands of readers visit its website every day. The magazine and web site deliver news and information specific to the industry, including policy developments, state and federal regulations, vehicle maintenance and manufacturing, product news, vendor developments, Head Start regulations and safety issues. STN circulation is ABC audited. Story proposals: Include a detailed outline or summary or the article, names of contacts and the author's name, address, phone and email. AP Style: Articles should be clearly written, concise and interesting to the reader. Write tight and lively and use the active voice. Adhere to the word count assigned as we will not pay for words in excess of the length requested. Use the Associated Press Stylebook as a guide. Check and double check all your facts. The editor will provide a maximum word length. The editor reserves the right to edit, cut or request a rewrite of any article. Acceptance: Upon notification of acceptance of the story proposal, writers will be provided with a due date, assignment letter and author's release. The writer will be responsible for submitting an invoice to STN Media. Include your social security number on your invoice. STN Media will have full rights to publish articles in print and online. Article Types Here are the general editorial guidelines for various types of articles that STN is interested in: News articles: Stories should center on current issues that are of interest and concern to those in the school transportation industry. The focus can be on national, state and/or regional items and trends affecting both regular education and special education student transportation. Should contain at least two sources. Press releases are not appropriate. Appropriate length: 300 to 600 words. (News events submitted three or more months after an event will not be considered for publication.) Feature articles: These stories can focus on a range of items highlighting a particular area of interest within the industry. A variety of sources and quotes are expected, as are quality color photographs. Priority will be given to articles that illustrate new concepts and unique developments worthy of special attention. Please review STN's Editorial Calendar for possible feature articles. Appropriate length: 800 words. Maintenance articles: The magazine is constantly on the lookout for school bus maintenance articles. Discuss specific maintenance shops and maintenance practices. Appropriate length: 400 to 600 words. Opinion articles: The magazines occasionally publishes opinion pieces from industry experts. Opinions should focus on current industry developments but those opinions should be backed up with qualified logic, facts and figures. Preference is given to articles of specific interest to school transporters. Appropriate length: 400 words. Product News: STN staff will always edit press releases and other material from product manufacturers. Literature should include descriptions and specifications of the product. STN will not publish criticisms of competitor products, prices or warranty information. Preference is given to those accompanied by a color photograph and items must have specific school bus applications. Appropriate length: 50- to 75-word submissions. People in the News: Announcements concerning company employee additions, promotions, award recipients and other news involving persons within the industry should include the individual's name, title, former position and location. Wherever possible, include a color photograph. Appropriate length: up to 50-word submissions. Photographs: Think visual. STN is always seeking quality color photographs, regardless of whether they accompany a story or not. Photographs should be clear and depict a scene, event or individual of interest to the school transportation community. Captions should accompany all photos. Electronic files should be a minimum high density 300 dpi and sent in TIFF, EPS or high-density JPEG format via email to the editors or enclosed on a disc and mailed to STN. Low-density JPEG and GIF files that are suitable for Internet application cannot be separated with accurate colors for reproduction in four-color print and will not be accepted for publication. If photos are imbedded in a Word document, please send separate images. Photos should be unedited and uncompressed. Please note that not all photos provided may be utilized. Writer's Checklist: Terms: Payment is negotiated on a case-by-case basis, and typically only for feature articles and to professional writers. We do not pay for unsolicited manuscripts, product articles or people annoucements, and there's no kill fee for articles written on spec. For more information on writing fees, contact Ryan Gray, Editor in Chief. Author's bio: Professional freelance writers, please describe who you are and what you do in one or two sentences. Industry professionals, submit a 25- to 50-word bio. Source list: Provide the name, title, organization, address and phone number for each source quoted or cited in your story. Manuscript preparation & submission: Submit manuscripts electronically as an attachment to an email, or on a CD along with a double-spaced hardcopy. Save text in Microsoft Word, or in TEXT or RTF format. Send proposals to: Ryan Gray |
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