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What are Submission Guidelines?

 

Submission guidelines, also known as "writer guidelines" are a set of guidelines put together by a publisher or other organization that specify their requirements for material from writers.

As a freelance writer you should read a publication's submission guidelines carefully. If you want to win assignments, be sure to follow them. Editors are swamped with submissions from writers who never bother to read either the publication or their submission guidelines.

By following the editor's submission guidelines you will automatically get to the front of the line!


Good submission guidelines will usually specify:

  • topics that may be covered
     

  • the regular sections (e.g. departments or features) that are available to freelance writers
     

  • the sections that are not available, i.e. they are covered in-house by staff writers
     

  • how to query, e.g. whether to submit completed manuscripts or query first
     

  • name of appropriate editor or other contact person
     

  • contact details
     

  • preferred format & style
     

  • preferred length
     

  • rights purchased
     

  • rates of pay

 

To see examples of writing market guidelines visit our free database of submission guidelines.
 

Submission guidelines are also sometimes referred to as "Writer's Guidelines", "Contribution Guidelines", "Contributor Guidelines" or "Author Guidelines".

 


Did you know... at Worldwide Freelance Writer we list over 2,400 publications with contribution guidelines online in our writing markets database.




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