South Florida Parenting

Writer's Guidelines


Thank you for your recent inquiry about writing for South Florida Parenting. This information is offered to help you. South Florida Parenting is among the largest-circulation local parenting publication in America, with a circulation of 110,000 in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties of southeastern Florida. It is the region's most complete and reliable local source of information about family concerns. Established in 1990, this award-winning free publication runs 160-172 pages a month.


WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Most South Florida Parenting articles are purchased from freelance writers. In a typical issue, readers will find a variety of regular departments: Out & About, Baby Basics, Preteen Power, Family Money, Family Health and more. We also run feature articles of 800-2,000 words on topics of pertinence to South Florida parents. Features require careful research, independent reporting and well-developed interviews with South Florida sources.

Our focus is on our three-county market and we prefer features that use sources and settings in South Florida. Assignments, when given, go almost exclusively to writers who live in southeast Florida. However, we do consider insightful, captivating essays and features from outside our area, particularly those that deal with universal themes and issues. All stories must include clearly identified, real sources. Articles or essays that use only first names, composites or fictional examples will not be considered.

We welcome your submission of material previously published outside South Florida, if offered to us on an exclusive basis in southeast Florida. No submissions or queries that are offered to other publications in southeast Florida will ever be considered. We do not buy work from writers who are published by our competitors. For reprint offers, send either typed manuscripts or clips and let us know where the material appeared.

THE NITTY-GRITTY
All work for this publication must be submitted at least two months in advance, earlier if possible. If you have an idea keyed to a particular issue, event or season, we suggest that you send it early.

All articles accepted for publication must be submitted by e-mail. Articles sent on spec may be typed and printed or sent by e-mail attachment. An editor will contact you by phone or e-mail if the article is accepted for publication. Due to the volume of queries received, a personal reply to every e-mail is not always possible.

South Florida Parenting pays $150-$300 for first publication rights to articles, based on placement within the magazine, length and quality of writing. We will ask you to sign a contract warranting that the work submitted is your original work and agreeing that you will not submit work to any other publications in South Florida. Writers are paid $30-$50 for reprints of articles that are published elsewhere. Generally, these fees also include rights to use the article online at www.sfparenting.com.

LAST WORD
You may fax, e-mail or write to us about your ideas, but you will need to make the follow-up calls. We cannot contact every writer in response to queries, but will inform you within a two-month time frame if we are considering your work for publication. We do not accept queries from writers who have not worked with us before. If your work is new to this publication, we will consider only completed articles submitted on speculation. Articles will be bought only when they meet our standards for clear, high-quality writing. We do work with writers in the editing process, and we reserve the right to edit all work.

Please include your name, address, e-mail and telephone number with all queries and submissions so that we can contact you. If you submit e-mail attachments, please include your contact information on the attachment as well. We cannot return any work you send, but if you would like to be notified of our decision, you may enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Good luck and good writing. We hope to hear from you soon.

Vicki McCash Brennan Managing Editor