Contributor Guidelines
Download Writer’s Contributor Guidelines as a PDF
Highline Magazine is a connection to the unique mountain environment and culture of Canada’s Rocky Mountains. We feature a wide range of topics—from summer and winter sports to environmental issues, local heroes, health, humour and more. Based in the gateway to the Rockies, our content is largely local and has a distinctly authentic Bow Valley flavour.
Interested in contributing to Highline Magazine? Before you send us your content, please read the following guidelines to ensure a speedy response from our team.
First of all, we strongly recommended that you read at least one past issue of Highline Magazine (if not more!) to get a feel for the style and focus of our content before submitting queries to our Editor. Issues are available online at www.highlineonline.ca.
We prefer to receive ideas rather than full submissions, so put your idea into a query letter first. What’s that, you say? For you seasoned freelancers, you’ll have a pretty good idea. But if this is your first time, consider this a chance to learn how things work in the world of freelancing.
In your Query Letter (1 Page), please include the following:
- Your story idea, including its angle, direction, elements and proposed length, and why you are the right person to write the story (TIP: write the intro to your query letter like you would your article – give us that hook right off the bat).
- Let us know whether or not your submission has previously been published in another publication, or is scheduled to be.
- A list of sources that will assist you with the article (you should have done some preliminary research first and confirmed that your sources are interested in participating).
- A brief list of places you’ve already been published (for first-timers, it’s ok to include a link to your blog, or some other samples if they are a clear reflection your writing style).
- The availability of photographs or illustrations that can be submitted with the story.
At Highline Magazine, we highly discourage our contributors from submitting the same query letter or idea/angle to multiple publications at once.
Likewise, we do request First Time Publication Rights and require that the article appear in Highline for one year before appearing anywhere else (unless otherwise permitted by the Editor). We also require a reprint note on any reprinted content indicating that the story first appeared in Highline.
Please attach your query letter and writing samples, if available, to an email and send them to Meghan Ward at meghan[at]highlineonline.ca. Please write “Query: [insert your story idea]” in the Subject Line.
How the Process Works:
- Please allow at least two weeks before following up on a query letter.
- If your idea strikes a chord, we will be in touch, and we may have some suggestions for angle/content to help fit your idea more closely in line with Highline. If your idea doesn’t quite fit, we’ll do our best to let you know. Keep writing and query us again.
- From there, we’ll send you an Assignment Letter which will outline the angle of the story, topics to be covered, word count, deadline, amount to be paid for the piece and any other relevant information. By confirming receipt of the Assignment Letter, the letter will act as your contract with Highline Magazine. By accepting the Assignment Letter, you express your understanding that work published in Highline Magazine may also be published in the digital version of the magazine.
- Please provide a possible Headline and Decks (Sub-Headlines) for the story. More on this below.
- You’ll have done your fact checking prior to submitting your first draft (make sure every name is spelled correctly, every detail is 100% accurate, every number is correct, etc.) Fact checking is the writer’s responsibility.
- If necessary, the Editor will inform you of any major changes or revisions the article requires.
Approved Article Submissions
Please send your article to meghan[at]highlineonline.ca in a Word document format, single-spaced, using Headers and Sub-headers to organize the piece (if sub-headers are required).
Save your file as: [Article Title]_[Your Initials]
Indicate again the availability of photographs.
A Note about Expenses:
Highline Magazine will not cover expenses other than those previously negotiated with the contributor.
