Story Submission Guidelines Revised- 9-27-06  

To ensure a smooth, timely editorial flow, please note the following guidelines for submitting stories to CSM (paying particular attention to deadlines). Please read several issues of Cecil Soil before submitting a pitch. All stories must have a local flavor, and have a positive, uplifting tone. Historic themes and stories that highlight character and moral values are of particular interest. At the top of our “most wanted” list are profiles of present and early Cecil County folks. Below are some suggestions if you plan to do an interview. We look forward to hearing from you, thank you. — ETB

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• We want to hear stories about you! Please submit local stories about your family history as it pertains to Cecil County and the surrounding area. We are also interested in local business stories, especially if they are historic. Present day stories are also wanted: unusual jobs, hobbies, skills, achievements…and contrasting remembrances of the old days when people and times were saner. We welcome profiles on folks who are positively embedded in your mind… share them with us and the county before they are lost.

• If possible, please give the publisher a call (410-658-3244) or send an email (cecilsoilmag@zoominternet.net) and run your idea by him before you start your story. He will give you the word count and other important information. If your story is already written we will review it and get back to you as soon as possible. Be sure to include all your contact information in the same document as your submission.
• You may submit your stories and poems as email attachments in Word or text format (.doc or .txt preferred). Typed pages or handwritten stories may move through our system very slowly. Stories accompanied with photos will be considered for publication first.
• Sidebars can help a story pull the reader in and are a welcome addition to your story. The internet is a helpful resource for researching a sidebar for your topic.
• Do not worry a whole lot about spelling and punctuation… it’s quality content we are interested in. Please be bold and submit your story… we both know it’s in you, waiting to be told. Thank you, we would love to hear from you!

• For digital pictures, a camera of 3.0 mega-pixels or better is best. Print photographs should be digitally scanned at a dpi setting of at least 300, and sent to us electronically in jpeg format (.jpg) saved at the highest quality setting. Always take a large amount of pictures of your subjects and send 3-4 of the best to us for publishing. Be sure to get a few close-ups. Please supply complete captions for every picture you send in the body of your email. Large attachments (over 1MB) may be sent as separate emails, but please identify in the subject line.

• Submit your story in a complete package. Save your story as a Word document (.doc) and collect it along with any photos, sidebars and pull quotes into one folder. Compress your folder using WinZip before sending as an email attachment. If necessary, large attachments can be sent in successive emails. If you wish to suggest where to display certain photos in your text, insert bold photo titles in parentheses at the end of the appropriate paragraph. For example: (photo #1).

• Interviews

• Call well in advance for timing an ask subject to prepare for the interview with thoughts of what they would like to see in the story.
• Ask them to have photos and other visuals, or documents ready.
• Be sure to bring along a couple 9” x 12” clasp, Kraft envelopes for their pictures, (so that they know you will take good care of them).
• Using a tape recorder is “never having to say you’re sorry”. I use a digital recorder and take notes the same time.
• Ask the primary subject for the names and phone numbers of other people so that you can get quotes for your story.
• You have to control your subject to a certain degree…if they wander off the story line, gently redirect them back in.
• Be alert for the “bombshell”. For our very first issue of CSM I was interviewing Vince & Sidonia LaMonica and things were going quite dry when out of the blue he said something about a big explosion at Triumph in 1943. I found out that he was the only living person in Cecil County that had witnessed it…15 people killed. My story took a whole new direction.
• Take plenty of photos of them and others whom you may write about. With these digitals you can take photos of photos and they can work out very well. If their photo is behind glass ask to remove it first. (Let them do it).
• Never tell your subject when their story will be published. I usually say, “Hopefully in the next issue, but it may run in a later issue.” This saves a lot of hurt feelings if for some reason their story is not published soon.
• Before you leave, give them all your contact info, phone numbers and email. Be sure to get theirs.
• It’s hard work. Try to wrap everything up in one visit, with the possibility of a few phone calls.

• Please present your Word document in the following manner:
  • Arial font, size 12
  • Single space
  • Use Associated Press Stylebook rules for punctuation.
  • Use one space after each period in a sentence; not two.
  • Use tabs for paragraph indents, not spaces.
  • Word, “print layout” (under View)
  • Send all stories via email as a Word attachment or a .zip archive.
  • We’re flexible…any problems, just let us know.