up! magazine Contributor Guidelines
by up! staff
June 19th, 2009
CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES
up! magazine is about the joy of travel and discovery. With a focus on destinations in North America and the Caribbean, up! aims to uncover little-known travel gems and explores well-trodden routes with a fresh perspective, all the while providing vital travel info for the busy traveller and her or his family. Feature stories about urban and adventure tourism are complemented by timely news, events and gear to make travel as enjoyable and exciting as it should be for both our leisure and business readers.
Please note that all queries should focus on the WestJet cities listed below (and areas within a two- to three-hour driving distance):
Abbotsford, B.C.; Calgary, Alta.; Charlottetown, P.E.I.; Comox, B.C.; Deer Lake/Corner Brook, Nfld.; Edmonton, Alta.; Fort McMurray, Alta.; Grand Prairie, Alta.; Halifax, N.S.; Hamilton, Ont.; Kamloops, B.C.; Kelowna, B.C.; Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont.; London, Ont.; Moncton, N.B.; Montréal, Que.; Ottawa, Ont.; Prince George, B.C.; Quebec City, Que.; Regina, Sask.; Saint John, N.B.; Saskatoon, Sask.; St. John’s, Nfld.; Sydney, N.S.; Thunder Bay, Ont.; Toronto (Pearson), Ont.; Vancouver, B.C.; Victoria, B.C.; Winnipeg, Man.; Yellowknife, N.W.T.
Atlantic City, NJ; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Fort Myers, Fla.; Honolulu, Hawaii; Kauai (Lihue), Hawaii; Kona, Hawaii; Las Vegas, Nev.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Maui, Hawaii; New York (Newark), N.Y.; Orlando, Fla.; Palm Springs, Calif.; Phoenix, Ariz.; San Diego, Calif.; San Francisco, Calif.; Tampa, Fla.; Atlantic City
Cabo San Lucas; Cancún; Mazatlán; Puerto Vallarta; Cozumel, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo
Bridgetown, Barbados; La Romana, Dominican Republic; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Nassau, Bahamas; Freeport, Bahamas; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; St. Lucia; Cayo Coco, Cuba; Holguin, Cuba; Varadero, Cuba; St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles; Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.
Details: An annotated, data-focused profile of a new and unique tourist attraction, aiming to explain the logistics behind constructing, designing or maintaining it. (125-word intro and four to six 75-word annotation blurbs/$250)
Souvenir Hunter: The best mementoes from and around WestJet cities. This section is not really gear reviews, but a themed selection of souvenirs (from a variety of local retailers) that speak to the spirit of a place. Each product blurb shouldn’t exceed 30-35 words plus have all contact info for each item. As well, there needs to be a short blurb under the heading “Shop Here,” which profiles a store, market or shopping opportunity that works well within the theme (4-6 items; 35 words each, plus a 100-word intro explaining the theme and a 100-word “Shop Here”/$250)
In Gear: The latest and greatest in travel goodies—from tech to Teflon and convenience to couture. The overall theme and product descriptions should be lumped into cohesive one- or two-sentence blurbs that discuss benefits, peculiarities, features, etc. Sources for acquiring items for a photo shoot must be provided by the writer (upon delivery of a draft). Please note that gear released in three months prior to press time will be most applicable. (5-7 items, 30 words each; 75-word intro/$250)
My Favourite Place: A column wherein a prominent personality waxes nostalgic about the best trip they’ve ever taken or the place they’ve been to. (150- to 200-word intro, 400 quoted words/$250)
Business Class: A brief, timely profile and Q&A with a prominent business figure giving exclusive insight into their industry. Additional sidebar elements include a short Q&A (provided by editor) and a small graphic element or charticle that illustrates an industry trend. (600-650 words, 175-word Q&A, plus a graphic element or chart complementing the copy/$500)
Q&A: A quick interview with a prominent person in a WestJet town or city. A 150- to 200-word intro is followed by about 5-10 questions and a short sidebar profiling the subject’s most recent achievement. Candidates should be active in pop culture or provide a unique window into a topic of general public interest (artisans, artists, athletes, politicians, etc.), and the Q&A portion should include an element of travel culture or travel tips. (150- to 200-word intro, 750- to 800-word Q&A, 100-word sidebar/$500)
Good ’Hoods: Must-see neighbourhoods and streets in WestJet cities, no matter how obscure and out of the way. With a focus on history, community vibe, scenery or culture, the piece describes colourful characters, interesting architecture, nightlife, restaurants or retail secrets—all delivered in an on-the-street, local’s perspective—this ode to great neighbourhoods will give the out-of-town reader an insider’s knowledge. (450 words plus 15 business name, addresses/$400)
Day Tripper: a collection of great activities, attractions and untapped adventures within 3-hours driving distance of a WestJet destination. The best pitches are creative and work in tandem with a dramatic or somewhat elaborate approach to art/layout, but also useful as an itinerary for someone on the ground with a copy of the story (the column will likely be accompanied by a map and photography). Focus should be “off the beaten path” whenever possible. (600-1000 words/$0.75 per word)
Features: These are broken up into three longer travel pieces, though the word counts for each concept are interchangeable. The loose format is:
• A 1,600-word, narrative, destination or experiential travel story highlighting a city or region through a writer’s personal experiences. Sidebars and maps illustrate this, the longest piece in the magazine.
• A 1,200-word profile piece on trends, personalities and newsmakers in the North American travel world (ideally tied to WestJet destinations). A 1,000-word soft adventure and active travel piece.
Dining: An exploration of hot regional cuisine, libations or tips on a great local restaurant(s) or food-related innovations. (400-600 words, plus sidebar/$300-plus)
Back of Book, Film or Music: A short review/quiz/game/Q&A/charticle related to an timely album/song/performance/film/television production, or a musician/artist/director who is from, traveling through, working in or somehow connected to a WestJet destination. (150-250 words/varies)
Back of Book, Book: A short review of an innovative new publication which challenges readers to get out and follow in the author’s footsteps—as opposed to just sitting down and reading about the author’s experience. Snazzy guidebooks, creative landscape chronicles and quirky cultural profiles that relate specifically to WestJet destinations are preferred. (150 words/varies)
Hotels: A head-to-head comparison of a high-end ($200-plus) and a low-end hotel (under $200). The properties must be intriguing, news-making hotels, inns and guesthouses, and pieces should focus on their history, owners and inspiration. Independent, funky, boutique hotels will be given preference. (150 words each/$150 per review)
GETTING PUBLISHED
Submitting Stories and Story Ideas
All story ideas should be submitted by e-mailed query letter and should contain:
* No more than a one-page query letter outlining the story idea, including its angle, direction, elements and length
* A brief list of where the writer has been previously published
* The availability of photographs or other artwork to illustrate the story
* All contact information, including phone number and e-mail address
* A full or partial manuscript or detailed pitch outline
* Examples of previously published work
If including a full or partial manuscript with your email submission, please enclose it as a Word document attached to the message. Unsolicited material will not be sent back without a self-addressed, stamped envelope or international postal coupon. Contributors need to inform up! whether or not your submission has been previously published or is scheduled to be. Contributors must also inform up! about any flights, accommodations, meals, etc. that were given free of charge as part of a familiarization or press trip. Writers submitting story ideas should be aware that up! may have already assigned a similar story.
Submitting Stories
All approved stories must be typed and e-mailed.
Editing
Every assignment accepted by up! magazine will be confirmed by an editorial brief from the editor. This letter will outline the angle of the story, topics to be covered, due date and length. Writers should be aware that rewrites are part of the assignment and should be prepared for such requests from the editors. Writers should try to provide possible headlines and decks with their story.
Fact Checking and Sources
Before a story is submitted, the writer must verify the spelling of all proper names, place names, foreign spellings (with accents) and addresses. Every story must be submitted with source documents or Web links, contact names and phone numbers or e-mail addresses so that up! may fact-check the story. Writers must be prepared to verify and re-check all facts questioned by the editors. Any information that cannot be verified will not be published.
Expenses
up! magazine will not cover any expenses other than those outlined in the contributor contract.
Writers should let editors know of any expenses, meals, gifts or trips offered for free or at a discounted rate by tourism boards or businesses while researching the story.
Publication
Page counts change and events get cancelled. Any assigned story may be held over for one or more issues. In this event, the writer will be told in advance. up! magazine reserves the right to not publish an article. Terms of stories bought and published in up! are first North American publication rights to the material exclusive for 60 days from the publication date of the material you submitted to up! magazine. After that, it will be non-exclusive. You also grant up! magazine a worldwide, transferable license in perpetuity to copy, distribute, display, publicly perform, syndicate and create derivative works of the material in any other medium or forum, now or hereafter invented, including transmission and display of the material by any electronic means.
Rights and copyright
You grant RedPoint Media/up! magazine first North American publication rights to the Material exclusive for 60 days from the publication date of the Material. After that, it will be non-exclusive. You also grant RedPoint Media/up! magazine a worldwide, transferable license in perpetuity to copy, distribute, display, publicly perform, syndicate and create derivative works of the Material in any other medium or forum, now or hereafter invented, including storage, transmission and display of the Material by any electronic means, publicly or privately.
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