Guidelines and Good-to-Knows: Article Submissions

Pitch deadlines:

ISSUE 9 - no theme – February 1st, 2009
ISSUE 10 – no theme yet - August 1st, 2009

Getting into the fold.
Before you start writing for Worn, we may ask you to do at least one profile of a store in your area, especially if you have not pubished before. This will show us that you can write, follow direction, and hand stuff in on time – namely that you’re serious. It also gets you published on the website.

Starting out
Read the publication. We can’t stress that enough. Your submission suggestions need to be something that fits with the rest of the journal to even be considered. Worn has a clear and specific voice, and is a labour of love for all it’s contributors. You should love Worn, or at least think the idea of it is interesting.

If you have an idea for a great article, we want to hear about it. Send me a pitch at serahmarie@wornjournal.com. Lay out a plan for your article. A point form format is fine, but go into some detail, about 200 words. If it is reserch based, you should include at least two reference titles and names of people you plan to contact. Be wary of all encompassing topics, re: the mod look. You won’t have the space to do them justice. Better to choose something like Mary Quant and her paper dresses. Pitches for the next issue are due 10 days after the previous issue release. The next pitch deadline is May 1st, 2008.

We are VERY interested in clothing articles from a non-traditional fashion perspective. The role of clothing in political campaigns, short fiction, how shoes are made, Hooters uniforms…the more obscure, the better. We are in no way interested in trends, what’s in style, or what’s Hot Right Now.

If you have an essay that you have written that you think can be adapted, please send it along with a note on what you plan to do with it.

Remember your reader.
And it’s not your professor. Remember that your reader may not be an academic – and they’re reading this for fun as much as for information. If you must use complicated technical words that apply to your story, think of alternative tools like side bars to explain them as apposed to slowing down the story for those who do know what you are talking about.

BUT REMEMBER ALSO, this isn’t a mainstream fashion magazine. Don’t push products, advise on what to wear, or talk like you’re on Sex in the City. Take clothing seriously, this journal is not about hype.

Get detailed.
We need articles that discuss a fashion idea, concept or historical happening in a new way. We prefer not to rehash easily accessible facts or overly disseminated information. Our readers could just pick up a Taschen book or read Wikipedia. We want to be more interesting than that. Be prepared to do some first-hand research.

Throw in your opinion.
That’s right, release yourself from the fear of essay doom: tell us what you think! We want information, but we want your voice more. Anecdotes, opinions, and detail bits of info are necessary to make an interesting article.

Tell me what it looks like.
This is a fashion journal after all. Please don’t forget to use lots of descriptive words. Warning: Non-specific, flattering descriptions are fairly ineffective and often overused. These include terms like beautiful, amazing, cool etc. Use these words sparingly. Remember that you’re painting a mental picture for your reader. A ‘cool’ shirt isn’t much of an image.

Pictures/Illustrations
Please think of images we can use to go with your article. Start this discussion with your editor right away; last minute photo rush is hell. If you’re talking about a celebrity or something historical, these will need illustrations, which take time.

Any photo that isn’t yours needs a release from whoever owns it. If you want to use someone else’s pictures, tell us well in advance or, better yet, find a way to contact them yourself and ask permission.

All photos submitted at 300dpi, the size you want them printed, or bigger.
Don’t know what that means? E-mail, call, whatever – we’ll explain. Just give us 300dpi. If you are taking a photo with your digital camera, take it at the highest setting.
Don’t pull your picture off the Internet. Usually these pictures are too small to begin with and are generally 72dpi. Much too small.

Spell Check your work.
Pay attention to the spell check, but run it anyways. Otherwise I’m going to, and I have enough to do. We are using Canadian spelling for everything. Check.

Banned Words, unless there is a really good reason -
Discourse
Uber
For example
this article
bling
fashionista

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