Missouri Life Magazine

Guidelines for Writers and Photographers

The best way to get acquainted with who we are is to read several issues of the magazine. Copies should be available at most Barnes and Noble, Borders, Walden, B. Dalton, and other bookstores. You might also check your local library. Missouri Life also maintains a web site at www.missourilife.com.

OUR MISSION:
Missouri Life is a four-color bimonthly magazine that explores the unique qualities of Missouri and its diverse people and places, past and present. We emphasize history, travel opportunities for weekend getaways and day-trips, and interesting people and events that make Missouri a great place to live and visit.

FEATURES:

History: Our features about aspects of Missouri’s history bring the people and events of the past alive for our readers. Our millennium issue presented a capsule of the state’s history during the past one thousand years. We’ve visited many historic homes in different parts of Missouri, and have presented a “you are there” story about Civil War reenactment. We’ve also included retrospectives on Jesse James and Bonnie & Clyde, with a focus on their time here in this state.

Roundups: We select a subject, such as the Amish in Missouri or springs in Missouri, and present a general overview of the topic. A guide to Amish communities and stores (roundup) open to the public accompanied the Amish story. In the springs story we listed the largest ten springs accessible to the public with relevant information about location, facilities, and special features.

Miscellaneous: We’re interested in just about anything that makes our readers say, “I didn’t know that.” Past miscellaneous stories have featured a boys’ ranch, wild orchids in Missouri, and a Valentine’s piece featuring romantic getaways and courtship stories.

We pay 20 cents a word for these features, which run in length from one thousand to two thousand words. We use The Chicago Manual of Style. Generally, we do not pay expenses.

REGULAR DEPARTMENTS:
Best of Missouri: Truly a “Best” of Missouri, this department is a roundup based on a single theme (best swimming holes, best martini bars, etc.). Best of Missouri pieces are between one thousand and fifteen hundred words.

Missouri B&B: This department spotlights a Missouri bed and breakfast with a unique angle (a tree house inn, a floating inn, a truly historic inn, etc.). B&B articles run five hundred words.

Missouri Artist: This is a one-page feature of about five hundred words that focuses on Missouri arts, from fine arts produced by highly skilled and specialized artisans to craftwork, photography, and other arts.

Made in Missouri: We’re looking for products native to Missouri that spotlight our place in the advanced technology industry. All of these businesses distribute their products within and outside the state. Made in Missouri articles are about five hundred words in length.

Missouri Books: Highlights books about Missouri, or Missourians who have written books on any topic. Articles are about five hundred words in length, and we usually include several reviews in each article.

All Around Missouri or Medley: All Around Missouri stories are short items that run in our calendar section and cover events of interest happening around our state or places of interest, like some of the great restaurants that dot our state in large cities or small bergs. The Medley section is a front-of-book collection of short stories on people, musical interest, or general interest from or in Missouri. Items run about three hundred words.

Caves: These stories feature both private and public caves, show caves and state park caves. Historical and present-day uses as well as geologic features that make it special or unique are important to the content. The stories usually run about 750 words.

Museums: These stories feature museums, large and small, which present something important or unique to Missouri. For example, the world’s largest silk weavings collection resides in Weston, and one of the most extensive Kewpie collections is on display in Savannah. They run between 500-750 words.

QUERIES:
Query by email or regular mail, please. Photographers may email us samples of their work. Please identify yourself as a freelance writer or photographer, as we get many ideas submitted by readers for use for free. Please also include “query” in the subject line. Include your phone, email address, and home address. You may write to us at query@missourilife.com; fax: 660-882-9899; or mail to: Managing Editor, Missouri Life Magazine, 515 E. Morgan St., Boonville, MO 65233. Please include copies of published work.

We will read stories submitted on speculation. If the story is not yet written, please submit an outline with specific ideas, including general approach, and a general idea of sources, plus previously published clips or a sample of your writing, if unpublished.

Please realize that generic ideas are submitted by many writers. Don’t expect that a story idea on a subject like apple butter making, the Trail of Tears State Park, Kansas City’s jazz district, or the city of Sedalia will automatically preclude a story on that topic by a different writer.

Due to the volume of queries we receive, responses take four to six weeks.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:
Every story must appeal to a statewide audience.

Please submit stories electronically. We need one copy of the story annotated with sources for accuracy checking. Please supply source names and contact information (phone, email, fax, and address).

You will be edited by professionals for length, clarity, style, and accuracy. We expect that you will help us maintain accuracy during the editing process. We ask that writers share their stories with sources for accuracy purposes. In addition, we send edited text to original sources to aid us in fact-checking and ensure no errors are contained in final manuscripts.

We pay upon publication for both writing and photography. We will negotiate package prices for freelancers who provide both story and photography.

Photographers: We pay $50 per photograph if we use a single photograph in the Best or other regular department pages. We pay a negotiated package price, for photographs to accompany feature stories, depending on both number and quality. Bonus for covers. Day rate for full-length feature assignments are negotiable.

We need signed permission slips from human subjects giving us rights for editorial as well as future promotional use. Our policy is to identify every person in every photo (except crowd scenes) by name, hometown and age, if appropriate. We prefer digital images (minimum 300 ppi) but also accept color slides or prints.

All writers and photographers must sign our non-exclusive, unlimited copyright license for each assignment. This contract permits you to re-sell your work but allows us to use it for other purposes without additional compensation.