Evolving Magazine | 2019 Writer's Guide

2019 Writer's Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in writing for Evolving… A Guide for Conscious Living.

Although most of the columns in Evolving are staff-written, feature articles are all written by freelance writers.

General Guidelines

Query several months in advance. We regularly schedule articles 3-6 months in advance. Look over the guidelines and the upcoming themes, and then query the publisher with your suggestion. If it is a good fit, we will assign the article for a particular month. The article is then due on the 5th of the month before it prints. Please stick to the suggested word count because articles will be edited to fit. All articles are subject to editing for content, style and structure. We use AP style with a few modifications.

If you would like them included, submit a photo and a bio along with your submission on the 5th. There is only space for a short bio, a couple sentences at most (no more than 50 words max). Send all queries to Jill Dutton jill@evolvingmagazine.com.

Basic Style Tips

Every feature article should have ample usage of anecdotes, quotes, subheadings and ideally, sidebars.
All submissions should be in Georgia, 9 pt type.
No spacing before or after an em dash (e.g. when separating two thoughts—use an em dash).
Only use one space after a sentence.
Single space with a break between paragraphs (no indents).
Use full name in first reference of quote then he/she or first name only in future reference (e.g. Marty Smith says… he says…Marty says).
Use present tense in quotes (he says vs. he said).
Italicize titles of books or journals.
Please include a headline for all stories. As with story copy, headlines are subject to revision by the editor. We run all headlines through a search engine optimization checker. If your headline doesn’t rank high enough it will be changed for better online optimization. Do not use all caps for headlines.
Do not use ALL CAPS at any place during the article for emphasis. Do not bold items for emphasis. For layout purposes, italics, bold text and caps will all be removed (except for book titles—do italicize).
Numbers 1-9 are spelled out. Do not spell numbers 10 and above, unless it is used to begin a sentence.
Do not use “o’clock” or :00 when reporting times. Time should be handled in this manner: The yoga class starts at 6 p.m. Please indicate morning or afternoon by using lower case a.m. or p.m.
When using a comma in a list or for three or more items, use the serial comma. For example, "Andrade's book on spirituality covers health, harmony, wisdom, and grace." Not "Andrade's book on spirituality covers health, harmony, wisdom and grace."
Again, leave only one space after periods.

Pay Rates & Rights: Evolving pays with contributor copies at this time. We ask for one-time rights.

Departments Open to Freelance Writers

NEWS

News items are limited to 200-300 words maximum and are subject to availability. How to submit: send your press release or announcement by the 1st of the month preceding the month you’d like the item published (e.g., for a press release to run in March, it must be received by February 1 to be considered). Please note that news items are subject to space availability and are printed on a first-come basis. Evolving Magazine does not guarantee publication, even if received by the 1st of the month. May be edited for length, clarity and content. Be sure and include news-worthy information. An event listing is not newsworthy as we have a section for event listings. If you are featuring an event, the press release must contain information, other than the event details, of interest to our readers.

REVELATIONS

Revelations is an open department to freelance writers. It offers an opportunity to break away from the scheduled theme of the month and focus on a topic of interest. Query first; the department is booked several months in advance. Word count: 500-700 words maximum. As with our feature articles, this department is not an advertorial, so please don’t include personal plugs for your business or service. As the author, you are the “expert” in this subject and you may include personal information in your bio.

FEATURE ARTICLES

We publish several features each month based on a specific theme. Your article must relate to the theme or it will not be printed.

Every feature article should include ample usage of anecdotes, quotes, subheadings and ideally, sidebars.

See upcoming themes below and query several months in advance as they are assigned quickly. To allow room for photos, graphics and design issues, feature articles are limited to 1,000 words maximum. Submissions may be edited for clarity, length, and content. All articles are due the 5th day of the month prior to publication. Keep in mind while writing your feature article: provide the reader with an informative, upbeat article about the specific theme. Personal experience pieces are acceptable, but please do not “advertise” yourself in the article because it will be deleted. There’s room in the bio section to tell about your services. Feature articles are not advertorials and must be informative and enlightening for our readers. Sidebars, image suggestions, and lots of quotes from experts are strongly encouraged.

NEW— Online Editorial

For a fee of $100 we’ll run your article (must fit within our editorial style and guidelines) on the www.EvolvingMagazine.com home page for one month. While the article must still contain the editorial integrity outlined above, you have more space for the bio to contain promotional material and links to outside websites. These articles will NOT publish in the print edition of the magazine.

2019 Themes

January: Conscious Evolution (new directions, healthy habits, goal setting, vision boards, creating an intentional reality, journaling, inner work)

February: Recipes for Self Love (self-care techniques, the art of sleep, bath time, letting go of worry, putting yourself first,)

March: Health & Wellness (alternative and traditional healing modalities)

April: Into the Zone (meditation modalities, breathwork, gardening, holistic sex, meditation apps/videos)

May: Natural Remedies (natural skincare, activated charcoal, supplements, CBD, medicinal herbs and superfoods, natural remedies, detox, probiotics, recipes for toxin-free cleaning products)

June: Conscious Wealth (prosperity principles, wealth exercises/habits, goal setting and intention)

July: Brain Health (create a better brain—exercises, supplements, conscious living, longevity, studies, neuroplasticity)

August: Eating Well (organic, whole foods, GMOS, local eating, nutrition, and restaurant reviews)

September: Sacred Journeys (travel, retreats, getaways, eco-tourism)

October: Energy (quantum mechanics, law of attraction, EFT, vibrational healing, light/sound/color therapy, chakra balancing, synchronicity)

November: The Joyful Life (core secrets of the happiest people, studies on happiness)

December: Creating Conscious Holidays

Click here to download a printable version of the 2019 Evolving Magazine Writer's Guide.