Contributors' Guidelines
Herbs for Health, a consumer magazine produced by Ogden Publications, is devoted to bringing sound information to the general public on the whole range of benefits of herbs, including their role in various healing arts. We cover topics ranging from recent scientific research to consumer guides, medicinal recipes to legislative updates. We strive for a balance between accessible language, a visually appealing format and a careful and accurate presentation of well-researched information.
Submission guidelines
Material submitted for publication should display in-depth knowledge of the subject matter based on experience and thorough research. New approaches to familiar topics are especially welcome. Though we frequently assign specific articles to authors we know, we are also interested in your ideas. Send all queries or submissions to:
Submissions, Herbs for Health
Ogden Publications
1503 SW 42nd St.
Topeka, KS 66609
or e-mail them to:
editor@herbsforhealth.com
We Do Not Use: Poetry, memoirs or fiction.
Manuscript Preparation Principles: Work should be double-spaced, typed or word-processed in a standard serif black font (e.g., Times New Roman, 12 pt.) on one side of white 8 1/2” by 11” paper. We prefer manuscripts to be submitted via e-mail in either Microsoft Word or a text-only format (save file as .rtf or .txt).
Length: 300 to 3,000 words. If you submit printed copy, put your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address at the top of each page. Penciled corrections are acceptable; legibility is our main concern. E-mailed submissions may be sent as an attachment or pasted into the body of the e-mail message.
Unsolicited manuscripts and article proposals will be rigorously screened for depth and accuracy before decisions will be made regarding their use in the magazine.
Improving your chances at publication
* List your sources: Essential references should be cited, either within or at the end of the article. We strongly prefer primary sources such as original interviews, peer-reviewed journals and direct clinical experience over secondary sources such as books or other publications. Be prepared to answer questions our fact-checkers may have about your sources. Please do not abbreviate citations, particularly journal titles.
* Keep it short: A typical full-length feature article in Herbs for Health is approximately 2,000 words. Shorter pieces range from 500 to 1,200 words. We generally reserve longer stories for authors we have worked with extensively. Please adhere to these stipulations. Articles substantially longer than these word counts will be returned to the author for cutting.
* Focus on reader benefit: Our target reader is in her 40s to 60s, has some college education and considers herself a "dabbler" in herbal medicine. Although she is our primary target, we also accept a limited number of stories for other demographics, e.g. for men and women of childbearing age. While these readers are interested in credible research and scientific detail, they are not academics. Make your story useful to this readership — how can they use it to be healthier, shop smarter and use herbs more wisely?
* Read the magazine: Read several issues of Herbs for Health. This will give you a sense of our readership and editorial expectations.
Keep a copy of everything
If the submission is unsolicited and/or you wish any part of it to be returned, include a self-addressed envelope with sufficient return postage.
Herbs for Health is published six times a year: January, March, May, July, September and November. Issues are planned six to 12 months in advance, and materials intended for a particular issue must be in our hands at least four months before the month of publication.
Visuals
When possible, please accompany articles with diagrams and/or photos. Please include your return address on all materials, including slides and photos. As we cannot guarantee return of items submitted, please retain a copy of all photo or illustration materials you send.
To maintain consistent quality, we provide final illustrations and photographs whenever possible. However, some visuals (such as photographs of a home garden or a rare wild plant) can only be provided by the author. If you wish to provide your own visuals, please send samples of finished publication-quality photographs (slides, transparencies or 300 DPI digital images) or artwork; we will work together to determine what will best suit the material and our design requirements. Digital images must have been shot at a high resolution (at least 300 DPI). All artwork and photographs will be returned promptly and appropriately insured.
Payment will be negotiated between writer and editor. The writer will receive payment upon publication.
Thank you for your interest in Herbs for Health.
— Amy Mayfield, editor
