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| Writer's Guidelines US-China Travel News.com |
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US-China Travel News welcomes veteran and novice writers with a unique point of view and a gift for elegant prose. We want to work with and support journalists who take pride in publishing informative and well-researched travel articles about interesting destinations, activities and experiences. Our main areas of interest are China and North America. We also have a continuing interest in Southeast Asia and other destinations – Japan, Korea, Australasia, Mexico and the Caribbean - that appeal to educated travelers and their families looking for more than a spa and some sand. Our articles are written for people on both sides of the Pacific who want stories about adventure, culture, cuisine and history put into an articulate context. Work With Us US-China Travel News aims to form lasting relationships with its contributors. We welcome queries and articles from professional travel writers and travelers with a strong writing style and something unique to share with our audience. We pay for articles that are eloquent, informative and provide useful guidance for travelers. We do cannot use promotional hype or generic destination stories. What We Need Most stories appearing on this site will run from 800 to 1,400 words and conclude with a “Know Before You Go” sidebar that lists hotels, restaurants, clubs, tours and attractions that the writer has personally experienced. Each recommendation should be accompanied by a street and website address, a phone number, price and directions (if needed). Feature Articles Destinations can be the subject of a great feature story if there’s a reason to do the story. If there’s not a news peg, then focus on an unexplored aspect of the destination. If you find an interesting angle that stands apart from the general narrative, suggest a 300 to 400-word sidebar that can complement your main narrative. Remember, we’re looking for colorful, descriptive writing full of details and a point of view. All destination features should conclude with a “Know Before You Go” information box. Sidebars should include names of businesses mentioned in the article along with contact information, prices, availability, and amenities. Please include as many relevant websites as possible. Journeys are first-person accounts that focus on the revelatory aspects of travel itself. Colorful details, personalities and anecdotes make this type of story come alive. Your prose should make an armchair traveler get off the couch and buy a ticket. Personalities can lead into a larger story. The life and passions of the owner of an unusual museum might work. The life of a boatman on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River could serve as a starting point for a feature on Bangkok’s klong network. The best way to learn our editorial needs is to subscribe to the US-China Travel News newsletter. Visit www.usctn.com often. Read the archives. Then you’ll know what we’re looking for. Photographs Are Essential Include photos with your submission. Photographs should be sent via e-mail in .jpg format. Send low-resolution versions (72 dpi) of your photos suitable for Internet use. You may also send a photo CD. Please do not send original slides since we can’t accept responsibility for their safe return. MAKE CERTAIN YOU OWN THE RIGHTS TO PHOTOS YOU SUBMIT! US-China Travel News will not be liable for any copyright issues regarding unauthorized use of photographs. It is up to you to insure we have permission to reprint any photos you don’t personally shoot. We prefer you shoot your own photos. You may use images from tourists boards, municipalities and hospitality companies, but only if you have obtained permission first. Please indicate the name of the photographer or source of the photo so we can put a photo credit next to the image. In some cases, photographs of people must have the subjects' permission for publication. Proof in the form of written permission may be required for pix of certain subjects or locations. Suggest Your Ideas For features, query first with a one-page e-mail describing the proposed article, dates of trip plus your background and/or writing experience. Let us know when you can deliver the piece and if it has been published elsewhere. Once your reporting is complete, please send us the MSWord file, low-resolution photos, detailed photo captions, a headshot of yourself and a one-sentence bio to accompany your story. Unsolicited Manuscripts US-China Travel News will gladly read unsolicited features, destination pieces and reminisce, but read our guidelines first. Please submit documents as MSWord or text only attachments with your name, address, phone/fax/email and word count on the first page. Include a cover letter describing the contents of the envelope you are sending if you elect to use postal mail. We also need to know your background, when you took the trip, and whethr all the information is accurate. If an unsolicited manuscript is your first submission, please also include several other previously published stories so we can get a true sense of your writing style. Enclose SASE if you want the manuscript, slides, photo CD, etc. returned. Again, we prefer to do everything by e-mail, if possible. Cut and paste your story into the body of the e-mail as well as attaching an MS Word or rtf file. Contact Queries and submissions can be sent to us by mail at the address below or e-mailed. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Editor, US-China Travel News 4159 Stansbury Avenue Sherman Oaks, California 91423 (818) 789-1395, (818) 789-6471 (fax) Who Owns What US-China Travel News purchases First Worldwide Electronic Rights. US-China Travel News retains the right to archive all articles for three years after initial publication. If another publication asks to reprint your article, US-China Travel News will attempt to get the highest price possible and divide the proceeds with the author to his or her satisfaction. If a writer approaches us with a previously published story that has not been seen by our readers, conforms to our editorial guidelines, is timely and meets our present needs, we may negotiate its purchase. Authors must declare in advance, however, that they are selling previously purchased material. What We Pay US-China Travel News pays $35 for features that are sent to us in MS Word or rtf format with good photos and captions. Our rate can increase if the work is exceptional or the writer is a regular contributor. In addition to the byline, published stories will include the writer’s e-mail address and a link to his personal or business website, if one exists. Authors who submit stories on a regular basis will be listed on our contributors page with a photo, full bio and complete contact information. We do not pay extra for photographs. US-China Travel News does pay for book reviews that appeal to our demographic. But our need for book reviews is limited. Once an author’s work has been accepted for publication, he or she should e-mail an invoice to editor David DeVoss who will send you a US dollar check in the mail or wire US dollars to your bank account. Authors who live overseas, or those who have difficulty receiving US dollar remittances, will be paid with Pay Pal. |