Article Writer Guidelines
Guidelines for writing and submitting articles
Topic:
Articles should refer to our main topic of Qi (Qigong, Taijiquan T'ai Chi, Nutrition, TCM, Herbalism, Culture, Philosophy, and related topics that help English speaking Westerners understand traditional Chinese preventive health practices).
Eligibility:
Authors are required to be current subscribers of our journal and familiar with our topics. (see technical writing section below)
Length:
A feature article is typically between 3,500 and 6,000 words in length. A department article is 600 to 1,500 words in length. A news event or article can vary in size as needed but is usually short and concise.
Constructive Criticism:
Articles should not criticize a particular individual for his/her viewpoint or practice techniques. Likewise, saying that one style of practice is the only good and true one is the same as saying everyone else is wrong. An idea or concept should stand by itself without having to resort to right/wrong comparisons. If any comparisons are made, please compare to factual data, not individual beliefs or assumptions.
Advertising And Reviews:
Although an article sometimes runs in conjunction with related advertising, Insight Publishing does not, and will not, run articles to achieve advertising sales. Often times, an advertiser will run an ad because the article is going to appear, never the reverse. All editorial is independent of sales, including book excerpts.
Submission Format:
Simultaneous submissions accepted. We will reply in 4-6 weeks. All unsolicited articles should be submitted as copies, not originals. Insight does not return articles (or accompanying artwork). Articles that are received are considered to be final copy. We do not accept any revisions to the article once it has been received (such as new information, deletion of erroneous information, or substitution of current information) but you may resubmit the whole revised article as a new submission. Written notification is required for cancellation of any article which is under consideration. Articles can be sent via email, Microsoft Word*, plain text files, or hard copy by mail. Please do not send handwritten articles. Because of translation difficulties, we can only accept articles written in English unless prior arrangements have been made. Once an article has been accepted, a contract will be sent to you for your signature.
FAQs:
Chinese characters can usually be used within your article as long as they are standard (non-licensed) fonts. Pinyin romanization is preferred but we realize many people still use Wade-Giles. We often place the pinyin in parenthesis after the first instance of Wades Giles if the article is submitted in Wade Giles. Here is an example: "Articles written about t'ai chi ch'uan (taijiquan) or ch'i kung (qigong) are... "
*Pictures should be sent separately and not embedded into the article. If the photo needs to be placed near a certain paragraph, you can put a note in the paragraph or send an additional PDF file of the article showing locations of photos. Our design software doesn't accept PDFs directly, but we can use them as a guide when we layout our articles into our multi-column format.
TIPS: Articles submitted with accompanying photographs/artwork stand a better chance of being accepted since photographs/artwork help to reinforce the written information. All articles should be carefully proofread before submitting. Photos should always be high resolution. If you have questions about photo resolution, send up an email and we'll send you separate guidelines. Website photos are usually not acceptable due to their size.
Technical Writing:
Our audience ranges from highly skilled practitioners and school libraries to beginners who are picking up the Journal for the very first time at a bookstore. Each issue has a mix of various topics at various learning levels. If your article is not appropriate for one issue, it may be just right for the next. We are not opposed to highly technical articles or those involving case studies, nor are we opposed to articles that give an overview or simplistic viewpoint on complex issues. Remember, a master of one curriculum may be a beginner at another.
Editing:
Insight reserves the right to edit all copy as deemed necessary. We realize that freelance writers are often not as knowledgeable in English grammar as professional writers. However, a person who practices and believes in what they write about has a viewpoint and dedication that is often not shared by a "hired" professional. Our Journal exists for the purpose of providing information for our readers that will make them think and investigate on their own. We strive to provide accurate information that is neither misleading nor falsified. If major edits are performed that may change the viewpoint of the author, a copy of the revised article will be sent for approval.
Mail manuscripts to:
INSIGHT PUBLISHING
32230 Calle Balareza
Temecula, CA 92592
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