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We acknowledge the financial
support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Magazine
Fund for the creation of this website.
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GUIDELINES FOR WRITERS
& CONTRIBUTORS
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Country Connection is Ontario’s magazine of choice for
history, heritage, nostalgia, nature, environment, travel and
the arts. It is published twice a year: winter/spring and summer/autumn
and is mass distributed throughout Ontario, and at selected outlets
across Canada by Magazines Canada. A digital version of the magazine is also available through the Magazines Canada/Zinio digital newsstand. As a general interest magazine,
our readership includes residents, cottagers, travellers and
tourists to Ontario. We look forward to discussing your
ideas and receiving your submissions. |
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STORY
TYPES
We accept articles
and stories on a wide range of rural themes with a special
emphasis on history, heritage, green travel, environment,
ecology, nature, nostalgia, the arts, studio tours, culture,
fiction, leisure, etc. We do not accept stories
with references to hunting, fishing, animal husbandry or pets. We accept only Canadian
content by Canadian authors. References to food and recipes
must be 100% plant-based (no animal products) and contain
only wholesome, natural ingredients. Except for historical
references, all measurement units must be in metric. Stories
must be original and unpublished.
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OUR NEXT ISSUE
Summer/Autumn No. 66: July 1, 2013
We are now accepting material
for the summer/autumn issue.
We are looking for proposals for "country" stories
directly related to the environment, nature, history &
heritage, nostalgia, travel, humour, fiction, poetry, photography
and original art. Please submit a summary of your proposal,
and if available: research sources, interview contacts, and
a good lead paragraph. Please indicate whether you will provide
photographs or illustrations.
All submissions are on speculation only and publication is
not guaranteed. Publication is dependent on the quality of
writing, relevance to our philosophy of living in harmony
with nature, and space available. Good quality photos or illustrations
are essential (see recommendations and warning
under Visuals below).
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FUTURE ISSUES
Winter/Spring No. 67: January 15, 2014
Summer/Autumn No. 68: July 1, 2014
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LENGTH &
FORMAT
The preferred story length
is from 1000 to 1500 words. Stories should not exceed 2000
words, unless approved by the editor in advance. Mailed
submissions must be submitted on CD or DVD in Microsoft
Word (DOC or DOCX) files or Text only (TXT or RTF) files and must
be accompanied by hardcopy printout. We prefer that e-mail
submissions be transmitted as a Microsoft Word attachment.
Sending your story in the body of your e-mail message should
be your last resort. When sending your story within an e-mail,
please put an extra paragraph return between paragraphs.
Sorry, to avoid viruses we do not open file attachments that
we don't recognize. We use only Canadian spelling, and
please, leave only one character space between sentences.
Include a title and always include your name, address, phone
number, e-mail, wordcount, filename and available rights at
the top of the first page of your story.
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VISUALS
Please include only high quality, visual material
for your article. Photographs, sketches, maps, historical
documents etc. should be sharp and well lit. Whenever possible,
send all your support material by Canada Post (First Class
Mail). We prefer that digital images be sent on CD or DVD.
Where possible, original digital photos should be sent at
original size with no cropping, adjustments or resampling.
Scans must be submitted at no less than 300dpi. We do accept visual material by e-mail attachment.
Warning: Do not pluck pictures or images from websites
as they are of such poor quality they cannot be printed in
The Country Connection Magazine. Original camera images
or 300 dpi scans must be submitted. When scanning small
images or photographs it is best to scan them at no less
than 600 dpi. Visuals that are from a printed page (such as newspapers, postcards, posters, clippings etc.) must be de-screened at the time of scanning.
All support material must be identified with a source (for
crediting) and caption for publication. Your name and full
mailing address should also be marked on each item so that
they can be returned to you. Please include sufficient return
Canadian postage and a return envelope if submitting by mail.
Ntote: We are now on high-speed satellite internet which can receive larger files, but it is still recommended that very large images be sent on disc. Please contact us if you are receiving an error message
from the server.
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DEADLINES
To guarantee consideration for the next issue, it
is best to make your submissions at least twelve weeks prior
to publication. Publication dates are: Summer/Autumn—July
1; Winter/Spring—January 15. In some cases, stories will
be accepted closer to the publication date. Acceptable stories
that do not make the current issue, or arrive late, may be
held over to another issue.
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COVER LETTER
Stories submitted by mail must be supported by a cover letter stating available rights, a very short
synopsis, story type, and your complete address, phone, and
e-mail. We do not require résumés or publication
histories. Each story is considered on its own merits. E-mail
submissions must also include this information in the body
of the e-mail message or at the top of the first page of the
story.
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PAYMENT
Payment will be made at a rate of 10 cents per word
(electronic), or 7 cents per word (handwritten, typed, and
computer printout not accompanied by electronic file) within
90 days of publication, for all words published. Original
photography or drawings range from $10 to $50, depending on
size and use. Payment for short poems is $20. All other visual
materials will be negotiated separately. Historic support
material receives no payment other than those costs incurred
for approved reproduction. Please check with us prior to reproduction
as to suitability. One copy of the magazine in which your
story appears will accompany payment.
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EDITING
We assume that most stories require some editing to fit the
style and format of the magazine. Please check your stories
carefully before submitting. We use Canadian English spelling
for all words i.e. labour, neighbour, travelling etc. Please
use metric measurements wherever possible. All inappropriate references to farm animals, pets, and non-vegan foods will be removed or altered to suit our nature-friendly policy.
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RETURN POLICY
Please include a stamped-self-addressed envelope with sufficient
postage if you wish to have your material returned, or to
receive a response. Except for stories that are published,
material that does not include sufficient Canadian postage
will not be returned.
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SAMPLE MAGAZINE
Copies of the current
magazine are available for
$ 6.95 + $3.00 shipping + 1.29 HST = $ 11.24 each.
(Add $4.00 postage to USA)
Pay by VISA, Mastercard or American Express on our toll-free
order line 1-866-332-3651
Visit our back
issues page for a complete story list and to order any
of our previous issues.
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WHERE TO SEND YOUR SUBMISSION
The
Editor, The Country Connection
691 Pinecrest Road, Boulter ON K0L
1G0
Note: Stories can not be attached at this e-mail address
link. This is for queries only. Once we review your query,
we will send you the e-mail address so that you can send
us a complete story file, and photo files, as attachments. Sorry for the
inconvenience.
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