Thank you, Don! 

John 3:16 KJV

So, is this right? and some questions, too. Thx.

To try to make an article for the mag:

Make a Word doc: Times New Roman, Double-space

Add pics: to doc?, separate?, either?

Proofread carefully

Send where/how? Email or mail?

Ask them to get rid of article if they choose to not use it. 

 

 

 

Pretty much.  Send each picture as an individual file- most editors accept jpegs.  Also, the photo captions should be a seperate doc file, not in the main text document.  I personally send a text file printout.  Many editors do not require it.  Also, they may need need double spaced. I just always do it as a courtesy to the editing staff.

So, is this right? and some questions, too. Thx.

To try to make an article for the mag:

Make a Word doc: Times New Roman, Double-space

Add pics: to doc?, separate?, either?

Proofread carefully

Send where/how? Email or mail?

Ask them to get rid of article if they choose to not use it. 

the Baron

 

 

Robotism

I want to get some articles published in magazines. More of a personal goal to prove I am good enough to do it than any sort of monetary reward, it's a hobby extension really. I figure the FS forum has got to have some people who have succeed at this and probably a few gate keepers too. What advice would you offer to someone in my position? What pit falls should I avoid and what's the best way to approach people with content? 

 

 

 

Make sure you proofread your text.  Don't rely on spellcheck applications, and don't rely on the magazine's editorial staff.  I'm amazed at what we can find in published content, and not just in modeling magazines, but in content published by news organizations.

"pit fall" is one word, by the way

 

Indeed, editing has never been a high paying profession, and editors these days spend more time with business by far than they do editing.  This really strengthens the need for editing. If the editor sees to much in the way of grammar and spelling errors he just rejects the article.  One big thing is to watch your homonyms.  If you spell it the wrong way, that may well lead to a reject.

Robotism

I want to get some articles published in magazines. More of a personal goal to prove I am good enough to do it than any sort of monetary reward, it's a hobby extension really. I figure the FS forum has got to have some people who have succeed at this and probably a few gate keepers too. What advice would you offer to someone in my position? What pit falls should I avoid and what's the best way to approach people with content? 

Make sure you proofread your text.  Don't rely on spellcheck applications, and don't rely on the magazine's editorial staff.  I'm amazed at what we can find in published content, and not just in modeling magazines, but in content published by news organizations.

"pit fall" is one word, by the way

Not a subject for this forum.

Gamera

Robotism: You mean DoogATX right? I think The Doog aka Karl Logan is in prison right? 

Edit : Look up Karl Logan. The Doog on youtube has nothing to do with him and just shares an unfornate online handle with him.

-deleted post- Sorry.

Robotism

I was thinking it would be simple to label each image a number (Pic001/pic002) and then have a complete document with each picture's text written by it's numer.

 

That's how I have done several FSM articles. It's very time consuming but it's very rewarding to see your name posted and the $ paid is great too.

Good clear pictures are a must taken at the highest quality setting so they can be enlarged. 

Articles can range from a built model explaining the build, paint and detailing steps or one photographing the steps as a WIP labeling each picture with a number and a detailed description for each.

Just to clear things up, DoogsATX is not Karl Logan AKA The Doog. Logan is the one under arrest.

DoogsATX was a past member here and has his own modeling web site with TONS of great info. 

Tojo72

 

 

stikpusher

Yes, Doug/Karl Logan is in jail now. Before that though he did write quite a few articles for FSM.

 

 

 

 

So he is in jail,I occasionally check for updates but have not seen anything new since his arrest,didnt see no trial articles,although you would have thought it would have happened bu now.

 

I guess he is not locked up at this moment. He was taken into custody last summer but released a few days later. His trail date is still pending.

Likewise about occasionally checking up. The last that I had seen anything was when he was taken into custody last summer. 

Based upon my experience, I have found that FSM does not have any requirements regarding text font, size, etc. All that they require is that the text be submitted as a MS Word.doc. They will not accept a pdf file. I am sure that they take all of your text and pictures and dump it into a publishing program. They also reserve the right to change the wording of your article.

stikpusher

Yes, Doug/Karl Logan is in jail now. Before that though he did write quite a few articles for FSM.

 

So he is in jail,I occasionally check for updates but have not seen anything new since his arrest,didnt see no trial articles,although you would have thought it would have happened bu now.

I have had about forty articles published, the majority in modeling mags.  In the trade, there is what is known as a query letter.  This is a proposal as people have described above.  Smaller mags are quite informal and will consider a submission without a query, but the bigger, older mags like the detailed query.  I find FSM is okay with email proposals.

In big general circulation mags, the editor would then give you an assignment, which is kind of contractual.  If you submit an article and it no longer meets their needs, they still send you some money.  I don't know of any model mag that does that.  Basically, they consider what you are submitting is what is known in the trade as speculation, where you do submit an article without a firm query response, and they may still buy it.  I always include in my query that I write on spec, and the editor is not obligated to do anything except look it over, and pay me if he uses it.

As far as submitting a manuscript, I still mail in the subscription.  I submit the text, a thumbnail of all the photos, a hard copy seperate list of photo captions, and hard copy of any miscellaneous items like sidebars.  I also include a data CD or DVD with an article text file in .doc format, other files I have mentioned (captions, sidebars, etc) on the disk (photos in jpeg, other text in .doc).

The trade used to require a stamped SASE for the return of the manuscript.  Nowadays, with the ease of reprinting the material, I merely say in the cover letter to the submission, that I have not enclosed a SASE, and tell them to destroy the manuscript if they do not use it.

Editors used to prefer the text submission in a particular font and doublespaced.  I don't know if most mags still want it this way or not.  I just use times roman, but I do still double space.  Most mags do have a handout on their preferences.  It used to accompany the answer to the query.  Now adays it is frequently online.  If you cannot find it ask in your query letter if they have a submissions guideline.

One last item.  Do not staple the pages of the submission.  And make sure each page is numbered, has your name and info on it, and the title of the article or what is known as a slugtitle- an abbreviated title.

Yes, Doug/Karl Logan is in jail now. Before that though he did write quite a few articles for FSM.

Robotism: You mean DoogATX right? I think The Doog aka Karl Logan is in prison right? 

GMorrison

 

 

Robotism

 

 

Tojo72

We used to have two regular contributors to FSM here all the time,long time members will remember Wbill76 and The Doog.If they were around,they would help.Great builders too,and down to earth guys who were just one of us.

 

 

 

 

 

Doog posts long videos on youtube quite often still. Takes long breaks then shotgun blasts you with 6 hours of content over a week. His obsessiveness is as crazy as it is entertaining.

 

 

 

 

You have to be kidding? Karl Logan?

 

 

Yeah he had an obsession alright...

Robotism

 

 

Tojo72

We used to have two regular contributors to FSM here all the time,long time members will remember Wbill76 and The Doog.If they were around,they would help.Great builders too,and down to earth guys who were just one of us.

 

 

 

 

 

Doog posts long videos on youtube quite often still. Takes long breaks then shotgun blasts you with 6 hours of content over a week. His obsessiveness is as crazy as it is entertaining.

 

If you go up the page to the Product Info tab, then back down to the Contribute to the FineScale Modeler tab you will find submission guidelines including downloads of both the manuscript and photo criteria.  

Tojo72

We used to have two regular contributors to FSM here all the time,long time members will remember Wbill76 and The Doog.If they were around,they would help.Great builders too,and down to earth guys who were just one of us.

 

Doog posts long videos on youtube quite often still. Takes long breaks then shotgun blasts you with 6 hours of content over a week. His obsessiveness is as crazy as it is entertaining.

Your suggestion also works. I used that system when I wrote my first article. Following is an example (the numbers refer to pictures):

Engine Exhaust

 The exhaust on a B-29 includes a large engine exhaust pipe and a smaller pipe for the supercharger exhaust.  The kit provides only the larger pipe which fits poorly into a recess in the nacelle, 10. I knew this could be improved, so I purchased aluminum tubes of two different diameters and painted them with a combination of Testors’ flat black and rust. Two holes for the exhaust pipes were drilled in the nacelles and the recess was filled with body putty, 11. Finally, the painted tubes were glued in place with epoxy, the nacelles were covered with BMF, and rivets were added, 12.

Do you submit a full finished page they can stick right into the magazine or do you put together an example instead? Need to change my procress either way, maybe rethink how I would submit an article if I have to mock it up myself.

A mock up is a layout that follows what the finished article should look like in the mag.  Look at an issue of FSM and note how the text and photos are laid out.  It can help you decide what photos to include and what to say about them.

The writing needs to be tight, covering the salient points without getting too wordy.  Use proper grammar and avoid slang.  A formal writing style is better than drunken Casual Fridays style.

Although I have not submitted an article to any magazine, I have written many for our local club newsletter, and the points above are my observations.

JohnnyK

 I have had two articles published in the FSM magazine..This is what I do.  I do a complete mock up of the article, including photos, in MS Word and submit it to the magazine's publisher. Your article needs to be organized and you need to have really good quality photos. The article should be unique and interesting. One of my articles was finishing a B-29 in Bare Metal Foil. Now, that was unique!

Good luck.

 

How do you mean a mock up article? I was thinking it would be simple to label each image a number (Pic001/pic002) and then have a complete document with each picture's text written by it's numer.

 I have had two articles published in the FSM magazine..This is what I do.  I do a complete mock up of the article, including photos, in MS Word and submit it to the magazine's publisher. Your article needs to be organized and you need to have really good quality photos. The article should be unique and interesting. One of my articles was finishing a B-29 in Bare Metal Foil. Now, that was unique!

Good luck.

I would contact the editorial staff at FSM and ask if they would be interested in an article on a how-to or a build.  Then find out the parameters they need and go from there.  Good luck