
Evolving Magazine
A Guide for Conscious Living since 2009
2015 Writer's Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in writing for Evolving… A Guide for Conscious Living. Started in March, 2009, Evolving Magazine is Kansas City’s premiere resource for holistic health, spirituality, quantum science and enlightenment.
Although most of the columns in Evolving are staff-written, feature articles are all written by freelance writers.
General Guidelines
Query several months in advance. We regularly schedule articles 3-6 months in advance. Look over the guidelines and the upcoming themes, and then query the publisher with your suggestion. If it is a good fit, she will assign the article for a particular month. The article is then due on the 5th of the month before it prints. Please stick to the suggested word count because articles will be edited to fit. All articles are subject to editing for content, style and structure. We use AP style with a few modifications.
If you would like them included, submit a photo for the contributor page and a bio for the end of the article along with your submission on the 5th. There is only space for a short bio, a couple sentences at most (no more than 50 words max). Send all queries to jill@evolvingmagazine.com.
Basic Style Tips
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Every feature article should have ample usage of anecdotes, quotes, subheadings and ideally, sidebars.
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All submissions should be in Georgia, 9 pt type.
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No spacing before or after an em dash (e.g. when separating two thoughts—use an em dash).
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Only use one space after a sentence.
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Single space with a break between paragraphs (no indents).
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Use full name in first reference of quote then he/she or first name only in future reference (e.g. Marty Smith says… he says…).
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Use present tense in quotes (he says vs. he said).
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Italicize titles of books or journals.
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Please include a headline for all stories. As with story copy, headlines are subject to revision by the editor. Do not use all caps for headlines.
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Do not use ALL CAPS at any place during the article for emphasis. Do not bold items for emphasis. For layout purposes, italics, bold text and caps will all be removed.
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Numbers 1-9 are spelled out. Do not spell numbers 10 and above, unless it is used to begin a sentence.
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Do not use “o’clock” or :00 when reporting times. Time should be handled in this manner: The yoga class starts at 6 p.m. Please indicate morning or afternoon by using lower case a.m. or p.m.
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When using a comma in a list or for three or more items, use the serial comma. For example, "Andrade's book on spirituality covers health, harmony, wisdom, and grace." Not "Andrade's book on spirituality covers health, harmony, wisdom and grace."
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Again, leave only one space after periods.
Pay Rates & Rights: Evolving pays with contributor copies at this time. We ask for one-time rights.
Departments Open to Freelance Writers
NEWS:
News items are limited to 200-300 words maximum and are subject to availability. How to submit: send your press release or announcement by the 1st of the month preceding the month you’d like the item published (e.g., for a press release to run in March, it must be received by February 1 to be considered). Please note that news items are subject to space availability and are printed on a first-come basis. Evolving Magazine does not guarantee publication, even if received by the 1st of the month. May be edited for length, clarity and content. Be sure and include news-worthy information. An event listing is not newsworthy as we have a section for event listings. If you are featuring an event, the press release must contain information, other than the event details, of interest to our readers.
REVELATIONS:
Revelations is an open department to freelance writers. It offers an opportunity to break away from the scheduled theme of the month and focus on a topic of interest. Query first; the department is booked several months in advance. Word count: 500-700 words maximum. As with our feature articles, this department is not an advertorial, so please don’t include personal plugs for your business or service. As the author, you are the “expert” in this subject and you may include personal information in your bio.
FEATURE ARTICLES:
We publish several features each month based on a specific theme. Your article must relate to the theme or it will not be printed. See upcoming themes below and query several months in advance as they are assigned quickly. To allow room for photos, graphics and design issues, feature articles are limited to 1,000 words maximum. Submissions may be edited for clarity, length and content. All articles are due the 5th day of the month prior to publication. Keep in mind while writing your feature article: provide the reader with an informative, upbeat article about the specific theme. Personal experience pieces are acceptable, but please do not “advertise” yourself in the article because it will be deleted. There’s room in the bio section to tell about your services. Feature articles are not advertorials and must be informative and enlightening for our readers. Sidebars, image suggestions and lots of quotes from experts are strongly encouraged.
2015 Themes
Evolving Magazine seeks to incorporate more personal experience stories as feature articles that relate to the particular theme each month. While reading through the themes, think of whom you might know who is a shining example of that particular topic. We'd love to hear their story of growth. We prefer articles be written about a person, versus a person telling their own story. Include anecdotes, quotes and references that bring their story to life for our readers.
January: Conscious Evolution (healthy habits, goal setting, vision boards, creating an intentional reality, journaling, inner work)
February: Love (self-love, conscious relationships)
March: Health & Wellness
April: Green Living (sustainability, nature, renewal)
May: Everyday Spirituality (practical ways to incorporate spirituality into daily living)
June: New Directions (life transitions – moving, downsizing, changes in faith/religious beliefs, going back to School, career changes, adoption.
July: Joy Expressed (entertainment, spiritual movies, inner child/play)
August: Sacred Sexuality
September: Living Proof (personal stories of transformation and growth, against all odds, overcoming adversity)
October: Energy (quantum mechanics, law of attraction)
November: Gratitude and Abundance
December: Transcendence (overcoming dogma, creating spiritual traditions)
2015 Special Sections
These are advertising inserts only and do not contain editorial content
(Except the March issue).
January — New Year, New You (yoga, tai chi, diet, fitness, health)
March — Health & Wellness Directory
May — Metaphysics Guide
July — Summer/Fall Events Guide
September — Coupon Guide
November — Holiday Gift Guide