Voices of Central Pennsylvania
Information and Editorial Guidelines

WRITER RESPONSIBILITIES

Submission criteria

1. CLEAN COPY. Hard copy should be double-spaced, typewritten or computer printed. MACHINE-READABLE COPY STRONGLY PREFERRED. Submissions may be made on 3.5 inch disk (Mac or DOS/Windows format) or via e-mail (as a mail message or POPmail attachment). Disks should be accompanied by hard copy.

The Voices e-mail address is voices@voicesweb.org.
Our office address is 103 E. Beaver Ave., State College, PA 16801. Acceptable file formats include Microsoft Word for
Macintosh, version 5.1 or earlier, WordPerfect for Macintosh 2.0 or earlier, and ASCII (plain) text.

2. WRITTEN TO SPECIFICATIONS. Around 800 words unless advised by editor that longer or shorter would be more appropriate (see ARTICLE TYPES, below).

FORMAT: Headings flush left. Suggested headline should be in all caps. You may use a pen name for publication, but give your real name also. Include a telephone number and/or e-mail address where you can be reached, a word count (may be approximate), and the section for which the article is intended. Separate paragraphs with a double return -- do not use tabs or spaces to indent.

ARTICLE TYPES:

1. Factual Articles Filler or sidebar: 50 to 200 words; can be event- or time-specific or "evergreen" and general.
Regular feature/article: 800 to 1200 words. (400 to 425 words
is approximately equivalent to one tabloid column.)

2. Opinion and commentary 800 words. Informed opinions, please. Offer a new perspective, not just the same old lines. More important than where you stand is how well you can write about it.

3. Letters Under 500 words. Include name and telephone number for verification purposes. We will withhold names from
publication if requested. Letters will be edited for
spelling, and libelous and/or inappropriate material will be
excised.

3. ON TIME. Refer to the production schedule or posted monthly schedule for deadlines. Submit your manuscript and diskette to the appropriate department editor. Diskettes may be picked up at the Voices office after publication.

4. WITHOUT LIBELOUS MATERIAL OR INTENTIONS. Yes, we want controversial stuff with bite to it. Record interviews on tape if at all possible, and be able to support any conclusions you draw. Be nosy, but not antagonistic. Double-check on the five Ws (who, what, when, where, why) and the big H (how). Sources would rather be asked twice than be misquoted or have their
names misspelled. CREDIBILITY IS THE KEY to getting alternative viewpoints accepted into the mainstream consciousness. Use as many diverse sources as you can, and seek out unusual sources. Don't just go to the same old pundits. For factual articles, include conflicting sources or both sides of the issue to provide balance. Don't be afraid to let the reader make up
his/her own mind. Include contact information for sources along with your article, so that we can make an in-house fact check if necessary. Sources may be anonymous in an article, but we need to know who they are.

5. WELL WRITTEN. Follow basic University of Chicago or Associated Press styles, and use good grammar. Consistency is important. Your editor doesn't care whether you use the serial comma or not, as long as it's used the same way throughout the piece.

The Editorial Process

ASSUME THAT YOUR COPY WILL BE EDITED. There are no sacred cows, no sacred commas.

1. MINOR EDITING. Minor mechanical/length editing will be handled in-house and presented to the editorial board for approval. Section editors will keep author's original submission together with the edited version.

2. MAJOR or SUBSTANTIVE EDITING. Articles raising major questions or requiring substantive revisions will be returned to the author with queries and corrections.

3. EDITOR RESPONSIBILITIES. Editors will meet with authors to work together on article revisions if so desired. Our goal is to facilitate the publication of each contribution in its best form.

However, the editorial board has the final word on acceptance and publication, and is the final arbiter in matters of style and content. Placement within a given issue or a given section, headline copy, cover copy, and graphic arrangement of an article are the responsibility of the editors.