Thanks for your interest in contributing to the Carolina Communiqué! This page will help you get started... in three easy steps.
You may want to print this page for reference.
To be considered for a particular quarter’s issue, submissions need to be received 15 days before the end of that quarter. For example, articles submitted by March 15th are considered for the first quarter issue or later issues. Review the publication schedule for details.
Length requirements
There are no length requirements or restrictions, but the Managing Editor reserves the right to edit for length.
Data format
We accept completed articles in:
Tone
Please use any tone you feel is appropriate. The Managing Editor chooses not edit tone to ensure that all articles sound the same. Each article's topic should dictate the type of tone used: serious, humorous, light, or concerned.
Examples
The best way to know how to write your article is to review previous articles in the newsletter. Browse the newsletter archives to get a feel for the types of articles printed in the past.
Style Guidelines
Editors for the Carolina Communiqué refer to the Chicago Manual of Style for style guidelines. The following guidelines have also been established:
Copyright
As the author, you retain the copyright to your article. By submitting your work, you grant the Carolina Chapter of STC permission to reprint your article and include it on this website. Please see the Copyright page for additional information.
The Art of Column Writing
If you plan to write more than one article, consider becoming a contributing author to a standing column! Contact the managing editor for details. On Thursday, February 07, 2008, the managing editor attended a teleseminar presented by Suzette Standring, who is a past president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists (www.columnists.com) and author of the newly-published "The Art of Column Writing: Insider Secrets from Art Buchwald, Dave Barry, Arianna Huffington, Pete Hamill and Other Great Columnists" (Marion Street Press, Inc).
Suzette’s presentation was titled “The Art of Column Writing” and she offered advice from dealing with writer's block to working with an editor and everything in between, as well as share her own experiences during her rise from novice writer to syndicated columnist.
What makes for success in column writing?
Dave Barry makes humor seem effortless, but he says it could take him two hours to build an opening paragraph. He says that most humor writers are funny, but not laugh out loud funny.
Be aware. Keep track of your thoughts and your surroundings when you’re out and about. Take a note pad, keep track of what you see and feel, and stories will come.
Having problems with this form? Please contact the webmaster.
Review the authoring guidelines or contact the editor for additional information.
Use our wiki to create, edit, and review the article. If you're new to wikis, you can use the Sandbox (after logging in) to learn how to edit online — it's easy!
You may want to print this page for reference.
Step 1. Review the Article Submission Guidelines
Submission deadlineTo be considered for a particular quarter’s issue, submissions need to be received 15 days before the end of that quarter. For example, articles submitted by March 15th are considered for the first quarter issue or later issues. Review the publication schedule for details.
Length requirements
There are no length requirements or restrictions, but the Managing Editor reserves the right to edit for length.
Data format
We accept completed articles in:
- MS-Word
- ASCII text
- HTML
Tone
Please use any tone you feel is appropriate. The Managing Editor chooses not edit tone to ensure that all articles sound the same. Each article's topic should dictate the type of tone used: serious, humorous, light, or concerned.
Examples
The best way to know how to write your article is to review previous articles in the newsletter. Browse the newsletter archives to get a feel for the types of articles printed in the past.
Style Guidelines
Editors for the Carolina Communiqué refer to the Chicago Manual of Style for style guidelines. The following guidelines have also been established:
- Word usage, capitalization, and spelling
- between/among and lesser/few
- e-mail (noun and verb)
- Carolina Chapter (not Chapter or chapter)
- online help
- onsite (noun and adjective)
- offsite (noun and adjective)
- tool set
- website (not World-Wide Web, WWW, or web)
- Punctuation
- No hyphenation.
- Use serial comma.
- Use smart quotes.
- Other
- Use active voice whenever possible.
- Avoid extreme uses of slang and colloquialism.
- Use you.
Copyright
As the author, you retain the copyright to your article. By submitting your work, you grant the Carolina Chapter of STC permission to reprint your article and include it on this website. Please see the Copyright page for additional information.
The Art of Column Writing
If you plan to write more than one article, consider becoming a contributing author to a standing column! Contact the managing editor for details. On Thursday, February 07, 2008, the managing editor attended a teleseminar presented by Suzette Standring, who is a past president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists (www.columnists.com) and author of the newly-published "The Art of Column Writing: Insider Secrets from Art Buchwald, Dave Barry, Arianna Huffington, Pete Hamill and Other Great Columnists" (Marion Street Press, Inc).
Suzette’s presentation was titled “The Art of Column Writing” and she offered advice from dealing with writer's block to working with an editor and everything in between, as well as share her own experiences during her rise from novice writer to syndicated columnist.
What makes for success in column writing?
- Exude universal resonance. Engage a reader in the way that the user can see themselves in the piece.
- Be personal, but be factual as well. Column writing is only form of journalism that allows the writer to shape both a portrait and the facts. The who, what, when, where, and why still apply.
- Be specific about who you are and how it relates to the situation you’re describing. For example, if you are writing about a family situation, make sure you tell audience if you are father of teenage girls who are dating or 40-year old just starting a family.
- Have a platform.
- Choose a point of view (Suzette’s point of view is “the inspired observer”)
- Know why you are writing. A good practice before writing is to answer the sentence, “The reason I am telling you this is……..”
Dave Barry makes humor seem effortless, but he says it could take him two hours to build an opening paragraph. He says that most humor writers are funny, but not laugh out loud funny.
Be aware. Keep track of your thoughts and your surroundings when you’re out and about. Take a note pad, keep track of what you see and feel, and stories will come.
Step 2. Submit Your Article or Idea
To submit an article or idea, please email newsletter at stc-carolina dot org or complete this form:Having problems with this form? Please contact the webmaster.
Review the authoring guidelines or contact the editor for additional information.
If your article is not yet written
You will be able to develop, write, and edit your article online, using the website wiki. By using the wiki, you and the editors can collaboratively edit the article — no more emailing edits and proofs back-and-forth!If your article is already written
After you send the article to the managing editor, the article will be posted to the website wiki, and made available for you and the editors for final editing and proofing.Step 3. Edit and Review the Article
The Managing Editor will send you the information that you will need to login to this website's wiki. You'll need this login to access your draft article, before final publication.Use our wiki to create, edit, and review the article. If you're new to wikis, you can use the Sandbox (after logging in) to learn how to edit online — it's easy!
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