WRITER’S GUIDELINES FOR HOME DIGEST

Submissions should be addressed to: 

William Roebuck, Editor
Home Digest
115 George St., Unit 604
Oakville, ON L6J 0A2 Canada

Tel. (905) 844-3361, Fax (905) 849-4618

e-mail: homedigesteditor@sympatico.ca

ABOUT THE MAGAZINE

Home Digest has a strong service slant, combining useful how-to journalism with coverage of the trends and issues of home ownership and family life. In essence, our focus is on the concerns of families living in their own homes in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Durham Regions of Canada. The distribution area covers most segments of the Greater Toronto Area between Burlington in the west and Bowmanville in the east, and from the Lakeshore north to Newmarket. Refer to our Editorial Calendar for a list of regularly featured topics. Click here to see a map of Home Digest's GTA and Durham distribution area.

The publication is a digest-size, controlled circulation consumer magazine issued four times a year. Over 675,000 copies of each issue are distributed by Canada Post and there are an average of 2.4 readers per copy. Issue dates are: Early Spring (March 17), Spring (April 28), Summer (June 16), and Fall (September 15).

CONTENT: Articles are devoted to food and wine, health, household hints, fitness, family activities, Toronto-area events, home decoration and renovation, raising children, keeping pets, and other issues of concern to homeowners and their families. Unlike other city magazines, we do not aim our content exclusively at the region’s rich and famous, but at average middle/upper-income Canadians (household incomes are typically $60,000 or more). Home Digest expects accurate, lively and creative writing that demonstrates a depth of knowledge about the home and family experience. Writers are expected to support concepts with interviews and thorough research. Most importantly, stories must provide more than good information - they must also be a good read.Because of our format, articles for Home Digest need to be short and tight. Depending on the subject, typical stories run anywhere from 300 to 800 words long (650-700 words is a desired length). We currently purchase only 1-2 features per issue. We’re also interested in short service, human interest and humour items, ranging in length from 50-200 words.
RATES: The current freelance rate is 10 cents a word (Canadian), paid on publication. Note that we’ll consider reworks of previously published pieces that have not appeared in our market area.
RIGHTS: The Home Digest buys First North American Serial Rights - the rights for first-time print publication in English - plus the non-exclusive rights to republish your work in our online site. Most articles from each issue are archived on our web site.
THE SUBMISSION PROCESS QUERIES: Please write or e-mail; don’t call. The query should include a brief outline explaining your idea, why it is appropriate for the magazine, potential sources, and expected length. If we don’t already know your work, enclose a sample of published material and some background information about yourself. Include your telephone and fax numbers and e-mail address. We'll get back to you within a month.

SCHEDULE/LEAD TIMES: Editorial closing dates are approximately as follows:

MANUSCRIPTS: For copy submitted by e-mail, it’s best to include your file as an attachment AND paste the article into the body of the email message. Articles can also be submitted on a 3.5-in. computer disk (IBM format; Microsoft Word or plain text/ASCII). We also can accept your manuscripts by modem with prior arrangement.
EDITING: If substantial alterations are required, stories will be returned to you for revisions. If time is short and alterations are minor, changes will be made after discussing them with you. However, last-minute cuts without notification may be necessary because of space limitations.
CHANGING A STORY LINE: If the story you are assigned doesn't work out the way you thought it would, discuss it with us well before the copy submission deadline. We may not want a story that is fundamentally different from the one you originally agreed to write.
PREVIEWS OF MANUSCRIPTS BY SOURCES: If interview subjects want to see your story before it's published, let us know. It’s usually best to provide them with a data sheet of the facts and quotes you have used instead of the final article.
FACT CHECKING: A checking sheet should accompany the first draft of your story, listing all sources and their telephone numbers. Include copies of all printed materials you have used in your research. If you have drawn material from a book, provide page references and a copy, or photocopy the title page and the relevant material. Also, please let us know if any sources may be unavailable for some reason.
PAYMENT is made on publication. Please submit an invoice to the Editor.
EXPENSES: Long distance telephone expenses are covered up to certain limits only if pre-approved, but we are unable cover travel or any other expenses.
KILL FEES: Apply to assigned stories only. If the article is unacceptable and cannot be fixed, the kill fee is 25% of the original fee; if you do the job we agreed on and the piece is killed by Home Digest for other reasons, the kill fee is 50%. Either way, we return all rights to the manuscript to you.
ILLUSTRATIONS: Please keep graphics in mind as you do your research. Tell us about things you see in the course of your research that may present good photo or illustration opportunities. Pass along brochures, pictures or other materials you think might be useful as reference for illustrations.

DEADLINES: If you’re embarrassed about starting late or are having trouble with research, don’t go into hiding on us. If you think you might be late, please let us know.