WRITERS' GUIDELINES

 

Lapidary Journal is a special-interest consumer monthly. We use many freelance pieces and encourage writers to study several recent issues for approach and style. We prefer queries prior to submissions and recommend sending clips if available; if not, writers may wish to submit a short suitable for our Facets section as a sample. For particular story ideas, including visuals with a query is helpful. We will also review unsolicited manuscripts. Please include an SASE for the return of any material. All accepted work is subject to editing at our discretion.

 

Subjects:

Primarily gems, jewelry, beads; also minerals (gem material), and fossils (mineralized remnants of ancient life).

 

Readership:

Active amateurs, practicing professionals, and "armchair" enthusiasts; beginners to experts.

 

Coverage:

Design, technique, tools, equipment, trends, current events, history,  commerce, profiles, exhibits, identification, field work (including commercial mining, scientific expeditions, and collecting for personal use) and instruction (see below).

 

Instructional:

Step by Step is a section within Lapidary Journal that offers illustrated, step-by-step instruction in gem cutting, jewelry making, and beading. Please request a copy of the Step by Step guidelines for greater detail.

 

Style:

Conversational and lively narratives with quotes and anecdotes; Q&A’s; interviews.

 

Length:

1500 2500 words preferred; 1000 3500 words acceptable; longer works occasionally published serially.

 

Copy:

- Electronic: via e-mail to [email protected] or via 3-1/2" IBM-compatible disk with hard copy preferred.

- Software: WordPerfect 8.0 for Windows or RTF (rich text format); other conversions are possible. Greater specifics can be discussed after queries or acceptance.

- Paper: typed, double spaced, ample margins, pages numbered and labeled with name and subject.

 

Visuals: All images should be labeled and captioned.

- Electronic: Largest possible images preferred (270 dpi for artwork at actual size in print).

Via e-mail, to [email protected] in JPEG, GIF, or MIME file formats; files exceeding 1.5 mg should be compressed using Stuffit and sent to [email protected] or not e-mailed but sent on disk.

- Via disk, in Macintosh file formats; using QuarkXpress or Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop; in EPS or TIFF formats; on SyQuest or iomega zip or jaz disks, or CDs. Non-Macintosh formats may be convertible. Greater specifics can be discussed after queries or acceptance.

- Mechanical: Transparencies (including slides), prints, and line drawings; positives not negatives. We prefer transparencies to prints and color to black-and-white.

 

Mail to:           

Lapidary Journal

300 Chesterfield Avenue, Suite 100, Malvern, PA  19355.

Attn: Editorial Dept.

(October, 2001)