Writers’ Guidelines
Thank
you for your interest in writing for The
Way of St. Francis. Here are some guidelines
that will help you prepare your material for
our particular schedule, format and audience.
Please read them thoroughly before you begin
your assignment.
At the time of assignment, the writer and
editor agree on:
A
deadline (usually five months prior to the
publication date—for example, June 1 for the
November- December issue). Please respect
that agreement.
A
total page count or approximate word count,
appropriate to the subject of the article.
A full page of The Way (with no photos
or other images) holds about 325 words.
The
content of the article—all material is subject
to editing at any time at the discretion of
the Editor.
The
formatting of the article.
Material should be prepared with this general
type of
audience in mind:
Adult
Mostly, but not exclusively, Roman Catholic
Some
college education or equivalent life experience
General
interest in St. Francis, Franciscan works,
and spirituality
Lay
or religious (mostly lay)
Minimal
knowledge of the inner workings of either
the Roman Catholic Church or the Franciscan
Orders
Primarily (but not limited to) people who
live in the western U.S.
Given
the above description of readership, please
refer to the following tips for writers:
Don't
assume
readers will understand technical references
to Church or Order terminology, such as the
Franciscan “rule” or “the Provincial.” Avoid
such jargon whenever possible At minimum, define
such terms—e.g.., “rule” needs a more complete
description, like “the rule of life set forth
by Francis for his followers.” Similarly, official
titles, such as, “the Provincial,” need to be
more clearly explained, e.g., “the Minister
Provincial, head of the western region of the
Franciscan Order.”
Where
appropriate, make clear connections between
your topic and Francis/Clare, the Gospel, or
Franciscan culture. For example, if you’re writing
about your love of travel, relate that to Francis’
travels or philosophy. It needs to be absolutely
clear to the reader why your article on Assisi
is in a Franciscan publication, and not
a travel magazine.
When preparing to submit your article, please
keep the following in mind:
Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. Manuscripts
will not be returned. Writers can expect a response
within eight weeks from the time The Way
receives the manuscript.
It is most convenient for the editor to work
with a Microsoft Word document, sent as a Word
e-mail attachment to
ofmcaway@att.net, or on a CD mailed to the
address given below. If you are limited to submitting
hard copy, a serif typestyle like “Times” is
preferable, double-spaced, and with minimal
formatting. All manuscripts and supporting materials
should be mailed to:
The
Way of St. Francis, 1112
26th Street
Sacramento, CA 95816-5610
When possible, also submit photos or other images
to accompany your article. Digital photos are
perfectly acceptable, if your digital camera
is capable of producing high-resolution images
(minimum of 250 ppi). The provincial archives
keep headshot photos of each friar, but we prefer
“action” photos wherever appropriate. For example,
if the person in the story is a gardener, it’s
much more interesting to see them kneeling in
the dirt than just their smiling face. Photos
should be fully identified, including the subject
and photographer. Please indicate to us whether
we need to pursue reprint permission for a previously-published
photograph; and please send us signed release
forms as appropriate (forms follow this document).
Photos and artwork can be returned at the writer’s
request.
Another good thing to include with your article,
when appropriate, is something that will
invite the reader to action. For example, if
you’re writing an article about Lent, you may
want to include a Lenten exercise or prayer.
It can be used as a sidebar to the article.
If
your article is accepted, please send a photo
of yourself as soon as possible (if you know
we don’t already have one) and a brief description
of who you are. This description will appear
at the end of the article and can be serious
or humorous—however you want to be represented
to the readers. The editor reserves the right
to edit this and all other material for length,
clarity, content, and style.
