Country Woman Submission Guidelines

Country Woman is a 68-page, full-color, bimonthly magazine for women who live in or long for the country. It is a positive, upbeat, entertaining and informative publication that reflects the many interests and roles of its readers through short, photo-illustrated profiles of rural women…recipes, decorating, antiques and gardening articles…nostalgic photos and reader remembrances.

The publication also includes informative articles on health, finance and lifestyle issues related to rural living. While Country Woman readers are women of all ages, we target baby boomers, or women born between 1946 and 1965.

Free-lance material should have a rural link and be of specific interest to women who live on a farm or ranch, or women who live in a small town or country home and/or simply have an interest in country-oriented topics.

Many of the stories, columns, anecdotes and photos in CW come directly from its readers. But we count on freelancers such as you for the balance of each issue. Here are some of our regular features that freelancers help us with:

Features/Profile Stories …In each issue, we feature about half a dozen profile pieces, stories about country women doing unique and/or interesting things. Stories must be told in a light, entertaining, conversational style with plenty of direct quotes from the featured country woman. This is her story; so you can write it in first person as though she were telling it. Stories should have a strong, readily identifiable angle. Stories must be country related, and the "why" behind what the woman is doing must be clearly explained.

Many of our profile pieces focus on cottage industries or small businesses women have started themselves. Recent issues have included profile pieces on: a farm woman who has become a wool spinner and whose husband has begun to make spinning wheels as a result of her craft…a country artist who paints and sells floor rugs…a grade school teacher who takes the chicks she raises on her farm into her grade school classroom and uses them as "teaching aids."

These profile pieces are not limited to farm women; features on women who live on a country place or in a small town are also acceptable. We are also interested in stories about recent "transplants" to the country, including retirees.

Bright and beautiful color photos must accompany all profile pieces. We prefer to work with 35 mm or 2-1/4 Kodachrome transparencies, but we have had remarkable luck with bright, clear color prints. CW is looking for top-quality color, focus and lighting in all photos. While not our first choice, digital photographs are acceptable if they are at least 300dpi. Profile pieces are most often rejected because of poor quality photos! Please take good action, not posed, shots of your featured country woman in her natural environment—at work on the ranch, cutting out Christmas cookies, stitching a quilt or doing whatever it is that you are focusing on in your story. Your subject should be colorfully dressed and she should be wearing carefully-applied makeup. Manuscript length should be about 1,000 words, accompanied by a variety of photos—give us lots to choose from, please! Payment for a photo-feature package, on acceptance: $300-$600.

Cover shots …We are always in the market for strong cover photos! Cover shots must be strong verticals, with bright and vibrant colors…focus must be razor-sharp-no soft-focus shots will be accepted. No hot spots either! Use fill-in lighting where necessary to avoid hulking shadows. We have found that Kodachrome film generally provides the best color saturation, although other brands in the hands of skilled photographers have also met our standards. We can work from either 35 mm or 2-1/4 transparencies, but we prefer the larger-format photos. Photos usually focus on a close-up shot of a country woman in her natural surroundings. The subject should be attractive, but in a natural way. We ask that you help us locate a skilled professional make-up artist.

The subject must be a true country woman. We prefer subjects in their 30's to mid-40's, although attractive older women are acceptable as well. It is our cover woman’s "job" to invite the reader into the magazine. The woman should look as if she's just stopped whatever she was doing for a moment to glance up and smile warmly out at the reader. Try for as spontaneous a look as possible. While the magazine's logo does not overprint the cover photo, several small lines of type do—so try to plan a small solid area somewhere in the background to accommodate them. When possible, covers should portray a strong seasonal look as well. We always need at least one additional pose for the inside cover story.

Cover prices are somewhat negotiable, but generally range around $300-$800, depending on the situation. Inside shot: $50-$200, depending on quality and size at which it's used.

Service Features …these must relate specifically to the lives of country women. Some "how-to" articles we've bought recently include: how to start your own at-home business…how to market your crafts…how to sell your work to publishers…how to preserve old family photos…a listing of mail-order sources for holiday baking. Maximum length: 500-600 words. Color photos are generally needed. Rate: $150-$300.

Country Crafts, Sewing, Needlework …emphasizing quick, easy and inexpensive country crafts. Include a list of all materials needed, detailed patterns, instructions and illustrations. Actual item must be enclosed so we can check it against instructions and photograph it. Rate: $50-$200, depending on quality and degree of difficulty.

Also, we welcome features on contemporary sewing methods, ideas for recycling, quilting tips, practical wardrobe planning, etc. Good color photos where appropriate. Rate: $300-$600 for a 2-page article, depending on length and quality.

Decorating …We're always looking for features on home improvements along with before and after photos, short tips on decorating and exciting features on how to accomplish that "country look". Again, good quality color transparencies or high resolution digital photos are a must. If appropriate, photos can be from a corporation or trade organization. Rate: $300-$600 for a 2-page spread.

Nostalgia …We're looking for well-written nostalgic pieces for our "I Remember When…" department. This is a country woman's recollection of a past event that the vast majority of readers can identify with. Length: 300-500 words. Rate: $100-$300, depending on length and quality.

Inspirational …We are looking for inspirational (not overtly religious) material for the back cover. This can be in the form of a paragraph, poem or a short (300 words or less) article. Rate: $50-$100.

Fiction …Well-written short fiction is a continuing need. The subjects should center on life in the country, its problems and joys, as experienced by women. The main character must be a country woman. Length: 750-1,000 words. Rate: $300-$600.

Health, Beauty and Fitness …We are interested in these subjects, providing they have a “country woman” angle. We ask that you supply good quality color photos. Photos can be original or from a corporation or trade organization. Rate: $300-$600 for a 2-page spread.

Travel and Other Experiences …Today’s country women are interested in a variety of life experiences, including travel. However, articles must be of interest to women living in all states and Canada. We ask that you supply good quality color photos. Photos can be original or from a corporation or trade organization. Rate: $300-$600 for a 2-page spread.

Other Information

Unless a specific assignment is made, all freelance material will be considered on a speculative basis. That is, we must be able to review the article and photos before we make a decision to purchase it. CW is published 6 times per year. The ideal deadline for free-lance material is 6 months before the date of the issue. Manuscripts should be typed and double-spaced.

Please enclose a self-addressed stamped return envelope with all manuscript and photo submissions if you want your material returned. For craft submissions, send return postage in the form of a check or money order. Submissions without adequate return postage will not be returned. CW is not responsible for lost material.

Country Woman reserves the right to rewrite any and all material it buys to comply with our in-house style.

A decision on free-lance material is generally made within 2-3 months after receipt of the article. Payment is upon acceptance. If querying first (and do query on all feature/profile pieces), please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.

If you are notified that your manuscript is being held for future publication and later on you have an inquiry about its status, please enclose a self-addressed return envelope. Be sure to remind us of the subject matter of the article in your letter—don’t just give the title. This will help us locate it in our files. Of course, articles we hold are not available for resale until we've notified you of publication. We sometimes hold articles several years before publishing.

Contributors are strongly urged to study the magazine carefully before querying or submitting. Free-lancers may subscribe at a special rate of $10.98 per year (regularly $17.98). To obtain a sample copy, send $2.00.

Please send your material to Marilyn Kruse, Managing Editor, Country Woman, 5400 S. 60th St., Greendale WI 53129 or E-mail material to editors@countrywomanmagazine.com.