Louisiana Conservationist EDITORIAL GUIDELINES

Revised 4/9/08

In continuous publication for more than seven decades, Louisiana Conservationist has been a paid-circulation publication since 1989 and has a current circulation of approximately 20,000 subscriptions. It is a full-color quarterly publication whose primary mission is to inform, educate and entertain those who utilize Louisiana's abundant and varied outdoor resources and to encourage others to participate and support the work of the department.

Because our major focus is outdoor recreation and the department's efforts to provide and maintain such recreational opportunities, naturally there is an emphasis on hunting, fishing and boating. However, we also provide a balanced variety of informational and educational articles pertaining to such recreational outdoor pursuits as camping, birding, canoeing and outdoor photography. Additionally, we strive to keep readers informed of the commercial value and utilization of this state's abundant resources and the economic and sociological issues affecting such utilization.

A strong emphasis is placed on departmental activities ranging from developing and implementing habitat enhancement and management plans for both game and non-game species, to innovative law enforcement developments, to protection and restoration of rare, threatened or endangered plant and animal species.

The target length for feature articles ranges from 1,200 to 2,000 words. We prefer solid "how-to" and "where-to" information wrapped in an appealing personal experience format for general interest articles. Our readers appreciate a first-person presentation of adventure, outdoor humor and/or nostalgia.

Outdoor ethics and safety, professionally sound wildlife and habitat management practices, environmental and conservation issues and biological accuracy are of paramount importance in all submissions. Where possible, submissions should include departmental activities and programs and their impacts, with quotes from and attribution to department sources.

We prefer Louisiana-specific material, but many manuscripts generic to the southeastern United States or to wildlife conservation in general are adaptable and acceptable.

Submissions
Queries and manuscripts may be sent to Kim Levy-Marcelle at klevy@wlf.louisiana.gov or Thomas Gresham at tgresham@wlf.louisiana.gov . All manuscripts are to be original works not previously published, unless specific disclosure is made and accepted at the time of submission. Louisiana Conservationist is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, slides or photos.

Manuscripts may be submitted electronically in Word or WordPerfect, and bear the name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and federal tax ID number of the author. Writing should generally follow Associated Press guidelines. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit, re-write and re-organize manuscripts - without altering meaning or intent - as necessary.

Quality color slides are preferred, but superior quality color prints are acceptable. Black and white photos are seldom utilized except with nostalgia pieces. Photos may be submitted electronically at 300 dpi. All slides, photos and illustrations should be marked with the photographer/artist's name and phone number. An average of four photos/illustrations is used with each article. Ideally, writers should include a selection of at least 12 photos/illustrations, including both vertical and horizontal formats, with each submission. Photos/illustrations are purchased on a one-time North American Rights basis and are returned to owners following publication. Photos produced on specific assignment for Louisiana Conservationist become the property of the magazine.

All assignments must be received in the editorial office according to the following schedule: Spring-Dec 1; Summer-Mar 1; Fall-June 1; Winter-Sept 1. Publication schedules are tentative and delayed publication is at the discretion of the editorial staff.

Payment
Payment will be established upon acceptance and issued upon publication. We pay $175 per manuscript. A smaller amount may be paid, dependent upon subject, manuscript length and/or quality of finished manuscript. Payment for front cover photos is $200. Payment for back covers is $150. Payment for photos/illustrations used with manuscripts ranges from $35 to $55, depending upon use (placement and size), quality, relevance and uniqueness as determined by the editorial staff.

Questions? Story Ideas? Thomas Gresham, Executive Editor ph: 225/765-2496 tgresham@wlf.louisiana.gov

Let us hear from you! Kim Levy-Marcelle, Editor ph: 225/765-2923 klevy@wlf.louisiana.gov

P.O. Box 98000 fax: 225/765-0265 www.wlf.louisiana.gov Baton Rouge, LA 70898