News & Events

Writer Submission Guidelines

BC Outdoors Magazine: Sport Fishing/Hunting & Shooting General Info

BC Outdoors Magazine publishes seven Sport Fishing issues a year with two Hunting & Shooting supplement issues each summer and fall.

Our magazine is about the best outdoor experiences in BC. Whether you’re camping on an ocean shore, hiking into your favourite lake, or learning how to fly-fish on your favourite river, we want to showcase what our province has to offer to sport fishing and outdoor enthusiasts.

We are looking for our contributors to tell our readers about the best river, a new fly, a secret technique, or the thrill of chasing that elusive trophy fish. Don’t be afraid to dive into some controversy about BC’s fishing resources or management, but be sure your articles are fair and investigative in their approach. We expect passionate, knowledgeable and articulate work from all contributors.

Queries

Please query (pitch) the publication before submitting. Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts or photos. Your pitch should be no more than 100-words outlining exactly what your story will be. Again, do not send in the full manuscript before we have offered you a publishing contract. Make your query count. You should be able to encapsulate the essence of your story and show us why our readers would be interested in reading or knowing what you are writing about. Queries need to be clear, succinct and straight to the point. Show us why we should publish your article in 150 words or less.

Submission Checklist:

• An evocative query: Tantalize us with your best story ideas but ensure your story can live up to your query.
• A clean manuscript: Meet the word count, use Canadian (CP Style) spelling and grammar, and deliver a concise message that expresses what was queried or asked for.
• Good photo support: Send us a variety of images that meet our requirements, on deadline, and that are appropriate to the angle of your story. Your photos should help tell the story. Numbered photo captions and a list of alternative photo support are also encouraged.

It is usually a good idea to have someone else look over your work to help address any issues with flow or grammar. Note: We will do our utmost to secure submitted material, however, we do not accept responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged photo or copy material. The onus is on the contributor to insure such material and to keep appropriate duplicates of all submissions. Please be sure to clearly label and write your name on anything you submit if you wish for us to send it back.

Written Submissions

All features, columns, and news items are determined by the editor of BCO. Contributor rights are first-time North American Rights as well as simultaneous electronic rights for material published on our website. Written material must be original work and not reworked material previously sold to, or published in, another publication.

Upon reviewing the manuscript and accompanying photo support, the editors may request clarification, more development or even a rewrite. All features should be between 1,500 and 2,500 words long, depending on the type of story. Articles that focus on technique should be between 1,500 and 2,200 words long. Investigative or adventure features should be between 1,800 and 2,500 words long. Columns should be between 650 and 800 words long.

Please submit your word document double-spaced, 12-point Times Roman and flush left with proper indentations for paragraphs, with title and your name. All submissions must include numerous photos; each photo must be captioned. When submitting photos and captions, please clearly name or number each photo, and submit the photos with a word document listing the photos and their captions.

Photo Submissions

Photo support is very important when submitting articles. We prefer that you send photos with articles but, if you are a photographer or have great photos you want to share, we do encourage sending stock images for use in a future issue.

Our preferred medium for photos is digital, and we strongly recommend that you submit your photos in this format. Digital images must be high-resolution at 300 dpi or better and at least five by seven inches in size. We recommend shooting with at least a five mega-pixel camera set at the highest resolution. Use at least a seven mega-pixel camera for all cover photos and remember that cover images must be vertical.

You can forward your images to us by email or you can upload them to our FTP site. Please contact production@outdoorgroupmedia.com to get instructions on how to access our FTP site. Ensure you identify your images and specify which article they are to accompany if applicable.

Compensation

Photo support must accompany all written articles, and suggested alternative art support is also appreciated. If art is not sent with the manuscript or if the photos do not meet our requirements, it will affect your compensation.

Submissions that are sent with copy that need little to no editing, a variety of quality photo support (with numbered captions), and a list of alternative art support will garner more compensation than one that is under the word count with no photo support. Images taken to accompany a feature article or story will not be compensated for separately from the written content. Payment will be mailed within 30 days of the publication date.

BC Outdoors Sport Fishing at a Glance:

Bird’s Nest:
This is the voice of our readers. They send in letters of anecdotes, suggestions or gripes. They tell us what really matters to them. (BCO does not pay for this content)

Editorial:
Mike Mitchell, with guest editorials. (BCO does not pay for this content)

Weighing In:
A round-up of current events, management updates, and well-researched, opinion-driven comments on the sport fishing industry. (BCO pays between $0.10 to $0.25/word for some Weighing In content)

Reel Memories:
Our readers, young and old, show off their trophy catches. (BCO does not pay for this content)

Fly-Tying:
Phil Rowley — stillwater expert, author and instructor — tells us how to tie the best flies in order to catch the biggest fish in our waters. Includes step-by-step photos.

Tips and Tech:
Explores new trends in sport fishing.

New Products Review:
Editor Mike Mitchell and BCO staff, offer readers info and insight into the latest gadgets and gear for the season. (BCO does not pay for this content)

Cooking in the Rough:
Typically written by Linda Gabris, but open to guest writers.

Industry News:
Different organizations update our readers on what they’ve been up to. Open. (BCO does not pay for this content)

Backroads:
Murphy Shewchuk explores the backroads to secluded, hidden or forgotten gems of BC.

Backcast:
Steelhead expert, owner of Highwater Tackle and field editor Dave Steele tells it like it is in the world of sport fishing.

As previously mentioned, BC Outdoors Sport Fishing is published seven times a year, with two Hunting & Shooting issues, one for summer and one for fall.
Please email your queries to editor Mike Mitchell at editor@bcoutdoorsmagazine.com