Author's Guidelines
Deadlines: There are no deadlines. Articles are run in the order received, so the sooner you send them in the sooner they will appear in print. Photographs, artwork, and disks will be returned if requested.
Preferences: We prefer to receive your articles via email. Please send in a printed copy with your drawings and photos. Articles over 3000 words will probably be shortened due to space requirements. Please write your name and address on each page of your hard copies and photos.
Specifications: We use Windows based computers running Quark-XPress, MS Word, and Photoshop. We can read plain TEXT formated on Mac or IBM disks or CDs. Please save articles as plain TEXT so we can open and read them. Photos should be 35mm prints with an uncluttered background if possible, 3x5 or 4x6 B&W or color is fine-enlargements are not necessary or desired. Well composed, exposed, and focused prints will be given top priority. Please send in more photos than you think we will need for your article. We will run as many as possible. The old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words is just as true as ever. Even if you are just writing a letter to the editor or a short article, a photo or two is always welcome.
E-mail: We are available on email. Your articles must be sent as the regular body of the email message and not as an attachment. You may attach photos, or upload them onto the website with a note in the email.Digital Photos: Please burn your original images to a disk or CD. saved as JPEGs, and mail them to us, along with a TEXT copy of your article and the photo captions. Printed photos not always usable. Scan your photos at 300 dpi. Change the image size to 4”x 6". Save as 200 dpi JPEG. You may save photos as color or grayscale. Until we convert to color printing, we may use the color versions as supplemental material for our subscribers on the website. Images of about 200-500K are the right size for very clear printing in Amateur Astronomy. In the subject box, print (photo # from [your name] for name of article.) Please send your article and captions, with corresponding numbers as on the photos, as a regular e-mail to the editor .
Photo Tips: First, learn every photographer's main trick-make your subject fill the field. Move in! Get close! Make it BIG! Shoot people pictures like those we use for "Star People"-the classic head and shoulder shot. When taking a telescope picture with a person, put the person behind the scope so he doesn't block the view of the scope. We all know what a pair of jeans looks like! Please leave a little room around the edges for cropping to magazine formats.
