These guidelines are offered to help you understand who we are and what material is desired. We are a conservative Christian publisher. We desire to partner with like-minded writers who help us fulfill our goal of honoring God while educating and entertaining children in the realm of nature.
Writing – the Gift and the Challenge
The Gift
The ability to write enjoyable and worthwhile literature for children is a precious gift from God. Like other gifts, God has given it to be used. Not to be neglected, not to be buried under false humility, not to be despised because it doesn’t shine as brightly as someone else’s similar gift—but to be used as He has given it.
Did you ever stop to think what an influence good reading materials have had on your life? How privileged we are, that unknown persons have labored diligently so we might have something worthwhile to read! And what a privilege is ours today, that we can humbly and conscientiously develop our ability to write so coming generations might read to the glory of God!
The Challenge
Like other gifts, the gift of writing needs to be cultivated and applied before it is useful. Many writers understand the basic laws of effective communication, but will never be really successful at their labors because they lack the creative spark that makes literature exciting and worthwhile.
Then, there are others who have the spark of creativity, but lack the perseverance to see their project through to the end. The diligence needed for revising, polishing, and completing the story is lacking.
The Elbow Grease
The successful writer realizes that he needs both inspired imagination and dogged determination to be an effective writer. The old adage is still true; writing is still “2% inspiration and 98% perspiration”--not just paper and ink, but some “elbow grease” too.
For example, did you ever read a poem composed of beautiful thoughts and perfect rhythm—until the last verse? It appeared that the author had worn himself out on the earlier part of the poem and had been too tired to build equal quality into the final verse. But we know that last verse—like the icing on a cake or the roof on a building—is extremely important. If the author quits too soon, if he’s not willing to work on that ending or to revise his writing the fifth time (or the fifteenth time if necessary), he is showing disrespect to the entire work; and others will lightly esteem it too.
Just what is it that turns ordinary words—plain common everyday words—into a masterpiece of composition?
We want Nature Friend to be exciting to children. Nature is fascinating when seen up close through the pen of a “ready writer,” the brush of a skilled artist, or the lens of a photographer. Children deserve to know the truth about our amazing world. As television, drugs, videos, and electronic games compete for children’s time and approval, it becomes all the more important to give them material that is true, exciting, and upbuilding to their character.
We do not intend that every story, poem, puzzle, or project in Nature Friend should bring a spiritual message to the reader. We think there is also a valid place for children to just enjoy what God has made without being always directed toward a spiritual application. Neither do we intend that Nature Friend should quarrel with the evolutionists or always be trying to prove the Bible’s Genesis account true. We intend to quietly and joyfully present the positive side of nature, to let our young readers see and enjoy it to the glory of God.
About Manuscripts
Probably the most obvious requirement for sending manuscripts to Nature Friend is to be thoroughly acquainted with our magazine. It is a waste of time to send even the most excellent article to a publisher who never prints articles of that type.
If you have faithfully read and studied the magazine, the next question is “In what form does the editor want my article?”
We welcome articles for Nature Friend and do not require that you get our permission before you send them for our examination. We do have some preferences as to how you send them.
1. Manuscripts should have a title page (first sheet) telling us:
A. The suggested title of the story.
B. A fairly accurate word count for the article.
C. Your name, full mailing address, phone number (if you have one), and hours you can be reached.
D. Any other comments, such as whether you are writing about a personal experience, whether it’s altogether true, based on true happenings, or realistic fiction. If it’s true, tell when and where it happened.
2. Manuscripts
A. Should be typewritten.
B. Should be double-spaced, on 8 ½ x 11” paper, with 1 ½” margins that allow space for editor’s changes and notes.
C. Should be written on only one side of the paper.
D. Should include writer’s name and title of manuscript on each page.
E. Multiple pages should not be stapled together.
F. Should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient postage to return the manuscript if you wish to have it returned (in the event we do not use it).
G. Include a bibliography showing where you got your information. This is especially needed for unusual observations or technical teaching.
H. Ideal article length is 500 to 800 words.
I. You may e-mail by attaching a Word document. Send to editor at naturefriendmagazine dot com.
Please keep a copy of your manuscripts. Sometimes they can be lost in the mail.
3. Manuscripts should represent the best work you are reasonably capable of. But at the same time, we reserve the right to change, delete, rearrange, and re-title your manuscript. We receive over 1,000 unsolicited manuscripts every year but use approximately 50. Another 50 are solicited by us from regular contributors. We feel sorry for the hardworking writers whose work we return simply because we have too many. Don’t be disheartened if your work is not selected. We simply do not have room to use all the good manuscripts we receive.
4. When we accept a manuscript for future use, it is kept on file. You may withdraw it by written request at any time unless we have already obtained art for inclusion in an upcoming issue.
5. If your manuscript is published, you will receive a complimentary copy of the magazine. Additional copies are available at current rate for back issues while supplies last.
When you submit a manuscript to Nature Friend, it is understood that it is an original piece and not something written (or partly written) by another. It is also understood that it has not been previously printed or copyrighted by another publisher. If you are submitting something that was not your original composition, or has been used before, please make it plain on the title page.
Materials used by Nature Friend will automatically be copyrighted as a part of the magazine.
We wish to emphasize that the author alone is responsible for plagiarism (the use of someone else’s writing sent under your own name without the real author’s permission), and that nature Friend is not liable for unknowingly using writings that were not original. Please be sure that all materials gleaned from reference books and other works are collected and totally rewritten. If any direct quotations are used, give all pertinent information about the source (book, author, publisher, copyrights, etc.) and enclose their permission for its use.
Needs
1. Science Projects for ages 8-12
2. Conversational Stories for ages 6-8
3. Photo Features
A natural phenomenon shown in pictures with detailed captions.
Photographs are selected, month-by-month, based on articles selected that need illustrations, along with a front and back cover photo. What this means to a photographer is that photographs are secondary to writings and cannot be anticipated and selected in advance. Photographic submissions that require us to return material in a specified number of weeks will likely not be useful to us. Photographs that are in our files the day we are making selections will stand the greatest chance of being selected for use.
Payment
We pay .05 per edited word for first rights, and .03 per edited word for reprint rights.
Contact Information:
For inquiries: editor@naturefriendmagazine.com
Website: http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com
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