Woodworker’s Journal (“The Voice of the Woodworking Community”)
Writer’s Guidelines
Before you submit a story idea, we strongly urge you to read an issue of Woodworker’s Journal. This will help you decide whether your idea fits our magazine and our readers, give you an opportunity to become familiar with our style, and provide you with a listing of our current staff. You can obtain a sample magazine or a subscription by calling 800-765-4119, through the link at www.woodworkersjournal.com or on your local newsstand.
Please be aware that Today’s Woodworker magazine was merged with Woodworker’s Journal in 1998. Please do not submit queries to Today’s Woodworker, or to the editors listed on either magazine’s masthead prior to the October 1998 issue.
Who You’re Writing For
Woodworker’s Journal is a magazine designed for all woodworkers (from hobbyists to professionals) looking for new project ideas, woodworking techniques and shop jigs and tips that will enhance their time in the shop. Projects are presented in a detailed step-by-step format with photos and illustrations. Regular topics of coverage include power and hand tools, joinery, finishing and hardware, as well as other tools and techniques. We do not cover home improvement (flooring, built-in cabinetry, decks, etc.) or construction.
What You’re Writing
We accept submissions for Projects; How-To’s and Techniques; Tool Reviews; and Features. Projects We accept project articles from experienced woodworkers. When submitting a query for a project article, please include a photograph of the completed project. We also want to know any unusual attributes of the project, particularly any special techniques you used in building it or relevant historical perspective. If your proposal is accepted, you will be expected to write a descriptive, how-to account of building it so that other readers can emulate your success. You will also need to provide an extremely accurate material list of needed supplies and dimensions for project components, as well as project sketches — which our art department will translate into our style.
Our editorial staff is willing to provide some assistance to woodworkers submitting project articles in such matters as spelling, grammar and writing style. We do expect you to be available for communication with our editorial and art staff while we are preparing the article for publication. We may sometimes make arrangements to have the actual project , as well as props that demonstrate certain steps in the building process, shipped to our offices for photography. At other times, we will rely on photography provided by the author or a photographer in your area to illustrate the completed project and the how-to steps in building it.
Woodworker’s Journal will make a good faith estimate of article length at time of purchase and offer payment accordingly. Payment for photography or for production of additional props may occur separately, at time of publication. The rate for how-to photos is $15 per column inch, with total photography payment depending on number of photos used and what size they are published. Payment for project articles starts at $225 per page.
Techniques and How-To’s
These articles describe a specific woodworking technique or process, including the development of a significant jig. Such articles are considered under the same basis as project submissions; photographs and drawings are again helpful in making our decision on whether to accept an article. Please note that many suggestions for simple shop jigs or practices are more appropriately addressed to our Tricks of the Trade department, where payment varies from $50 to $150.
Tool Reviews
We publish articles introducing new tools to the woodworking market (“Tool Preview”), comparing several models of a particular tool (“Shop Test” and “Tool Review”) and providing an overview of a certain type of tool (“Today’s Shop”). If you are interested in writing a tool review article, please send us information on your background, explaining why you are qualified to present and evaluate tools for our readers. Due to the necessity of arranging tool shipments from the manufacturers, the other articles in this category are regularly assigned by editors of Woodworker’s Journal. Payment for tool reviews starts at $225 per page.
Features
We are interested in feature articles highlighting the work of an individual woodworker; or groups of woodworkers with a particularly interesting dynamic or who are involved in a specific project (e.g. monks who build caskets, a club building a carousel, a high school which requires students to carve a panel before graduating, etc.); on trends affecting the woodworking world; on woodworking schools; on woodworking shows; and on a variety of other topics of interest to woodworkers. Please remember that you are writing for an audience of woodworkers. Feature submissions will most likely be published in our “Shop Talk” department; on occasion, a profile of an individual woodworker may be moved to the “Today’s Woodworker” department. This is dependent in large part on a supply of several choices of good quality photographs to accompany the story. When submitting a query for a feature article, please describe the proposed subject of the article, why it will appeal to or be of value to our readers and available artwork. Payment for features starts at $150 for a 1,000-word article. Freelance authors (or the subjects of the article) are regularly expected to submit accompanying photography without additional compensation.
How to Submit Your Query and Manuscript
Please submit queries for articles, either via U.S. mail or e-mail, to:
Joanna Werch Takes (Senior Editor) or Rob Johnstone (Editor )
Woodworker’s Journal
4365 Willow Drive
Medina, MN 55340
Tricks of the Trade shop tips should go to:
Woodworker’s Journal
Dept T/T
4365 Willow Drive P.O. Box 261
Medina, MN 55340
Email: editor@woodworkersjournal.com (Very important: put “article query” in the subject line) or tricks@woodworkersjournal.com
NO PHONE CALLS, PLEASE.
Woodworker’s Journal will accept queries or unsolicited manuscripts. We will return such manuscripts only if a SASE is enclosed. Manuscripts not returned will be destroyed. Please be patient; it may take us a few weeks to discuss your story among our editorial staff and determine whether it’s appropriate for our magazine. We try to respond within four weeks to queries and unsolicited manuscripts, but feel free to e-mail after three weeks if you want a quicker answer. Please do not submit articles or queries you’re sending elsewhere at the same time. Once we have decided to accept your submission, we will notify you and send you a contract stating the price we’re willing to pay and the rights we’re interested in purchasing. If you agree with our payment and terms, return the signed contract, and you will receive payment.
We accept manuscript submissions via e-mail; on 3.5" computer diskettes (save all manuscripts generically, preferably as RTF — rich text format); or typed, double-spaced, on a single side of the paper. All photography in Woodworker’s Journal (except for occasional historical examples) is color photography. Digital photos MUST HAVE resolution of at least 300 dpi. A color copy, or printed version of a digital image, is acceptable for submitting with a query, but NOT for publication. We can also work with color transparencies, 35 mm color slides, or 35 mm color prints, in order of preference. Polaroids® are never acceptable.
What We’re Buying
All material submitted must be original and unpublished. We generally buy “all rights,” (especially for projects) or first North American serial rights, to distribute copies of the material to the public, to display the material publicly and to use the material in promotions for Rockler Companies, Inc. and Woodworker’s Journal magazine. The author also grants to Rockler Press, Inc. the right to reuse the material in premiums, subsequent books or other collections of articles, including on our web site or electronic magazine.
When You’ll Be Published
After we have accepted and purchased an article from you, it may be some months before your article is published. You will receive a copy of the magazine at that time. You are free to inquire about whether an article has been assigned to a particular issue; such assignments, particularly for feature articles, however, are subject to change. Once we purchase your article, we reserve the right to take up to 18 months to publish it. During this period you are contractually obligated to refrain from publishing it elsewhere.
Why We Want to Hear From You
Woodworker’s Journal is a magazine for and about woodworkers and woodworking. We are the “voice of the woodworking community.” As a part of directing the discussion on our favorite subject, we are always looking for additional voices to contribute.
More information here.
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