Freelance writing, Colorado Biz Magazine, pays $0.40 per word

ColoradoBiz Magazine

We strive for compelling coverage of the people and issues affecting Colorado’s business scene. Our readers are business owners and top management, earning high-end and six-figure salaries. We seek and use writers who present accurate, professional work that’s insightful and reflects the magazine’s statewide reach.

Queries

ColoradoBiz welcomes written, e-mail and phone queries with solid, original ideas and angles.

We want analysis, forecasts, profiles and pieces on trends, businesses, people and activities. As a full-color monthly, our editorial deadlines are about 10 to 12 weeks out from the first of the issue’s month.

We seek articles ranging between 500 and 1,200 words for short- to medium-length stories and 2,000 to 3,000 words for main features and cover stories. Corresponding sidebar and chart material is a plus.

Pay is 40 cents a word. Our departments use stories in the 250- to 650-word range and cover people, companies, trends, unusual products, facts and more. ColoradoBiz also pays such expenses as phone and 35 cents a mile in certain cases.

Articles must specifically target Colorado’s business scene. We don’t accept general how-to columns, book reviews, commentaries, syndicated work or articles written by public relations professionals on behalf of their clients. Check out our archives to get a good idea of what we publish before you query.

What to Include

* Although ColoradoBiz is available on newsstands, we’re primarily a business-to-business magazine. We want strong business angles and expect clarity and accuracy.
* Our features must start with a good lede and a clear (two- or three-line) nut graf summing up the story.
* We like numbers. The more strong, solid, attributed numbers you include to support your story and facts, the better.
* Active writing fits more into your word count and lessens your chances of heavy editing.
* Avoid the use of jargon and strive for clear, straightforward language.
* Use several sources, including some away from the Front Range to stress our statewide coverage area.
* Clearly attribute each quote. Include names, complete titles, company names, cities and for companies outside of Colorado, states.
* Is it a public company? Include its stock exchange information: Wallace Computer Services (NYSE:WCS).
* Where pertinent, include affiliates: Moore & Co. and Coldwell Banker Van Schaack, part of Parsippany, N.J.-based NRT Inc., a residential real estate brokerage and consolidator.
* Verify data with the original source, especially with surveys and numbers. Do not use information published in other media, without verifying it for yourself. Get survey names, etc.
* Check and double-check names and titles. Fact-check your work.
* Separately, give us your sources and phone numbers for photos and fact-checking.
* We need your full name, address, phone, fax, e-mail, and Social Security number on the story to pay you. Include a brief biography of your experience.
* Suggest a hed and dek, or two

Policies

Wiesner Media policy requires a signed, dated, complete writer’s contract for each article, before invoices will be paid. Do not alter the contracts. Please call Mike Taylor at 303-662-5223 with questions or comments.

Absolutely do not fax or send stories or portions of stories to anyone, including sources. We will read back direct quotes to sources after editing, if they want to know. If there are any questions about sources or anyone seeing a story, refer them to us.

Deadlines

Meet them. Call in advance if you can’t. Have a good reason ready.

Format

* Send the stories via e-mail, in text or Word for Windows.
* Send attached e-mail files in text or paste the copy into your e-mail message.
* Do not embellish the copy with indents of any kind, formatting of any kind, bold or italic type, or other aesthetic touches that we just have to take the time to remove.

Expenses

We pay long-distance phone bills for interviews (see writer contract). We also pay mileage (35 cents/mile) in some cases, which must be approved by the editor. ColoradoBiz is not responsible for expenses incurred without prior approval of the editor.

Contacts

Bart Taylor, Group Publisher, (303) 662-5379
btaylor@cobizmag.com

Mike Cote, Editor, (303) 662-5283
mcote@cobizmag.com

Mike Taylor, Managing Editor, (303) 662-5223
mtaylor@cobizmag.com

Contact Information:

For inquiries: mtaylor@cobizmag.com

For submissions: mcote@cobizmag.com

Website: http://www.cobizmag.com