Submission Guidelines

Announcement, Article and Photo Submission Guidelines for Monthly BATW Website Update

Bay Area Travel Writers seeks to promote excellent travel writing and photography, and the BATW website features announcements, articles and photographs by members. We encourage members’ submissions, and, when you send us material, you’re telling us you own the copyright, you have all the necessary releases for photographs, and you’re giving BATW permission to post the material on the BATW website. The website update posts on the 1st of the month. (Note: We no longer publish a newsletter.)

Below are guidelines that will help us streamline the submission and editorial process, and more quickly and easily promote your writing and photographs. Submit your articles and announcements, and any questions about submissions, to webeditor@batw.org.

Subject Line:

• Please write this in the Subject Line of your e-mail: “Website: Your Name — Subject“ — for example, “Website: Jane Doe — Article about Tibet published“.

For Announcements and Member News:

• For events such as book readings, speaking to travel or writing groups, displays of your photographs in galleries or cafes, etc.: Send the who, what, when and where information written as an announcement (like “Jane Doe will be speaking about . . . “).  If the bookstore, gallery or group hosting your event has information about it on their website, please send us the URL/link to the event information.

• 

  See real covers under "Member News".

  For book publications: Write an announcement saying something like “John Doe’s new book . . . ”  Include a link to where the book can be purchased at one of your favorite local independent bookstores. If you want, include a 1-2 paragraph excerpt (100-200 words) and/or a really good photo or scan of the book cover. If it’s a photo book, send a couple photos that are in it. (See photo submission information below.)

• For article publication: Write an announcement telling us your story title, name of publication, and date of publication. Include a link to the story if it appeared online so we include it and make your editor of that publication happy. If you would like, submit a 1-2 paragraph excerpt (preferably your snappy lead) and/or 1-2 photos that were published with the story. (See photo submission information below.)

• Format: Send article either in the body of the e-mail or as an MS Word or Plain Text attachment.

• Subject line: Please write this in the subject line of your e-mail: “Website: Your Name — Subject”.

• Please proofread carefully.

• Deadline:  23rd of the month in order to get into the next month’s update.

For Articles:

• Original Articles/Stories: Unfortunately, the website has no real estate on the home page for original articles or stories written for BATW. Currently, “From the Board” and meeting recaps are the only original articles accepted for publication on the site. (We are still accepting news of published articles spotlighting our BATW hosts.)

• Length: 500 words maximum

• Format: Send the story one of these ways: (1) in the body of the e-mail or (2) as a MS Word attachment.

• Subject line: Please put “BATW Column” or “BATW Meeting Recap” or “BATW Host Article” in the subject line of your e-mail.

• Please proofread carefully.

• Deadline:  23rd of the month in order to get into the next month’s update

For Photographs:

• Submissions: Currently, photos should not be submitted unless they are accompanying announcements or news items  (head shots, book covers, etc.). When we get galleries set up, we’ll be able to post more photos.

• Caption: Include in the same e-mail with the photograph a short one-sentence caption for the photo. By submitting a photo, you’re saying you have all the necessary releases.

• File name: Because we receive many photographs and want to give proper credit to photographers as well as to correctly identify shots, please use photo file names listing your first and last name and a 1-to-2-word slug describing the photo: first-last_slug.jpg.  Example: jane-doe_tibet-bus.jpg

• Format: Jpeg

• Size: preferably around 5″ x 7″ at 72 dpi

• NOTE: If you use Photoshop, go to the “File” drop-down menu and click on “File Info.” You will then be able to also attach all the above information to the photo itself so it won’t get lost. This will help your BATW website editor as well as any other editor you send your photo to.

• Deadline:  23rd of the month in order to get into the next month’s update.

Press Releases from Associate Members

To provide additional value to  our Associate Members, BATW will publish press release information about their clients. The press releases will be posted under the News drop-down section of the site (scroll to Press Releases) and updated regularly. For Associate Members who wish to submit their press releases, please follow these guidelines:

– Carolyn Koenig
BATW Website Editor
webeditor@batw.org