Free-Lance Information
On this page:
The Horse is a monthly magazine devoted to equine health care. The publication focuses on educational topics and news and is geared towards the professional, hands-on horse owner.
The Horse pays on acceptance. Writers should submit a resume and samples of their writing before submitting a manuscript, and including an e-mail address will expedite our response to you. Query letters or complete manuscripts will be reviewed after this process. The Horse will not accept unsolicited manuscripts. A byline is given and acceptance for publication includes first rights and online rights unless otherwise agreed upon.
The Horse prefers "how-to topics," technical topics, and topical interviews. It accepts no first-person experiences except from professionals--this is a technical magazine to inform horse owners.
Clips (writing samples) should ideally show an ability to organize technical information to maximize the understanding and education of the reader, as well as a smooth, correct writing style.
If you have a specific article topic in mind, save yourself some trouble by first checking to make sure we have not done an article on the topic recently, and do not already have one assigned on it in the near future. You can check recent issues (by issue or via a topical search) and our calendar of upcoming topics.
Articles range from short news items at 250 words to 4,000 word cover stories; payments vary depending on length of article.
If photos are to be submitted with a submission, please do not send originals. The Horse is not responsible for unsolicited, lost, or damaged images. Please see the complete Photography Guidelines below.
Contact:
The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care
Kimberly Brown
Editor-in-Chief/Publisher
PO Box 919003
Lexington, KY 40591-9003
kbrown@TheHorse.com
**Please see our writer's style guidelines as well.
Photography Guidelines
-View 2009 Photo Needs Now!
Magazine Needs: About 40 photos/issue; 20-30 supplied by freelancers. Contracts required. Captions preferred. Published work ok. Buys one-time rights. Payment based on photo size and use ($35 for online usage; $40 for less than 1/4 page; $70 for 1/4 page to less than a full page; $90 for a full page; $120 for a spread; $350 for cover). Please do not send originals. The Horse is not responsible for unsolicited, lost or damaged images.
SUBMISSIONS
For digital images:
- Please do not submit low resolution files. All pictures submitted to The Horse must be at least 300 dpi at a 4 x 6 inches.
- Take the time to fill in properties (metadata) on your photos. (Even when they are e-mailed, because it is very hard to sort the images and file them for appropriate use.) This is mandatory for all digital photos submitted. Even though this is time consuming, please at least put your name and a few (1-3) general keywords (ie. eating grass, flies, water, farrier, etc.). All basic photo software has this capability. This will help ensure that you receive proper photo credit and payment.
- Please do not send CDs with locked images. For our purposes, we do change the name of the photos when they are filed into our system. However, properties on photos do not change even when photos are renamed. So, please put your name in the properties for all submitted photos.
- If you are having trouble e-mailing images, it is most likely because your files are just too large. If you are sending very large files, you can upload them to the FTP site ftp://production:pogo051@ftp.bloodhorse.com Please e-mail Megan Arszman (marszman@thehorse.com) for more information.
For slides and photographs:
- Please do not submit without discussing with the Photo Editor. Photographs and/or slides that are received will be handled carefully, but we are not responsible for their safety or return. Do not submit original photographs or slides. All submissions of slides and photographs must be issue-specific. We just do not have the room to keep stock slides or photographs. So please try to submit stock photos in a digital format.
When you are published in The Horse:
If you are published in The Horse, we will send you a PDF file of the page of the magazine with your image on it upon your request.
Photo Needs:
Photo needs can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=1405
(Or you can just type in 1405 in the article search from the homepage).
If you would like to look ahead, and send future images (which we would love because we are really trying to get things in sooner and work further ahead) please take a look at our editorial calendar. (Which is accessible from the homepage.) http://www.thehorse.com/MediaKit/pr_edit_calendar.asp
Final Tips:
- Only high-quality, professional images will be accepted. No blurry shots please unless they are blurred to show motion of the horse. Make sure photos are not too dark for reproduction. Check that dark horses do not blend into dark backgrounds and white horses do not fade into a light background. Backgrounds are always important. Ask yourself if the focus of the photo is on a cluttered background or on the subject of the photo. Also, colorful images will grab attention of those lacking color. Keep this in mind while shooting.
- It is recommended that you send in samples of your work if you have not worked with us before. If the photos are deemed acceptable based on the criteria above, a photo needs list will be provided.
- Interaction shots are always needed--horses with people, horses with horses, owners and veterinarians, owners and farriers.
- Also needed are photos of a horse with an actual illness or injury (i.e. equine herpesvirus, colic, narcolepsy, etc.)
- We tend to use seasonal shots to correspond with the issue (such as winter shots for winter issues), so images for the winter issues might need to be shot way in advance. Plan ahead.
- Please put your name on every photo or slide; this will help us get them back to you.
- Please keep us updated as to your contact information (including a mailing address, shipping address for the return of photos, phone, e-mail, and a web site if applicable). This is so we can make sure payment, magazines, and photos go to the right place and also allow us to get in contact with you if any unexpected photo needs arise.
- Please observe all deadlines listed if sending in for a specific issue.
- Please call Megan Arszman at 859/276-6833 or email her at marszman@thehorse.com if you have any questions.
- View the Photo Needs list periodically for updates.
***Please include your name and 1-3 keywords on every digital photo submitted!***
Contact:
The Horse: Your Guide To Equine Health Care
Megan Arszman
Photo and Newsletter Editor
PO Box 919003
Lexington, KY 40591-9003
marszman@thehorse.com
