Writer's Guidelines

5280 is Denver's premier guide to the arts, entertainment, dining, and lifestyle issues in the Mile-High City. First published in 1993, the magazine has a circulation of 80,000, which translates to a total readership of approximately 184,000. The vast majority of these readers live in the Denver metro area. Most are in their late 30s to early 50s, and have an average household income in excess of $100,000 per year. Ninety-one percent are college educated, and an almost equal number own their own homes. All of which means that our articles must be targeted specifically to the needs and interests of an affluent, educated audience.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We're looking for writers who understand the difference between newspaper and magazine writing. This is a subjective matter, of course, but it boils down to a difference both in how we approach a story and how we tell it.

Newspapers (and television) typically cover the Who, What, When, and Where. That leaves us with the Why and How. Put another way, a good magazine article should answer the question "What does it mean?"

Because our readers are well-informed, they may already be aware of the topic you're covering. This means that your article must offer insight that goes beyond a simple recitation of facts. For example, the dailies may be reporting that monthly home sales figures continue to soar. It's up to you to step back, put the numbers in perspective, and offer guidance to the reader who wonders whether now is the time to put his or her home on the market.

Newspapers tend to rely on official sources. It's our job to also include the voices of the people whose lives are actually affected by the issues being covered. If the newspapers report that burglaries are up in a particular Denver neighborhood, it's up to us to find the victims of those crimes and to convey their experiences in a compelling way.

Finally, a magazine story is told with style. Tom Wolfe once likened newspaper writers to golf announcers, whispering in the background so as to not interrupt the play. The magazine writer's aim is to craft a story that is every bit as entertaining to read as it is informative.

WHAT WE EXPECT

Too often, writers who are new to magazines think that they have been freed from the drudgery of old-fashioned reporting, and can now exercise their long repressed literary aspirations. Not so. Because we have longer to prepare an issue, our articles deserve to be held to an even higher standard of accuracy and professionalism than those published in the dailies.

But unlike a newspaper story, which typically presents both sides of an issue and leaves the reader to draw his or her own conclusion, our writers must be able to formulate a reasoned and well-grounded reaction to the subject matter. Again, your article should answer the question "What does it mean?"

Articles should be strongly organized and clearly presented. Unlike the newspaper's inverted pyramid, magazine articles have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The magazine writer has many of the novelist's tools -- dialog, description, narrative, and point of view, to name a few -- at his or her disposal. Your writing should have personality.

It's worth pointing out, however, that this is not a license for self indulgence. Remember that Picasso was an accomplished traditional painter before embracing more abstract techniques. In particular, the first person should be used only when it truly advances the story. No one cares that you arrived late for your interview, or that you ordered the fish and she had the veal.

Above all else, of course, your finished product must have a strong local feel. Our mission is to help our readers get the most out of living in this very unique city. If your story could run in any other city magazine with only minor changes, you haven't done your job.

HOW TO BREAK IN

Your first step should be to read the magazine. Become familiar with our style and understand the kinds of articles we publish. Then submit a written query that succinctly summarizes your idea and explains why you're the writer to bring the story to our readers. If possible, also include published clips that give us an idea of your abilities.

A query should propose a story with a specific angle, not just a broad topic. Rather than suggesting a story on skiing, tell us that you want to write a guide to the best powder trails in Colorado. Almost any topic is fair game, provided that it has a strong connection to life in Denver.

The best places for new writers to break into the magazine are our Profiles (800-1,000 words), Getaways (1,000 words), or Atmosphere (300-400 words) sections. You can also propose feature stories (2,000-4,000 words), though these assignments are less likely to go to newcomers. Our restaurant reviews are written by our regular restaurant critic and are not assigned to other writers. We do not publish fiction or poetry.

Don't simply offer your services for whatever stories we may be looking to assign. Queries give us a chance to see how a prospective writer's mind works. (Stories proposed by our editors always are assigned to writers we have already worked with.) We prefer queries to come via brief e-mail. You can e-mail the appropriate editor after reading their bio on the meet the editors page.

When proposing a story, keep in mind that we generally assign stories at least 12 weeks prior to an issue's cover date. For this reason, when writing about events, we usually look forward to upcoming events rather than reviewing what has already occurred.

Copy should be prepared according to the conventions of the Associated Press Style Book. Submit articles in electronic format. Microsoft Word for Macintosh is our preferred file format. If your word processor doesn't support this format, please contact us to arrange an alternate format.

Along with the article itself, you should submit a list of your sources (including phone numbers) and notes from your interviews (including transcriptions of taped interviews). These will be used for fact-checking purposes.

TERMS

Once assigned a story, you will be required to sign a contract which grants 5280 Publishing, Inc. first-time North American rights to publish the article in both print and electronic formats. Fees for articles vary, depending on writer and piece. In order to be paid, you must submit an invoice with your article. Invoices should include your Social Security Number or Federal Tax ID Number.

Artist's Guidelines

Download Artist Contract (PDF)

Queries:
5280 Magazine welcomes written letters or e-mails queries and samples from artists and photographers. No phone calls please.

Assignments:
Other photos and illustrations are by assignment for features or our departments. They may include studio shots, on-location shots and photojournalism.

Format, Pay and Other Details:
We use original color transparencies and slides, which we scan in-house. We also accept digital art upon approval. Digital work should be submitted at 300 dpi at 100% of the assigned size, as a CMYK Tiff, Jpeg, or PSD file. Pay is set by 5280 Magazine prior to the assignment, based on the assignment's logistics. The art director will state the pay at the time of the assignment.

Expenses:
All fees negotiated include all expenses unless otherwise agreed upon.

FTP:
Digital artwork may be submitted on CD, DVD or via FTP. Please contact the Art Director for more information.

What to include:

• Without fail, on photo shoots, get subjects' correct name spellings, complete titles, complete company names and locations, and their positions in the photos. Accuracy is critical for the cutlines.

• Do not show stories to sources. They are for your use only.

• Photographers are responsible for arranging photo shoots with the subjects, which may include coordinating with art director and story author.

• 5280 Magazine requires photographers and illustrators to sign a contract for the first assignment of each calendar year. These must be signed, dated, and returned completed in order for payment to be processed. Do not alter the contract. Once a contract has been signed, terms will apply to all subsequent assignments for the artist within that calendar year. Payment, deadlines, and specific details for each assignment will be confirmed via email. Please email the Art Director with questions. Download Artist Contract (PDF).

• Finally, we must have your full name, company name, address, phone, fax, e-mail and Social Security number in order to pay you. Expenses must have receipts. Please send contracts and invoices to the Art Director at the above address.

• Upon submission, we must also have the photo credit wording.

• We will return art work to you after the issue is printed.

Contacts:

Mike Leister
Art Director
Phone: 303-832-5280 ext. 206
Email Mike

Alese Pickering Beckett
Assistant Art Director
Phone: 303-832-5280 ext. 231
Email Alese