EDITORIAL GUIDELINES

Summary
DogGone(TM) is a bimonthly newsletter about fun places to go and cool stuff to do with your dog. The editorial focus is split between travel pieces and activity articles. Popular vacation spots, resorts, hotels, campgrounds and weekend getaways are profiled. Also highlighted are fun activities such as flyball, jogging with your dog, lure coursing and obedience trials. In short, it's a travel and activity newsletter for dog owners.

DogGone readers range in age from young singles to families to retired seniors. All are dog owners, many with multiple dogs (up to 5 or 6!). Breeds range from miniature dachshunds to pit bulls to dogs with doubtful ancestry. Our own "roving reporter" is a beagle. DogGone readers are typically active folks who like to travel and wouldn't dream of leaving the canine member of their family behind. Many are outdoor types, enjoying hiking, wilderness camping, roller blading and other  activities, though some subscribers are physically impaired. Some readers prefer luxury accommodations, some are looking for moderate and budget lodgings and others RV it.

What We're Looking For
DogGone is looking for lively, entertaining, intelligently written pieces on travel and dogs-allowed activities.  A sampling of travel features includes resort destinations, bed & breakfasts, camping, and air travel tips - all written from a dog angle. Activities features can be dog sports, like agility, or people activities to enjoy with your dog, like roller blading or
antiquing.

For travel pieces, resorts and inns which are especially dog-friendly (perhaps even offering a Pampered Pooch Package) warrant a profile. Other accommodations that welcome dogs can be can be incorporated into a theme article (i.e., fall foliage destinations, ski resorts or suite hotels).

For destination articles (such as "Boston With Terrier" or "Viszlas in Vegas"), it's important to find fun activities in the area for owners to take their pets - nearby parks, hiking trails, pet-friendly tourist attractions, yearly festivals where dogs are allowed, gardens or zoos that permit pets, things of this nature. Our readers aren't bringing their dogs on vacation just  to leave them in a hotel room! Destination features should include lodging recommendations. Lodgings should allow any size pets, although particularly nice accommodations with "small pets only" rules may be part of a longer list. Contact phone numbers and addresses should be included, along with rates, number of dogs permitted in room and any pet fees or deposits.

Combination travel/activity articles include themes such as dogs-allowed beaches in the U.S., pet-friendly hiking trails,  cross-country ski trails that permit dogs, etc.

Transportation articles could include international travel documentation requirements, railroads which permit pets, rating the airlines on their treatment of pet passengers, sailboat or houseboat travel with your dog, etc.

Activity features will introduce readers to new hobbies to enjoy with their pooch. Dog-related sports such as agility, field trials, skijoring, obedience trials and pet therapy are possibilities. How to include your dog in your present spare-time activities, such as backpacking, rockhounding cross-country skiing or birdwatching, are of interest.

Short submissions are accepted for DogGone's regular departments: "Beyond Fetch" offers creative suggestions for games to play with your pooch and  "Parks Department" features pet-friendly national, state, regional or local parks, forests and recreation areas. Photos welcome.

Style
Upbeat, humorous and easy-to-read are the main criteria for DogGone's style. AP style is loosely adhered to, however, we prefer articles to sound colloquial. Therefore, a sentence does not necessarily have to be "complete" in a conversational style article.

Addresses and phone numbers of destinations and accommodations can be included in the text, if possible, or can appear as a sidebar or blurb at the end of an article. All information should be fact-checked personally; chamber of commerce and other published info is often outdated. For activity articles, it is important to include contacts for further information, as we
will only be able to introduce readers to the sports.

Articles can be anywhere from 300 to 900 words. An approximate word count will be agreed upon at acceptance so we plan the rest of the newsletter accordingly.

Articles may be submitted on diskette (3.5" preferred) in word processing (text only) or ASCII format. Scannable hard copy is acceptable. Manuscripts may also be accepted via e-mail at doggonenl@aol.com with photos sent via USPS.

Artwork
Destination articles must include photographs. Location photographs of guests with their dogs are preferred. Line art may be interspersed with photography, but cannot be the sole graphics for a destination feature. Color prints are preferred, but B&W prints or color slides are acceptable.

Activity articles may be accompanied by a photograph of a dog and owner participating in the featured activity. Line art is is acceptable as well. Or, our illustrator can provide graphics.

Pay Rate
Depends on article. No more than $100 per feature with photos supplied, with $34 the usual for a 300-word story and $67 for 600-700 words. A one-year DogGone subscription can be partial payment for the first published article. Two- to four-paragraph "tips" on pet-friendly places or events pay $15.

Queries
If you have an article you feel would fit into DogGone's editorial format, submit a query or the actual article (include word count) in writing to: Wendy Ballard, Publisher, DogGone, PO Box 651155, Vero Beach, FL 32965-1155. Response time is usually 2-4 weeks.

Sample
A complimentary sample issue of DogGone is available by sending a 9x12 SASE with 78 cents postage to above address.

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