Fine Lifestyles is 90 per cent freelance written and we welcome queries to the editor.
Fine Lifestyles Editorial Policy
General
Fine Lifestyles Regina and Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon magazines are a celebration of Saskatchewan’s two major cities and surrounding areas. We are not a news or investigative journalism organization and we do not publish opinion pieces.
We welcome queries from established and non-established writers to editor@finelifestyles.ca. Please do not submit completed articles “on spec.”
Fine Lifestyles requires first-print rights and non-exclusive web rights for editorial content and exclusive rights in perpetuity for advertorial content.
In general, we do not accept articles that have been previously published or accepted for publication elsewhere unless the subject matter is particularly pertinent and/or compelling to our audience and the submission adheres to the editorial guidelines of the other publications.
Subject matter is restricted to articles of interest to the upscale market in Regina, Saskatoon and surrounding areas under the following categories:
· Style
· Health and Wellness
· Arts, Entertainment and Dining
· Sports, Recreation and Leisure
· Properties
· Wheels
· Business
Articles are generally 500 to 2,000 words. The length of a specific article will be assigned by the editor and should be strictly adhered to, give or take 10 per cent.
Our preferred style is streamlined and straightforward, minimizing legal and technical jargon and spelling out all acronyms on the first reference. Contractions are acceptable but should also be minimized. When in doubt, consult the Canadian Press Style Guide.
Use the simplest word that makes the point. For example: "use" instead of "utilize." Articles must use the active voice. Articles written in the first person are generally inappropriate as is interjecting opinion into your copy.
Pay
We pay 10 to 20 cents per word depending on experience and quality of copy. We pay on publication.
The bottom line is to write compelling stories. We would rather make a good story well-written than try to make a bad, well-written story good.
Articles will be fact-checked. Remember, Wikipedia and Google are not synonyms for research.
Use spell check. With current technology, there is really no excuse for poor spelling.
The editor ultimately decides upon the content of the publication, including your article, and reserves the right to reject any submission or edit for length, content and style. Submissions that do not conform to the length requirements of this policy will be returned for modification.
The editor will make every effort to preserve the individual flair of the author, but bad writing is bad writing and should never be confused with “voice.”
Editor’s pet peeves
The editor tends to be pedantic about semantics, but welcomes challenges provided they are well-founded. That being said, pay special attention to the following pet peeves:
If you are going to use the verb comprise, use it in the traditional way. Although it has become generally accepted to say something is comprised of something else and even lexicographers are divided on the matter, it will not fly here. Also, the whole comprises the parts; the parts do not comprise the whole.
If something is unique, it is unique. Being very unique is like being slightly pregnant.
The words surreal and awesome will always be stricken unless they are used in a quote. Even then, it had better be a surreally awesome quote. In general, find a different way to describe something than using vague or overused adjectives.
Avoid clichés like the plague (ouch).
We are Canadian and therefore using either toward or towards should be acceptable, right? Wrong. We are 100 per cent with the Americans on this one. On the other hand, we follow the British on neighbour, colour, flavour etc.
Adverbs. Despite how badly broadcast journalists and marketers seem to want them stricken from the language, in this magazine we still use them. And, we use them properly. When using an adverb, hopefully, you will make sure it is not unattached.
When describing a scheduled event, do not say: The game is to be held on Saturday. Not only is this grossly passive, it is simply an awkward construction. Preferred: The Roughriders will play the Argonauts on Saturday.