SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
A Walk in the Woods is the official publication of Compton Traditional Bowhunters Ltd. Editorial content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Editor or Compton Traditional Bowhunters Ltd. It is published quarterly for the enjoyment of Compton members and distributed by Premiere Print Group of Champaign, Illinois. The articles, photography, and other content are provided solely by the membership of the organization. A Walk in the Woods celebrates the challenge of venturing afield with recurve, longbow, and selfbow. Compton welcomes content from novice hunters to seasoned outdoorsmen. Stories that feature the use of compound bows and related technology will not be considered for publication.
Articles and photography will be reviewed only on speculation. When written material or photographic images are selected for the magazine, the editorial department will contact the author or photographer and acknowledge approval.
Although Compton manages and maintains its own sophisticated record-keeping and measuring system, written material should dwell on the overall experience of being immersed in the natural world rather than on trophies or scores. Displaying respect for all wildlife and habitat is a critical component for all successful submissions.
Photography
Photographic images shall accompany written articles or be submitted as stand-alone photo essays. Images shot with a DSLR camera or equivalent are preferable. Cell phone pictures may be considered, though only if the camera is set for the largest file size. Low resolution or out-of-focus photos will not be considered for publication. Submitted image files shall be in JPEG, TIFF, or PNG format.
Good photo support greatly increases the chance of material being accepted. Written submissions should not feature just one “hero” shot but a good selection of 6-12 (or more) photographs of habitat, scenery, camp life, and wildlife, Images taken both horizontally and vertically will add interest and variety to submissions. Short captions shall be included for each photo at the end of the written text. A shared file name and number that correlates the photo to the caption for ease of identification is required.
Photos that contain excessive blood or gore, exposed animal tongues, protruding arrows, game animals in truck beds, on the back of ATVs, hanging on a gambrel, or posed disrespectfully will not be accepted for publication.
Photographic material should not be sent embedded into any document, but instead sent as individual emailed attachments, two images per email. All images shall be the uncropped and unworked (no Photoshop) original files. Only high-quality images in the vertical format will be accepted for cover photo consideration. The top 1/2 to 1/3 of the image must be clean to accommodate the magazine header required for the cover. Review past covers of A Walk in the Woods for reference.
It is my preference that you send the original, uncropped and unworked (no Photoshop) image file for cover consideration.
Written Material
All submissions should be sent as an attachment via email to the A Walk in the Woods Editor. The material should be typed in MS Word or a similar electronic format. Submissions that are handwritten, typed in all caps, or one for which no electronic format is available will not be accepted. Typical submissions are between 1,500-3,000 words and typed in 12-point Times New Roman font. No double spacing anywhere in the document. That includes between paragraphs and after periods. Material that exceeds 3,000 words will be published at the discretion of the editorial staff. At the close of each submission, on the same document, a brief author bio and equipment selection is strongly suggested.
Articles and/or photographic images that have been previously published and simultaneous submission to other publications will not be accepted.
The Editor reserves the right to reject any and all materials and/or photography received for publication and make changes to said material at his discretion. The Editor may alter, revise, or rewrite any portion of any submission for grammar, clarity, or the general overall flow of the article.
Please email all submissions to Jerry Gowins at editor@comptontraditionalbowhunters.com.
- Jerry Gowins, Editor