Writing Guidelines

Edge Online is the newest creative offspring of the Advertising Federation of Minnesota. Like most progeny, "it takes a village" to mold, form and guide it through the frivolity of youth to successful maturation. That's where you come in. Edge Online is looking for intriguing, instructional and even inspiring articles for and about the Minnesota advertising community. We want our new publication to grow up to be something of which we can all be proud.

Guidelines

What Are The Submission Guidelines For Edge Online?

Query us with your ideas for articles including length. (Articles can run between 500-2000 words in length.) We will consider previously published articles if you hold clear copyright and will give us written permission to reprint the material.

Your query should be 150-200 words describing your idea and how you plan to develop it. Include your CV or credentials along with examples of any relevant past work. Submit your query via email (no attachments please) to edgeonline@adfed.org. Be sure to include your name, phone number and email address and the best time and means to contact you. Edge Online retains first-serial rights to accepted pieces. Edge Online retains first-serial rights to accepted original pieces. Copyright reverts to the author after publication.

We will respond to your query within 1-2 weeks.

Writing your Article

Style & Tone

Your tone should be professional, clear, honest and direct, as well as conversational with research to back up any opinion or idea. We recommend you follow the suggestions made by William Strunk in The Elements of Style:

  • Be specific, concrete, definite.
  • Use the active rather than the passive voice.
  • Put the statements in positive form.
  • Write with nouns and verbs.
  • Don't overstate.
  • Avoid the use of qualifiers.
  • Don't explain too much.
  • Avoid fancy words.
  • Be clear.

And finally, though it's tempting, no shameless self-promotion. Your article should illustrate your area of expertise, but not be used as an advertorial or ad to specifically promote your business or firm.

Refer to the Chicago Manual of Style as your guide for article style standards.

Article Submissions

Submit your completed article via email MS Word doc attachment to Kris Decker at edgeonline@adfed.org. You should thoroughly proof and spell check your manuscript (manually as well as by computer.) Please put link text in square brackets, with URL in parenthesis following your link text.

Be sure to include your bio (and photo if you like.) Your bio should be 30 to 40 words long and may include links.

Photo Requirements

  • Image Dimensions: 430 x 110 pixels
  • Image Format: JPG/GIF
  • Image Size: <45kb

Query and Submission Deadlines

Submit your completed article via email MS Word doc attachment to edgeonline@adfed.org. Your first draft will be due around the 15th of the month (approximately two weeks from the time you receive the big thumbs up from our editorial staff.) We will edit your article (if in fact, edits are required) and send back to you promptly, requesting that you submit your final draft by the 15th of the following month. So for example, if your query is accepted for the March issue, we would like to see a first draft by January 15th and a final draft by February 15th.