Submission Guidelines

Hello everyone! Here is some information for people who want to write for Inkling - special, special people who we like to call friends.

Inkling is an offbeat science magazine. We're always looking for writers and illustrators. Our readers are science friendly, but don't withstand technical jargon and the majority of them are women. We cover all areas of science, but are biased towards the life sciences. That said, strong stories and great characters always trump subject matter.

Inkling is a work in progress which means we can't give you rigid guidelines (bad) but it also means that we're open and flexible to most everything (good). Consider us your outlet for great ideas that have no obvious home. If in doubt, send it our way. You have nothing to lose and our unadulterated adoration to gain.

Pitches should tell us what the story is about, its angle, and why you're the person for the job. Include relevant urls and pdfs too. Email queries to and/or .

What we're made of
At its heart Inkling is about science. That said,our definition of science is broad; there's much more to it than what
is found on the pages of journals and newspapers. We want original stories about events, research, ideas, or people that 1) make us laugh, cry, angry 2) impact our lives 3) make you go "that's so goddamn cool" and email all your friends.

Our angle
We don't do straight news. Instead we dig deeper, or sideways for that matter, into news stories. We cover funny details of the methods, the people, or the history that got left behind. Most importantly, we strive to present all new information in a wider scientific and cultural context. "Yes yes, but what does it all mean?"

ie. Barry Marshall, who earned a Nobel Prize for discovering that ulcers are caused by H. pylori bacteria. Marshall actually swallowed some of the bugs and earned himself an ulcer along with the prize. This is a great story about the process of science, often lost in the results-driven coverage.

Section Guide
SHORT 300-600 words. These cover the five Ws as well as the bonus "so what". Add salty quotes for seasoning.

LONG 800 – 1500 words. These are features, profiles and Q&As. They must have color, context, and a strong narra< tive.

VISUALS These are picture-led stories with deep captions. We're wary of the art meets science schtick, but there is a strong visual side to
science - whether it's a map of email traffic, 17th century botany etchings, blueprints of the Turing machine or a close up of a newly discovered gut parasite.

Rates
Inkling is a mom 'n pop operation. This means that our budget is tight and when we can pay you (which we can't do often) we won't pay you well no matter how badly we want to.

Tip off
If you're too busy to write a story, much less write it up as a formal pitch, still pass it on. It doesn't need to be neat or even spell checked as long as it's got enough for us to run with.


JANUARY 2007