Submission Guidelines

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

Inkling is an offbeat science magazine. We're always looking for writers and illustrators. Our readers are science lovers, but don't stand for technical jargon. 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.

We will read both pitches and complete submissions. Pitches should tell us what the story is about, its angle, and why you're the person for the job. In any case, include relevant urls and pdfs. We love links to the abstracts of any scientific papers you quote. Email queries or completed stories to ; expect to receive a response within a week or two, usually sooner. If your submission is accepted for publication, we'll need a photo and a short bio.

What we're made of
At its heart Inkling is about science. That said, there's much more to science 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, or infuriate us 2) impact our lives 3) make us go "that's so goddamn cool" and email all our friends. Stories about the history of science are as welcome as new research findings.

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?" We want to know, for instance, that Barry Marshall, who earned a Nobel Prize for discovering that ulcers are caused by H. pylori bacteria, actually swallowed some of the bugs and earned himself an ulcer along with the prize.

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 narrative. Please peruse the sections in the magazine to see where your story might fit.

VISUALS These are picture-led stories with deep captions. We're wary of the art meets science schtick, but interested in visual representations of science - maps of email traffic, 17th century botany etchings, blueprints of the Turing machine or a close up of a newly discovered gut parasite. Please be the artist/photographer, or obtain permission for the use of visuals that aren't yours.

Rates
Inkling is a mom 'n pop operation with no full-time paid staff members. This means that our budget is tight and we can't currently pay for contributions, as much as we would like to. We can offer a small amount of fame, a link to your homepage, and, of course, the warm fuzzies that come from helping to boost scientific literacy at a time when the world sorely needs it.

Tip off
If you're too busy to write a story, much less write it up as a formal pitch, pass it on. If you're a scientist or a graduate student doing something fascinating, write to us and suggest yourself for a profile. We appreciate any and all leads for a great story.

UPDATED OCTOBER 2009