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Are you thinking about
writing for Main Ingredient
magazine? Helping you to achieve clear,
accurate, and interesting expression is
the goal of these guidelines, but first,
put your ideas to the readiness test:
Are your insights unique,
sound, compelling, and relevant to foodservice
owners and operators in Oregon?
If the answer is yes,
these guidelines can make the publication
process one that helps you achieve excellence
in communication. A good starting point
is to understand to whom you are writing.
The magazine and its audience
Main Ingredient
is written and edited specifically for foodservice
owners and operators. Each month it features
timely editorial themes focusing on important
topics and issues facing today’s Oregon
foodservice industry.
Most of our readers are
Oregon and southwest Washington commercial
foodservice outlets. Each day these restaurateurs
face issues ranging from menu planning and
purchasing, to alcohol service and gaming,
to employee retention and recruiting.
Not every article in Main
Ingredient appeals to all
readers. Your article has a better chance
of being accepted for publication if you
think beyond the scope of your business
and show readers, through examples, the
relevance of your insights to their circumstances
– that is, how to apply your insights
to their situations.
Before you write...
The most common reasons
why articles are not accepted for publication
in Main Ingredient
are that
-
they deal with topics
that are elementary or are irrelevant
to running a restaurant;
-
they are poorly organized;
-
they lack insight;
-
they are self-promotional
or market a product or service available
from only select vendors.
Getting it down on paper
The length of your article
will depend on its scope. Generally, 300
to 900 words will fit best within the publication.
Write to tell your story, not to fill pages.
Here are a few suggestions that may make
it easier for you to get your thoughts in
order.
-
Create a working title.
Your working title helps focus your
ideas. Make it brief (three to six words),
use an active verb, and aim to be clever
but not obtuse.
-
Provide the by-line,
that is, the author’ or authors’
full name(s), title, and business.
-
Write a lead sentence
or paragraph that compels your audience
to read the article. Among the devices
you can incorporate into a lead are
a surprising statistic, a witty or shocking
quotation, a question, a scenario, or
an analogy. Most important, your lead
must be relevant to your topic and get
to the point quickly: What is the purpose
of your story?
-
Write freely, and
let go of your inhibitions. Don’t
attempt perfection in the first draft
of your article. This is the time to
get down all your thoughts.
-
Use subheadings in
the story to signal to the reader the
direction and focus the story is taking.
For example: the "Getting it down
on paper" heading of this section
of these guidelines.
-
Pay attention to tone.
The tone you adopt is crucial to your
article’s readability. You risk
insulting readers by preaching or lecturing.
Convey your ideas by showing, not by
telling readers what they should do.
Avoid excessive jargon, and define the
jargon you must use. Spell out any common
or necessary acronyms on the first usage.
-
Be comprehensive.
Use details that add clarity. Provide
statistics, dates, and quantities that
support your points. Note the people
involved, the money required, the time
and resources available for a solution,
and the tools or measures used to evaluate
success.
-
Point out the relevance
to others. Make your points using examples
from your experience; then explicitly
tell readers how they can apply your
experience at their businesses.
-
Write as you speak.
-
Make your conclusion
as memorable as your lead.
-
Write a one-sentence
author identification (providing the
author’s full name, title, business,
and location) at the end of the story.
-
As your research and
writing continue, don’t hesitate
to call Main Ingredient’s
editor with questions.
-
Edit your article
thoroughly. Delete unnecessary words
and phrases. Turn passive sentences
into active ones. Move paragraphs to
achieve continuity. Make sure that every
paragraph follows logically from the
one before it. Don’t be satisfied
until every sentence says precisely
what you want it to say.
-
Double-check the accuracy
of your article. Accuracy is your responsibility,
not that of Main Ingredient.
-
Test your article
by asking a few colleagues to read it.
They may point out ways to clarify your
message, add an example, or liven up
your lead sentence.
Submitting your story
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If you have art work,
photographs, charts, or tables to accompany
the article, submit them with the article
or describe your ideas in a cover letter
to the editor.
-
If you submit photographs,
write captions for them and place the
captions at the end of your article.
- You can submit your
story as a Microsoft Word or PDF attachment
in an email to john@creativectr.com
- Direct all inquiries
and completed stories to Editor,
Main Ingredient, 8565 SW
Salish Lane, Suite 120, Wilsonville, OR
97070. If you have any questions about
submitting an article, please call (503)
682-4422.
Evaluation and decision
about acceptance
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Stories are evaluated
based on originality of topic, readability,
soundness of content, timeliness,
and interest to our readers. Articles
that essentially only promote a
particular company, product, or
service are not considered publishable.
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We may accept
your article outright, accept it
for a staff rewrite, or accept it
contingent on your revision. All
accepted articles are subject to
editing for style, clarity, sexist
language, and length.
Author checklist
This article...
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is 300 to 900
words.
-
does not promote
a product, service, or company.
-
has a three- to
six-word working title, followed
by a one-sentence or one-paragraph
lead that compellingly explains
the purpose of the article.
-
contains a by-line
and ends with a one-sentence description
giving the author’s full name,
title, and company and its location.
- has been double-checked
for accuracy.
Main
Ingredient
8565 SW Salish Lane, Suite 120, Wilsonville,
OR 97070
(503) 682-4422
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