Thank you for your
interest in Big Sky Journal, the magazine of the Northern Rockies.
Big Sky Journal is published by Big Sky Journal LLC. Business and
production offices are in Bozeman, Montana. We publish seven times
per year: Fly Fishing; Spring; Summer; Arts; BSJ HOME; Fall; and
Winter.
Our content is as
diverse as backcountry adventure, fine dining, architecture,
ranching, rodeo, fly-fishing and hunting. All of our features,
columns, poetry, fiction and photography focus on the Northern
Rockies landscape, culture, people, places and wildlife. We strongly
recommend that you familiarize yourself with Big Sky Journal before
sending a query.
Big Sky Journal is a
high-end general interest magazine that captures the full range of
culture and lifestyle in the Northern Rockies. We cover stories
throughout Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Our readership is highly
active, with the majority interested in fly-fishing, hunting and
hiking, but also with sophisticated tastes in food, art and
architecture. BSJ cherishes and respects the landscape and the way it
shapes people in the West. Like the region that the magazine
showcases, we are a publication of juxtaposition: small towns with
big ideas; changing communities with old-fashioned values; low-key
lives with high speed Internet.
We do not run stories
featuring commercial guides or outfitters, but offer personal
experiences from knowledgeable contributors in the field. BSJ strives
to capture real life in this region, focusing on backcountry and
backstreet haunts that provide an insider’s perspective to the
readership. BSJ adheres to AP Style.
BSJ is interested in
introspective articles by knowledgeable writers/photographers who
approach a story from a unique angle, whether it is from a
first-person perspective of competing in a sled dog race or as an
observer at an art show. Subjects have a human interest angle and
range from conservation to cowboy art, history to humanity and
everything in between.
Photography Guidelines:
COVER IMAGES
Cover photographs should be bright, sharply focused with heavily saturated colors. An open interpretation of strong seasonal looks‹ wildlife, scenic panoramas of our region (Montana, Wyoming, Idaho). The August, ARTS cover is always an image of one of the featured artists. PHOTOGRAPHIC ESSAYS should be dynamic, evocative, original portrayals of life in the Northern Rockies—backcountry adventure, fine dining, architecture, ranching rodeo, fly fishing and hunting.PHOTO CALLS are emailed 2 weeks prior to the next issue. Aside from the cover, these will be specific requests for images to illustrate the stories of that particular issue.
PHOTO/IMAGE SUBMISSION:
Digital, color transparencies, 35mm slides or reflective art is accepted.
Please make sure all images are well identified.
DIGITAL ART:
Low resolution JPEG images may be sent for consideration. All CD’s/DVD’s must include a contact sheet(s) of the images. Final high resolution image submissions must be fully edited Photoshop EPS, TIFF or JPEG’s. A minimum resolution of 300 d.p.i. is required. All images will be converted to CMYK. CMYK image(s) are preferred (as final files) and should be large enough to scale up and retain resolution. Please do not email a file over 3 megabytes—send a CD or DVD via snail mail or contact us for FTP upload instructions.
PHOTOGRAPHIC USAGE RATE:
Big Sky Journal pays for the quantity and size of images used. Payments will be processed after the issue goes to press. Please contact our Art Director for current usage rates.
SEND IMAGES TO:
Kathleen Wietlispach, Art Director
Big Sky Journal
(406) 586-2712 office
(406) 587-3032 home
Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 1069
Bozeman, MT 59771-1069
Street Address for FedEx and UPS:
1050 E. Main Street, Suite 3
Bozeman, MT 59715
Writers Guidelines:
Queries are accepted
via U.S. mail. Unsolicited, complete manuscripts are accepted by mail
with a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) if you would like the
material returned. Please keep proposals to one-page, succinctly
detailing the angle and purpose of the story idea. Indicate whether
there are photos/illustrations to accompany the article. Queries
including typos or grammatical errors are deleted upon receipt. Do
not, under any circumstances, send unsolicited original slides or
other artwork. We will not guarantee their return. Expect eight to
twelve weeks for a response.
Payment is negotiable
and due 30 days after publication. The editors reserve the right to
edit or rewrite any article to suit the magazine's needs. Major
alterations will be discussed with the author whenever possible.
SEND TO:
Seabring Davis, Editor
Big Sky Journal
1050 E Main Street,
Suite 3
Bozeman, MT 59715
BIG SKY JOURNAL-OPEN DEPARTMENTS:
Local Knowledge
Local Knowledge is a
column profiling people in the region with a timeless craft, skill or
tradition that they are preserving in a modern world. i.e.,
bootmaking, saddle making, fly tying, heirloom gardening, building
sheepwagons, blacksmithing, etc. It's a west that most of us often
miss in this high tech age of modern conveniences. Length is 1,200
words, payment negotiable.
Dining Out West
In general, BSJ’s
Dining Out section profiles a regional restaurant in Idaho, Montana
or Wyoming. They range in style from upscale eateries to funky cowboy
diners. What they all have in common is a sense of place that may
register in the menu items or in the clientele, either way, the goal
of this department is to capture the atmosphere, unique food
preparation, menu and the character of a restaurant. Descriptive
writing about food and details on the chef/cook/owner background add
resonance—if it’s an out of the way dive, what would make
a person seek it out? If it’s a mainstream restaurant, what
makes it so popular? Each story features two recipes with
accompanying photos. And in general the section is about 5-6 pages
long using 7-9 photos total, which illustrate the food, people and
physical presence of the restaurant. 800 to 1,000 words, payment
negotiable.
Essay
The hallmark of BSJ
editorial is personal experience of place. It’s a way for
writers and readers to connect, relate and relive Big Sky Country. We
accept short, creative nonfiction essays on living in the Northern
Rockies with subject matter related to recreation, family, nature,
Western culture, history, etc. Full manuscripts only.
In the annual fly
fishing issue we publish “Fish Tales” a short essay
section of six to eight nonfiction stories of 800 words or less
related to fly-angling; tall tales are welcome.
Fiction
Celebrating the
literary culture that has progressed in the Northern Rockies, we
publish short fiction in every issue. Subject matter should be
oriented to the region and range between 1,000 to 4,000 words.
Back 40
On the back page we
feature poetry or short prose, subject matter should be appropriate
to the Northern Rockies. Maximum length is 300 to 500 words. Payment
is negotiable.
2009-2010 deadlines for
consideration of submissions/queries:
1. Spring 2009 issue:
January 14, 2009
Publishes: April 2009
2. Summer 2009 issue:
February 14, 2009
Publishes: June 2009
3. Arts 2009 issue:
April 12, 2009
Publishes: August 2009
4. BSJ HOME issue: May
15, 2009
5. Fall 2009 issue:
June 14, 2009
Publishes: October
2009
6. Winter 2008 issue:
August 14, 2009
Publishes: December
2009
(This issue is often
assigned one year in advance for seasonal features.)
7. Fly Fishing 2010
issue: September 14, 2009
Publishes: February
2009
