All of Big Sky Journal‘s features, columns, poetry, fiction, and photography focus on the Northern Rockies landscape, culture, people, places, and wildlife. BSJ strives to capture real life in the Northern Rockies, focusing on backcountry and backstreet haunts that provide an insider’s perspective to our readership. We strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with BSJ before sending a query.
We do not run stories featuring commercial guides or outfitters, instead we seek personal experiences from knowledgeable contributors in the field. BSJ is interested in introspective articles by knowledgeable writers and 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.
Writers' Guidelines
Queries and submissions are now accepted via email only. Big Sky Journal is no longer considering mailed submissions or queries. Please include the word “QUERY” and the magazine’s edition in the subject line. Please keep proposals to one page, succinctly detailing the angle and purpose of the story idea. With your query, please include information about images that would help illustrate the story. For example, is a photographer traveling with you? Do you have access to professional images? And/or is there an upcoming photo opportunity that could help illustrate the piece?
BSJ adheres to AP style. Payment is negotiable and remitted 30 days after publication. BSJ 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.
Please note that we have a small staff and often receive an overload of submissions for editorial; allow three months response time to your queries.
SEND TO:
Jessianne Castle, Editor
jessianne@bigskyjournal.com
Photography Guidelines
Cover Images: An open interpretation of strong seasonal looks, wildlife, or scenic panoramas of our region (Montana, Wyoming, Idaho). The Arts cover is always a work by one of the issue’s featured artists. Photographic essays should be dynamic, evocative, original portrayals of life in the Northern Rockies. Photo calls are emailed six weeks prior to the next issue. Aside from the cover, these will be specific requests for images that illustrate the stories of a 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 CDs/DVDs must include contact sheets of the images. Final high-resolution image submissions must be fully edited Photoshop EPS, TIFF, or JPEGs. A minimum resolution of 300 d.p.i. is required. All images will be converted to CMYK. CMYK images are preferred as final files and should be large enough to scale up and retain resolution. Please do not email a file over 25 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 remitted 30 days after the issue is published. Please contact the art director, Jeanine Miller, for current usage rates.
SEND IMAGES TO:
Jeanine Miller, Art Director
Big Sky Journal
406.586.2712 office
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
Or, email: art@bigskyjournal.com
Open Departments
The hallmark of BSJ editorial is personal experiences of place. It’s a way for writers and readers to connect, relate, and relive Big Sky Country. Please consider whether your work fits into one of the following categories:
Features: Feature-length stories (1,000-1,800 words) that pertain to the local characters, culture, people, environment, communities, and other general-interest categories throughout the Northern Rockies region of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. See examples of feature stories here.
Excursion: A how-to column that covers a topic/location in the Northern Rockies of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Examples include backpacking Yellowstone, fishing high-country lakes, visiting state parks, etc. Each one includes an overall introduction and may be accompanied by sidebars. Length is 1,500-1,800 words. See examples of Excursion stories here.
Outside: First-person stories detailing adventures in the great outdoors, taking place in the Northern Rockies region of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, including tales of hiking, biking, fly fishing, hunting, etc. Length is 1,000-1,500 words. See examples of Outside columns here.
History: Tales of local legends or historical events that have taken place in the Northern Rockies of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. Length is 1,000-1,500 words. See examples of History columns here.
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, for example, boot making, saddle making, fly tying, heirloom gardening, building sheep wagons, blacksmithing, etc. It’s a West that most of us often miss in this high-tech age of modern conveniences. Length is 1,000-1,500 words. See examples of Local Knowledge stories here.
Images of the West: This is a photo essay that’s accompanied by text and captions. These commonly have a general theme that ties the images together, and they are photo-heavy with about 400 words of copy to explain the topic. See examples of Images of the West stories here.
Back 40: On the back page, we feature poetry or short prose, preferring work by authors based in the region. Subject matter should be appropriate to the Northern Rockies. See examples of Back 40 poems here.
Home Submissions: Big Sky Journal publishes a Western Design column in every issue as well as an annual Home special edition that is dedicated to architecture and design. We accept residential home submissions in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming for consideration in the column and special issue. Big Sky Journal requires exclusivity and will not consider publishing a home project if it has been published before. Include a short description of the project, including all relevant participants (architect, builder, interior designer, landscape designer, etc.), the project location, and a gallery of images, preferably as a Dropbox link. See examples of Western Design columns here.
Deadlines for Consideration
| Issue | Query Deadline |
Published |
|---|---|---|
| Fly Fishing | October 1 | February |
| Home | December 1 | April |
| Summer | February 1 | June |
| Arts | April 1 | August |
| Fall | June 1 | October |
| Winter | August 1 | November |