Wend Magazine - Writer’s Guidelines

Writer’s Guidelines

Want to write for us?
If you Wend, here’s the way:

EDITORIAL GUIDELINES:

Wend is namely interested in first person accounts of literate adventure travel with a social/anthropological/environmental awareness that permeates throughout the story. Our stories are about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, not extraordinary people doing ordinary things. We give a lot of space to our features to give the writer a chance to really express him or herself, and take our readers along for the ride. Beyond that, Wend is the magazine you REALLY want to write for, not the one you’re simply trying to make money from. Of course, we pay, and pay competitively, but our goal is to be the darling in your journalistic quiver. We’re nice folks and will treat you well.

Your story should be dripping with passion, with a perspective of the world informed by a big and tolerant global view. And PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE, don’t even think of querying us if you haven’t read the magazine. Wend is a different sort of journal and familiarity with our tone and style is of the utmost importance.

Simultaneous submissions will be considered, but in the event that the writer isn’t transparent about story placement or previous publication, we’ll be grumpy.

You will be fact checked. Wend maintains a high standard for journalistic ethics and accuracy, so please have relevant sources available to our editorial department at the time of submission.

PHOTO GUIDELINES:

Make sure that you have access to photos to accompany your story or access to relevant photographers that we may contact. 35mm slides or negatives are accepted, but must be accompanied with reference prints or contact sheets. Digital resolution of 7 mega-pixels or higher accepted (which means some point-and-shoots work, but a digital SLR is way better). Do not alter or render photos unless otherwise specified.

We prefer to work out compensation with writers/photographers as a package. Occasionally we can supply photos, but for the most part, no photos, no deal. In the event we need to contract for photos independently from writers, adjustments to the writer’s compensation will be reflected in this cost.

Departments:

Now: Short, newsy pieces about what’s going on in the outdoor world. This section is usually done in house, but if you have a great idea, we’ll consider it. 1000 words.

Footprint: Hard charging environmental reporting on subjects such as environmental degradation, the economy of adventure sport/travel, and the hope of renewable energy. The world is our playground, and we as players are its stewards.

Feast: Traveling the world is all about new experiences. And often, new experiences come in the form of food. Feast celebrates some of the stranger culinary encounters our writers have on the road. Whether it's drinking Chang (rice wine steeped in rendered yak fat) in NE India, eating fried worms in Africa, or searching for the best kabob in Istanbul, Feast is dedicated to the fuel our bodies need for adventure.

Platform: In this section, we donate space to environmental non-profits so that they may address our readers directly about the issues they work on. Are you an activist interested in this section? Contact us to find out how we can help amplify your message, and raise some money for you too.

Snap: Photo essays of our changing world, documented by photographers from around the world. Snap works as a visual metaphor to depict the special places on earth that are threatened or preserved by human engagement. By portraying these places, we see what the affect of human activity on our planet can be, for better or for worse.

Wanderlust: Feature length accounts of mind-boggling journeys, urban explorations, histories, etc. written as a first person narrative. Third person is allowed for certain historical and environmental pieces, but we might suggest the writer demonstrate his/her relevance to the story itself. All the components of a ‘good story’ including character development, tension, fear, personal reflection, problem solving, crisis, beauty, should be crafted in your manuscript. 4000+ words.

Rates:

All departments pay 25 cents a word, plus photos. Typically, we don’t pay on a per photo basis, as our features run VERY photo heavy for the enjoyment of our readers. We will negotiate, but please understand that we are an employee owned, independent publication, printed on FSC certified sustainable paper (which is crazy expensive), and are committed to a green (truly green, not greenwashed) business model working in a market that doesn’t necessarily put their money where their mouth is. If you’re flexible, so are we.

Payment will be made 30-45 days after publication. Rate reflects submissions that require a normal amount of editing. If your story requires a lot of work, we’ll pay less. No kill fee. Due to the amount of submissions we get, it might take us some time to respond.

Make Contact:

Send us two clips of your work, relevant to the story you’re proposing (we will consider unpublished writers, because hey, a lot of published writers are hacks). Send us a summary of your experience. Send us a brief query (story proposal) summarizing the scope of your story, estimated word count, which department you deem it appropriate for, and an explanation of why you’re qualified to write it. Photo essayists, please give us the background of the narrative of your visual story.