SHOOT! MAGAZINE

Writer's Style Guide 
for Article submission

Photograph Submissions:  We prefer prints.  Digital photos are accepted but they need to be taken with maximum resolution (300 dpi at least).  They may be sent via PC formatted CD or email.  If digital files are e-mailed the total e-mail including attachments must NOT be larger than 3 Megabytes (MB).  You may have to send multiple e-mails.  Both vertical and horizontal pictures are preferred, especially when they are of shoots.  When taking pictures at shoots we prefer a mixture of 70% action shots and 30% posed.  We always like LOTS of pictures.  Note: If you would like one of your pictures considered for the cover then you need to submit a vertical photo in print (no electronic), as only vertical images are used for the cover.

Document Submission:  Preference is Microsoft Word.  Documents may be sent in via e-mail to editor@shootmagazine.com or on a PC formatted disc to Shoot! Magazine, Attn: Article Submissions, 1770 W. State St., #340, Boise, ID 83702.

Preferred Formatting: The following are guidelines to decrease errors when formatting your submitted text into the publication.  Please read the entire document and refer to it as necessary.  Feel free to send any questions or suggestions regarding these guidelines to katie@shootmagazine.com or editor@shootmagazine.com.

Please run spell check on your document prior to submission.

Font:  Times New Roman
Justification:  Left
Size: 12 point double-spaced
Text:  2 spaces after each period. 

Style: 

• NO bolding, underlining, or color - most style formatting is removed prior to publication. 
• Italics are preferred over quotes for names of TV Shows, movies, books, and publications. 
• Do not type in all caps. This includes titles, charts headers, or captions. 
• For numbers 1-10 spell out the number (except for 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc.), for numbers over 10 use numerals (i.e., 30 yards, 50 yards, six yards, ten years). 

Symbols:  Do not use the "insert symbol" function in MSWord.  To format your trademarks (e.g., CAS^TM) select the text use the Format>Font>Superscript option. 

Captions:  Please submit any photo captions by typing them at the end of your article.  The label of the caption should match that of your .jpg, .tif, or .eps file name or that written on the back of your original photo. 

Tables: Do not use a bordered table (the "table" function from the drop down menu) in MS Word.  When trying to illustrate a table, such as a scoreboard or technical data, use tabs, not spaces, to separate your data, making sure you use the same amount of tabs for each row, even if it appears that the data does not line up.  NOTE: IF THIS IS TOO DIFFICULT AS YOU ARE WRITING THEN USE WHAT TABS YOU NEED AND WE WILL EDIT.  See example:

Header              - Tab 1 -             - Tab 2-                     Header 2            - Tab 1 -

By lines with Aliases - the real name comes first followed by , aka alias (ex: Andy Fink, aka Chucky)

Italics - used when referring to a publication, they are not used when referring to an article inside of a publication. (I.E. "Preparing for the Big One" in Shoot! Magazine.)

Common Capitalization & Spelling:

Common Punctuation:

.22 revolver

.38-55, .44-40, etc.

1900s

‘90s

Rugers, not Ruger's (unless describing a type of Ruger)

‘73s, not ‘73's when plural

A period (.) goes in front of all calibers except shotgun

NO comma between month and year (i.e. January 2002, November 2000, etc.)

July 15, 2003

Boise, Idaho,

Common Hyphenation:

lever-action                                          single-shot

Colt Single Action                                 long-range

single-action gun                                   158-grain                                

cross-draw                                           100-yard

shoot-off                                              12-gauge

shoot-out                                              Western-action

hand-made                                           hand-crafted

10-year-old                                          take-down screw

10 years old                                         clean-up (as noun)

double-action                                       clean up (as verb)

Names:

Wild Bill Hickok 

American Indians (not Native Americans)

Lead Dispencer

Additional Rules to Follow:

1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, etc. should always be in number form (ex. The 3^rd generation Colt or 1^st place) except at the beginning of a sentence.  The exception is when you say "First we opened the…" or "the second thing I said was…"

Whenever a sentence starts with a prepositional phrase (In 1985, Winchester started…; After John killed the bear, he went to find…;Under the 2^nd law, it says that…,etc), there should always be a comma after the phrase.

For original Winchester ‘73s, spell out "one of one hundred and one of one thousand," otherwise write out as one of 100 or one of 1000.

When using the term Army and Navy in a plural form and you are referring to guns, the plural form is with an "s" (example: 1860 Armys).  If you are referring to a Government's Army or Navy in a plural form the plural is "ies" (example: the navies of many governments used the 1851 Navy.)

When writing about lengths or weights, put a hyphen between the whole number and the fraction. (Example:  2-1/2, 4-3/4, 8-1/4, etc.)  Spell out fractions under one (Example, one third, two sevenths

When you write about a 250-grain bullet, write it as 250-gr. or 250-grain bullet.  When you write about using 23 grains of black powder, write it out as 23 grains of black powder.

Be sure to use a comma before "and" when listing three or more things or phrases together.  (Example:  The dog, cat, and horse….or…She turned off the engine, got out of the car, and headed into the house…)

Please do not use all caps in headings or article titles because we have to go back and rewrite everything the writer puts in all caps in order to meet our format standards.

If additional information needs to be added to the article or there is a question to be answered before printing, please put this text in red in the article or when possible, put at the end of the article.

Do not put caption numbers inside the article.  Put them at the end of the article only.

When referring to the Amendments spell out First, Second, Third, etc.

When referring to the Internet, please use: web site, online, NOT website or on-line.