BEE CULTURE

THE MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN BEEKEEPING

WRITER’S GUIDELINES

Updated February 2024, but if in doubt, check first

Bee Culture is the Magazine of American Beekeeping. We cover beekeeping – its history, how-to-do everything beekeeping covers, equipment used and made, and even the humorous side of this craft. But there’s so much more to the world we touch – pollination, honey plants, gardening with bees, wildlife and woodland plantings, and all the creatures that bees affect and interact with.

There’s a serious side too – pesticides, politics, imports, marketing, pests, predators and diseases. All are examined, investigated, explored and explained.

Bee Culture has a constant demand for articles on bees and beekeeping, pollination and honey plants, garden and forest management for bees, and a wide variety of related topics. With 100 pages for every issue, we generally run 15 – 16 articles. About a third to half are submitted by outside writers.

Before submitting an article, we suggest you read several articles on our web page to determine the style and direction of the magazine. All article submissions will be reviewed by the editor. Some edits and/or updates may be required. If you are unsure whether we would be interested, we encourage you to send a short proposal covering the topic and highlights of the article for consideration. USPS delivered articles will be reviewed, but we are seldom timely. We will review full length, unsolicited manuscripts if submitted, but expect a month before we can get to a reply.

Submission Guidelines:

• Double-spaced with ¾” margins, set for standard U.S. paper size in MS Word compatible format, readable on a PC. Each article should be attached to an email, and not embedded in the email, to Jerry@BeeCulture.com .
• Each page of the manuscript must be numbered and must include the author’s name and contact information at the top.
• Total attached document size should not exceed 5 MB.
• If photos are part of the submission that should be noted in the email, i.e. 4 photos to follow.
• An article should have between 800-850 words. If it is longer, please provide a Part 1, Part 2, etc. This is just a starting guideline so we are flexible!
• If your article includes a hyperlink that is embedded it will not be carried to the digital version unless you include the entire url – www.BeeCulture.com for instance, will be carried, while Bee Culture Magazine won’t.
• If you are submitting a hard copy through USPS, please provide your contact information on every page. All photos must include your contact information, the photo credit (if different from author) and a detailed caption. If you submit multiple hard copies and accompanying photos at once, please provide the article title on the photos. Please include return postage if you would like any part of your submission returned. Contact information is required on ALL hard copy submitted pieces otherwise they can not be considered. This is a requirement so nothing is misplaced or lost.
• Proposals should be between 200-300 words and include at least one accompanying image. Please make it clear and obvious in your submission that it is just a proposal and not a full article.

Photo and Art Submission Guidelines:

• Hard copies of photos and art, on the back, should have the same information, plus a detailed caption and attribution if necessary.
• Electronic photos should be .jpg, .png or .tif format, 300 dpi, with only a single photo per email attached and not embedded in the email, and sent to Jerry@BeeCulture.com. Number each email with Photo 1 of _, Photo 2 of _, etc. (ex. Photo 1 of 4, Photo 2 of 4, etc.)
• Include the corresponding caption within the same email. If the photo is referenced in the text, make sure that same label is included (ex. Figure 1, Picture 1, etc.)
• If you email anything and do not receive a response within one business day, please reach out again in a separate email with no attachments on the email. If you still do not get a response, please send an inquiry through our contact form: https://www.beeculture.com/contact-us/.

Content: The best article is one that shows a keen awareness and knowledge of the subject material. Accuracy is important. Our readers have a strong bond with the magazine and place their trust in the information we present. We are always interested in new and different topics as well as new takes on previous topics. If you are unsure whether your topic would be an ideal fit for Bee Culture, please email a short proposal for consideration. Profiles of individuals or groups important to the industry or allies are welcome, especially if they endorse or support a cause or ideal other than the norm. Articles dealing with marketing honey or other hive products, or even how-to-sell skills, are excellent, especially if they are supported by successful personal experiences or interviews of those that are. If you are interested in marketing a single product, please reach out to Advertising: https://www.beeculture.com/advertise/.

Your article should be accompanied by detailed photos and/or drawings to illustrate the work. Digital graphics are best, but prints that reproduce well are certainly accepted. Each photo must be labeled with 1) name and address of submitter, 2) name of person to credit photo (if different), 3) title of accompanying article, and 4) detailed caption.

Cover photos are always welcome and many come from photographers other than our staff. Cover photo submissions must be of exceptional quality. Look at a cover and note vertical layout and title and accompanying position. Print photographs and electronic photos (in the 300 dpi, 9 x 12 resolution and size) work well. Note too that the top third, or the left third of the photo will be displayed on the newsstand.

Payment

Articles including photos start at $75 per article in Bee Culture Magazine. The specific payment amount is based on a large variety of factors including but not limited to length, any editing required and topic. Any articles requiring heavy editing or rewrite will offer less. Payment is usually made on publication. Someone will be in contact with you for payment information when your article will be published. If you have not been contacted, your article has not been published yet. We do not make reprints but will provide issues of the magazine the article appears in, if requested. We can send a small number of print copies and/or provide a PDF of your article through email. Cover photos are paid $50.00, for one time use. No payment is given for articles featured in our daily email Catch the Buzz.

Conditions & Rights

The A. I. Root Company, Publishers, buys first North American Serial rights to any article we publish. We normally reserve the right to republish these articles in books or collections published under the Root Publishing Co. name. Compensation and permission for republishing will be made.

Simultaneous submission to another Journal, if published before, at the same time, or after our publication will forfeit all rights, and payment unless otherwise agreed upon. If other publications seek to reprint articles first published in Bee Culture, we will refer all requests to the author. We will assist in any negotiations, if requested, and only request that we are credited with first publication. We cannot assume responsibility for any material while in transit. Material in possession of The A. I. Root Co. will be replaced at full publication value, save loss by Acts of God. We offer no additional payment for articles published on our website. There is no additional compensation for being published in our digital format.

Final Word

Bee Culture prides itself on working with both new and inexperienced writers, as well as professional writers and photographers. We are keenly interested in good material, no matter the source.

Questions

It is easier to ask first than fix later. If you are unsure about something contact Jerry@BeeCulture.com before sending it in.