Contributors' Guidelines

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The team of editors has the responsibility to produce four times a year an issue of Nastawgan that is informative, entertaining, and of high quality. To accomplish that, the contributors’ material should be presented in such a way that the team of editors will require a minimum of time and effort to do the work. The following guidelines suggest how contributors can help ease this task. 
These guidelines are primarily meant for Canadian writers; non-Canadians should use the rules for writing English they are most familiar with.
 
References:     Oxford Canadian Dictionary
                        The Chicago Manual of Style
                        The Canadian Style

It is best to turn off all automatic formatting and styling features in the word processor.

If you have any questions please contact the editor-in-chief at: aleks.gusev@gmail.com

 


SUBJECT MATTER

Anything that would be of interest to canoeists who enjoy wilderness trips as well other related outdoor adventures: articles, trip reports, diaries, personal reflections and experiences, environmental issues within the scope of canoeing concerns, news items, products-and-services information, letters to the editor, viewpoints, opinions, reviews of books and other publications, anecdotes, poetry, jokes, photographs, sketches, cartoons, etc.

CONTENT, STYLE, GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION, ETC.

  • Build your story around the answers to the following key-words: what, where, when, why, who, how. Try to tell the story in a logical sequence; do not ramble.
  • Remember that you write for people who have not been on your trip but would like to read your story about it. They are not particularly interested in personal opinions about your fellow participants, or in-jokes that are funny only to you and your trip-mates. 
  • Use the technique of day-to-day diaries only when it makes good sense to do so. Do not give unnecessary information on what you ate each meal, what time in the morning you got up, and similar trivia. These items may have a place in your personal diary, but are of limited use in a story written for outsiders. Stick to relevant information.
  • Use the technique of day-to-day diaries only when it makes good sense to do so. Do not give unnecessary information on what you ate each meal, what time in the morning you got up, and similar trivia. These items may have a place in your personal diary, but are of limited use in a story written for outsiders. Stick to relevant information.
  • Especially in the case of remote, seldom- or never-written-about rivers, give information on logistics, how to access the put-in point, and how taking-out is organized. 
  • Be very critical of what you produce. Put it aside for some time, then study it again and rewrite. Then rewrite it again. The secret to good writing is rewriting. 
  • Use the metric system of measurements as much as possible. If necessary, the imperial system can also be used. However, do not mix both systems in the same story.
  • Try to follow the rules of writing good English to the best of your abilities. But don’t worry about this too much, otherwise the editors will have little to do and consequently feel unwanted and even rejected.  


ACCURACY

Be sure that all facts such as names, dates, phone numbers, addresses, map information, photograph captions, etc., are correct. This is very important! Triple-check!

 LENGTH  OF TEXT

The maximum word count of major articles (which need up to 11 pages in Nastawgan, including illustrations) is approximately 5,000 words. Avoid anything longer than that, except in very special cases (but then, contact the editor first). Medium-length articles have about 3,000 words maximum; short articles, 1,000 words maximum. One full page of text in Nastawgan contains approximately 1,100 words. One standard (letter) sheet of 8.5 x 11 manuscript paper contains about 250 computer-written words if the lines are double-spaced, the borders are one inch wide, and font Times New Roman 12 pt is used as required.

ILLUSTRATIONS

Photographs are very important in Nastawgan. They should preferably be sharp and correctly exposed. Try to avoid dark and high-contrast pictures. Provide captions with the photographs; write these on a separate piece of paper.

Drawings of relevant subjects are welcome to illustrate articles or to use as general fillers. They should preferably be done in pen and ink, but other media are also acceptable.
Maps are required to explain the location of trips, especially in lesser-known areas. They should be sketched clearly with all the necessary information included, such as names, compass orientation, distance scale, direction of river current (if not evident). From this information the editor will make, in most cases, the final map for publication. Clear copies of existing maps can also be used.

PRESENTATION OF TEXT
  • use standard (letter) 8.5 x 11 paper
  • use one side of the paper only
  • present text in single column
  • text must preferably be computer-written using font Times New Roman 12 pt. or any other good font; typewritten material and good handwriting will also be accepted in special circumstances
  • put writer's name, address, phone number, and email address in top left corner of first page of manuscript
  • put approximate number or words in top right corner of first page
  • write the story in the past tense
  • text prepared by computer can be submitted by email to aleks.gusev@gmail.com, or on CD computer disks sent by standard mail. Preferred software format is MS Word but other formats such as WordPerfect can also be accommodated. Indicate in your covering letter what format you use if not Word. Include with your disk a double-spaced hard-copy print-out of your article. 
  • number each page.
  • put title of article and name(s) of contributor(s) on page one of manuscript
  • leave a double space between lines as well as between paragraphs
  • leave a one-inch-wide border around all four sides of the text
  • indent the first line of each paragraph (except the first paragraph)
  • use the metric system of measurements as much as possible. If necessary, the imperial system can also be used. However, do not mix both systems in the same story. If you do, you will have to explain the reason. (Exception: canoe dimensions are traditionally given in inches and feet.)
  • avoid over-use of exclamation marks, italics, and capital letters.
  • indicate italic by italic and bold by bold
  • article title in regular font, not capital and bold
  • justification left, but article title in centre
  • set new paragraph by using enter key
  • series: comma before and, or, etc.: red, white, pink, and blue
  • website and email address not italic
 

 

PRESENTATION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

  • photos can be submitted in the form of digital files, slides, negatives, or prints, and must be in colour (or black-and-white if that’s all you have). Prints should not be smaller than 3.5 x 5 in. or larger than 8 x 10 in.
  • slides, negatives, and prints should preferably be sent by registered regular mail. They will be returned to the contributor as soon as possible after use.
    • photos made by digital camera and prepared by computer can be submitted on CD computer disks or by email as digital JPEG files to aharting@sympatico.ca; if possible, take files directly from the camera, do not resize, adjust, and sharpen the images; do not send thumbnails!
    • Do not send documents by fax.

If the manuscript is not presented in an acceptable manner, the editor will have to ask the contributor for a rewrite.


 

FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM

  • submit your material as early as possible, especially the longer articles.
  • observe the deadlines given on the Editorial Page of Nastawgan
     
  • don’t be insulted or intimidated by these guidelines.
  • if in doubt, shout, and thou shall be heard.
  • enjoy yourself!

                                  Toni Harting,July 2011
 

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Sample Manuscript Page


Joe Stern
123 Paddle Street
Canoetown, Province                                                                                                  Approx. 1850 words
AlB 2C3

123-456-7890
jstern@serv-prov.ca

DOWN DANGEROUS DOODLE CREEK

Article: Joe Stern

Photos: Anna Bow

It was a dark and dreary day when the four of us packed all the gear plus the two canoes in and on top of the van. We’d much rather stay in bed and do what all sane people should do on a day like this, sleep. But alas, we had made arrangements with the fly-in airplane people and we had to be there on time. And besides, we really wanted to paddle that famous river. 
     Five hours of driving through the fog and misery of this terrible day brought us, pooped out, to the muddy airport in Uptheretown where the somber-faced pilot was busy refueling his ancient float plane. 
     “So, you’re the guys for Doodle Lake?” he mumbled without moving his lips. “Okay, jump in. Let’s go. That’ll be two flights because this old lady Beaver here can’t take more load than one canoe plus two people and gear. Got the money?” Nice, confidence-inspiring guy, this one.
     We paid him. He loaded two of us plus equipment in and on the scruffy-looking flying machine. The take-out on the glassy-smooth lake was beautiful. That pilot knew what he was doing. 
     At last, the long-awaited expedition to Doodle Creek, that notorious canoe-eating collection of rapids, falls, and killer-souse holes, was on its way.

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