A newsletter for
recovering individuals and their loved-ones
Submission Guidelines
Eating Disorders Recovery Today
(previously known as Eating Disorders Today)
Article Writing & Artwork Guidelines
Thank you for your interest in submitting an article to the Eating Disorders Recovery Today newsletter. Our editors welcome your articles, ideas, and input for making this a truly helpful and inspiring resource for families and individuals in recovery.
We welcome a variety of types of articles, from personal insights to professional advice to book and film reviews. We also welcome photography, artwork, and poetry with short explanatory text describing the relevance of the piece to the author. Sample copies are available on request.
Basic Guidelines
Submissions: Articles should be sent in a .doc format to Lindsey Hall Cohn, the managing editor: Lindsey@gurze.net.
Contact information: Please include—on every document— complete contact information, including name, email address, street address, professional affiliation (if any), and phone number. A short bio will be requested upon acceptance of the article.
Topics: Our goal is to provide issue-driven articles that will give our readers good ideas that will apply to their recovery situations and lives. Although points can be backed up by relevant research, or illustrated by a case study or even a personal story, these should not be the main focus of the article. Charts, graphics, exercises, lists, etc. are great additions. We also publish a book, film, or CD review in every issue; contact the editor for review copies.
Editing: We have the capability for some in-house editing, but obviously prefer that articles be carefully edited before they are submitted. (If you are a “new” writer, we strongly suggest that your submission be read and/or edited by an appropriate outside source of some kind, perhaps an English teacher, a friend who majored in English, a writer, or even a professional editor.) We may return articles that are not well written, with or without suggestions for revisions. For those who need them, “Writing Tips” are provided below.
Style: Since ours is a lay audience, keep your language simple, informal, and direct and be sure your topic is on an issue that is relevant to them.
Grammar: Refer to the Chicago Manual of Style (online or book form) for grammar questions.
Format: In addition to being a .doc file, we prefer the following specifications:
- Font: Times or Times New Roman; 12 point
- Double-spaced paragraphs with first line indents
- Use singe spaces between words and sentences
Length: We use articles of varying lengths, anywhere from 400-1600 words.
Audience: Our audience is families and individuals in recovery from eating disorders. Writing directly to “you,” the reader of your article, is acceptable. Our “Heart to Heart” column can also be written from the “I” voice.
Poetry: We occasionally publish poetry which is positive in tone, and we prefer a maximum of 50 lines.
Artwork Specifications: Grayscale only. Tif format preferred, 300 ppi resolution (jpg or pdf are acceptable); image size no larger than 7” x 7”.
Compensation: Authors and artists are usually paid an honorarium of $25-50 per contribution upon publication, and receive 5 free copies.
Rights: Accepted articles become the property of Gürze Books, LLC and may be reprinted online without further compensation. Articles must be original and must not have been published previously without prior notice to the managing editor. Authors may re-use their articles for personal use in compilations or websites of their own material. Any further use must be authorized by Gürze Books.
Writing Tips:
Before you begin:
Usually, some pre-writing preparation will make the actual process more efficient and flow more easily. Here are some pre-writing ideas:
- Identify your readers and how your article will be helpful for them.
- Decide on a main point or points and your purpose.
- Summarize what you want to say in 25 words or less.
- Outline the article. This will give you potential subheads for the article itself.
- Optional: Study newspaper of magazine articles for style.
The writing process:
1. Using your outline as a guide, flesh out your paragraphs.
2. Concentrate your attention on the "meat" of the article. This is the part that is in between the intro and the conclusion. For most short articles, the intro paragraph can be as simple as two to three sentences that intrigue readers and gracefully lead them into your topic. Your closing paragraph can be just a few sentences that motivate readers to take action and go to the next level.
3. Use subheads! The outline that you are working from will not only provide structure to your article, but also give you ready-made subheadings. These will guide your writing and guide the reader through your points.
4. Use topic sentences. These will help you write better paragraphs and fine tune your paragraphs into sections.
5. Edit, edit, edit. Edit your work mercilessly so that everything supports your point and purpose. Cut out extra wordage and redundancies. Make sure all ideas and evidence relate back to your topic.
6. Carefully proofread your submission, and don’t forget to “spellcheck!”
7. Return to your piece with fresh eyes a time or two. Perhaps read it out loud. You’ll be surprised what you will uncover.
8. Enlist the help of an outside editor (friend, English teacher, professional, etc.) for a final read-through prior to submitting it to our newsletter.
Thank you for your support and interest.