O Scale Trains Submission Guidelines
Article Guidelines
Revised Dec. 4, 2020
Anyone may submit articles for consideration. We’re always interested in seeing material from new writers. Occasionally, we will commission articles, but for the most part O Scale Trains depends on your submissions. We want new, fresh, unpublished material for OST. Generally, if you have posted your submission online anywhere, we will not pay to publish it in OST.
We are looking for articles from model builders who feel their models and/or modeling techniques and experiences would be of interest and benefit to others. In evaluating articles, we look at the quality of accompanying photos and illustrations (diagrams, drawings, etc.), content of the how-to-material, and to a much lesser degree, the writing style. If the photos and content are good, the article can be reworked by an editor to enhance its readability.
So far, the feedback we’ve been getting says readers like how-to material; how-to paint, how-to scratchbuild, how-to kitbash, etc. Basically, readers want to know how to make their own models better. Therefore, any help or advice you can offer is what modelers want. Features on your own modeling projects make great articles. A step-by-step write-up with clear close-up photos can relay techniques and shortcuts to other modelers.
Most articles should be brief; usually less than 1,500 words. However, if you have a topic of 2000 words or more, don’t think we’re not interested. We might turn it into a multi-part feature.
OST is a model magazine, not a literary journal. However, you should try to follow these guidelines:
1. Let your personality come through in your writing and keep it simple and direct. Readers want a clear description of what you did, how you did it, and what tools and materials you used. The best way to do this is to write as if you were telling a friend how to duplicate your modeling project.
2. Organize your article in a step-by-step manner. Start at the beginning and end at the end.
3. Don’t be afraid to tell how specific products performed for your project. Also, it is very helpful if you include a list of references and a list of sources for the materials you used.
Before submitting an article re-read it and make any corrections or changes before sending it. Are product names spelled correctly? Are your instructions in the correct order? Don’t worry too much about grammar and punctuation. We’ll polish all of that in the editing stage.
Photo quality and photo content are very important when considering an article for publication. An otherwise good article might be rejected because of poor photo quality. Are your photos well lit? Are they in focus? If they aren’t, retake them before submitting the article. That’ll save us both time later on.
For how-to articles, make sure to take pictures during the actual course of the project. It is difficult, if not impossible, to write and photograph a how-to article after the model has been completed. Photos should be taken against a plain background; white, light grey, and light blue are good backgrounds. Also, the more photos you send, taken from a variety of views, the better choice we have in selecting what to use with your article. Send more photos than you think is necessary to illustrate the article. You can’t have too many photos.
Submission Requirements
Text Requirements
Manuscripts must be typed using upper and lower case letters. Text must be submitted in electronic format either by email or on a CD. We prefer text written in Microsoft Word but any word processor will produce a text-only file if you do not have Word. Do not waste a lot of time formatting text with bold or italics.
Photo Requirements
Digital photos are required. Digital photos must be a minimum of 1.3 Mpixels for construction and “how-to” articles. If you are submitting a layout feature that may appear on the cover, we need photos that are at least 6 Mpixels. If in doubt, contact us by email and we’ll review your digital photos for suitability.
Do not send us inkjet prints of digital photos. Do not manipulate the photos in any way before sending them. We want the photos just as they came out of the camera. Digital photos should be submitted on a CD. If your article has five or less photos, email them after you let us know they are coming, and we agree to receive them. If your article has more than five, let us know they are coming so we can be prepared to download and confirm receiving all of them. Photos must be submitted in RGB JPEG, or TIFF formats.
Photos must be clearly labeled and noted where they go in the text. Do not make up long fancy names for photos. If you are building a model of a mill, for example, number the photos in sequence like this: mill_01, mill_02, mill_03, etc. Indicate the photos in your text like this: “Photo 1 (mill_01) shows the overall layout of the mill floor. Layout the floor as shown in Photo 2 (mill_02).” This way, we know exactly where each photo goes in your article. A few extra photos of the completed item should be included to make a header photo for the article. Please also create a text file of captions for your photos if the captions add information beyond what is contained in the actual article.
Illustration/Drawing Requirements
The same naming rules apply for illustrations and drawings, except that illustrations and drawings are called out as Figures, e.g., Fig. 1, Fig. 2, etc.
Illustrations/drawings should be done in a computer drawing or CAD program whenever possible. Formats that are acceptable are EPS, PDF, DXF and native Adobe Illustrator (AI).
How To Mail A Submission
If you are sending a CD or a flash drive, please include a printout of the text so it can be cross referenced when necessary. If you want any of the materials back, please include a large envelope with sufficient return postage.
Send your submission to:
O Scale Trains
Martin Brechbiel
8409 Lee Hwy – PO Box 3081
Merrifield, VA 22116-9998
or you can contact me and send it directly me:
Email: martinwb@oscalemag.com
If you have any questions whatsoever, feel free to contact us.
Copyright and Authorization Form
So that you may be properly compensated for your contribution to O Scale Trains Magazine, all authors, photographers, and artists are required to download the Copyright and Authorization form, complete the required fields, and file the completed form with the editor prior to publication.
