CONTACT MAGAZINE guidelines

The purpose of Contact magazine is to support thriving ministries by providing timely, practical information for ministries and individuals. All articles submitted should fulfill this purpose.

Contact magazine is 24 pages, published four times a year, and has approximately 7,000 subscribers consisting of Unity ministers, church board members, licensed Unity teachers and lay people.

Writers' Guidelines
We are looking for the following types of articles:

• Personal needs/issues of ministers
• Book reviews (see guidelines)
• Question and Answer column on various topics
• Pro/Con column on various topics
• Technology for ministries
• Theological or theoretical topic
• Regional/Associations news
• Feature Articles
  • Special projects by a ministry
  • Ministry success stories
  • Ideas that work
  • Managing conflict
  • Team building
  • Church leadership
  • Community outreach and action

We prefer a familiar rather than a scholarly tone to make content as accessible as possible. Make your writing readable. Avoid words whose meaning calls for a dictionary. Use short sentences. Enliven your writing with anecdotes, stories and illustrations. Assume your reader bores easily. Please proofread for spelling and grammar errors. Articles with relevant photos are preferred (see Submission Guides: Visuals). Identify the Bible version you are using if applicable.

Each article submitted will be reviewed by the Contact editorial staff for inclusion in the magazine. Submission of an article does not guarantee its publication. We reserve the right to edit all articles for content and length.

Submission Guidelines
Length: approximately 450-500 words for one-page articles plus relevant color photos or 800-1,000 words for two-page feature articles plus relevant color photos.
Format: place text in a MS Word document. Do not insert photos in the Word document. They must be sent as separate files (see Visuals guidelines below). If you are sending a hard copy, type your manuscript in standard manuscript form: double-spaced on 8 ½" x 11" paper with 1" margins; name, address, telephone number, e-mail address and word count in the top left-hand corner. Your name and page numbers must be on each page. Include JPEG photos on a separate CD or mail a hard copy of the photos (see Visuals guidelines below). Keep at least one copy of your manuscript and photos for your files; we do not return manuscripts or photos.

A two-line biography of the author is requested. Please include the author's name, title (if applicable), organization (or church) and e-mail address.

Visuals: We prefer photos of people and activities. Photos should be in color and of good quality (in focus, with subjects well-lit and not too far from the camera). Set your digital camera on the highest quality setting when taking photos. If sending electronically, photos should be in a JPEG format, no smaller than 1200 x 1800 pixels (4" x 6" at 300 dpi). You may also mail good quality 4" x 6" or larger photos (developed from negatives, not printed on a printer). Photos must be accompanied by release forms. See attached Photo Release.

Send to: Cheryl Vestal at graph@unity.org or mail to her attention at Association of Unity Churches International, PO Box 610, Lee's Summit, MO 64063.

Publication rights: All articles and accompanying materials submitted may be used at the discretion of the Contact editorial staff. No restrictions apply if authors wish to publish submitted materials elsewhere. We do not return articles that have been submitted. We accept reprints but ask that you let us know where and when the article has run previously. Also verify that the legal rights have been cleared by the other party. Please do not send articles which have been previously published in Contact.

Book Reviews
Book reviews are limited to Unity authors or books that are compatible with Unity's mission and membership.

If you wish to review books for Contact magazine, please submit a sample book review of a book of your choice. Selected individuals will be placed on our reviewer list, and will be sent books on a periodic basis which coincide with their areas of interest.

Please contact Cheryl Vestal for a complete list of Book Review Guidelines.

Payment for Articles
At this time, Contact does not pay for articles. We welcome your contributions to the publication.

Complimentary Copies
Upon publication, you will receive two complimentary copies of the Contact issue in which your contribution appears.

Advertising in Contact magazine

Running ads of the same size in consecutive issues can save you money!
Three issues saves 15% and six issues saves 25%.

Advertisements will be considered that are affiliated with Unity ministers or ministries or from vendors who provide items for Unity ministers or ministries. All advertising is subject to the publisher's approval. The publisher reserves the right to reject any advertising which is not compatible with Unity philosophy.

Advertising space in each issue is limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about advertising in Contact magazine, contact Cheryl Vestal at the Association of Unity Churches International: graph@unity.org or 816-524-7414, Ext. 357.

Ad Specifications
Ads may be submitted as PDF files or you can have us design an ad for you.

If you are submitting your own ad, please follow these guidelines:

• Ads must be in PDF format, submitted on a CD or via e-mail.
• Photos/artwork must be 300 dpi.
• Files must be CMYK or grayscale (no RGB photos or PSM colors used in the ad).
• If your ad has black text, the text must use only black ink, not a mix of CMYK inks.
• Full-page ads must have crop marks and 1/8" bleed on all sides.

If you'd like us to create your ad, you have two options:

1. For an additional $75 charge, choose one of our predesigned layouts and write your text to fit that ad layout. Contact Cheryl Vestal for predesigned layouts.
2. For an additional $150 charge, we will design a custom ad for you.