Writer’s Guidelines
Florida Field Notes is an independent online magazine covering the environmental beat in and around Northeast Florida. We cover legislation, government agencies, non-profits, advocacy groups, and individuals in order to inform Florida voters about environmental and nature news affecting them.
We are a paying market and accept freelance queries via email or regular mail. We respond to queries within 30 days; please feel free to follow up if you haven’t heard back in that time frame. For stories that are seasonal or timely, please note such in the subject line of your email or letter and follow up as needed. Query with a paragraph or two explaining your story idea, a brief bio, and clips or a writing sample.
We use the Associated Press Style Guide. No first person. Sources should be documented with contact information at the end of the piece. Byline given. Pay commensurate with experience. Kill fee for experienced writers 25% of agreed upon price.
Departments:
- News: by assignment. Experienced journalists only.
- Stories: traditional features section where we take a more in-depth look at news items. The writing style is more fluid than in News, but should still have a strong lead and clear nutgraph. Word count 500 – 1200.
- ‘Round Here: stories and photos of cool events, places to go or things to do in our area with the purpose of showing readers ways they can get outdoors in the area. For photos, there should be a several-sentence photo caption that should tell the reader how to access the place or event.
- Florida Faces: profiles of an individuals engaged somehow in environmental issues. They don’t have to be from the area, as long as their work is reflected here. Must be interviewed in person. Format can vary – Q&A, obituary, etc …. Word count 500 – 1000, depending on format.
- Reviews: Book and Film reviews with an emphasis on content as opposed to the reviewer’s opinion. In other words, informing the reader about the subject matter so he can decide whether to read the book or watch the film. For books, traditional publishing houses preferred. No self-published books unless by a credentialed professional. For films or documentaries, know who produced it and tell the reader. Look critically at sources used. One-sided or obviously biased books or films should be noted as such.
Photography: By assignment only.
Bio: With your first piece, please submit a brief bio and a headshot.
Payment: On publication. After the work has been accepted, please submit an invoice via email with the name of the piece, word count, Social Security number, and amount.
For more information, contact editor@floridafieldnotes.com
