Notes for Contributors

Introduction

walk is Britain's largest circulation walking magazine. It is distributed free four times a year to the 137,000 members of the Ramblers’ Association, being delivered to around 106,000 households. It is also distributed to some 1,300 organisations and individuals the association seeks to influence and keep informed about its policies, including MPs, local authorities and countryside organisations.

walk magazine will soon reach non-member walkers through retail sale at outdoor shops. It also has an online presence at www.walkmag.co.uk, which also features a significant amount of content freely available to the general (non-member) public while also having a member-only section.

Objectives

The general objective of walk magazine is to further all the Association's aims. These are: participation in walking; education about the countryside; defending rights of way; promoting wider access; and protecting the countryside.

walk production

Publication dates for the magazine are:

• 1 March
• 1 June
• 1 September
• 1 December

Final deadlines for copy and pictures are at least six weeks before publication dates, although we flat-plan 12 months in advance on most major features, especially general walking/destination features.

Regular content

Regular sections of the magazine such as book reviews and news are prepared in-house. Articles on policy issues (Q & A etc) are also normally written by members or officers of the association or staff.

Opportunities for freelance contributions

Contributors should be familiar with previous editions of the magazine (especially issues 13 onwards) in order to gauge our tone and style. A free back issue can be requested through www.walkmag.co.uk.

Submissions

The magazine commissions features from freelance contributors every issue. Please contact the editor with an outline proposal by post or (preferably) email. The most effective way of submitting feature ideas is as a synopsis, which gives an outline of the story and the angle. Contributors whose work has not been published in the magazine before should enclose examples of previously published work. Manuscripts and photographs sent by post cannot be returned, please do not send originals. Because of the length of time between one issue and the next - and the pressure on space - it could take many weeks before we are able to make a final decision on whether to use an article. Articles which we are certain we would not be able to use will be returned immediately.

Types of article

Articles are welcome on a wide range of topics and themes but essentially they should in some way support the aim to promote an interest in walking. Features should not just be a profile of a location and we do not publish walk descriptions that include detailed directions; our approach is to refer readers to further sources of information such as maps, guidebooks or leaflets that will guide them along a route. If there are no books or leaflets available then an article should give enough information to allow a reasonably competent map reader to determine a route to follow.

In general, walking articles need to describe why a particular walk is special to the author and why they would recommend it, it needs to also connect with the local community, including characters encountered en route, anecdotes etc that help ‘show’ rather than ‘tell’. We are particularly looking for features that have a strong story line – e.g. walks that have connections with a historical or literary figure or walks that include some particular point of interest. Ideally the article should be submitted with photographs (see below). If these are not provided then the publication of the article would depend on appropriate photographs being sourced. In these circumstances we would not guarantee publication and payment unless suitable images are found.

Our policy is to try and feature walks that can be accessed by public transport. Although this is not a hard and fast rule, it will greatly help the chances of publication if public transport details are included in the article. We print an information panel for walks and the following information in short summary should be supplied with each feature:

• which maps to use
• which guidebooks to use
• start point
• distance
• time
• terrain
• public transport
• refreshments/Accommodation recommendations(if appropriate)
• relevant web links

Importantly, we do not only run walking articles. We also look to feature issues-nased pieces relating to Ramblers’ campaigning: environmental issues affecting walkers, rights of way issues, energy and planning issues, climate change, footpath maintenance and council-related issues, walking for health and social issues, legal issues (South Downs National Park or the Dorset Case, for example) and any other issue you can link through to walking in some way. In recent editions we have featured walking with kids, green lanes and 4WDs/motorcycles, an outreach project in Scotland involving walking, Scotland and Wales elections and parties commitments to walking and the outdoors, moorland fires, and coastal access.

Generally we are looking for articles between 600 and 1200 words in length depending on position in magazine. Fees are negotiable, usually based on NUJ rates. Payment is on publication and on submission of an invoice for the agreed fee. Invoices should be submitted to The Editor, walk, The Ramblers’ Association, 2nd Floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TW.

Please note that we would not consciously publish anything that served to undermine, or would be in competition with, Ramblers Worldwide Holidays. Ramblers Worldwide Holidays specialises in walking holidays abroad and so we would not be able to promote a similar tour operator in our editorial.

Photography

walk has a constant need for pictures from freelance contributors. It is a great help if articles, either unsolicited or commissioned, can be accompanied by good quality digital images supplied on CD as high resolution 300dpi scans. Initial submissions sent by email can be accompanied by low-resolution jpeg images.

Medium format slides are appreciated for potential covers. Cover pictures must be in portrait format and the top third of the image should be uncluttered to allow for the magazine's masthead. They will generally reflect the season of the cover date and be stunning/arty/have the ‘wow’ factor. It is not essential for landscapes to feature walkers. Ideally, we would like to show locations that are slightly less well-known than the more obvious ‘honey pot’ areas.

There is also a regular need for pictures to accompany completed articles and news stories from many parts of England, Scotland and Wales. In general, it is more satisfying if as many pictures as possible can reflect the season in which the issue concerned is published.

Unless particular people feature in the article to be illustrated, it is better if they do not dominate the scene. The ideal is to show walkers enjoying their environment and being in harmony with it. We do prefer pictures with walkers somewhere in frame. Images should be accompanied by detailed captions giving the exact location and preferred credits.

Payment is on publication and by negotiation, as for articles. Invoices should be submitted for the agreed fee to The Editor, walk, The Ramblers’ Association, 2nd Floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TW.

Important

Please note that unless otherwise agreed, authors agree to pass on rights for walk magazine and the Ramblers’ Association to use material commissioned/published in walk in an online context (both at www.walkmag.co.uk and www.ramblers.org.uk) and in any future publications, be it walk magazine or otherwise, published by the Ramblers Association.

Articles cannot be commissioned on any other basis. Acceptance of commission from the Editor is under this understanding and implies acceptance of the conditions as described above.