Writers' Guidelines

Homeland Defense Journal is the first and most trusted independent monthly magazine dedicated exclusively to covering issues of critical importance to U.S. homeland security and defense. Each month, the industry’s leading journalists and experts provide in-depth coverage and analysis of programs, projects, new initiatives, government funding and innovative products the help keep America safe, strong and secure.

Although the editors of Homeland Defense Journal are open to accepting unsolicited articles, we have set forth the following writers' guidelines.

Manuscripts may not be submitted simultaneously to other publications.

Feature stories should run approximately 1,000 words, unless assigned a different length by an editor.

Articles must be product and vendor-neutral, focused on an event, trend, technology category, initiative, policy issue or case study.

Articles must be unbiased and must include comments from at least two knowledgeable experts or references to other independent studies (if they exist).

If the author is affiliated with the featured corporation, the article must include commentary from an expert outside of the organization, such as an end user, competitor, partner, industry analyst, or independent study/report. We will not run single-source articles, unless they are labeled opinion pieces. Press releases will not be considered as article submissions.

Articles must be written in third person, past tense, and use active voice.

Associated Press style is preferred.

Complete references - including other published material, sources' names, credentials and phone numbers - must be included with the submission. References must be incorporated into the body of the article, not in footnotes or endnotes.

The author's name, credentials, address, telephone numbers, e-mail address and short bio must appear on the first page.

Authors are encouraged to provide photographs, charts, slides, artwork or any other supporting material that would enhance the presentation of the article.

Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi resolution and saved in JPEG, TIFF or GIF format.

Authors assume responsibility for the accuracy of information, and Homeland Defense Journal accepts no responsibility for opinions or statements offered by authors. Articles reflect the opinions of the authors and in no way reflect the opinions of the publisher.

Manuscripts should be saved in Microsoft Word and sent via e-mail to mweaver@homelanddefensejournal.com.

All copy will be edited for clarity and conformity to AP style. Authors may be asked to provide additional information or to prepare revisions.

If a manuscript is accepted for publication, the article becomes the property of Homeland Defense Journal, and the publisher assumes copyright privileges.

If the editor of Homeland Defense Journal decides to publish your unsolicited article in print, you will be contacted. Homeland Defense Journal does not guarantee that any unsolicited article it receives will be published.

Production Requirements
Articles and all supporting materials (i.e. photos, graphics) are due approximately 8 weeks prior to publication date (the first of every month), unless a specific date has been negotiated with the managing editor.

Style Guidelines
Speaker & Company IDs: Speakers should be fully identified by name and title on first reference. Company names and locations should also be complete on first reference: Gartner Inc. in Stamford, Conn. Describe companies (function/industry) that are not widely known.

Quotes: Anything that appears within quotation marks must actually have been said or written by the source. Do not be afraid to paraphrase a long quote.

Other Sourcing: If you refer to a book, please give full title, name of author, publisher and date of publication. Reference newspaper or magazine articles with full name and date of publication: according to an article in The New York Times (Nov. 18, 1988)