Boulevard Magazine Writers’ Guidelines
Boulevard welcomes writers’ queries. We are interested in articles that capture the vitality of Greater Victoria through its people, arts, culture, social issues, leisure, recreation, architecture and design. Our editors believe that the best articles honour both the writer’s voice and the reader’s interests.
Here is what you should know about us if you want to make a pitch.
- We publish six times a year: January/February, March/April, May/June and so on. We work about five months in advance. For the May issue, for instance, you need to pitch in early January.
- When you query, be sure to have done enough research to know for sure this story is a “go.” Make your pitch in less than 200 words. Then add the names of the sources you’ll interview and give us an idea about what photos might work best to help tell the story. Boulevard is known for its beautiful photos and design, so this is important. Imagine the headline on your story, and tell us what it is. (If we accept a story idea, you’ll be asked to provide a list of sources and contact information with your draft.)
- Your pitch tells us what we need to know about your writing style and substance. We like writing that is focused, fresh, smart, concise, accurate and jargon-free. We like stories with real people doing real things. We like strong quotes, not dull ones. The tone is bright, the description crisp. At Boulevard, we don’t tell people in the Victoria area how to live. We tell great stories about how people here do live.
- If you are pitching a feature article, send your query via e-mail to Vivian Smith, Managing Editor at editor@victoriaboulevard.com. If you want to pitch to a regular department (including Hot Properties, Hot Design, Food and Travel), send an e-mail to Anne Mullens, Associate Editor, at anne@victoriaboulevard.com. If you aren’t sure, send the query to Vivian Smith.
- We pay 30 cents a word. The average article length is about 1,000 words. Included in the rate is the assumption that you are prepared to do some rewriting or more research as requested, but certainly not endlessly. We ask writers to please check all website URLs and phone numbers before handing in their stories, too. We use Canadian Press style, more or less.
As well as publishing a range of compelling and entertaining features in each issue, Boulevard requires great stories for our regular departments:
Hot Properties: These 1,000- to 1,200-word articles describe beautifully designed homes in gorgeous settings. But more than that, they tell readers something about the people who live there and why they connect with this home, whether it is a great new condo or a Tudor reno or a new West Coast stunner. We are interested in the green aspects of the home, and how the various pieces of its design were decided on. The property must NOT be for sale. The writer is also responsible for deciding on which suppliers, trades and/or designers should be listed for readers’ interest. We will provide the template for this list. For example, the writer might decide that a home’s flooring, windows and bedroom furniture are the most interesting features. The writer puts together the list that gives the names of the companies that provided those items, using the correct company names. This list is not included in the word count.
Hot Design: Design features (800 to 1,000 words) usually describe an aspect of residential design, such as entranceways, hearths or hardware. But design can also include appliances, personal items or utilitarian pieces. If the design of the product is compelling and the product is available, we are interested in telling our readers about it. Don’t write it like an advertisement though: be descriptive and write about the people who use it and/or designed it.
Eating Out and Eating In: Our two, 800-word food articles describe what is new in the Victoria area if you are going out to eat, and what is the latest thing in cooking at home. The Eating Out article could look at hot places for brunch, or perhaps give a roundup of the newest hot spots in one area of town. Eating In might look at seasonal recipes, or perhaps new ways to make great dishes from locally grown food. These articles are not reviews, but are descriptive.
Travel Near and Travel Far: These two articles (800 to 1,000 words) describe new, off-beat destinations that would interest our 45-60 demographic, or it might revisit favourite destinations that have changed. Travel Near is concerned with destinations within a few hours’ drive of Victoria (notwithstanding ferry lineups) and Travel Far articles showcase places – and people – that require us to take more than just an overnight bag. We like theme travel too, such as trips for people interested in cooking or hiking or art or you name it.
Creative Minds (1,000 to 1,200 words) is a profile of someone in our region who is demonstrably creating something new with his or her vision and commitment. The person can be in the arts, business, education or government, wherever they can be shown to be the driving force behind a successful venture. They may be a behind-the-scenes motivator, or an out-front person whose name will soon be on everyone’s lips.
Secrets & Lies (about 1,200 words) is a quirky, but demanding feature that anchors the back pages of Boulevard. It is a question-and-answer format: we talk to a person Victorians have heard of, but don’t really know, and ask them questions that range from the light-hearted to the serious and thought-provoking. This is a popular Boulevard feature that requires a writer who does her or his homework on the subject, and submits questions to the editor before the interview. But you do not submit the questions to the interview subject first.
Cowichan Feature: Every issue, we present an article (1,200 words maximum) that brings readers news from the Cowichan Valley, a popular area north of Victoria that encompasses Duncan, Mill Bay, Cowichan Lake and other nearby communities. We are interested in stories about the Cowichan lifestyle, its issues, arts, people and activities.