Reprint or Submit an Article, Photo, or Graphic
If you would like to reprint an article, graphic, table, or other item that was found in one of our publications please fill our permission form.
Magazines, newsletters, and fact sheets published by the National Environmental
Services Center (NESC) at West Virginia University cover a wide range of
small community and rural drinking water and wastewater-related topics,
including water quality, treatment, management, and financing among others.
From time to time, we use freelance writers to compensate content created
by in-house staff.
Authors must first mail a written query to be considered for print.
All submissions and reprint requests must be mailed to:
National Environmental Services Center
ATTN: Mark Kemp-Rye, Communications Director
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6064
Morgantown, WV 26506-6064
Editorial Policy and Author Guidelines for Submissions
Submitting an Article
From time to time, we use freelance writers to complement content created by in-house staff. Authors must first mail a written query to be considered for print. Make sure your article is appropriate for our publication. The article should not duplicate the scope or content of another article already published by the NESC. Please review backcopies online in our Publication Archives Section.
Articles should be written in an active, conversational style. Our magazines are not journals, therefore, typical journal-style writing is not acceptable. Acceptance for review does not guarantee that the article will be printed.
Written proposals or queries will be reviewed promptly. Accepted articles
are usually published within one year. Submissions must include a cover
sheet with the author(s) name, telephone number, address, fax number, and
e-mail, if available. NESC editors set deadlines and publication dates once
an article is accepted.
Submitted articles should be double-spaced, 12-point Times, with word count
printed on the top right-hand corner. Pages should be numbered. The author's
name should appear on each page.
Important: NESC does not accept advertising of any kind
and we do not endorse products other than the ones that have been through
our screening process. Promotional material is not accepted and should be
removed from any article that you intend to submit.
Submitting Photos or Graphics
If electronic graphics are submitted with the article, the files must be
formated for FreeHand, Adobe Illustrator, or Adobe Photoshop. Files need to be at least
300 lpi (lines per inch) resolution and in grayscale or CMYK (cyan, magenta,
yellow, and black) four-color process format.
Most photos for publication are 2MB or larger. If your file size is less
than this, the image is probably too small or the resolution is too low
for print.
If photos/images/tables are supplied, it should be indicated where they
should be placed within the body of the text (i.e. Filter system close-up
Figure 1).
Two rules to remember:
- 1. Avoid a "line 'em up and shoot 'em" photo or any kind of shot that looks set up or posed.
- 2. Number all of your photos and write cutlines for them before you submit them. Do not write on the back of any photo you intend to submit. The writing may press through the photo and make it difficult to work with.
Once NESC accepts an article, the article is edited for style, syntax, grammar, organization, and clarity. Writers must be willing to accept direction, to ensure that the publication will have a consistent format and style. Authors will be asked to handle all major revisions.
We publish a NESC style guide that determines grammatical preferences and how words are used. The style guide is available by calling (800) 624-8301 to have a copy faxed or mailed to you. The guide is based on the Associated Press Style Guide and the Chicago Manual of Style.
* All articles should include the author's photo and biographical information.
For More Information
Please e-mail info@mail.nesc.wvu.edu
or call (800) 624-8301 toll-free, or (304) 293-4191.