Guidelines

PLEASE NOTE: We strongly encourage queries before submission (written, phone or e-mail).

Be A Cottage Reader

In the pages of Cottage magazine, cottage, cabin and property owners share a common interest in recreational living in Western Canada. The bulk of our writers and photographers not only come from the local cottaging community, but many of them were long-time Cottage magazine readers before they began contributing.

Types Of Stories

We buy features and contributions to our departments on topics from sustainable living and alternative energy, to feature cabins and cottages, to DIY projects and how-to instructional articles, to general cottaging lifestyle stories. Write tight, write short, write with the reader in mind, write to inform, write to entertain.

Features run up to 2,000 words and include colour photos. Departments run 800 to 1,000 words. We generally pay by the word for departments, and by flat rate for features. Rates vary with the amount of revision required per manuscript, and whether or not the photography is strong enough to justify a colour spread.

Queries

We prefer queries rather than finished manuscripts. Your idea may have been used recently, or the idea could benefit from a bit of shaping to suit our requirements before you begin writing. You will save considerable time in the long run if you master the query letter (or email). Queries submitted with a few sample photographs will get the editor’s attention much, much faster.

Submission Format

Queries are accepted on paper, by mail or fax; or by email, which is preferred. Send a Word document or plain text to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , with "Cottage Magazine QUERY" in the subject line.

Please ensure the correct spelling of all names and titles. Be accurate, and ensure that you have covered the five basic Ws. Be specific, our readers like to know how far, how long, how many. Be historic, these touches enrich the read.