Magazine Author Guidelines

General: ASCA School Counselor runs feature articles dealing with trends, "how-to" topics and other issues of interest to professional school counselors. The writing style is bright, stylish and easy-to-read.

Parameters: Articles should be educational in focus. They should be written in an informal, nuts-and-bolts style rather than in an academic journalese style. There should be no separate list of references but rather, where necessary, the attribution should be woven into the article text itself. Articles will be edited and, in some cases, rewritten for clarity, style and brevity. Articles must be new. If the article is based on a previously written article or on a speech, it must be reworked so it sounds like fresh material. The final headline is determined by the editor.

Audience: ASCA School Counselor readers are school counselors working at all levels (elementary, middle/jr. high, secondary and postsecondary), as well as school counselor educators and school counseling students. Article topics should be oriented with this audience in mind.

Length: Articles are typically 1,500-1,800 words long, depending on topic and issue needs.

What Contributors Receive: There is no payment for contributed articles. However, the magazine will give the author a byline and publish a brief identification of the author. A website or email address may also be included at the end of the identification to allow reader feedback to the article. The identification will appear at the end of the article. The author will receive three copies of the magazine in which the article appears. (It is also possible to purchase bulk reprints. Discounts are available to the authors of articles.)

Author Agreements: Each author will be required to sign a standard author agreement acknowledging the material submitted is authentic and assigning copyright on the article to ASCA.

Procedure: Prospective contributors should query the editor, Kathleen Rakestraw with a description of the proposed article. The editor may request a one-page summary or outline prior to agreeing to read a manuscript. Check the editorial calendar for upcoming themes.