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Article Submission Guidelines for Pottery Making Illustrated

Pottery Making Illustrated provides well-illustrated, practical, how-to instruction for all skill levels on all aspects of ceramic art—handbuilding, throwing, firing and glazing techniques, as well as step-by-step projects, information on tools, equipment, safety and more. Here are some guidelines on how you can contribute.

Who Writes for Pottery Making Illustrated?
We’re looking for pottery/ceramics instructors, workshop leaders, and/or professional potters with information that would be of interest to our readers. Writing for PMI provides you with an opportunity to share your knowledge, experience and expertise with more than 60,000 fellow studio potters.
Types of Articles and Departments
Articles should focus on materials, processes, techniques, projects and related subjects, and should be presented in an easy-to-understand, well-illustrated format, for advanced intermediate to advanced level potters. Our readers want substantive how-to information about anything connected with making pottery throwing, handbuilding, glazing, clay and glaze technology, kilns and firing, design, equipment, safety, studio setup and projects. We do not publish product comparisons, reviews of professional ceramic shows, artist profiles, articles advocating unsafe procedures, or projects for children younger than high school age.

Manuscript Preparation
Prepare your manuscript for Pottery Making Illustrated as follows:

  • Limit manuscripts to 1000–2000 words in length.
  • Write concisely about a process, technique or project.
  • Describe processes and procedures in sequential, step-by-step format.
  • Be brief but don’t omit any pertinent information. Anticipate readers’ questions.
  • Include all clay and glaze recipes. Cite generic ingredients whenever possible.
  • Submit your manuscript in Microsoft Word electronically on a disk.
  • Put your name, address, phone number and e-mail on the title page, and consecutively number each page of your manuscript.
  • Safety is of the utmost concern since many of our readers have not had the opportunity to receive instruction on safety issues in the studio. When possible, please provide health and safety information.

Image Requirements

The quality of images is very important in determining manuscript acceptance. Any images submitted for publication should be in focus, properly exposed, with a full range of contrast and full depth of field. Here are some additional guidelines:

  • Format: We require professional digital images for publication. Digital images should be delivered as uncompressed four-color (CMYK), 300 dpi image files with a minimum print size of 5 inches (preferably tiff or eps format). Image files should be burned to a CD and mailed to our editorial offices with your complete submission. Images can also be uploaded to our ftp site. Uploaded files must be stuffed or zipped. For instructions and settings, call (614) 895-4213 or email editorial@potterymaking.org. Color photocopies and laser prints are not suitable for publication.
  • Guidelines for strong step-by-step photographs: Take close-up images that focus clearly on what is happening in each step. Clear the background of any studio clutter. Take photographs from the same angle/on the same axis for consistency. Shoot in a well-lit area but use diffused lighting to avoid harsh shadows. If the photo shoot is spread out over multiple days, wear the same clothing throughout photo shoot for consistency.
  • Graphics: Use drawings, charts and tables as visual aids where applicable. We may redraw images or reformat tables and graphs for style. Place each graphic element on a separate sheet of paper. Label all graphic elements with an identifying number. Submit a separate sheet with the corresponding numbers and captions.

Image Captions
Include all captions on a separate sheet of paper. Each image or graphic element must have a caption. Make sure image file names clearly match up with caption numbers. Captions for processes and techniques should describe the activity shown. Captions for finished ware should include: the title, dimensions, specific ceramic medium (earthenware, porcelain, etc.), forming/glazing techniques, cone number and firing process (pit fired, high fire, raku, etc.).

Credits
Provide a brief one or two sentence biography about yourself and include an e-mail address, web address, fax number or postal address if you want direct reader feedback. Our authors have indicated that this has been a valuable tool. If images or illustrations were provided by a third party, include her/his name so proper credit may be published. It is your responsibility to obtain the rights for any photographs, illustrations or other third-party materials submitted.

Article Production
Manuscripts are edited first for style, grammar, punctuation, technical accuracy and then to meet layout requirements. Because changes may occur up to the time the magazine is on press, we can’t provide final proofs; however, galley proofs are available on request. Pottery Making Illustrated uses professional designers and production personnel to provide article layout and design. Please do not send any layout or design work, just concentrate on the content, photos, illustrations and the writing.

Sending a Complete Submission
Please send a complete submission including one copy of your manuscript (electronic and hard copy) and related materials (images, caption list and drawings), but be sure to keep a copy for your records. Include a self-addressed, padded envelope with sufficient postage if you would like your materials returned. Slides should be sent in flexible plastic slide sheets. Protect your slides, transparencies or prints with cardboard and mark the package “Contains Photographs—Do Not Bend.” Send all materials with a cover letter either first-class or priority mail to:

Bill Jones, Editor
Pottery Making Illustrated
600 N. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 210
Westerville, OH 43082

Evaluation and Acceptance
When your submission arrives, it will receive immediate attention. A member of the editorial staff will acknowledge receipt and ask for additional information or images if necessary. Once the submission is complete, the editors will consider it for publication. Acceptance decisions are made at monthly review meetings. Publication contracts for accepted feature articles will be mailed at that time. Submissions not accepted will be returned promptly. The average time from acceptance to publication is between two months and one year, depending on article length and subject. Feature authors and artists are notified approximately one month prior to publication.

Copyrights
We ask for exclusive worldwide rights for the text (both print and electronic versions, including but not limited to publishing on demand, database online services, reprints or books), and nonexclusive rights for use of the photographic materials in print or electronic media. This nonexclusive agreement allows for the continued use of the photographic material in any way the artist chooses after the article has appeared in Pottery Making Illustrated.

Payment
When your article is published, you’ll be paid at the current rate of $0.10 per word for text and $25.00 per image or graphic illustration.

Copies of Your Article
Following publication, you’ll receive two complimentary copies of the magazine containing your article.

For More Information
If you want to learn more about submitting content to Pottery Making Illustrated, you may reach us at:

  • Pottery Making Illustrated, 600 N. Cleveland Avenue, Suite 210, Westerville, OH 43082
  • Telephone (614) 895-4219, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (EST)
  • Fax (614) 891-8960
  • Email bjones@ceramics.org