Writers' And Photographers' Guidelines

* There are 8.5 million certified scuba divers in the United States (all agencies).
* PADI certifies 70% of divers in the U.S. and 55% of divers throughout the world.
* 72% of divers are male and 28% are female.
* 62% of divers have an average income above $50,000.
* 39% of divers are in a professional/managerial occupation.
* 58% of divers are married. * 50% of divers have a college degree.
* The average age for divers is 36 years old.

More specifically, Sport Diver's readership is broken
into two age categories: 18-28 and 42-55. Both groups are
predominantly male. Most of the 18- to 28-year-old group has been
certified two years or less.

Leisure travel and outdoor recreation compose the majority of their
vacation and free-time activities.

Feature Article Categories

Feature Articles in Sport Diver can be broken down into
four main interest areas:

Travel: Travel is an integral part of recreational diving
and represents the majority of feature articles. (It also represents
the majority of submissions we receive.) This category can be
subdivided into two parts: destinations and exotic adventure.

Destination articles report the features, diving styles, attractions,
Damenities and culture of a location. The articles are usually an
overview of the flair and flavor of an island or country. Topside
activity is of equal (in some cases greater) importance as the diving.
We also cover exotic travel, which must have a dive angle but need not
be solely about diving. Exotic travel is loosely defined as locations
exotic to North Americans and would exclude Florida, California, the
Caribbean, Mexico, and well-established Central American locations.
** NOTE **
Do not submit articles that are nothing more than glorified
travel itineraries or simply a dive-by-dive chronology of your last
vacation. These articles will be rejected.

Adventure: This is a broad category that is open to interpretation.
Adventure encompasses anything that is out of the
ordinary. It may beice diving in the Arctic or deep diving in the
far Pacific. It could be a rare animal encounter or cave diving in
Borneo. And while adventure always means some form of unusual
activity, it doesn't always take place at far-flung destinations.
There are good adventures in our own backyards.
Adventure could also be things like 10 best drift dives in the world,
or Attainable Exotic: five unusual dive locations for a long-weekend.

Gear: These stories use equipment as the central theme
around which the story is developed. It may be about the gear itself or
about an unusual way in which the gear is used. It may also point out
the critical nature of a specific piece of equipment in accomplishing
some interesting adventure dive. For example, Sport Diver recently
published an article about a recreational diver who participated in a
hands-on experience course using commercial surface-supplied diving
equipment.

Critters/Environment: These articles focus on some aspect
of marine life or ecosystems. These can include the quest for a rare
encounter, the quirky nature of a little-known creature, how and
where to find specific species, or overviews of the worldwide
condition of a species or habitat. For example, Sport Diver recently
published an overview on the state of sea turtle populations and the
effects of 25 years of conservation.

**NOTE** While conservation is a priority issue for the majority of
divers and the staff of Sport Diver, we will reject articles that are
extremist diatribes on behalf of specific organizations, unfairly
balanced articles or negative attacks. Be very careful if you are
considering this type of article, and be sure that all of your sources
and facts can be independently verified.

We're also interested in photo essays focused in any one
of these categories. They must have technical details (how images
were obtained, problems encountered/overcome, etc.), type
equipment/technique. Most importantly the essay must have a clearly
defined theme.

Other Articles

News/Travel News/Innovations/Unusual: This area is a
great way for new writers to get a foot in the door with Sport Diver.
Shorter in length (50 to 300 words), these items report on
breakthroughs in technology or techniques, major shifts in places or
processes, and the odd or funny face of diving. For example, Sport
Diver recently published an article about a man who has made a
business out of retrieving and selling balls from golf course water
hazards. They can cover dive or marine science news, ecology, or
information to enhance the diving experience. Travel items should be
short news blurbs about new experiences at traditional locations,
such as an improved dive vessel at a Cayman resort, a new kayak
adventure on Provo, or nitrox availability at an Aruba retreat.

Writing & Photography Guidelines

Before you submit anything, READ THE LAST TWO ISSUES OF
SPORT DIVER MAGAZINE and REVIEW OUR WEB SITE. There is nothing we can tell you here that will prepare you any better. Invest your time
doing that to save all of us time and energy later. In all but the
rarest of cases, manuscripts must have publishing-quality
photography. We want topside photography included. Single-style
photography (i.e., all-macro) is rarely appreciated unless it's the
technical focus of the article. Photos often sell the story. If you are
strictly a writer, let us know if you can hook up with a photographer
and send us samples of that person's work.Full-length feature stories
are usually assigned to our editorial staff or to regular contributors, but we are always looking to establish new relationships with writers and photographers. Do not be deterred from pitching us sound ideas. (Just remember that you are selling yourself as much as the story concept.) The news briefs and travel news stories are usually the easiest way to start a relationship with Sport Diver.

Feature articles should be 1,200-2,500 words. We pay $300-$500 for
feature articles (text only). News and travel news should be 50-300
words. We pay $50-$150 for these items (text only). See photography
section below for photo guidelines and rates. Ideas must be fresh and
adventurous. Highlight the adventure angle, whether you're in search
of big creatures, lost in an unusual cultural setting, profiling an
exceptional personality, or exploring a brand-new location we've
never seen. We do accept stories on exotic locations but prefer good,
meaty tales from the Caribbean and closer to home. We cannot
over-emphasize the importance of creative writing and strong prose.
Very often, pedantic writing sinks good ideas. Here's a list of words
and phrases that may sabotage your efforts to get in print. (Don't
use them.)

* Gin-clear water
* Beautiful, above and below
* Island floating in the ocean
* Snow-white beaches (or sand)
* We were floating weightless

Be critical of your writing. Remember that you're taking
someone on a vicarious diving adventure. If the reader is not living
it through your words, then it needs a re-write. Also keep in mind
that passive-voice prose is dull and wordy. (If you don't know what
that means, then perhaps you need to take your ideas elsewhere.)

All feature articles need the following information
included as a sidebar:

* Phone, fax, e-mail and Web site URL for all cited sources and dive operators. (We don't need postal addresses).

* Traveler resources: map location, transportation to destination,
topside activities and/or points of interest, climate (and/or best time
to dive), entry/exit requirements or taxes, currency, language, tipping
practices, water potability, electrical current, tourism board info.
* Dive operations: number of boats/divers on boats, equipment
type/condition, type diving/parameters, ancillary services availability

(camera rental, E-6 processing, etc.).

* Doing it like a local, it being anything -- partying, best
beer, best restaurants, best beaches, local customs you need to know
about, etc.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Our priority is quality. We prefer 35mm slides. Larger formats are
accepted. Rarely will a photo print be reproduced in the
magazine, but they may be used on the Web site. Originals or dupes
are accepted (indicate availability of originals).

* Do not send originals with queries. If your idea is accepted, we will request originals.
* Label all slides with photographer's name, and address and/or phone number.
* A caption sheet must accompany all accepted submissions unless otherwise agreed.
* All submissions must include a sheet documenting number of images submitted and the article to which they belong.
* We purchase one-time rights, including the use of photos on the
Sport Diver Web site within the context of the original article.

Print Rates:

Cover $1,000
2-page spread $200
Page + $175
Full page $150
Half page + $125
Half page $100
Less than 1/2 $75

Spot $50

Separate rates will be negotiated for photos used on the Web site outside the original article with which they appeared in print.

Submission Process

Ideas for feature articles should be submitted via query letter. Queries may be submitted via regular mail or e-mail at the addresses below. We will respond via e-mail unless you do not have e-mail availability. (If you don't, get it immediately if you plan to be a writer.) If you want materials returned via regular mail, enclose SASE. No multiple submissions ccepted. All queries must meet the following criteria:

* Succinct statement of concept and style/approach (no
more than three short paragraphs)
* Availability of photos and their source. Samples help
sell stories. Send dupes of 35mm slides, or JPEG or tiff file e-mail
attachments. Do not send originals. Sport Diver will not be responsible
for the return of unsolicited original photos.
* Brief professional biography - any special credentials
you hold and previous writing experience. Include photocopies of
previously published clips. Sport Diver will not be responsible for
the return of unsolicited original clips.
* Your complete mailing address, e-mail address and phone numbers.

Submissions for News/Travel News (non-feature articles)
can be made either as a query or complete manuscript submission.
Include photo samples or a source for photos. (Sport Diver will not
be responsible for the return of any unsolicited photos.) All
submissions must include your complete mailing address, e-mail
address and phone numbers. All manuscripts must be submitted in one
of the following formats:

* 3.5-inch floppy disk
* CD-ROM in Microsoft Word or compatible software
* E-mail attachment in Microsoft Word or a compatible software
(plain text format is acceptable). **NOTE** If you are
submitting via e-mail, do not send manuscripts as body copy within an
e-mail. You your article will be rejected. They must be sent as
e-mail attachments.
* Hard-copy manuscripts are accepted only with computer/electronic
copies (in compatible format).

All manuscripts and queries should follow these format
guidelines:

* Use a serif font (such as Times Roman) in 12 or 14 pt.
* Use double line spacing
* Do not add extra hard-return line spaces between paragraphs.
Indent new paragraphs using a tab space set 0.5 inches.
Do not use five space-bar spaces to indent.
* Single-space only between sentences. (Do not double space between the period ending a sentence and the capital letter
beginningthe next sentence.)
* Italicize boat names and movie and book titles.

A hard-copy manuscript - page-numbered and stapled - if there is a problem with the electronic version.All submissions (manuscript and photo) should be addressed to:

Sport Diver Magazine
460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200
Winter Park, FL 32789
Attn: Managing Editor

Or, you can submit via e-mail to
kirk.brown@worldpub.net.

Please allow6-8 weeks to receive a response to queries.

Revised August 2000