Submission Guidelines

Well-written articles that adhere to outlined expectations and are submitted on or before deadline are the best way to establish a freelance relationship with our magazines.

Follow the publication’s writing style. APHA uses the AP Stylebook, but also has its own preferred style in certain situations (attributions, use of horse/breed names, etc). Freelancers should review the APHA Style Manual for details, which is available from the editor, Jessica Hein.

Strive for tight writing in the active voice. Long, rambling essays will be rejected. First-person narratives and question-and-answer formatting require prior approval from the editor.

Write with the publication’s tone in mind. While we strive to maintain a freelancer’s “voice” in their work, all articles are edited by staff to fit the magazine’s tone. You might be asked to clarify questions or even rewrite your article, if needed.

Attribute information sources in the article. That might include direct quotes, or references for paraphrased information.

Proofread your article before submission, including correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. Check all names (horse and human) for accuracy, and fact check details of your article.

If a source requests the ability to review your article, it’s the freelancer’s responsibility to take care of that before submission to APHA.

Include a headline, deck and byline. Main body copy should be separated into sub-headings/sections to enhance readability in most circumstances.

Before submitting a freelance article to our magazines, first pitch your specific story idea details to our editor. An article query should be a detailed query of the topic, including what you’ll cover, the proposed article style, source ideas and available imagery. If we haven’t worked with you before, include information about your background with horses/APHA and a link to some published writing samples.

Email queries are highly preferred; physical manuscripts/materials will not be returned.

APHA generally develops its editorial calendar a year in advance, though we accept story ideas at any time. A query might be accepted, held for future consideration or rejected. Acceptance or use is not guaranteed, and APHA reserves the right to modify stories/publication schedules at any time.

If your query idea is accepted, you will be asked to provide a complete outline of the article, including a list of potential sources (to be approved by APHA) and photos that might accompany it. The editor will outline the expected word count, deadline, fee and any other considerations. APHA purchases FNASR in most cases, including approval for use in APHA-owned vehicles (print and digital publications, horseIQ resources, social media promotion, etc).

Suitable photographs/imagery are an integral part of an editorial submission and are considered part of the complete editorial package. They should be visually interesting, while clearly illustrating the major points made in the article and feature a registered American Paint Horse.

Freelance photography needs are discussed on a per-article basis and needs will be outlined with the freelancer in advance whenever possible. Preference is given to freelancers who can both write and photograph their assignments. Collecting good-quality images from a source might be an option in some circumstances. Payment for images is discussed on an individual basis.

RAW or high-resolution digital images are required.

Photographs are rarely purchased independently of editorial. If you have an exceptional photograph unrelated to an upcoming article, please query the editor.

The photographer must provide the APHA registered name of the horse(s) in the image and have permission of the owner to submit the images to APHA.