Blue Ridge Country is a bi-monthly, full-color magazine embracing the feel and spirit of the Blue Ridge region – the traditions and recipes, the husbandry and farming, the country stores and cabins in the woods, the things to visit and learn about. In short, it is everything that will allow and encourage the reader to “take a trip home for the weekend” even if he or she has never lived in the region.
Our territory extends from West Virginia south through Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley of Virginia down into northern Georgia, and includes all territory within about a half day’s drive of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It includes the mountain regions of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia.
We encourage writers to submit story ideas with sample clips; we rarely publish unsolicited manuscripts.
MAIN PIECES: 750-2,000 WORDS
HISTORY AND LEGENDS
From people and events to unexplained occurrences or phenomena, full magazine prints, fascinating tales of past and present. In particular, we are seeking stories from “baby boomer” history – the 1940s to present.
THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY AND THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
There’s a wealth of wildlife, beauty, history and future plans involving the parkway and the trail and the areas immediately surrounding each. We’ll bring our readers a new piece of America’s favorite scenic highway and favorite footpath in each issue.
ENVIRONMENT
Well-researched, objective stories on environmental issues of relevance to the Appalachian mountains.
GENERAL ARTICLES
Anything that is well-researched, well-written and brings us some of the flavor of the region will get strong consideration. We’ll be looking for at-home kinds of things – environmental issues, arts and crafts, natural history and wildlife, and especially pieces that embrace the whole of the region. Plus humor, first-person adventure or discovery and the “bests” of the region.
DEPARTMENTS (100-300 words)
Very much like the main pieces, but in shorter versions; places to see, things to do, recipes to try, great people doing great things, new books, etc. – anything and everything that contributes to the sense of the place. Shorts of 100-300 words run in the Country Roads department.
RIGHTS
We buy exclusive first North America serial rights until the off-sale date of the issue in which material is published, as well as exclusive rights to the work for promotional reprint and web use (writer bio and link(s) included with online publication). We prefer attribution any time an article is reprinted elsewhere that has appeared in our magazine; Blue Ridge Country rarely publishes reprints (the usual exception is book preview excerpts). Please inform us if you are simultaneously submitting the same story to another publication.
STYLE
We adopt AP style for all magazine content. Stories must include interview material from primary sources only (person-to-person interview or, if necessary, e-interview). We expect accuracy and thorough research in all submissions. We encourage first person writing for outdoor recreation and travel writing.
ACCURACY
We fact-check all content before publication but expect all writers to submit thoroughly researched and accurate content that they have confirmed with real people, not websites. With all feature-length manuscripts, we require a list of citations and interviews for reference and final fact-checking.
PAY
We pay from $50 (for department shorts and book reviews) up to about $450 for major pieces. Original photos (shot by writer) are paid $50 per photo published. Payment is upon publication.
PHOTOGRAPHY
We use primarily color photographs that can be submitted as slides, high-resolution digital files (.jpgs or .tiffs, 300 dpi at a minimum print size of 5"x7. We pay $50 (interior minimum) to $150 (cover maximum) for exclusive first North American serial rights until the off-sale date of the issue in which the material is published, as well as rights to the work for promotional and reprint use. See photographic guidelines for more details.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Sample copies of the magazine are available. Send $3 and a magazine-size SASE. Send queries and ideas with cover letter, a sample of your work, preferably published, and SASE to:
Blue Ridge Country Magazine Story Query ATTN: Kurt Rheinheimer, Editor 3424 Brambleton Avenue Roanoke, VA 24018
Or via e-mail to krheinheimer@leisuremedia360.com.
If you have any further questions, please e-mail Kurt Rheinheimer, krheinheimer@leisuremedia360.com. You may also call (540) 989-6138.