I just submitted to the CSM, and received back the following email that notes changes not yet listed on their webpage. The biggest change: their max word count is now 800. Also, the submissions email address is not listed on their website, but is listed below (I had to fill out an online form instead):
Please note that numerous changes have been made to the Home Forum section over the past few weeks:
1. We have a greater need for food-related essays and garden-related essays.
2. Our maximum word count is now 800 words. But we will probably have room for only one essay per week of that length. Most will be in the 400- to 700-word range.
3. Although we accept essays on all topics, we especially need those about home and family and those that give an international perspective.
4. Our children's page, Kid Space, has become Kid Spot and is looking for shorter articles. Please query us with your ideas.
If your submission is more than our maximum word count, we understand that you had no way of knowing our new needs. Please do NOT write us back to say that you would be happy to shorten it if necessary. We will consider all lengths and will discuss any necessary trimming when you send you an acceptance.
It is a great help to us if the beginning of your e-mail's the subject line notes that it's about food, gardening, a holiday, or is time-sensitive (i.e., it needs to be published within the next four weeks).
The best format for submitting is a Microsoft Word attachment. (We are not able to open any other attachments, so if you don’t work in Word, just cut and paste your submission into the body of the e-mail.) If you reached us through the Monitor's online form, we realize you were unable to use an attachment.
If a submission is time-sensitive, we will try to read it as soon as we can. However, if you haven't heard from us within a week, feel free to submit elsewhere.
We ask four weeks in which to consider your regular submission. If you haven't received an e-mail from us by then, you can know that we aren't able to use it and you're free to submit it elsewhere.
We're sorry that we're unable to give personal replies or critiques. The volume of submissions makes this impossible. Be assured, however, that we do read everything submitted.
Please be aware that if your e-mail account has a spam filter that blocks messages from “unauthorized” senders – and you have not added Home Forum to your authorized list -- you will not hear from us. This is becoming an increasing problem for us, and we simply don’t have time to fill out special forms in order to get through.
Thank you very much for not e-mailing the section’s editors directly; that only slows down consideration of your work. The address for queries and submissions: homeforum@csmonitor.com
You should read Home Forum and Living online to get more of an idea of the changes: http://www.csmonitor.com/homeforum and http://www.csmonitor.com/living Most of the contents of both these online sections appear in Home Forum in print.
Please note Be sure to include all of your contact information (e-mail address, daytime telephone, mailing address) with your submission or query. Please include a word count with essays and travel vignettes.
We are unable to accept:
Faxed submissions.
Telephone queries.
Simultaneous submissions.
Previously published material.
Articles that result from a press trip, free lodging or meals, etc.
We look forward to working with you.
Judy Lowe Home Forum editor
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