Contribute to Dirt Rag

Go to: Editorial Stuff or Art Stuff

Dirt Rag Magazine
3483 Saxonburg Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
412.767.9910
dirtrag@dirtragmag.com
artdirector@dirtragmag.com

Dirt Rag is a non-glossy magazine written by and for real people who ride their bikes offroad. We publish seven issue per year. Submissions to Dirt Rag are highly encouraged. We consider each and every submission received.
 

Editorial Stuff

How do I submit editorial material?
A lot of Dirt Rag's content isn't written by staff members—it's written by either professional freelancers or readers who get inspired to write something down. We accept and encourage submissions of all kinds. Choose to either submit a brief query or a finished article. Emails (keep them short!) to editor@dirtragmag.com are the preferred method of communication. We get lots of queries, so don't expect a quick response time. Be sure to put your contact information on all aspects of your communication. Specify if your work has been published or solicited elsewhere.

Do you pay for Articles?
Yes. Not much, but we do what we can. Standard pay is ten cents per word.

Emails and Attachments
As emails to editor@dirtragmag.com are the preferred method for submitting material, please include an attachment friendly to Microsoft Word, with the copy also pasted in the email. No huge documents, no special characters, no special formatting. Keep it simple.

Ideas for Submissions
We have 2 types of articles—Features and Departments.

• Features are more in-depth articles, usually running 1,000-3,500 words. An example of a Feature is a "Places to Ride" with maps and a 411 sidebar, or an interview with someone really unique. Features often involve art, and will therefore require collaboration with the art department. See the Art Guidelines for more.
   
• Departments are the backbone of the magazine. However, not every department appears every issue. Consult a few issues of the Dirt Rag and look at the Table of Contents "Departments" to get a feel for what we do. It's most common that we need material for Readings—short, 100-500 word, timely newsbriefs. Consult the deadlines chapter below for material deadline dates.
   
• Also... Occasionally, we post web exclusive articles on our site. However, we don't pay for them. If you don't mind letting us use your work, please say so, and it will be more likely to appear online.

Deadlines
Materials deadlines fall approximately six weeks prior to the issue date.

Anything else?
If the above didn't answer your question, contact the editor at editor@dirtragmag.com or call the office at 412.767.9910.

Art Stuff

We accept art, photos, cartoons, scribbles, collage, etc. All are welcome. The decision to use a piece of art or photography could take one week or it could take years.

Usage
Dirt Rag assumes all art and photography submitted is designated for use in the magazine. We reserve the right to reprint art on the web and in promotions and advertisements for Dirt Rag.

Payment
Payment is made once the piece is used, not before. Payment takes six weeks from the publication date. If you have specific payment requirements contact the Art Director BEFORE submitting any work. Payment typically ranges from $25 to $100.

The Cover
We accept and use both color artwork and photography. We pay $300. Whatever the medium, there must be space allowed on top for the Dirt Rag logo and tag line. Space will also be taken up on the bottom left for the UPC symbol. The overall size is 8.25 x 11 (trims to 8 x 10.75), so please keep your artwork proportionate.

Photography
Creativity is the key. We usually choose photos based on their artistic value, rather than for their newsworthiness and/ or timeliness. We like photos that are out of the ordinary. They need not accompany an article. We'll give you a nice credit line, and a decent layout. We accept black and white or color prints up to 8x10. Slides are also accepted. Please see the Electronic Submission Guidelines section for digital materials information.

The Rider's Eye
The Rider's Eye is a unique magazine department that focuses on the love of cycling photography. You don't get paid for art published in The Rider's Eye. If that drives people away, great, we still pay for other stuff, but The Rider's Eye is about the people who ride because they love to ride and the people who shoot because they love to shoot.

To contribute to The Rider's Eye: Please email one to three high-res digital photos with The Rider's Eye in the message's subject line to riderseye@dirtragmag.com.

All photos submitted to Rider's Eye must be submitted by the original photographer or be clearly noted in body text that permission was given for reproducing image in Rider's Eye.

Please include the following information for each photo:

• Location, ie: city/state or city/country or forest/state, etc.
• Photographer...either say you took it or say who did.
• Misc info that might be necessary such as the rider depicted or the photograph's title...keep it short, we might not even print it.
• All digital files must be clearly labeled with your first and last name.

Reader Art
Similar to The Rider's Eye, we showcase reader submitted artwork every issue. You don't get paid for art published in Reader Art. If you would like your artwork to be considered for Reader Art, please let us know when you submit it.

Electronic Submission Guidelines
We love digital files! Sending us your artwork and photography as electronic media saves time and money, and it also preserves the original materials by keeping them in their creator's possession. This can be a win-win situation as long as contributors follow some simple guidelines. Macintosh rules! Dirt Rag's entire office runs on Mac. Files created on a PC may cause problems. The preferred format for any bitmapped art is TIFF, and for vector art it's EPS. PDF & JPEG are acceptable only if the image quality is set to maximum, and the resolution is at least 300dpi. 72dpi JPEG's are great for samples, but not for print! Acceptable media includes CD and DVD. We ask that you do not e-mail files larger than 3 mb.

Return
Return postage is required if you want your materials returned. A self-addressed, stamped envelope is appreciated, but simply including a check or well concealed cash will suffice. If you want your submission returned by a specific date then you must be sure to specify this in detail in a letter accompanying your submission.

Important
Name/address/phone MUST be on ALL correspondence. This information should be on the artwork if at all possible - not just on the cover letter. If we cannot locate your address or phone number, you cannot be paid.

Questions?
Contact the art director with any questions! If you have e-mail, please contact the art director to join the Dirt Rag Art Department E-mail list. artdirector@dirtragmag.com.

Any questions concerning Rider's Eye should be sent to riderseye@dirtragmag.com.