Writing and Grammar Tips for SAVANNAHGANS® Magazine Submissions

**Rough draft submissions are due 20 days before publications (unless otherwise arranged, such as a late idea/submission), which are Jan 1, Apr 1, July 1, and Oct 1. Email your completed article to Savannahgans@gmail.com.

All article submissions are reviewed and edited for optimal readability and consistency. However, some basics contributors should follow when writing an article for the magazine and blog. Sharing your story and expertise should be fun and stress-free, and let’s face it, not everyone likes to write or knows the ins and outs of writing for publication. These tips should help you write your article with confidence and ease. The article will get final edits (with your approval) before it sees the public’s eyes.

“Grammarly Pro” is used for pre-editing and to check for plagiarism. After that, I’ll give your piece a final shine before it’s returned for your final approval. When proofreading and re-reading, please verify the edits to ensure your story and any critical points weren’t altered. We want to make sure it’s perfect! These are the basic writing tips to follow:

1.  Only use ONE space following a period. It’s a hard habit to break if you’re accustomed to placing two spaces. One space makes a piece look clean and less “spaced out.”

2.  Write in the active voice, not the passive. Here’s Grammarly’s explanation and examples: https://www.grammarly.com/blog/active-vs-passive-voice/

3.   Use contractions. Examples of this are “are not”—>aren’t, “do not”—>don’t, “should not”—>shouldn’t, “is not”—>isn’t, he is—>he’s, etc. This tactic shortens the article and makes it less “wordy” for the reader. Contractions are acceptable in articles and blogs and recommended by the pros.

4.  Avoid using the word “that” too often. It’s a useless word and isn’t needed most of the time.

5.  If you used outside sources in your article, please list or provide links for reference. I’ll adequately cite and credit others’ work at the end of the article if needed.

6.  Avoid using too many “ly” words. Examples of “ly” words are: “occasionally,” “totally,” “really,” “terribly,” “usually,” and “generally,” to name a few. You’d be amazed how often “ly” words are used immeasurably in a single article. These words are generally (see what I did there?) unnecessary and make the piece wordy. The more compact the article, the more likely (that one’s good) the reader will finish to the end and take action on it—which we want them to do. (share it, comment on it, save it, Pinterest pin it, etc.).

7.  Use synonyms to avoid repeating the same word. An example is the word “important”. Change a few of the same words to other words with the same meaning, such as “vital,” “essential,” “crucial,” or “critical.” Another example is: “treatment” —> ”therapy” or “regimen.”

8. Eliminate extra words that mean the same thing.

9.  If adding photos or videos, please submit the online “consent form” found here https://www.savannahgans.com/consents and email original, high-resolution photos to savannahgans@gmail.com.

10. Don’t forget to include a small headshot and a paragraph summary containing what your readers want to know about you.

11. Don’t stress! Have fun writing and sharing your story; the rest is up to your editor. Even if writing isn’t your forte, give me the gist, and I’ll take it from there. The opportunity to share your experience is what matters!