Western Pennsylvania History quarterly magazine Submission guidelines as of 2009 are the following: 

1. Articles must be based on primary resources or original analysis of current or historical events.

2. Feature articles range from 3,000 to 4,000 words.

3. Book reviews are being moved online. Most books will receive short, but timely reviews on our online blog. Longer book reviews average 400 words. Contact book review editor Art Louderback at calouderback@hswp.org if you would like to review a book. Books to be considered for review can be sent to the Heinz History Center c/o the magazine editor.

4. If sending a proposal, be specific about what your article will focus on; if sending a manuscript, make sure you have a clear, concise thesis statement that appears very early.

5. Articles should not be of a general nature but should be written to be enjoyed by a general audience.

6. All articles must have endnotes or a detailed list of sources. Use Chicago Manual of Style for format, and include publisher, city, date, and page.

7. Articles must not cover information already available except for context.

8. Do not submit previously published articles or book excerpts.

9. Please review punctuation and grammar before submitting.

10. Illustrations, especially color, are very important. Include photocopies and information on their availability. Please limit images to 10; we'll likely use fewer. Scans are fine but must be hi-resolution (300 dpi) TIFFs. Internet images are not acceptable, nor are 72 dpi JPEGs. Most digital camera images are too small.

11. All images and permissions are required by the issue's deadline. Manuscripts MUST contain captions and credits.

12. Manuscripts must also contain an author bio of 30 words or less.

13. Submit at any time: there are no deadlines until an article is accepted and scheduled for publication.

14. Submissions are subject to modification and outside review, with the editor having final approval.

15. Publication in a particular issue cannot be guaranteed.

16. The magazine pays authors upon publication, typically $75, via invoice. There is no payment for book reviews.

17. The Historical Society retains the right to reprint articles in any format or media, and retains the right to grant that permission to others.

18. Submissions can be e-mailed to editor Brian Butko at babutko@hswp.org. An attached Microsoft Word for Mac document is preferred, though most PC files can be translated. Do not paste a submission into the body of an e-mail.

NOTE: correspondence can sometimes take months. Publication will likely take at least a year. We take great care in proofing, editing, and designing articles, which takes quality time.