Guidelines for Submitting Articles and Newsletters

Who

• Submissions are welcome from anyone.
• Submissions from Certified Shamanic Astrologers, students of Shamanic Astrology, astrologers with knowledge of Shamanic Astrology, and representatives of groups whose activities are synergistic with those of SAMS are those most likely to be accepted.

What

• Subject matter for any article shall be astrological in nature or explore subjects and themes that are of interest to the Shamanic Astrology community (e.g., astronomy, archeo-astronomy, mythology, etc.).
• Articles that are primarily astrological in nature must be written from the Shamanic Astrology perspective.

When

• Articles are due a minimum of 4 weeks prior to publication.
• Submission queries for time sensitive articles should be made at least 12 weeks in advance.

Where

• Articles will be posted on the Shamanic Astrology Mystery School website and archived indefinitely.
• The SAMS newsletter is distributed by email.  It will contain an excerpt of the article and a link to the web page where the article resides.

Rights

• Concise legal language describing the rights required for internet publication do not exist at this time (August 2012).  SAMS retains the following rights for all articles formally accepted through the submission process:
  • The right to include the article or a portion thereof in one newsletter.
  • The right to archive the article on the SAMS website indefinitely.
  • The right to reference the article (via web link to its archived location on the SAMS website) in subsequent newsletters, articles, and social media posts (including, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
  • Authors retain the copyright to their articles and all other rights not specified above.
  • Previously published and derivative works are acceptable provided the author has the appropriate rights to do so.  It is the author’s responsibility to determine that they have the rights to do so.
  • Simultaneous submissions are acceptable provided the article is not being offered to another outlet that will claim rights that contradict those required by SAMS.
  • Submission of an article is considered an author’s acceptance of these terms.  No contract will be provided apart from a notice of acceptance repeating the terms outlined here.

Acceptance

• Acceptance/rejection is based entirely upon our perception of content, quality, and its potential appeal to the SAMS community.
  • All submissions will be subject to editorial review.  Acceptance may be dependent on the inclusion of specific editorial revisions.
  • Once an article is accepted, SAMS reserves the right to make minor edits or revisions to the article and related materials without the advance approval of the author; however, SAMS will consult authors about significant changes.  What is deemed minor and what is deemed significant is a matter of SAMS discretion.
  • A decision on an article will be communicated to the author approximately 30 days after receipt.

Document Format

• Submit articles via email to the following address:
  • erik@inspiralnexus.com
  • Hard copies will not be accepted.  All submissions must be in electronic format.
  • MS Word .docx format preferred.  Other formats that are acceptable (in order of preference) are MS Word .doc, .rtf, and .txt.
  • Article length: 800 – 1500 words
  • Include an article title and contact information on the first page.
  • Do not include any special text or document formatting.
  • Do not include pictures or images in the document file.
  • Images, if they are to be included, shall be submitted as separate electronic files.  Acceptable file fomats include .jpg, .png, .bmp, and .tiff.  Resolution of these images shall be 150 ppi.
  • Hard copies of images will not be accepted (or returned if someone should make the mistake of sending them).
  • If an author wishes to include a specific image, they must obtain the copyright to the image or specifc rights for the inclusion of that image.
    • If you’re proposing an article that involves birth charts, event charts, or other astrological charts, you must provide the original source of your data(e.g., birth certificate, birth record, mother’s memory, rectification [mention by whom and what source was used for the rectification], etc.).
      • Please do not make the mistake of proposing an article only to discover that your data are inaccurate.  Speculative data sources result in speculative interpretations and premises, which then contribute to astrology’s image as meaningless speculation.  Save yourself time and trouble; check out your data before you begin.
      • Note: Please refer to Rodden Rating System below, before you propose charts, and clearly state the status of your data.
      • AA: Accurate data as recorded by the family or state
        A: Accurate data as quoted by the person, kin, friend, or associate
        B: Biography or autobiography (give complete publication information)
        C: Caution: no source of origin
      • DD: Dirty Data: two or more conflicting quotes that are unqualified
        X: Data with no time of birth
      • XX: Data without a known or confirmed date
      • IMPORTANT: If you get your data from a computer program such as an astrological software or AstroDatabank (currently accessible at www.astro.com), it is insufficient to cite the program or the Web site as the source. You need to determine what their source is (as above).  Examples: Marilyn Monroe, AA: B.C. (birth certificate); Johnny Depp, A: data from father.

Remuneration

• SAMS is a 501c3 (non-profit) organization.  We appreciate the willingness of authors to contribute their work in support of the SAMS community.  No payments of any kind are offered in exchange for accepted submissions at this time.  We hope the increased exposure the author receives will be adequate compensation for the very limited rights we request.  We appreciate your understanding and are open to finding ways our community can work with yours to create mutual growth and success.