EDITOR'S DESK by Cheryl McGuire
Welcome to the Spring issue of Straitjackets Magazine. The editors thank Judy Maré for the wonderful contribution she made during her time as co-editor. Her voice remains alive within us.
In an effort to make Straitjackets Magazine the best it can be—and encourage writers to be the best they can be—we pass along the following notes for review before submitting.
Send all submissions to straitjacketsmagazine@gmail.com (please do not submit to editors’ personal emails).
Format Notes:
Word doc or Word docx only (convert Google & other formats to Word).
Top of the page: name, email, type (ss, poem, memoir, essay, excerpt), word count.
Top of page, centered: Title and byline.
Font: Times New Roman. 12 point. Text double spaced.
Don’t indent the first paragraph; indent all the rest (5 spaces).
Page numbers centered in the footer (not in the text).
Common Errors:
Put one space (not two) after periods at the end of a sentence.
Do not use quotations marks to emphasize words.
Ellipses: space dot, space dot, space. (Use sparingly)
Watch for repetitive words. Track and replace them with the search function.
Use a Thesaurus for more creative vocabulary.
Avoid “ly” words (such as, a really bright day).
Know voice and when to use each one:
Active voice—My sister took the prizewinning photograph.
Passive voice (avoid)—The prizewinning photo was taken by my sister.
Use passive voice to emphasize the recipient of an action—The Colonel was killed during an uprising in his hometown.
Use passive voice in scientific and technical writing to focus attention on what is being studied—The volunteers’ food intake was closely monitored.
Write out all numbers.
Free Help:
Use the Review tab in the Word document
The editors JoLynne Buehring, Ellyn Wolfe, and I are proud of Straitjackets Magazine and hope both our contributors and our readers are as well. We thank all the writers who participate in the magazine and the readers who take the time to enjoy it. Straitjackets wouldn’t exist without you.
