How to Submit

Next proposal deadlines:

ISSUE 15 - May 1st, 2012 (THEME ISSUE: HAIR)

Proposals are reviewed by our editorial board, not just by the editor-in-chief. You will be notified of the status of your proposal up to six weeks after the submission deadline. Please note that we are no longer accepting freelance photo shoot submissions — all photo shoots are now done in-house. If you live in Toronto and would like to work on our photoshoots you can apply to art @ wornjournal.com, or to our internship program.

BEFORE YOU SEND IN YOUR SUBMISSION

Check to make sure you’ve included:

* A concise idea or thesis statement
* A plan for your article - min. 200 words with specific ideas and a logical structure
* A list of planned research materials (resources, titles, interview candidates)
* If your piece is not research-based, did you include a personal experience/anecdote that will illustrate your theme?
* At least one writing sample (but two is better) - 300-500 words

Send your proposal to submissions @ wornjournal.com

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photography by Alyssa K Faoro

Starting Out
Read the publication. We can’t stress that enough. To qualify for consideration, your submission suggestions needs to fit with the rest of the journal. Worn has a clear and specific voice, and is a labour of love for all its contributors. We are looking for people who share our passion for intelligent, independent fashion publishing. Make sure your proposal fits the Worn mandate.

If you have an idea for a great article, we want to hear about it.
Lay out a plan for your article. A point-form format is fine, but go into some detail, about 200 words. If it is research based, you should include at least two reference titles and the names of people you plan to contact. Be wary of all encompassing topics, like The Mod Look. You won’t have the space to do them justice. Better to choose something like Mary Quant and her Paper Dresses.

We are VERY interested in clothing articles from a non-traditional fashion perspective. The role of clothing in political campaigns, short fiction, a step-by-step guide to how shoes are made, Hooters uniforms… the more obscure, the better. We are in no way interested in trends, what’s in style, or what’s Hot Right Now.

If you have an essay that you have written that you think can be adapted, please send it in its original form. Some of our most successful articles have started this way.

Remember Your Reader.
And it’s not your professor. Remember that your reader may not be an academic – and they’re reading this for fun as much as for information. If you must use a complicated or technical vocabulary, think of alternative tools to make your ideas accessible (like side bars) rather than slowing down the story for those who do know what you are talking about.

This isn’t a mainstream fashion magazine. Don’t push products, advise on what to wear, or pretend you’re on Sex in the City. This journal is not about hype.

Get Detailed.
We need articles that discuss a fashion idea, concept or historical happening in a new way. We prefer not to rehash easily accessible facts or overly disseminated information. Our readers could just pick up a Taschen book or read Wikipedia. We want to be more interesting than that. Be prepared to do some first-hand research.

Throw in Your Opinion.
That’s right, release yourself from the fear of essay doom: tell us what you think! We want information, but we want your voice too. Anecdotes, opinions, and detailed bits of info are necessary to make an interesting article.

Tell Me What it Looks Like.
This is a fashion journal after all. Please don’t forget to use lots of descriptive words. Warning: Non-specific, flattering descriptions are fairly ineffective and often overused. These include terms like beautiful, amazing, cool etc. Use these words sparingly. Remember that you’re painting a mental picture for your reader. A “cool” shirt isn’t much of an image.

Please note we use Canadian spelling.

Banned Words, unless there is a really good reason:
discourse
dichotomy
dialog
uber
for example
in this article…
fashionista (really anything with an ista added to the end)
bling
blank is the new blank
!!!

Subscribe to Worn Fashion Journal here.


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