DPG Online Writer’s Guidelines

Before you send anything, be sure to read the below guidelines and instructions carefully. We seek Articles and Features, described below.

What we publish:

We welcome personal essay, reportage, journalism, reviews, memoir, interview, faculty profiles, slice of life, reflection, and every variety of what is sometimes called creative nonfiction or literary journalism. Our focus is Drexel University and the Philadelphia region but we also cover the world at large. Keep in mind that your piece might not be published until after the event you discuss is no longer fresh news. That is, readers aren’t coming to DPG Online merely for the latest scores. They’re coming for good writing. Your piece should be framed in such a way to still be relevant and engaging even weeks or months after first publication.

ARTICLES

Articles are generally between 500 and 800 words on one of the following subjects:

News: Lots of stuff happens at Drexel and in Philadelphia and beyond. A new building on campus. The search for a new president. Latest research by Drexel faculty or students. Local political intrigue. Crime. The city. The suburbs. The nation. The world. There are a million stories out there. We aim to cover some of them.

People: Includes profiles, discussion of cultural figures, human behavior, relationships, anything people-related.

Places: Includes any location — museums, parks, public spaces, homes and hometown, concert venues, etc., but also, for example, the way people in Philadelphia drive or talk, the scene on South Street, etc.

Reviews: Full reviews of books, movies, restaurants, video games, television shows, theater, comedy, etc.

Sports: Coverage of sports, sporting events, and sports culture at Drexel University and around the world.

Trends: The latest fads, fashions, foods, culture, and things that everyone is into.

FEATURES

We welcome feature-length pieces of generally between 1,000 and 2,000 words covering any of our article categories (sports, people, place, in the news, reviews, trends) and a wide range of subjects that could include science, business, education, relationships, sex, money. Delve a little deeper, do some legwork, interview the people involved, and send us a fully developed article or essay.

Submissions

DPG Online is a professional-quality online magazine written by Drexel University students and edited and produced by Drexel University faculty and student staff. Send us your best work. Our audience is the Drexel community, people in and near the city of Philadelphia, Drexel alumni, and the larger world of online readers.

We only accept submissions from current Drexel University students (undergraduate and graduate from all departments and majors).

Here is how to submit:

• Query pg@drexel.edu first with a brief letter explaining the subject and scope of your submission. Tell us if it is an article (and what category) or feature and what the anticipated word count is. You may also send completed manuscripts.
• If we are interested, we will request the complete manuscript. Send as an attachment in Word 97-2003 if possible, double spaced, with your name on every page and the pages numbered.
• If accepted, revisions may be requested.
• Submitting your writing to DPG Online grants the Drexel Publishing Group the right to edit and publish your writing on DPG Online. Submitting writing to DPG Online also affirms that you are the author and sole owner of the writing and that you have not plagiarized and that your work is truthful and accurate to the best of your knowledge.
• Your submission must be sent from a Drexel e-mail address.
• Writers are not paid for accepted pieces.
• Include on manuscript: Contact information (e-mail and phone); Full name as it should appear in byline; Word count; Brief (1-2 lines) straight-forward biography to be used at conclusion of piece (include items like your major, hometown, etc.).
• We prefer articles and features to contain links to sources you used and to the cultural references you make in the piece. Just make the relevant text into a link to an appropriate source or site. See our published content for examples.
• Above lengths for articles and features are preferred. But exceptions may be made for excellent pieces that are shorter or longer than the specified word count.
• For features and articles, if possible, include an image or photo of the event or subject you are writing about. We may use the image with the piece or we may provide our own image. Tell us who took the photo so we can give proper credit. You may also suggest image concepts that fit your piece.