Editorial Policy

Noelle Castle, Editor-in-Chief

Contact: [email protected]

Hello and thank you for your interest in submitting to PTC! Pine Tree Connect publishes high-quality, relevant content that is pertinent to the people, businesses, and communities of Maine. We like to celebrate the creativity of all Mainers and support everyone's work, so if you are interested in having your topic or blog article considered for publication, we have prepared the following guidelines. Please read and follow them carefully. Unfortunately we cannot consider submissions without the necessary information. Thank you!

Submit a Press Release

While our focus is on our business members, from time to time we do highlight other relevant news and information about businesses and organizations in Maine. If you feel you have a particularly interesting or timely piece of news or information to share, please submit a press release including all relevant details and your contact information (press releases without clear contact information will not be considered). For submissions with photos, please include caption information for each photo, including photo credit.

Submit a Blog Article

Topic

The topic should be related directly to people, business, or a community of Maine. We publish only relevant, helpful information for everyone.

Title

Please provide a title for your piece. A catchy title that is short and clear and inspires curiosity is ideal.

Original Content

The submitted piece must be original work, by the author presenting the submission, and not previously published online.

Word Count and Formatting

We will only accept submissions between 500 - 2,000 words. Please submit your work as a Word file with no special formatting. Please break up your text into sections with subtitles. Please bold your title and subtitles. Create bullet lists and quoted text as appropriate. For visual art and other media, please contact the editorial staff for special requirements.

Style Guide

PTC is for all Mainers so please avoid industry-specific terms and insider jargon that everyone may not understand. Your submission should be emailed via Word document, and presented in clear, academic English, and written to a high professional standard. It must be understandable and of interest to a wide range of readers.

Linking Policy

You may link to websites relevant to the content in your article (limit three per article). Your website business or personal website link is permitted in your bio.

Featured Image

Each blog article on PTC is accompanied by a featured image that will appear with the article. Please choose an attractive image that compliments your topic. If you are including other images to be embedded in text, please contact the Editor for instructions.

You can use your own image, find a free image through an online resource, or purchase a stock image. PTC will not provide featured images for blog article submissions. Featured images must have no copyright or fees attached for use.

Please include your featured image in a jpeg file accompanying your article Word file. Editorial staff reserve the right to request a different featured image, or to use one of their own choosing.

Your Credit and Bio

Your name, headshot and bio will appear at the bottom of your published blog article. Please include at the end of your article: your name as you wish it to be published, followed by your credentials, contact information, and a 40 - 60 word bio. You may link to your website or one social media page in your bio. Please also include a separate jpeg file with a simple headshot of yourself. The headshot should be 600 pixels or less wide and must be a clear portrait style picture of your face only. 

Please label all Word and jpeg files clearly with your first initial, last name and descriptor: submission, bio, featured image, headshot (ex: A Smith-featured-image)

Editorial Process

The PTC Editor may offer editorial advice or feedback and request a second version or edit the piece prior to publication. The Editor has the authority to edit any and all content of PTC without permission or review of the submitter.

The PTC Editor reserves the right to reject any submission at any stage of the editorial process.

Republishing Policy

You may not republish your accepted article online in its entirety and exact wording after it is published on PTC because of duplicate content penalties. You may publish an excerpt or reinterpretation of it with a credit and link to the original post on PTC. The credit should read: Originally published on - date - Pine Tree Connect [article link].

Please do not submit work previously published elsewhere.

Submission Schedule

Once we receive your completed submission package, you will receive a confirmation email within 48 hours. You will be notified of acceptance or rejection within 30 days, once our editorial staff reviews all current submissions. Our publishing schedule is dependent on many variables, so an exact publication date will not be promised unless agreed upon previously with the Editor.

Submit all questions and information to:

Noelle Castle, Editor-in-Chief
[email protected]