GCA Journal Article Submissions

HOW-TO GUIDE

Email or submit a plain text draft in MS Word or similar software to [email protected]

Use Times New Roman font at 12 point size or any normally accepted and readable font, and do not insert formatting or print controls. Use single line spacing.

DO NOT EMBED PHOTOS IN THE TEXT

Email the text draft as an attachment. Send photos as separate attachments, do not embed them into the text. You may attach three or four photos per email, depending on their size. Actual photographs may be scanned at high resolution and emailed.

You may include suggested photo placement notes in the text, but actual placement will depend on how the article lays out. Notes should be in the form [Insert photo #1 “Handguard”] with corresponding photos labeled or numbered to match. Do not send copyright material without written permission from the owner unless it is “Free Use.”

Photos should be in color, large, and high resolution. Set your camera to “Fine” or whatever the highest resolution setting is. Ideally, photos should be 300 dpi and at least 1200 x 1600, 1500 x 2100 (4” x 6” or 5” x 7”), or even larger. A large photo can be made smaller for publication but a small one cannot be enlarged. Do not edit, sharpen, or crop the photos, we will do that if needed. Please choose a neutral background for photographs if taking shots of parts. Bright, bold colors compete too much with whatever is laid down on it. Late manufacture cell phones must be capable of large photos of high quality and resolution.

Do not use non-standard descriptions from books that describe parts according to the author’s own convention, like “Type 3a National Match” and “Type 5 Follower Rod.” These are arbitrary terms made up by the authors with little or no justification and are not understood or accepted by most collectors, including GCA editors.

PROCEDURE

We will offer edit suggestions to you, including grammar, punctuation, technical accuracy, additions, and deletions.

The material must be original and previously unpublished or posted unless permission from the editors is granted in advance. The GCA Journal seldom accepts articles that have previously been published. This also especially applies to Internet chat boards. Exceptions have been made in special cases where exposure was limited and unlikely to have been read by most GCA members. Email your plain text draft without formatting, bullets, headers or footers in MS Word or WordPerfect. If you did not take the photos, submit the name of the person who did for proper credits.

The final edited draft will be submitted to the GCA Journal publisher who will lay it out in PDF form after the issue deadline. You will receive a copy of this for final approval and any last-minute corrections before publication. The published deadlines on page 1 are guidelines only, as GCA Journal Editors try to work one full issue ahead to avoid last-minute layout problems. Your article might appear several issues after you submit it. Time-sensitive articles like the Camp Perry summary or Convention report usually take precedence over general subjects.

As an author, you will receive an advance copy of the GCA Journal by First Class Mail, and you will receive your regular copy as part of the normal distribution. You may not use the advance copy to purchase items from the Marketplace until the member receives it via regular mailing.

Submit Your Article Online