Kiwanis

Address:   KIWANIS Magazine, 
                   3636 Woodview Trace, 
                   Indianapolis, Indiana 46268 
Country:   U.S.
Tel:            (317) 8758755 

Email:       Chuck Jonak cjonak@kiwanis.org
Web Site:  http://www.kiwanis.org
Guidelines:http://www.kiwanis.org/magazine/guidelines.html

Kiwanis International was founded January 21, 1915, in Detroit, Michigan, by Allen Simpson Browne, a Moose lodge organizer, and Joseph G. Prance, a tailor. Kiwanis is an organization devoted to the principle of service; to the advancement of individual, community, and national welfare; and to the strengthening of international goodwill. Kiwanis membership spans the globe, with more than 300,000 members in more than 8,000 clubs in 79 countries, giving on average $70 million and 6.5 million volunteer hours for community service each year.

KIWANIS magazine is a monthly publication, except for combined June/July and November/December issues. It is distributed to the 275,000plus members of Kiwanis clubs in North America, as well as to clubs in more than eighty overseas nations. 

Each issue also includes five or more feature articles geared to other interests of Kiwanians and their families and friends.

Kiwanis club members are business and professional persons who are actively involved in community service.

Freelance written manuscripts submitted to KIWANIS may deal with almost any topic of interest to an intelligent readership. Editorial need primarily is for articles on current business, personal finance, international, social, humanitarian, self-improvement, and community related topics.

Other subjects of continuing appeal include young children's needs (in particular), health and fitness, family relations, sports, recreation, consumer trends, education, and transportation.

The magazine has a special need for articles on small business and professional topics that will directly assist readers in their own businesses and careers.

Some of KIWANIS magazine's recent titles have included: "Operation ZeroDefect Marketing," "Shots for Tots," "The Downsizing Myth," "When Children Embrace All Heritages," "One's Quest for SelfRenewal," "Farming Fields of Dreams," "Preventing Lead's Poisonous Legacy," and "Organ Donations: A Thin Harvest."

Articles published in KIWANIS magazine are of two general types: serious and light nonfiction. (No fiction, poetry, profiles, filler items, jokes, opinions, or firstperson accounts are used.) Manuscripts should be between 1,200 and 2,500 words in length (six to twelve doubled-spaced pages, depending on the assignment). Payment is upon acceptance,
ranging from $400 to $1,000 depending on current editorial need, depth of treatment, appeal to the magazine's readership, and other factors. Queries are preferred to manuscript submissions.

Proposed articles are tested against two major criteria: They should (1) be about an overall subject rather than an individual person, place, event, or organization, and (2) have applicability in the lives and concerns of KIWANIS magazine's readership.

DEMOGRAPHICS

To help you identify the audience to which you are writing, here are some statistics on KIWANIS magazine readers: 

Median age—56 
Graduated high school—98%; attended/graduated college—87%;
postgraduate degree—29% 
Median household income—$57,100 
Married—90% 
Manager—61%; professional—29%; owner/partner—15% 
Median size of company/business—26 employees 
Own a home—88%; market value of home—$142,000 

In addition, an article, when feasible, should be international in scope, providing information from various world regions. Writers should be aware that KIWANIS magazine is not an exclusively US magazine; it has readers in Canada, Europe, Central and South America, Australia, Africa, and Asia as well. Terms such as "our nation" and "our president" must be
avoided. Articles on global topics, particularly if they have a strong bearing on current US developments, could be ideally suited for KIWANIS magazine.

In all manuscripts, a writer's treatment of a subject must be objective and in depth, and each major point should be substantiated by illustrative examples and quotes from persons involved in the subject or qualified to speak on it. The question "why?" should be as important as "what?" and
perceptive analysis and balanced treatment are valued highly. Serious articles should not contain intrusions of the writer's views. Writing style should not be pedantic but rather smooth, personable, and to the point, with anecdotes, descriptions, and human detail where appropriate.

Treatment of light subjects must be as authoritative as serious topics, but humorous examples and comparisons and a lighter writing style are valued where needed.

An article's lead must be strong, drawing the reader's attention and setting the tone of the piece. It should be followed by a clear statement of the article's central thesis: Readers quickly should know what they are going to read about and why.

Manuscripts also should contain pertinent background and historic information, as well as a balanced presentation of issues. Firsthand interviews as well as research of published sources are essential. All information should be the most current available on the subject. And the article's conclusion should summarize the consequences of what has been said.

Writers should keep in mind this crucial point: If you do not find what you are writing to be interesting, neither will readers. Strive to present new concepts and valuable information with a creative writing style.

Photos are not essential, but they are desirable when they are high quality and add substantially to the impact of the text. Black-and white photos should be 8by10inch glossy prints; color transparencies and color slides also are preferred. All photos should be captioned and are purchased as part of the manuscript package.

Writers are encouraged to study a recent issue of KIWANIS magazine for a better understanding of the writing styles and story subjects used in this publication. To receive a sample copy, send a self-addressed, stamped (five firstclass stamps) large envelope to the address listed below.

Your interest in KIWANIS magazine as a market for your work is appreciated.

Chuck Jonak, Managing Editor, KIWANIS Magazine, 3636
Woodview Trace, Indianapolis, Indiana 46268 

(317) 8758755 (cjonak@kiwanis.org)

Last updated 12 December 1999
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