Skip to content

ArchitectureBoston

Editorial board—Sam Batchelor AIA, Alice Brown, Mark Careaga AIA, Ben Carlson, Elizabeth Christoforetti, Meera Deean, Deborah Fennick AIA, Jason Forney AIA, Dave Hampton, Bryan Irwin AIA, Kaki Martin ASLA, Alan Mountjoy AIA, David Nagahiro AIA, Gretchen Rabinkin AIA, Rose Mary Su, and Alice Tseng

2020 Editorial calendar

January-March RENEW

April-June TARGET

*postponed*July-September SHORE

*postponed*October-December HOPE

Writers' Guidelines The ABCs of quality journalism apply: Accuracy. Brevity. Clarity.

Reporting and writing

  • Adhere to traditional journalistic standards and techniques. Facts and assertions must be verifiable, and/or attributed to a source wherever possible. Interviews should be by phone or in person (No taping without the subject’s permission, per Massachusetts law.) Any review of an exhibit, lecture, film, etc. must be attended by the author.
  • Seek interviews with principal figures directly; do not simply pull something off a website.
  • Conflicts of Interest: On occasion, you may write about friends or colleagues. Any personal relations, financial interests, or other arrangements must be disclosed. Alert your editor.
  • Treat your subjects with respect and a sense of fair play.
  • Familiarize yourself with ArchitectureBoston archives to get a sense of style and content.
  • Articles should have the clarity and accessibility of good general-interest publications.
  • Avoid all technical, theoretical, and academic jargon. Avoid clichés. No footnotes.
  • Think about structure before you write. Does the main argument steadily build? A successful essay often has a “nut graf”—a few sentences high up that distills the major point of the article.
  • Don’t use a $50 word when a $5 word will do. “Creativity” not ‘ideation.” Avoid adverbial and qualifying phrases: somewhat, really, especially… etc. Rewrite.
  • Feistiness and appropriate displays of wit are encouraged. Self-promotion is not.

Submission of assigned articles + editorial process

  • E-mail directly to the editor.
  • You may include a proposed headline (subject to change).
  • Please include your byline and a brief (up to 25 words) bio blurb.
  • ArchitectureBoston buys buy First North American Serial Rights and the right to publish your article on our website, including our electronic archives and online databases. All other rights of reuse and resale revert to you.
  • Your article will be edited for clarity, style, content, and length. The revised draft—with questions, comments, and trims—will be returned for your review. Respond as quickly as possible; inform the editor if you will be unavailable in the weeks after your deadline.
  • Your article may also be edited during production; changes will be made at the editor’s discretion.
  • Payment is upon publication. You’ll be asked to fill out a W-9 form.