The big picture:

     Consumer Health Journal distills technical details into readable English, without omitting the science behind the facts.

     CHJ wants investigative articles based on scientific research, which help consumers get condensed, already-picked through information. Our articles include study analysis, biology, mid-article links to sources, and end-of-article reporter's notes.

     Some of our past article titles: "Biology: Trans Fats, Defined";  "Pregnancy: Being Older than 30 May Be More Damaging than Drinking Alcohol"; and "Hormone Therapy Risks Are Nothing New."

     Take a look at the website and archives for more ideas.
 

    
How to pitch a query:










 

    We prefer written queries to completed manuscripts. It is easier to shape a query than to alter an already-written article. You are welcome to submit a completed article, but it is less likely to be accepted.

    We appreciate queries that contain the following:

• A proposed article title: We like titles that tell the reader the purpose of the article, and we're not big on words like "may" or "could." For example, a good title for CHJ would be "Studies Show Milk Causes Cancer." A not-so-good title would be "Studies May Show Milk Causes Cancer." (We try to answer questions, not ask them.)
  
      *Please note that if your title is, for example, "Studies Show Milk Causes Cancer," this does not mean that studies do not also show that milk protects against cancer. It just means you've examined both sides, and have concluded that there are more of the former.
   

• A brief article outline: Please don't send a query saying something like "I'm interested in the effect of alcohol on heart health, and I'd like to look into it further." Instead, it's better if you've already looked into it enough to know the gist of your article, and more importantly, to know whether there is a story there, or not.
   

• At least one piece of evidence: In your query, please include at least one study (or similar piece of evidence) that supports your headline.

    
Your final article:

    Final articles should include:

• Mid-article sources and links: It is difficult to over-source for CHJ. We try to reference everything that isn't an indisputable fact. For example, you don't need to reference that the Atkins diet exists, but you would need a reference to say that ketosis helps with weight loss.
  
      After each item, please state your source, as well as a link to the web site where readers can find the information. This could mean a link to an NIH webpage, a link to CDC or Census PDF data, or a link to the abstract of a study you discuss. With these links, please be specific. A link of www.cdc.gov is not very helpful. To make it easy for a reader to find the information you reference, please include the actual web address where you found it.
  
      Example: A 1991 study combined the findings of 16 studies on estrogen-only therapy, and found that breast cancer risk increased for women on estrogen replacement therapy. After 15 years of use, the risk went up by 30 percent (Source, "A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Estrogen Replacement Therapy on the Risk of Breast Cancer," JAMA 9/01).
  
      *Please note that the "Source" link takes you to the actual study abstract, not to the JAMA homepage.
   

• Testimony. Please have at least two people quoted originally -- that is, please interview them yourself, via email, telephone or in person. If your topic has two different sides, please have at least one expert on either side of the issue.
   

• Reporter's Notes. At the end of your article, you may wish to tell the readers of any thoughts you have that weren't appropriate to include in the story's text. Issues sometimes become clear while reporting, but editorializing may dilute your message. "Reporter's Notes" are the place to provide this expertise.

    
Submission:

Please send queries and articles to:

astewart@consumerhealthjournal.com
   
You may also submit via snail mail, to:

Alison Stewart
Consumer Health Journal
255 N. Bernard Street
Powell, WY 82435

We try to respond, via email, within two weeks or sooner.
 

    
Payment and
rights:

    CHJ doesn't pay per-word. Currently, payment hovers around $20 per article. We hope to offer more in the future. We pay on publication.

   Please note that, because we are a wire service, we need to own the right to sell your article repeatedly. You'll retain the right to sell your article to other media, but CHJ will be able to keep it posted on the website, as well as the right to sell it to wire service clients.
 

    
Questions?

   If you have any questions on these guidelines, please feel free to contact the editor, Alison Stewart, at astewart@consumerhealthjournal.com.

   We appreciate your interest in CHJ and if anything isn't clear, we'd like to help. We will try to reply to any questions within two weeks, and we prefer responding much sooner than that.