Summary

Crow's Feet is seeking writers to contribute stories on aging, with specific writing and formatting guidelines and a professional submission process.

Abstract

Crow's Feet, a publication focused on the aging process, invites writers to submit stories that illuminate various aspects of growing older. The publication is looking for engaging and reflective pieces that resonate with individuals navigating the complexities of life's later decades. Writers are encouraged to share personal insights, experiences, and observations related to aging, whether it be through the lens of their own lives or the lives of others. To be considered for publication, submissions must adhere to Crow's Feet's editing guidelines, which include following the AP Style Guide (with exceptions), proofreading for clarity, grammar, and punctuation, and formatting text and images according to specified standards. Prospective contributors are asked to email a draft or examples of their work to Crow's Feet for review and to maintain a professional and respectful demeanor throughout the submission process.

Opinions

The publication values well-written, thought-provoking content that provides perspective on aging.
There is an awareness of ageism in the workplace and a suggestion that it might lead some to omit parts of their work history.
The publication appreciates the wisdom and gratitude that can come with aging.
Crow's Feet encourages a positive outlook on life at any age.
The editors have a preference for the Oxford comma and have specific rules regarding the use of numerals in text.
Emphasis on the importance of proofreading and proper formatting, including the use of italics and subheadings.
There is an expectation of professionalism in the writer-editor interaction.

Send Us Your Stories

Join us as we explore the many facets of growing old, learn how to help ourselves, our friends, or our parents navigate through the river of life.

Some food for thought:

Are you 25 going on 40 and can already see that aging is unavoidable, no matter how many tricks you ply?

When you see an older worker being joked about, do you smirk knowingly along with your co-workers, or do you shudder at the prospect of your own decline?

Have you trimmed the first decade of your working life from your resume so at least you will get a foot in the job interviewer’s door?

Do you look in the mirror at your 60-something face and give thanks for making it this far in life?

Do you love life and all it brings you, no matter what decade of life you’re in?

Are the characters in your imagination young or old?

If these ideas inspire you, then you know the kind of writer Crow’s Feet is looking for.

Become A Writer for Crow’s Feet

If you’ve written a story that sheds light on the aging process, you may become a writer for Crow’s Feet and send us your piece for consideration.

First, send an email to [email protected] with a link to the draft piece you’d like to submit or a link to other examples of your work. Be sure to include your @medium username. We require articles that are well-written and fully proofread. (If a piece doesn’t meet the guidelines below, it may be rejected.)

If we like what we see, we will add you as a writer to Crow’s Feet.

Crow’s Feet Editing Guidelines

Crow’s Feet accepts pieces that have been published on Medium under the author’s name within the previous 48 hours. It does not accept older pieces or those that have been published in another Medium publication.
Crow’s Feet editors follow the AP Style Guide, except in a few practices, including the use of the Oxford comma (see below).
The main headline should be written in the largest title text. A subheading is required and should be written in the smaller T title text as a sentence with an initial cap. The first photo should appear beneath the subtitle.
In headlines and text copy, spell out the numbers one through nine. Use numerals starting at 10 and higher. Ages and decades are always numeric (Ex: 7-year-old boy or the ‘60s.)
The Oxford comma is usually accepted, unless it is in a string of several one-word items, ie: The man loves his bat, baseball, glove, cap and cleats. Acceptable usage would be: The man loves to swing his bat, look at the ball in the pitcher’s mitt, pull down the visor on his cap, and dig his cleats into the dirt inside the batter’s box.

PROOFREAD YOUR STORY:

Look for dropped words and phrases that don’t make sense.
Look for commas missing or in the wrong places.
Check spelling if a word looks misspelled. This includes checking to see if a hyphenated or compound word requires a hyphen. (Ex.: well-worn or wellworn?)
Books, articles, newspaper and movie titles should be written in italics.
Use italics for emphasis, not all caps or bold text.
Limit the number of boldface subheadings in a piece. The small title font or a bold text font can be used for a subheading, but not in the body of a text (see above)
A quote from another author should be written in the Quote format with the vertical bar on the left. Example:

The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes. — Frank Lloyd Wright

A pulled quote from the author’s own piece should be written in the Quote format that appears when you click the Quote icon twice. Example:

If you’ve written a story that sheds light on the aging process, you may become a writer for Crow’s Feet

Avoid unnecessary ellipses … Ellipses are used most often to indicate that a portion of a quote has been removed. They also may be used to indicate a thought trailing off or a hesitation, but they can easily be overused.
Check to see that all images are properly credited. Preferred formats: Photo (or image) credit: Jane Doe on Unsplash or Photo by the author.
You may add a total of two links to your other stories on Medium.
To link to a reference on another website, highlight a word and add a link. Do not include the entire URL in your story.

Kindness Counts

All writers who submit to Crow’s Feet: Life As We Age are asked to act professionally and respectfully with editors.