Proud of your plant?
Plant tour articles show off your dry bulk solids plant and your process by “walking”
the reader through the plant and, specifically, through one production line. Often,
a plant tour article features a company that has made a significant improvement
to its facility or process. Your story can give other readers ideas about how they
might make improvements at their plant.
The article is based on information you provide and an interview our editor conducts
with you, generally by telephone. All articles contain photos furnished by you.
Details about photo requirements are described in a section below.
PBE plant tour articles follow a set format.
They
- Provide background information about your company.
- Introduce problems or challenges, if any, that led to equipment, process, plant
size, or other notable changes.
- Discuss how your company addressed these issues.
- Introduce your manufacturing process.
- Take our readers on a tour of a particular processing line from start to finish.
- Briefly explain each key piece of equipment in the processing line. The article
will identify some equipment by model and manufacturer.
What we need to get started
- A basic description of your plant facility, the material
it handles or processes, and the type of processing it does — such as size reduction,
compounding, or a combination of many processes. You can provide company brochures
or other materials for background information if you wish.
- Contact information for a person we can interview by
telephone at your plant.
- Photos showing your plant and, specifically, the production
line featured in the article. See the section called “Photos” for more information.
The process
Once we receive the above materials, assuming the article fits PBE’s editorial
plans, we’ll tentatively schedule it for an issue, assign an editor, and let you
know approximately when we’ll start working on the article and be conducting interviews.
The editor will interview you and write the article to suit PBE’s format
and style. Prior to publication, PBE will send the article to you so you
can review it for technical accuracy and correct any technical errors.
Normally, we allow 24 to 48 hours in our production cycle for the accuracy check.
If you know your company will require more time, please let us know at the beginning
of the editorial process. (Please be sure before we start that
you have your company’s approval to do the article.)
Photos
Magazines are a visual medium. Good photos will attract readers to your article
and help them understand the information you are presenting. We encourage you to
provide several photos that we can select from.
The photos will help tell the story of your plant. They must show equipment used
in the featured production line, preferably in operation. When possible, include
workers using the equipment. Additional photos that would add information to the
article are welcome — for example, the raw materials before they enter the production
line and the final product. Try to acquire a variety of photos for the editors to
select from.
The best photos will clearly show the equipment under discussion. “Action” photos
— showing equipment actually processing, or people working with the equipment or
process — will be more interesting than static equipment shots. Close-ups of the
equipment or process can also be effective. A supplier’s nameplate should not be
a prominent part of the photos.
Photo formats
- Submit good-quality photos in either color or black and white.
- You can send glossy prints, slides or transparencies, or digital files on a CD-ROM
or Zip disk or by e-mail.
- If you send high-res photos by e-mail, please send each photo in a separate e-mail.
- Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi at a 4.5-inch width.
- Preferred digital formats are eps and tiff.
- Photocopies, prints from inkjet printers, and half-tone prints and negatives aren’t
acceptable.
Captions
Every photo you submit must have an appropriate caption. Give as much detail as
you want. We’ll edit it to fit the article’s space and content needs.
Don’t write captions directly on the front or back of photos. Type the captions
separately and masking-tape them to the back. Or very lightly but clearly mark a
number on the back of each photo. Then provide a list of captions on a separate
sheet, numbered to correspond with the photos.
Mailing photos
If you mail your photos to us, protect them by putting them between sheets of cardboard.
Don’t use paper clips or staples. We’ll return all images that you request; however,
we can’t be responsible for any accident that may occur or any loss in the mail.
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Editorial calendar
For an editorial calendar that shows each issue’s focus, special features, and editorial
deadlines, contact the Editor or
click here.
If you’d like your article considered for a particular issue, contact the Editor
several months before the issue is to appear. Generally, the articles for an issue
are selected about 4 to 5 months before the issue date.
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After publication
Copyright status. On publication,
the article’s copyright is assigned to PBE, including the right to use the
article on our Web site, for promotional purposes, and for possible inclusion in
an anthology. You must obtain PBE’s permission to post the article on your
Web site or to make copies and distribute the article.
Complimentary issues. We’ll
send you two complimentary copies of the issue that contains your article. If you
need a few additional copies, please let us know.
Reprints. If your company
wants reprints of the article, our production department can quote prices and work
with you on designing the reprint’s format. Contact Chris Myers for information
(651-287-5611, cmyers@cscpub.com).
If you’d like to see a sample plant tour article, contact the Editor.
Thank you!
PBE relies on professionals like you to keep our readers informed about the
latest and best technology and equipment in our industry. Thank you for sharing
your story with PBE’s readers.
Send your plant tour idea to the Editor:
Terry O’Neill • 1155 Northland Drive • St. Paul, MN 55120
651-287-5621 • fax 651-287-5650 • toneill@cscpub.com