Editorial FAQ
Covers
_ Can I put a custom/collage on the cover of my magazine? _
- In short, no. Single, individual images are to be used for covers; 2024 does not have collage cover layouts
available.
_ What if the image on the cover is behind the magazine name, can I request for it to be brought in front? _
- Yes, place a note in the production notes to bring up the image this way it’s not behind the magazine name
(typically this is for a person on the cover that the magazine name is over the face.)
_ Do we have exact measurements for the cover, logo and address block? _
- The cover space is 8.625" x 11.125" with a .125 bleed and a .375" safe area. The mailing label is a 5" x 2.25"
horizontal box .5 from the trim edge of the page. The mag name does not go past 5" from the top.
_ What is the font of our magazine logo? _
- The logo font is Alternate Gothic.
_ How can I access my magazine's logo? _
- To access your logos in ARC, please go to Training & Documents > Logos.
Can I customize the Main Teaser that references the theme?
Crafting effective main teasers is crucial for grabbing readers' attention. The aim is to create a succinct and inviting
snippet that sparks curiosity without delving into overly specific details.
Relevance to Theme
- The main teaser should be directly related to the overall theme of the magazine, showcasing a compelling aspect of
the content inside.
- It can tease an interior article, but the connection to the broader theme should be evident.
- It can but does not have to be "The [theme] issue"
Length
- Keep the main teaser short and concise. Aim for a maximum of 5 words to ensure quick readability and impact.
- Focus on conveying the essence of the featured content without overwhelming the reader with too much information.
- For main teasers surpassing 5 words, condense them into an introductory heading accompanied by a slightly more
explanatory subhead.
In exceptional cases, the inclusion of a main teaser may be omitted if the cover image is crystal clear in conveying and
supporting the theme. In such instances, the visual impact alone should effectively communicate the magazine's content,
allowing for a minimalist approach without sacrificing clarity or intrigue.
_ Can I get a high resolution PDF for my cover? _
- If you would like to request a high resolution PDF for a cover or article please submit a support ticket and the
team can get that for you.
- Please keep in mind once a magazine has been printed, we cannot print additional copies or provide a PDF of an
entire issue for reprint. However, if you need a particular article or ad, we can provide a high-resolution PDF to
be used as needed.
Articles
_ What is the suggested variety of 1, 2, 3, and 4+ page articles within one magazine issue? _
- Refer to our Page Count Recommendations resource located in training and documents
_ Should I use Evergreen content in every issue? _
- In short, no; Evergreen content is made available as an option when an article falls through or page count jumps. We
strongly encourage you to not rely on this each month.
_ Is there a recommended branded font or style we should use for social media? _
- Refer to our City Lifestyle Style Guide for more information.
_ How many pages of custom content can I have per issue? _
- Refer to our Custom Content resource.
_ Can I change the color of the layout background? _
- Yes you can request for the team to change the color of the layout, please make this note under the production notes
area under the content tab for that article. Also note the team will choose the best color tone that goes with the
entered photography
_ Can I add my own QR code to the editorial? _
- No, the only space in the editorial that is allowed a QR code is a business monthly. The QR code needs to be the CL
QR code. We cannot allow any QR code that is made outside of the system in editorial as we cannot manage and confirm
that the link will go to the appropriate site.
Can you create a QR code that links to my magazine?
- Unfortunately we do not create QR codes that link to a digital or PDF version of the magazine or an article.
_ Can I use content from other City Lifestyle Magazines, and if so, how do I do that? _
- Yes, you can run articles in your magazine that other City Lifestyle magazines have published. To do this, you must
first get permission from the editor or publisher of that magazine. They can send you the photos and text via email,
or if you want to use the exact layout, you can place a production note in your magazine by selecting the layout and
placing a production note asking the designer to use the editorial from that magazine. Be sure to note the month and
page numbers that the editorial can be found on that the article originally ran in.
_ Does City Lifestyle have any content available aside from Evergreen and National Content? _
- Yes, we have a stock photo library created by our in-house team that is located in Training and Documents and
includes photos that you can use as you would like. You can add your own text and layout or you can use the text
provided.
_ What if I can’t find a layout that fits the word count and photo orientation that I have for an editorial? _
- This is a perfect time to use custom content. You can find how many pages of custom content your magazine gets in
training and documents in Custom Content. Another option is to repeat pages in the layout that have heavier text.
For instance, if page 2 of the layout is heavy in text, but page 3 of the layout is heavy in photos, you can ask for
page 2 to repeat. The first page of every editorial is required, but after that, you can request which pages of the
layout you would like to use.
_ How many pages of custom content do I have? _
- You can view the maximum amount of custom content pages available for your months issue based on your page count in
ARC here: https://citylifestylehq.com/#training/docs/2879/2514
_ How is the order of the editorials in the magazine determined? _
- Some of the placements are set in stone, and that includes the masthead, lifestyle letter, table of contents,
business monthly, city scene, and calendar. Those are not movable. The order of the editorials is determined by the
order they are in ARC. You can move the placement of the order of the editorials by going to the issues tab and on
the left-hand side, drag and drop them in the order desired.
_ How do I find layouts for custom content? _
- There are a few options available to find custom content layouts. The first way is to utilize the custom content
library in ARC. When assigning your custom content, you can click on the tab that says “add inspiration,” and you
can look through the layouts available. Another option is to go to the past issues tab and look at layouts used in
other magazines. You can use layouts from previous years as custom, or they may have custom content available that
isn’t in the library. Boulder is a good place to start when looking for custom content ideas.
_ Where can I place notes to give direction to designers? _
- There are two options for communication with the layout designer who will be working on your magazine. The first is
the notes section on the photos. You can give specific directions that pertain to that single image in the notes
section. Please don’t place notes to the designer in the caption of the photo or in the text box for the editorial,
as those will be printed in the magazine. The second way to communicate with the layout designer is to leave a note
in the production notes section on the content tab.
_ How do I pay our writers and photographers? _
- Each magazine handles this a little differently based on the individual publisher. As a general procedure, the
publication director or editor can send invoices to the publisher each month for the freelance writing and
photography that will need to be paid that month. Work with the publisher to decide upon an agreed rate for
freelance contributors or any trade deals for photography. The publisher will pay those agreed-upon rates monthly.
How do I add a contributing writer or photographer in ARC?
- To add a Writer/Photographer, please have them sign the Freelance Contractor agreement. They do not need a City
Lifestyle email or ARC account. https://citylifestylehq.com/#training/docs/2298/
- Next add them to ARC: Editorial > Writers & Photographers > New Writer/Photographer > Fill in the designated
information > Save (Only Publishers, Editors, and Publication Directors have access to this tab)
- Once they are added into the system, you can assign them to any story from the Assignment page. When you have
assigned a story to them, an email be will be sent allowing the access needed.
Can you send content violations to my Editor or Publication Director?
- Due to the nature of our franchise business model and the diverse communication between our publications, we prefer
to address matters such as Content Policy Violations directly with the Publisher.
- We understand that time-sensitive issues like these may require prompt action. Please feel free to share this
communication with the appropriate team member, and our team will be happy to collaborate with anyone on your team
who can help resolve the matter.
_ Can I upload my own inspiration for my designer for the layout that I would like them to create for my custom content?
_
- No, uploading a photo for layout inspiration is prohibited.
_ How do I add a pull quote? _
- There are two ways to add a pull quote. Many of the layouts have a pull quote box below the text box for a pull
quote. Put the text you would like used for the pull quote in that section.
- The second way to add a pull quote is by clicking on the block quote icon in the tools section of the text box. This
will highlight the quote you would like accentuated.
- Do not try to add a pull quote by leaving a note to the designer in the text box that says “pull quote” and then
writing the quote after that. Anything you type into the text box will print in the magazine, so don’t leave notes
for quotes or for any other reason inside the text box.
_ Why does my text look like it is in bold text in ARC sometimes? _
- When a writer copies and pastes their editorial from a Google doc into the ARC text box, the text is pulled in bold.
You will need to highlight the text and unbold the text in order for the text to be ready for the layout designer.
_ Will edits to articles be reflected on the CL website? _
- Edits made during the proofing round will not be reflected on the CL website automatically. For any changes that
need to be made to an article please submit those through ARC to Editorial Content.
_ When content needs to be cut or reduced, how is it determined? _
- Content is reduced in the following order:
- National or evergreen content is cut or reduced first.
- Anchor content (including Events, City Scene, Business Monthly, and City List) is adjusted next.
- Articles are the last to be cut or reduced.
- If you have specific preferences on how content should be adjusted, please include directions in your production
notes.
_ Can I submit review round edits via ticket? _
- No, we do not take review round edits in a ticket; the edit needs to be in the PDF before the deadline to be
completed.
_ Can I make edits to a past online article? _
- At this time, the content that makes it online is the content that is submitted at the Editorial deadline.
Unfortunately, any edits made in the proofing rounds will not make it to the online version.
- Minor edits to the online version of an article may be requested but we cannot accept new photos. Please note that
digital edits are primarily reserved for fact checks or significant grammatical errors. Requests to swap large
quantities of text will be denied.
- If you would like an edit made to the online version of an article, please submit a ticket with the following
information:
- Article Title
- Issue Month/Year
- Specific location in the publication (e.g., page number, paragraph, photo reference, etc.)
- If more than three copy edits are required, please attach the article in a Word document or include it in the body
of the email with the requested changes clearly highlighted.
Photography
_ Do I need permission for EVERY photo I put into our magazine? _
- Yes, this is for legal reasons. All photography used on your cover and in articles must be reflected by a signed
Freelance Writer/Photographer Agreement or a Photo Media Release Form. If you do not have this permission, you are
legally responsible.
_ Can the photo have a logo and text on it? _
- We cannot accept any photos with logos or ads in them for editorial, likewise we do not accept graphs or images
similar in nature.
_ Can the photo be a premade collage? _
- We cannot accept any collage photos, when the photos are grouped we cannot guarantee the quality of the photography.
This is also not accepted per branding.
_ Can I submit a photo during proofing rounds? _
- We are unable to accept local photography after the editorial deadline because our internal checks and balances
would require that the image manually pass through three different departments before it reaches it's final
destination in your layout. In order to get all our magazines beautifully design, reviewed for the highest print and
content quality and in mailboxes on time we have to abide by strict deadlines.
- You can however use the print ready rounds to note an edit and change the photo for another photo that has been
submitted in arc before the deadline date or provide us with a stock photo number.
- Please note if you are providing a photo for content review this can be completed during the content review deadline
time frame.
_ Can I use the photos for national content provided in ARC to create my own original editorial? _
- No, these photos are not to be used as stock photography. The photos from the full shoot are provided in ARC under
training and documents so that you can utilize any of the photos for your cover if desired.
_ Why are my photos not uploading to ARC? _
- If you are uploading an image for an article before the editorial deadline date and ARC is not uploading the images
successfully you could be experiencing a broken image error.
- When one of the images you have uploaded get a broken image ARC will not allow you to upload any new images after,
ARC will try to load the image to 100% and then freeze up on the screen. The only solution is to reach out through
National Support so that we can remove the broken image for you.
- Please provide us with the following information when reaching out: publication name/month/year/name of article or
you can remove all of the previously uploaded images and only upload up to 2 at a time.
_ Can I manipulate a photo to not give the resolution warning so that ARC accepts it? _
- The designers can tell when a photo has been altered to appear as if it is meeting resolution requirements. The
resolution warning is there as a safeguard so that the images printed in your magazine aren't blurry once they are
printed larger in the layout. Please follow resolution requirements so that the integrity and quality of the
magazine remain intact.
_ If one of our photographers takes photos of a client for the magazine, do they belong to Lifestyle Publications or can
they be used elsewhere? _
- It is best practice to let the photographer handle sharing those photos. We generally say that the photos can be
sold by the photographer to the client after the shoot. (They often arrange a discounted rate.) We just ask that the
photos aren't used in competing media sources but can be used for personal use or their own social media etc. They
shouldn't use the photos for ads to be placed in other publications.
_ What are the required photography specifications? _
- All photos to be published in the magazine should have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi
- Cover: 2550 x 3300 pixels or higher
- Large: 2100 x 1425 pixels or higher
- Small: 900 x 600 pixels or higher
- Photo file type: Files for editorial use should be submitted as .jpg or .png.
_ How many shots/what kind of shots should be taken in a photoshoot? _
- The photos included in the recipe layout are intended to serve as inspiration for the type and orientation of photos
that should be provided to recreate the layout. When providing images, be sure to include a variety of shots. For
example, instead of submitting 5 different head-on shots of one artist being featured, provide additional detail
shots of their artwork, their studio, them in the process of creating their art, etc., for a more visually
interesting layout.
- You will need to supply the minimum number of photos required for our design team to successfully recreate the
layout, but the more options the better for them to determine what works best within the composition of the article.
- NOTE: Not all photos will always be used—it will be dependent upon the quality of the photos and the recipe layout.
If there are specific photos you’d prefer to be used, you can leave a note on each photo like “optional” or label
the photos with the corresponding photo placement number shown on the recipe, i.e. Photo 1, Photo 2, etc.
How do I access stock photography?
- You can access free stock photography through Adobe Stock.
- Please be aware that while our stock photo services are free to Publishers and clients, our subscription does not
include images that are marked for "editorial" use or "premium" images. If you would like to use the premium image
you have uploaded, please purchase the image and upload it with your request.
_ What are the dimensions of the Business Monthly photos? _
- The dimensions for the Business Monthly photos are 1.97 x 1.70 inch square. The image should be bigger than 2x2
inches to fit. If you do not have a photo to fit the space you can also include a stock photo.