Details of Story Preparation
Here’s a checklist on how to prepare articles for submission in The Star newsletter.
The purpose of The Star is to serve the needs of AWON. While these tips help make the staff of The Star’s job easier, please don’t hesitate to contribute, even if you can’t meet all these guidelines. We want to tell your family’s story, honor our fallen heroes, and share news and information that AWON members find helpful above all else, and the staff of The Star is happy to help in any way we can. We don’t sweat the details, we’re here to help! But the better the quality of information you give us, the more easily we are able to do that.
Before contributing, be sure to check out the current edition of The Star ~ Click Here! ~ to get an idea of the type of features we publish. Most often, we share family stories about our fathers. That having been said, we are open to any submission - general history, biographies, current news items, editorials, fiction, art, and even poetry! We also love receiving pictures, and even if we can’t run everything we receive in The Star, the extra items we receive are often featured on the AWON website.
The Star is published 4 times a year, Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall. We can’t always fit every article into every issue and sometimes we have to hold items for the next edition to include time-sensitive items. The sooner you submit your story, the more likely it is to be run in the next edition, but sometimes circumstances arise that make that impossible. Stories that are bumped will be given top priority for the next edition. Thank you for your understanding!
It is best for us to receive stories in .doc form and photos in a .jpg form.
1) If writing a story about your father please include as much of the following info as you’re able:
● Full name, nicknames if any
● Date and location of birth
● Where he grew up
● His childhood and education
● Occupation
● Military Unit
● Location where he served
● MIA, KIA, or Date of Death
● Burial and Memorial Info
● Any additional information of historic or military importance regarding his service
2) Please don’t forget to include information about your extended family as well:
● Your name (PLEASE include your name in your contributions, we can’t always figure out who you are from email alone!!!)
● Your mother’s name
● Details of marriage (where and when)
● Father’s parents’ names
● Father’s siblings names
● Your sibling’s names and your ages when you lost your father
● Where you grew up
● How the loss of your father affected your family both emotionally and in a practical sense
● Your search to learn more about your father
3) Tell your story in any way you feel is appropriate. While 1000 words is a good goal length, be as thorough as you feel is required to paint a full picture of your father and how his loss affected your family. The Star staff would rather have too much information than not enough!
It is best for us to receive your stories in .doc form as this allows us to edit them more easily.
Some other details that may be welcome additions:
● How and why he joined the military
● His military training (what, when, and where)
● Military assignments and special duties
● Medals awarded and special commendations he received
● Date he was sent overseas
● Circumstances of his death
● Circumstances of his burial
● What you have heard about the kind of man he was
● A few of his favorite things
● What you and your siblings miss about your father
● The legacy he leaves behind
4) Any photos you have are welcome additions. However, we do NOT want you to take any chances with your precious and irreplaceable pictures. For this reason, electronic files of pictures are preferred. While we at The Star are willing to receive photos via US Mail, scan them in ourselves, and return them to you, this does put your photos at risk of loss or damage while they travel in the mail.
To avoid this danger, it is best if you provide electronic files of your pictures:
● Scan your photo with a scanner or have Kinko’s or some other computer service bureau scan it for you
● Put the photo into a .JPG file format (and if you have the option, naming the file with your father’s name really helps us identify who the photos are of.)
● Attach the electronic photo file to your email and send it to atomicsagebrush@gmail.com or star@awon.org.
● We can also accept contributions sent by a third party such as a child, grandchild, or friend via email, but be sure to identify who the photos are originally coming from and what article they’re meant to accompany!
● If you don’t have an email address and can’t find someone to send the information on your behalf, we are willing to receive photos via US Mail to Kristin Holmes, Star Editor, PO Box 242, Creston WA, 99117, but this should be a last resort as sending in the mail puts your photos at risk of damage or loss. Whenever possible, computer files are preferred to protect your precious and irreplaceable photos.
5) If your story has already been published in a newspaper or other location, it’s fine to send a copy of that article IN ADDITION to telling your story in your own words. But we can’t run already-published articles as written (unless you have received permission from the original writer for them to be rerun.) We also cannot use photos that have been printed in a newspaper. They are not suitable for scanning - we need the original photo or a digital file to get enough resolution for publication. Newspaper articles that are scanned into a computer sent in a .PDF file are also very difficult for us to transcribe (and the photos are not useable as they are part of the PDF and can’t be moved separately, in addition to being inadequate resolution.)
It is best for us to receive your story in your own words, in a .doc form, with pictures sent separately as .JPG files, rather than copies of articles and photos published elsewhere.
6) To send your stories and photos electronically please send to:
atomicsagebrush@gmail.com or star@awon.org
Our preferred format is to receive stories in .doc and photos in .jpg.
And to send stories and photos via snail mail, please send to:
Kristin Holmes
Editor, The Star
PO Box 242
Creston, Wa
99117
Questions? Concerns?
You can always contact The Star Editor at 509-279-5241 or via email at: