THE SHELBY AMERICAN MAGAZINE
A. Printing. The SHELBY AMERICAN is a club publication which relies solely on contributions from members for all articles and photographs. While members oflen pay us the compliment of equating it with a professional magazine put together by a large, full-time paid staff, nothing could be further from the truth. There is no formal publishing schedule for the magazine. When we have enough quality material to fill an issue, that issue goes to the printer. Our standards are high and rather than lower them just to meet some arbitrary deadline we'll hold off printing until what we have is worth it. We don't reprint articles that have appeared somewhere else and we try not to use the same photograph more than once. In short, we won't fill empty pages with fluff for filler just to get an issue out.
B. Mailing. Once an issue is printed (a process which takes up to two full months or more - not including the time it takes to write and/or edit the actual articles), it is shipped by our printer, in bulk, to a mailing service. The mailing service applies the individual mailing labels, sorts and bundles the magazines and delivers them to the post office. All magazines are shipped to the post office at the same time. Once the magazine goes to the printer it's out of our hands. We can make a generalization that everyone should receive their issue within 2-3 weeks of its being delivered to the post office, but in reality we have no way of accounting for issues that do not get delivered. If you missed an issue-or think you did-write to us. Please be sure to include the issue number you missed (each issue is numbered, so you should know the last issue you received). We can check to make sure that the address we have for you is correct and that the issue was sent to you. If necessary we will send you a replacement copy.
C. Articles. All articles used in The SHELBYAMERICAN are contributed by members. While SAAC does not have a budget to pay for those contributions, we show our appreciation by offering one-year extensions of current memberships to those whose articles get published. Our standards for accuracy are high and articles of a technical nature must be thoroughly researched. Our reputation is on the line each time we go to press and it is something we value very highly. Ideas for articles should be approved before submission. This is to prevent duplication of effort; it's possible that someone else might have had a similar idea and could already be working on an identical article. If you have an idea about something that might make interesting reading please drop us a note. We'll be happy to review it and provide you with some input. You need not be a writer - that's what we have an Editor for. All you need is an idea and the ability to collect the facts required to tell the story. If you ever thought about a career as an automotive writer this is an excellent place to start. You'd be surprised at the professional automotive journalists who began their careers by writing for The SHELBY AMERICAN If you have experience as a writer then all you need is an interesting idea for an article. Let's hear from you!
D. Photographs. All of the photographs that appear in The SHELBYAMERICAN are provided by club members. Everything sent to us is handled carefully and eventually returned. Black & white prints work best; color prints are next best. Polaroids or disc photos do not reproduce well, so we don't even try to use them. Covers require slides or transparencies. We look for vertical format compositions with the subject in the lower half of the frame. Cover slides must be clear, sharp and have interesting backgrounds - but not so interesting that they detract from the car. It's hard to explain what we look for in a cover slide. It's a lot like one Supreme Court justice's definition of pornography: we can't define it but we know it the minute we see it. There's only one way to get your car on the cover of The SHELBY AMERICAN - send us a slide. If it's not good enough we'll return it and we'll let you know why. Then you can try again!
E. Display Ads. Display ad rates are listed on the contents page of every issue of The SHELBYAMERICAN For additional details, deadlines, specifications and information please contact SAAC HQ.
F. Back Issues. Back issues are available for as long as they last but once they go "out of print" we do not reprint them. Each issue is normally overprinted by between 500 and 1000 copies. All members joining afler a particular issue is printed receive that issue with their new member packet, so between the people purchasing back issues and the new members getting them with their new memberships, the stock of back issues is continually dwindling. The price we charge for back issues represents our cost to produce them. That price remains in effect for as long as we have those issues in stock. Once they are no longer available from us, the only way to add to your collection is to deal with automotive literature dealers. The going rate for an out-of-stock issue of The Shelby American is between $15 and $100.
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