Become a Contributor
HerpNation Magazine pays for professionally written articles with accompanying photographs on a variety of herpetological topics. We will review all articles that are submitted to us. If you have an article idea in mind please contact us, if we like your subject we may commission your article before you have written it.
We prefer feature articles between 2500 and 3500 words but may accept more or less if your article adequately captures your subject. We seek articles that are written at a professional level for an adult audience. We prefer those writing articles to have demonstrated experience with their subject matter but may accept articles from author’s demonstrating a high level of research and writing skill.
Payment
Herp Nation Magazine makes no commitment to pay for your article through conversing about your article or even through the act of soliciting an article from you directly. We will review all articles after they have been fully written, even those solicited by us, to determine if they meet the standards and current needs of the magazine. If we decide to print your article we pay $200 for each feature article +$10 for each photograph used up to a maximum of $300.
The 5 main categories that we seek articles in are as follows:
Field Herping/Location Articles – These articles may be a in depth account of a single field herping adventure, a description and narrative detailing the wonders of a specific field herping location, or a description of a particular herping scene or community. These articles should be packed with photographs and should have a technical edge. We encourage the use of technical/herpetological terminology where appropriate.
Advanced Keeping – These articles can single out a species or genus and describe in depth care. They must include photographs of actual housing set ups, animals in their caging, breeding, feeding etc. These articles must contain some novel information that is unique to the author, recycled information that is already available through herpetoculture books will not be accepted. Keeping articles may also cover issues specific to a large group of reptiles such as safety protocols for keeping hots, novel feeding techniques, lighting, heating, etc. We want excellent details, appropriate use of technically terminology, and a scientific approach.
Natural History or Taxonomy/Systematics Articles – Natural History articles can cover natural history observations such as the results of a professional field study, or personal observations on a species or location over time. Taxonomy articles can cover current taxonomic problems, new taxonomic proposals or may report on taxonomic methods. We expect that some of these articles may be controversial in nature. We welcome well written and knowledgeable authors regardless of personal stance.
Species/Genus Highlights – These are research articles that take an entire species or genus, describe all of its forms (subspecies), including their natural history. Whenever possible these articles should include range maps and photographs of each form. HerpNation may be able to assist in obtaining or creating photos and maps. These articles should discuss taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships where possible. Captive observations may be revealing about the species natural history and may be included but ‘how-to’ type husbandry information should not be included.
Other – We don’t want to put our writers inside a box. If you have an idea for an article that you believe would be appreciated by the people of the Herpnation but doesn’t quite fit one of the above categories we still want to hear about it. If you are passionate about it, it will probably be a good article so let us know what you are thinking.