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Writer’s Guidelines

WHO WE ARE, WHO READS US

The Lane Report is an intelligent, enterprising magazine that informs readers and drives a statewide dialogue by highlighting important business stories in Kentucky. Founded in 1985, the monthly magazine has over 50,000 readers who fill the ranks of top business leaders and policymakers. While some content is produced by The Lane Report’s editorial staff, roughly 60 percent comes from freelance writers.

What Stories Does The Lane Report Publish?
The Lane Report is about businesses, what shapes them, and the people who make them run. Each issue contains five or more features touching on issues including economics, policy, tourism, small business, and business trends. The story selection is balanced to fairly represent each major region of Kentucky, though some extra attention is given to Louisville and Lexington.

The Lane Report’s editors are interested in well-written, insightful stories that shed light on the way business works in Kentucky. The magazine also highlights partnerships and collaboration between the business world and schools, universities, and other public institutions. We particularly look for stories that illustrate notable trends within Kentucky’s economy and business community.

We also keep an eye out for quirky, dynamic business people who are innovating and changing the way business is done in Kentucky.

Ideas for most of our sections are generated by both the Lane Report staff and by freelance contributors.

Sections
A proposed piece should fit into one of these sections of the magazine:

FAST LANE BRIEFS: (100-400 words) – Recent Kentucky business news and trends and how they might shape the future.

ENTREPRENEURS: (750-1,400 words) – Profile of a particularly interesting member of the business community.

FEATURES: (750-3,000 words) – Major trends shaping the state; noteworthy business and best practices; stories with sweeping implications across industry sectors and state regions.

The Lane Report pays upon publication and buys all rights to stories as they appear in print. The compensation varies depending on the type of feature or department but is competitive with other magazines in the state.

How to Query The Lane Report
Send a query letter outlining your proposal and story by e-mail or regular mail to the editor listed below. Provide a clear understanding of the angle and a sense of the tone your piece would take. Show us your key interviews and research sources. Please include a resume and two to three representative clips of your previous work.

Please do not send unsolicited manuscripts. Search www.lanereport.com to make sure we have not recently run a piece on the topic you are proposing.

The Lane Report prefers a news analysis style, similar to most newspaper writing. It should be lively and engaging, even in mundane stories. First-person narrative should be avoided.

From the time of assignment, writers have between one and two months to complete a story. Shorter FAST LANE items may have less lead time. Stories typically appear in print about three weeks after their final editing – good to keep in mind when pitching ideas.

Send queries to [email protected] or to:

Mark Green, Editorial Director/Vice President
The Lane Report
465 East High St. STE124
Lexington, KY 40507