Writer’s Guidelines
Want to contribute to Security Sales & Integration Magazine or Website? Here’s what you need to know.
SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION (SSI) is published to meet the business and technology information needs of installing electronic security companies. Founded in 1979, SSI covers the access control, intrusion, fire/life-safety, video surveillance, home controls and integrated systems sectors for the residential, commercial and industrial marketplaces. SSI is issued monthly to more than 28,000 security professionals nationwide.
READERSHIP
Executive, general, sales and technical level management spanning the following groups: Installing security dealer/systems integrators; IT VARs; architects/specifying consultants/engineers; electrical contractors that install security/fire systems; ESDs; locksmiths/electronic access control installers; central monitoring stations; wholesale distributors of security products; manufacturers/manufacturers’ representatives of security products/components.
EDITORIAL OVERVIEW
SSI is a solution-oriented magazine, edited to provide timely, useful information in an easily digested, entertaining and graphically stimulating format. In addition, SSI strives to be thought provoking and original via opinion pieces and industry exclusive articles. Specific content includes general features, in-depth installation case studies, columns, departments, and industry and product news. With an emphasis on delivering peer-to-peer-based content, SSI’s award-winning editorial forms the foundation of a trustworthy, unbiased and educational environment that brings security professionals together for the mutual benefit of all. Areas of the magazine that accommodate outside contributors include feature articles (technology, business and other topics of direct industry importance or human interest); in-depth case studies (unique installation projects); sector departments (Access, Fire & Intrusion, Home Automation, Integration, Markets and Video); and column-style articles or opinion pieces (typically online only). Note that many of the following requirements are less stringent for online submissions.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
- All topics must be preapproved by SSI
- Material must be completely unbiased and brand/product neutral with the emphasis on education
- To ensure credibility, established subject matter authorities are preferred authors, as opposed to sales, marketing and public relations specialists or generalists
- Features should include as many sources and quotes as possible from a variety of knowledgeable subjects, preferably people associated with installing security contractors to uphold the peer-to-peer philosophy
- All installation case studies must be presented from the point of view of the installation company, consultant and end user, rather than the manufacturer/supplier
- All case studies must at a minimum include SSI’s required case study questions and support materials (available upon request)
- Articles should typically be written in the third person (no “I” or “me”)
- Material must be exclusive to SSI in its entirety before and for a minimum period of four months after publication
- Lengths: Features and case studies (1,600-2,400 words); Departments, Columns and Opinion pieces (800 woords)
- The only mention of a contributor’s name or company shall be in the byline and a small bio/contact box
- Writer compensation is negotiable, but usually waived by the author in exchange for the exposure publication brings
- All contributors must sign standard Emerald Expositions all rights copyright agreements
- Submitted material must be approved by SSI prior to publication, and once approved becomes exclusive property of Emerald
- No guarantees or promises are to be made in terms of what issue contributed articles will run in
- Placement preference is given to articles that meet a published SSI Editorial Calendar need
- SSI will format, edit, rewrite or otherwise alter submissions as it sees fit
- Artwork is encouraged (figure at least one piece of art for every 400 words), but must be as company/brand neutral as possible (product shots are discouraged in favor of those that depict some sort of action); diagrams, statistical graphs, logos, and blueprints are also desirable
- Artwork must meet minimum print specifications (color; 300 dpi; at least 3 inches by 3 inches in size at that resolution; jpeg, tiff or eps format)
- All submissions must adhere to AP style; contributors are urged to analyze similar material in SSI to get a better handle on what is expected in terms of style, headlines, decks, subheads, captions, etc.
ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR FEATURES AND CASE STUDIES
Feature articles — can assume many different formats, including traditional narratives with interspersed sources; roundups of experts; first-person account; photo essays; how-to’s; profiles; and research-based pieces. Plan for between one and three sidebars for every feature article. All of these issues should be discussed with the assigning editor.
Case studies — need to convey what specific problems or challenges the installing company faced in an installation, the technology involved and how the result meets the needs of the client. These articles should be as technical as possible in nature and full of story-telling photos and other artwork. Extensive comments from the installing company are mandatory. Comments from the end user are desirable but not required. However, the end user must approve of the article being published.
Without exception, articles in SSI must provide solid, take-away value for the readers — NO FLUFF!
PROPOSALS AND SUBMISSIONS
Proposals should include a detailed outline or summary of the article, names of contacts and the author’s name and contact information. Submissions targeted to specific items on our print editorial calendar must be sent to us at least three months in advance. All contributions must be thoroughly fact checked before submission as factual errors remain the responsibility of the author. For more information, please contact group editor Dan Ferrisi at [email protected] (all submissions should be sent in electronically as an e-mail-attached MS Word document file to this address; large image files should be shared through a Cloud service).