Writer's Guidelines

About Fitness Business Pro's Readers

Mission Statement

Up-to-the-minute management information is vital to successful business leaders in any industry. In a changing and growing field such as fitness, that information is critical.

The traditional fitness industry model has evolved from tennis clubs to gyms to health clubs. That world continues to expand and includes the government, hotels, resorts, corporate, schools and universities, retailers and more. As the independent voice of the entire fitness industry, Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro aims to help all fitness facilities do their business better by bringing news, trends, analysis, products and ideas to industry leaders.

Club Industry's Fitness Business Pro provides this educational experience in a variety of formats including the printed magazine, e-newsletters, special reports and the Club Industry shows.

The tagline on our cover says it all as to the focus of the publication and our commitment to our reader: “Management News for Health and Fitness Facility Leaders”

Target Audience

Our target audience is owners, CEOs, COOs, general managers, directors and other management professionals at for-profit and nonprofit fitness facilities, colleges and universities, government and military fitness facilities, corporate and medical wellness facilities.

General Considerations

Articles submitted are for exclusive publication in Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro magazine and for use on the Fitness Business Pro Web site.
In general, the magazine does not publish unsolicited articles. We follow our editorial calendar closely. The only additions to the calendar generally are our Top News stories and our Industry Observer news items.
The time between article acceptance and publication can be one to six months. We cannot guarantee publication in a certain issue.
Permission for anyone to reprint the article must be obtained from the publisher.
Only articles that have not been published elsewhere and for which we have a writer’s contract will be published.
You will notice on our editorial calendar that we run columns on such topics as clubs, technology, spas and seniors. We do not accept queries for these columns; they are written by regular columnists who generate their own materials.

Style Guidelines for Manuscripts

We focus on business and management-related issues as well as news and trends about the industry. We are not a how-to publication. Articles should always include a news or trend hook. Monetary issues should be included in all stories where applicable. Tell the reader what this news and/or trend means to them, their business and the industry.
We do not send articles to anyone for review (including individuals interviewed for the story). Please do not do so either. If you want to verify facts, please feel free to call the individuals and double check facts with them, but never e-mail, fax or mail your story to them.
Articles appearing in our publication are not designed to promote a company or product. Therefore, we do not include company-specific manufacturer information in the articles, and we do not quote manufacturers. Manufacturers and suppliers are not to be named in features; however, some Special Reports include a sidebar that lists all manufacturers of products that pertain to the subject of that Special Report.
Please omit literature citations. If you would like to cite prior research or a researcher as background or for added credibility, please do so in the body of the text. For example, “Dr. Joe Smith at the University of America, previously found…”
Use active voice (They opened the club two years ago.) rather than passive voice (The club was opened two years ago.)
Use the simplest word that makes the point. For example: choose "use" instead of "utilize;" use "rain" instead of "precipitation" event.
Do not include your own personal opinions unless you are writing one of our Focus On columns. Any opinions stated in an article should be attributed to the source that offered that opinion.
Present all sides of a story whenever possible.
Eliminate any information that is not directly related to the subject matter or present that information in a separate sidebar.

Mechanical Requirements

Most of our feature articles and Special Reports run from 1,500 to 2,000 words unless indicated otherwise during your discussion with the editor.
The simplest way of delivering articles is by e-mail. E-mail the article as a Microsoft Word attachment. (The editor’s e-mail address is: pam.kufahl@penton.com
You must send us your signed contract prior to finalizing the article (an editor will mail you a contract). You can fax it to 913-514-6815 or mail it to:
Pamela Kufahl
Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro
9800 Metcalf Ave.
Overland Park, KS 66212
Suggest a short, intriguing title on the first page, but remember that the title may be changed by the editorial staff.
Include subheads within the article.
Include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address at the end of the article.
Include a list of your sources with their phone numbers at the end of the article so we may call them should we need clarification.

Guidelines for Photographs

We accept photos in electronic format via e-mail.
When using a digital camera, use the highest resolution setting possible. The lowest pixel requirement is 1712 by 1368, which translates to a 4-inch by 5-inch photo at 300 dpi. The average file size for this size image is 2.5 MB. The shutter speed determines the amount of ghosting that occurs in digital images. For cover shots, we prefer them to be 300 dpi when they are 8 inches by 10 inches and in a vertical format, if possible. However, we will accept horizontal images as well.
If possible, take both vertical and horizontal poses of each subject.
Avoid strict product shots or group poses. Try to include a person in an action situation.
Do not include manufacturer names and logos on products in photos. If it is unavoidable, adjust your shooting position to make the logo appear smaller.
When movement is anticipated, use a tripod. This will at least eliminate any movement (however slight) of the camera. This is particularly useful for wide-open shots or longer exposures.
We prefer digital images in .tif , jpg. or .eps format.
Do not embed photographs in a Word document. Provide the images as separate files.
Photos in PowerPoint are typically not usable.
Remember that what might look fine on a computer screen, may not translate well to the printed page in the publishing industry. Unless taken with a high-end digital camera, digital photography is not usable.
If you send the actual photos (rather than an electronic file), we prefer color slides or transparencies, though color prints are acceptable. If you must send black-and-white photography, we prefer glossy photographs in an 8-inch by 10-inch format. The key to quality black-and-white prints is good contrast.
When scanning photographs, please scan as large as possible at 300 dpi. Our magazine dimensions, including bleeds, are 8 by 11 inches.
Send color photography if at all possible.
To eliminate the need for any subsequent retouching, clean up any clutter (a mop, coffee cups, ash trays, trash, etc.) before you take a picture.

Caption Guidelines

Include captions with all photographs.
Provide descriptive captions for the photographs or illustrations that accompany your article. If the person(s) in the photo is identifiable, provide the name and title of the person as well as the company for which the person works.
Captions should be succinct, but the reader should be able to cull a synopsis from them without referring back to the original article. Many readers read only the captions and look at the photographs. You want to lure them into the article by enticing them with the captions.
Be sure to indicate who should receive credit for each photo.
If you send hard copies of the photo, avoid writing on the backs of photos as ink from the back of one photo can rub off on the front of the photo below it.

After the Article Is Published

Generally, Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro mails in the middle of the month of publication. After the issue mails, you will receive two complimentary copies of the issue.

Reprints in larger quantities can be obtained from Foster Reprints at (866) 436-8366.

Submit a Product Release

To submit a new product for our Pro Shop department, please e-mail Jennipher Shaver, associate editor, at jennipher.shaver@penton.com with a 100-word description, high-resolution photo of the product and contact information for our readers (company name, phone, e-mail and Web address).

Got News?

If you know some news, we want to hear it. Contact our staff to let them know what’s happening.

For news about for profit facilities, contact Pamela Kufahl at 913-967-1815 or pam.kufahl@penton.com

For news about university recreation centers, schools and corporate fitness facilities, contact Stuart Goldman at 913-967-1807 or stuart.goldman@penton.com

For news about nonprofits and government/military fitness facilities (including parks and recreation departments) or to submit new products for Pro Shop, contact Jennipher Shaver at 913-967-1802 or jennipher.shaver@penton.com

Step by Step Author Guidelines

If you’d like to write for the Step by Step section, e-mail Jennipher Shaver at jennipher.shaver@penton.com with your mug shot, one-paragraph bio and three article ideas. Step by Step authors are required to sign a copyright contract and are not paid for their articles. The columns need to be geared towards the owners or managers of fitness facilities, have a how-to approach and be around 750 words.