All articles submitted to and accepted by the Virginia Genealogical Society for publication in the VGS Newsletter must be original. The material should not have been published or submitted elsewhere.

Articles accepted for publication in the VGS Newsletter must conform to the editorial standards of the Society. While authors are asked to submit material in accordance with our publication guidelines, the Society reserves the right to edit the work further as to style and content. In doing so, however, the Society will endeavor not to alter the substance of the material.

Articles published in the VGS Newsletter may always be distributed by the Society as a reprint or be incorporated by the Society into any future published collection of Newsletter articles.

Permission may be granted by the Society to other publications to reprint an article, with credit to the VGS Newsletter, for a period of two years following its original publication. It is understood that the author will not independently publish or provide permission for any other person or entity to publish said material for at least two years after its original publication in the VGS Newsletter without notifying the Society in writing in advance. After that period of time, the author may re-publish and/or grant permission for others to publish the article freely, without notifying the Society in advance, as long as credit is always given to the VGS Newsletter for publishing the material initially.

Finally, for our protection, we ask that all authors sign an agreement which will be mailed to them after their material has been accepted for the first time. This will remain in force and on file at Society headquarters until policy modifications have occurred. Said agreement asks you to confirm that the material submitted and accepted is original; that it was not created pursuant to your employment; that it does not violate copyright, proprietary or personal rights of others; and that the article is factually accurate to the best of your knowledge and contains no libelous or otherwise unlawful material.

Material accepted for publication in the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy additionally requires that the author agrees to notify the Society in writing prior to any attempt to re-publish the material elsewhere at any time, including electronically. For a more complete explanation of the VGS policy on copyright, consult the inside of the front cover of any recent issue of the Magazine.

The VGS Newsletter and the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy may not be scanned or posted in any way, even in part, on any electronic bulletin board or list without explicit written permission from the Society. Neither may they be reproduced in any other way electronically.

Authors who wish to have their manuscripts returned, should submit either a self-addressed stamped envelop or attach sufficient postage to cover the cost of returning their manuscript.

Authors should expect to be notified within sixty (60) days of the decision of the Society regarding the status of their unsolicited submission. If immediate comment is desired, please communicate that information at the time of submission.

It is anticipated, but not required, that those submitting material to the Society for publication in either the Newsletter or the Magazine will be members in good standing of the Virginia Genealogical Society.

For the protection of the writer/compiler/transcriber, when material has been accepted for publication, the author will be informed in the written communication when the material will be published and what happens if it is not published on schedule. Unless both parties agree to another date, all rights revert back to the author and the material may be submitted elsewhere at once.

• One printed copy and a digital copy copy (email or CD), preferably in either WordPerfect or Microsoft Word.
• Full double spacing in both the text and the footnotes. Endnotes are not acceptable.
• A traditional font such as Courier, Arial, or Times New Roman is strongly encouraged.
• Your name, address, telephone and email address should be on a separate cover sheet - text pages should be headed only by the title of the manuscript.
• All citations should be done in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style which can also be gleaned from consulting past issues of the Magazine or the National Genealogical Society Quarterly.
• Charts, tables, figures and maps should appear on separate pages following the notes.
• Margins on all sides should be one to one and half inches.
• Extremely long submissions may be edited or serialized at the discretion of the Editorial Board.
• Compiled genealogies may be re-numbered by the Board.
• Transcriptions must retain the spelling and puncuation of the original source.

If you have questions regarding submissions or about the appropriateness of the material, please contact Bonnie Trainor in writing at society headquarters. You may, of course, also contact her by E-mail at Publications@VGS.org. Bonnie will then forward your questions to the most appropriate member of the Editorial Board.

The Magazine of Virginia Genealogy is published quarterly by the Society. Each issue contains approximately 75 pages and is fully indexed annually. The purpose of the Magazine is to help support the mission of the Society which is to "foster interest in genealogical, biographical, historical, and heraldic research; to publish information pertaining to genealogy and to share genealogical skills, methods, techniques and knowledge among the members of the Society."

The Society's Newsletter appears six times each year and announces meetings of interest to members throughout the state, region and nation; publishes reviews of new books; and contains at least one feature article in each issue. Please consult recent issues before submitting material and be advised that announcements must be received at least three (3) months in advance. In addition, the Newsletter publishes queries from members on a space available basis.

The members of the Editorial Board look forward to working with you as we all strive to further the cause of genealogy and family history within the Commonwealth. The time for thinking about publishing is over. It's time to take action!

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