If you've always wanted to write for Illinois Parks & Recreation, now may be the time to clear your schedule, boot up your laptop and begin preparing a story for one of the 2006 editions. The magazine is an excellent forum to share compelling, timely and relevant insights and ideas with board members and professionals in the field.

As a professional or volunteer, you doubtless have encountered problems and developed solutions that your colleagues can learn from. Has your agency developed a program or policy that works better than anything you've used before? Do you have fresh insights for a perennial issue facing the field? Write about it.

A case study of a process, event or solution at your agency can become valuable to readers when you communicate the lessons you learned by offering how-to insights and you:

• Suggest how other agencies can adapt what you've done.

• Warn other agencies of pitfalls they might encounter.

• Detail the costs and benefits.

• Let people know where they can find more information.

The editor will consider stories on any topic at any time, but those who wish to have their work considered for a specific issue will want to submit materials in well in advance of that issue's deadline. Manuscripts for feature or focus stories should be 1,000 to 1,750 words (4 to 6 pages double-spaced) and may include a half- or one-page double-spaced "sidebar" of ancillary information. In addition to a great story, you'll also want to supply high-quality color images and other artwork.

The table on page 39 shows the focus of each issue through the beginning of 2007.

For complete submission guidelines, go to the publications section of the IAPD Web site at www.ILparks.org. You may submit stories or proposals to the editor at rwhelpley@ILparks.org.

Remember, space fills quickly.

Be Wise - Advertise In Illinois Parks & Recreation Businesses that want to achieve the benefits of advertising in the magazine or the IAPD/IPRA Directory and Buyers' Guide should contact the magazine's advertising representative: Beth Saltz P.O. Box 1555 Arlington Heights, Illinois 60006 Phone: 847-520-8010 Fax: 847-520-8094 bsaltz@arlpub.com

38 Illinois Parks and Recreation www.ILipra.org

		EDITORIAL DUE DATES		ADVERTISING DUE DATES
Issue	Focus	Focus and Feature Materials Due	People & Places Items Due	Ad Reservation Date	Ad Materials Due
Jan/Feb	Conference	10/1/05*	11/01/05*	11/15/05*	11/30/05*
March/April	Golf	1/1/06	2/1/06	2/1/06	2/7/06
May/June	Education for Career Advancement	3/1/06	4/1/06	4/1/06	4/7/06
July/August	Marketing Your Agency	5/1/06	6/1/06	6/1/06	6/7/06
Sept/Oct	Minority Issues in Illinois Parks & Recreation	7/1/06	8/1/06	8/1/06	8/7/06
Nov/Dec	Technology	9/1/06	10/1/06	10/1/06	10/7/06
Jan/Feb 2007	Conference	10/1/06*	11/01/06*	11/15/06*	11/30/06*

* The conference issues ore on an accelerated schedule. All editorial and advertising materials are due sooner than normal.

www.ilparks.org July/ August 2005 39