0. DISCLAIMER:The column began in 1994 and runs each Wednesday, but budgetary or policy changes could end it at any time. I am not a member of The Star staff; I am a "repeat free-lance" writer.

1. Thank you for agreeing to draft a guest column for the "Faiths and Beliefs" space in the Wednesday Kansas City Star or for providing me with your material to acknowledge and include in my column.

2. The column often runs about 400 words, depending on ad space and headline lay-out. Occasionally the column is severely cut, depending on ad space, placement, and shape. I have no control over the final edit, headlines, or trims.

3. Please draft your material to run about 400 words or more. I'm fairly good at editing down from a longer text. I write to space, not word-count, so polish is not required at this early stage. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions as you prepare your text.  Please send plain text in an email, not as an attachment. 

3a. See notes on style below. Please remember this is a popular, rather than academic, style.
 

5. Send your material to me. The best way is email:  vern@cres.org.

6. I am responsible for what is submitted to The Star, and I will prepare your material with the proper formatting. Don't count words too carefully; I'll help prune if necessary. If advisable, I will mark it up and send it back to you for your comments. Space is the demon that drives me to put words in your mouth, conflate, reduce, summarize, lose nuance, etc. But I will do this only with your cooperation.

7. Unless we've agreed on a deadline, there is no rush; but whenever you are ready, I will schedule the column. The deadline for the column is normally Thursday morning at 8 am for publication the following Wednesday in The Star's FYI section. (Holidays can affect this schedule.) If I've asked for your consent for the edited version, please phone or email me before then.

8. For examples of past columns, visit http://www.cres.org/star  and browse from the index.

9. Again, thank you. Your contribution will help Kansas Citians understand the diversity and depth of religious life among us. I think this is important. 
 

Vern

NOTES ON STYLE

1. STATUS. The Star does not ordinarily use the title "Dr." -- even with physicians. Concerning academic degrees for scholars and clergy, here is guidance from the Religion Stylebook: "For all faiths, the title Dr. is generally not used before the names of scholars or clergy who hold academic doctorates. If the person’s academic credentials are important to the story, it is better to give specifics, as in Jane Doe, who holds a doctorate in systematic theology, led the discussion." -- religionstylebook.org/titles.php.
However, designations such as the Rev. FirstName Lastname and the Very Rev. FirstName Lastname and the Rt. Rev. FirstName Lastname are used the first time the name appears. If the person has a position such as Bishop, that may be used instead of the title. Subsequently only the last name is normally used. Noting someone has a Ph.D. in physics likely becomes a doctorate in physics. 

2. SHORT sentences and short paragraphs make for easier newspaper reading. 

3. BOOK TITLES and films are now indicated by quotation marks, not italics. Newspaper and magazine names appear without quotation marks and are no longer italicized.

4. CAPITALIZE Scripture, Resurrection, Seder,  Bible (but biblical), Mass. Use lower case for 17th century,  magisterium, communist, and ground zero; church and cathedral are lower case unless part of a name.

5. DATES. There is no "yesterday" or "tomorrow" in The Star; use dates or day names.

6. ABBREVIATIONS such as p.m. use lower case and periods. Martin Luther King Jr. but no comma. The Saint Paul School of Theology becames the St. Paul School of Theology. 

7. TELEPHONE numbers are printed as 816-123-4567. WEBSITES include the www but not the http:// -- thus, www.cres.org and the words are website and Web. LOCATIONS are rendered as Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St. if they are in Kansas City, Mo. States do not follow the 2-letter postal abbreviations; Missouri is Mo., not MO, Kansas is Kan. not KS.  URL for other states.

8. PUNCTUATION. The Star follows the French style of omitting a comma before the "and" in a series. The Star uses a style of three unspaced periods for elipses: "..." rather than ". . ."

9. LITERARY USAGE may not always be employed. For example, even when used adverbally,  besides (in addition to) may become the preposition beside (along side of);  "besides that idea" may become "beside that idea." Word-order preferences may vary. Thus, Wieman, about whom King wrote . . .  may be transformed into Wieman, whom King wrote about.... 

10. HEADLINE.  I do not write or even suggest headlines. I have no knowledge whether there will be space for a 1-line, 2-line, or 3-line headline, or whether the column will appear in one long vertical space or as two or three or four or five or six horizontal columns across the page. A headline depends on many things, including how much space there is and whether all capitals or lower case letters will be used.  Headlines are written by those who prepare the page, taking into account such things as ad space, story placement, typographical consistency and variety, and other matters that I have no knowledge of or control over. 
 

I do not know whether space will allow a 1-line, 2-line, or 3-line headline, or whether the column will appear in one long vertical space or as two or three or four or five or six horizontal columns across the page. A headline depends on many things, including how much space there is and whether all capitals or lower case letters will be used as well as the type of font and its size. Headlines must take into account such things as ad space, story placement, typographical consistency and variety, and other matters that I have no knowledge of or control over.