THE PREMIER REALITY FIGHTING MAGAZINE™
RCO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

RCO magazine is an interactive online Web site in magazine format dedicated to truth and reality in the combative arts.

RCO welcomes article queries and submissions. The easiest way to submit articles and story pitches is via e-mail.

We ask that you please send the text of your query or submission in plain text in the body of your e-mail, rather than as an attached file, as we may not be able to read the format of your file unless it is in a recent version of Microsoft Word.

If you wish to contribute, please spend some time familiarizing yourself with RCO's various sites and features. Please put the words "EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS" in the subject line of the e-mail. If you are an unknown or lesser know instructor or writer please tell us about yourself and your credentials as well as your experience, background and qualifications for writing a particular piece.

If you have pictures or video clips you can send us via e-mail, or Web addresses of pages that contain your work, please send us a representative sampling (no more than three or four, please) – and avoid sending high resolution pictures or video as it will take to long to download and tie up our systems.

We do our best to respond to all inquiries, but be aware that we are sometimes inundated. If you have not heard back from us after three weeks, please assume that we will not be able to use your idea or submission.

Also please note that RCO does not solicit esoteric articles or fiction and will not be able to respond to such submissions.

More detailed instructions on submissions is as follows:

Deadlines
Deadlines are critical for any magazine, online or print. Readers pay to see the magazine by a certain date and that expectation must be met every issue. If your submission does not meet the deadline or is excessively late, it may not be included in the intended issue.

Columnists, in particular, must try to have more than one article completed before deadline to ensure that their column will be available for their readership every month.

The deadline for submissions is a minimum of ONE month before the target issue. For example, all content submitted for the June issue of RCO is due May 1st.

The earlier you submit material the greater the chance it will be included in a specfic issue or prime location in the magazine.

RCO Submission Requirements
All submissions should include the title of the piece and the header “Editorial Submissions” with the author’s name, date of submission, and all contact information including phone, email and postal mailing address.

Writing Guidelines
All materials submitted to RCO must be about reality-based combat/ fighting/self-defense/. This may include (but not be limited to) articles on combat martial arts, self-defense, personal safety and protection, combative firearms, defensive weapon-craft, law enforcement, military sciences and defensive tactics.

Unless some direct connection can be made to real world fighting, articles on sport martial arts, boxing, kickboxing, UFC or combat sports personalities and skill sets will not be published. Articles on unscientific or esoteric aspects of the fighting arts, i.e. essays on internal energy, will not be published either. Traditional arts and their techniques may be included if the focus of the submission is on the proven and realistic application of such training. Also articles that are blatantly political or promote a specific system of style at the expense of others will not be printed.

The focus of all submissions should be the realistic, practical and provable application of combat skills in the real world.

Technical Writing Requirements
Articles should be provided electronically in Microsoft Word, not in hard copy unless other arrangements have been made with the editor.

Send all written materials in Microsoft Word (PC or Mac) Send via email or postal mail on disk or CD Please type in the font “Times” if possible Please do not type in BOLD - or Format too much. Please spell check and proof for grammar. Please indicate position of photographs in article if appropriate. Please write captions for all photographs / graphics. Please list any appropriate photo credits. Otherwise list photographs / graphics at end of article with captions.

SPECIAL NOTE: Articles, columns and interviews in RCO are punctuated with key points or quotes throughout the piece. For readability it is advisable for the author pull the key points from the article and place them at the end or formatted into the article in quotes and larger typeface. If pictures are also to be presented and placed with the quote they should be indicated also.

Example A – an article:

WHAT IS TACTICAL DEFENSE TRAINING?™
By Sgt. John Hutchison

Welcome to the first issue of RCO Magazine and to my column on Tactical Defense Training. I thought long and hard about what to write for my very first issue and decided that the best thing I could do is explain what Tactical Defense Training is and how it came to be.

I first met Richard Ryan in early 1990 while I was a member of the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team. At the time I was a Black Belt in Shotokan Karate and had studied numerous martial arts. I was also a certified Arizona POST (Peace Officers Standards and Training) defensive tactics instructor. As a result of my experience I was asked by the team’s commander to teach our team some means of effective defensive tactics. The problem was that I didn’t believe in that the training I had received was really practical in the real world and certainly not right for the life and death encounters often faced by special operations teams.

“Within weeks we were integrating the fundamental mechanics of ballistic weaponry with unarmed arrest tactics almost a decade before anyone had even thought of such a concept.”

This realization sent me on a nation-wide search for an instructor who could provide the kind of reality-based training I knew my team needed. After long months of searching in vain I met Richard Ryan and found what I was looking for. Over the next several years I became a student of the art of Dynamic Combat™ and Mr. Ryan began training our team in real life fighting skills and some of the best defensive tactics and firearms integration training I have ever seen before or since.

Example B – an interview:

INTERVIEWER: So I guess it boils down to the focus of content. What other things will not see in RCO?

RR: You won’t see articles pandering to the “no holds barred” fighting craze unless the can relate the article directly to street skills or tactics.

“We have a no proof – no publish policy. If you can’t do it or prove that it really works, don’t write about it, at least not for our magazine!”

INTERVIEWER: It is the big thing in the martial arts now a days, aren’t you missing the boat by not publishing articles about the UFC and others?

RR: That may very well be.

Photograph Submissions Guidelines
It is best to always submit photographs and video with your articles or columns because visual aids are essential to illustrate your work and ability. Sending a short video clip is by far the best way to get a point across but photos are more practical and easy to include. The ability to see the action and create interactivity for the reader is a critical part of the success of RCO magazine. We do not want to be just an online newsletter but rather a visually interactive magazine. Good high quality visuals are a must!

All photographs are best provided in JPEG (.jpg) format at about 500 pixels wide by 400 tall. Although higher resolution is usually better, when sending pictures by email larger files can be problematic.

Video Submissions Guidelines
Video can be submitted in numerous ways. Because of the low-resolution requirements for web posting, we do not need high-resolution video. Most importantly the video must be shot with good lighting. Video clips do not need to be very long. Short clips illustrating a technique or salient point of your article or column are ideal. Make it short, dramatic and clear. The more action the better.

Video is best submitted in its finished form, i.e. DIGITAL TAPE or MPEG and AVI formats for either Quicktime or RealPlayer.

Digital clips can be placed immediately with your article or column. If you do not have that capability you can submit video in almost any format including digital, regular VHS, S-VHS or Hi-8. If time allows we will convert them for use on the web.

It is best to send clear or digital copies. If you send originals and want them returned you must include stamped self addressed envelopes or postal boxes.

Important Note: Please submit a brief description of the action or content of all photographs and video for captions. Also provide names (and correct spelling) of all participants.

SUBMISSIONS AGREEMENT
By submitting photographs or video to RCO, you give RCO the right to use the materials for the intended issue and for any promotional materials related to RCO. Additionally, you are responsible for any model releases of participants identified in photographs or videos.

All solicited articles; photographs and videos sent email to:

RCOmagazine@cox.net
Or mail to:
RCO Magazine Submissions Dept.
P.O. Box 31637
Phoenix, Arizona 85046-1637
USA

Unsolicited Submissions
The editor and RCO staff will determine if unsolicited submissions fit the requirements of the magazine. Please keep your query letters short and to the point.

Interview Guidelines
Interviews with persons of interest are often conducted by phone and taped for later transcription. Interviews will then be made available to the subject for review and accuracy before being placed in the magazine.

Review Submissions
The deadline for all books, videos and products for review is the same as an article or column – no later than two month before the target issue. Photographs of the product and a sample of the product must be submitted at that time. The product will be reviewed by the RCO staff or a member of the Board of Directors and featured in the upcoming issue.

Online Store and Product Submissions
RCO’s online store will become active on or before the fourth issue and presents an opportunity for those with high quality products to access our subscriber base of pre-qualified buyers. RCO reserves the right to determine which products will be in the RCO store. The decision is based on the overall quality and/or message of the product itself as well as its application in the real world.

To submit a product, send all relevant information and a sample to RCO magazine c/o Product Submission. Include information on how the product is sold and fulfilled i.e. mail order, email, online Web site, phone orders etc. and whether or not you have credit card billing for your products.

RCO Magazine
C/O Product Submissions
P.O. Box 31637
Phoenix, Arizona 85046-1637
USA

Or email us with an inquiry at: RCOmagazine@cox.net

Seminars / Event Submissions
The RCO Calendar of Events is an exclusive club reserved for those martial artists, schools or events that are approved by the RCO Board of Directors. To qualify, you must be a proven reality fighting expert, RCO approved school or your event must relate to reality fighting arts in some way. If you believe you qualify events related to reality-based combat martial arts, weapons and firearms maybe submitted to the RCO for calendar listing. Event submissions are accepted as far as 12 months in advance and include seminars, conferences, programs and organization meetings. Include all pertinent information including a clear event description, instructor(s), dates, times, locations and tuition and fees. We also recommend you also include photos or video of the instructor(s) in a similar event or a video of what they will be taught to aid promotion of the event if RCO chooses to do so. Be sure to include all contact information such as names, phone numbers, email addresses and websites.

To submit information on your event or seminar by email contact:
RCOmagazine@cox.net

Or mail information to:

Events Calendar
RCO Magazine
C/O Scott Shephard
P.O. Box 31637
Phoenix, Arizona 85046-1637
USA

Advertising
RCO only accepts certain types of limited advertising. Most often the advertising must be related to the scope and content of the magazine or be associated with an established columnist, contributor or member of the RCO Board of Directors.

All advertising inquiries should be directed by mail or email (See addresses above) and directed to the Managing Editor Scott Shephard.

Right to Refuse
RCO reserves the right to refuse to use or place a specific article, column, products, seminar or event if it does not meet the guidelines and general requirements of the magazine. For more information see the About RCO Magazine guidelines online.

Please direct all further inquiries to: Info@rcomagazine.com

RCO Magazine Review Submissions
If you are interested in having RCO review your product, video, DVD or publication send us the product no later than two months before your target issue.

Photographs, specs and all relevant marketing information on the product and a sample of the product must be submitted at that time. If we think the product is of interest to our readers it will be reviewed by the appropriate RCO staff or a member of the Board of Directors and featured in the upcoming issue.

Examples of Products RCO will consider for review:

• Books, magazines, videos and DVD’s
• Websites and related newsletters
• Self Defense Products
• Martial arts training gear
• Weapons and accessories
• Clothing and apparel
• Training gear and Dummies
• Conditioning and fitness equipment

Online Store and Product Reviews - Submissions
The RCO’s online store presents an opportunity for those with products to access our subscriber base of pre-qualified buyers. The store will go online on or before the fourth issue. RCO reserves the right to determine which products will be reviewed and/or placed in the RCO store. The decision is based on the overall quality and/or message of the product itself as well as its application in the real world.

TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR REVIEW:
To submit a product for review, send all relevant information and a sample (the actual product) to RCO magazine c/o Review Submissions. Please Include all relevant marketing materials, web sites, other reviews and all information on how the product is sold and fulfilled i.e. mail order, email, online Web site, phone orders etc. and whether or not you have credit card billing for your products. Please note that products will not be returned.

Send to:
RCO Magazine
C/O Review Submissions
P.O. Box 31637
Phoenix, Arizona 85046-1637
USA

Send Us YOUR Action Shots!
Action Shots™ is an upcoming online picture gallery for you, the readers of RCO Magazine. To participate, send us your action photos of any of the following:

• Seminars & Workshops
• Sparring & Full Contact Training
• Old Martial Arts Archive Photos
• Training & Conditioning Shots
• Karate Tournaments & Demonstrations
• Amateur & Professional Fights
• Boxing & Kickboxing
• No Holds Barred Cage Matches
• Breaking & Weapons Demonstrations
• Firearms & Weapons Training
• Instructors in Action

Other interesting or related photos!

Remember... they must be action-oriented photographs to be considered for inclusion in the RCO Action Shots Gallery. The more dramatic, the better! Just make sure they are genuine and not staged and that no one is seriously injured.

Photos of the week and month

Each issue the most dramatic and interesting photographs will be selected for photo of the week, photo of the month etc., and three (3) photographs will be voted on by RCO Magazine for the top three Action Shots of the Year. Winners will be republished at the end of the year and receive free gifts from RCO Magazine by mail.

SUBMISSION RELEASE AGREEMENT
By submitting photographs or video to RCO, you agree to give RCO the right to use and publish the materials in the Action Shots Gallery and other places within and related to RCO Magazine. Additionally, you are responsible for any model releases of participants identified in photographs or videos. By sending the materials for submission you do hereby release the rights for our use.

Guidelines for Online Submissions
You may submit Action Shots online via email as long as they are in a common readable format (i.e. Jpegs / tif / gif etc.) and the file sizes are not too big.

Please DO NOT send us large, high-resolution digital photos by email or huge files (more than a few pictures at one time). This will overload our servers!

Send no more than a few medium sized shots at a time. All photographs are best provided in JPEG (.jpg) format at about 500 pixels wide by 400 tall at about 72 dpi (medium resolution).

Include a Description
Please submit a brief description of the action or content of all photographs and for possible captions. Also provide names (and correct spelling) of all participants who should be (or wish to) be identified.

Submit Action Shots online at: editor@rcomagazine.com

Submissions by Mail
You may also submit Action Shots by mail on disk, zip CD's or DVD's in a standard readable format. In addition, you may also submit hardcopy photos via regular mail. However, this is the least preferred method as we must take the time to scan them and this may delay publication.

Mail Action Shots to:
RCO Magazine
C/O Action Shots Submissions Dept.
P.O. Box 31637
Phoenix, Arizona 85046-1637
USA

Publication Policy
Submission of photographs does not guarantee publication. RCO magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any and all photographs and to publish at our discretion.

Return Policy
Hardcopy photos WILL NOT be returned unless you provide a stamped, self-addressed envelope for mailing. Be sure the return postage is correct.

QUESTION SUBMISSIONS
If you have a question about the fighting arts, fitness and conditioning, self defense and the law or defensive weaponry, submit your inquiry here.

Direct Your Question
You have two options here. You can ask a general question of our experts which will be answered by the appropriate staff, columnist or board member or you can ask a directed question to a specific person or art. If your question is directed be sure to specify exactly who your question is for and/or what art you are asking about.

Sign Your Inquiry
This is the information that will be displayed if your question is published. You have two options here and can choose from full or partial display based on your preference. For a full display sign your inquiry with your full name, where you are from and your forum name if you like.

For example - Full Display:
John Doe Los Angeles, California USA RCO Forum name: Sensei *EMail JohnDoe@blank.net 555-252-5522 *NON-published information

For a partial display only sign your inquiry with your first initial and your full last name along with your state or province and country you reside in. For example - Partial Display:
J. Doe California USA *EMail JohnDoe@blank.net 555-252-5522

*NON-published information: Please Note All inquiries must be signed in one of the above manners in order for us to publish them - and - they must include the required contact information (email and/or phone number) in the event we wish to contact you about your inquiry.

Publishing Policy
Please understand that not all questions can and will be answered. Each issue we will choose the best or most asked questions to answer and publish.

Submit Your Question
Email us with an inquiry at: editor@rcomagazine.com Or submit questions by mail to: RCO Magazine C/O Ask the Experts P.O. Box 31637 Phoenix, Arizona 85046-1637 USA