LightSPEC reaches professionals across disciplines who work with solid-state lighting in the built environment, including architects, interior designers, lighting designers, engineers, owners, manufacturers, and distributors. Though our articles are written for a professional audience, we welcome anyone interested in the topics we cover.
Pitch guidelines
We welcome original, well-written, and informational articles that have a clear purpose. Examples include the following:
- Case studies in which architects and lighting designers collaborated with other disciplines to solve a challenge through ingenuity.
- Report on a product trend or product line that introduces something new and worthwhile to the market.
- Business strategy that was successful for expanding access to lighting or recruiting new talent into the burgeoning lighting design pipeline.
- Best practices for common or complex lighting scenarios.
- Research findings on light quality, impact, and technology, energy, and materials.
- Profile on or essay from an industry thought leader with relevant and actionable takeaways.
Contributions to LightSPEC should add or enhance the knowledge base of lighting and design professionals. Pitches, articles, and essays should be manufacturer- and brand-agnostic to the extent possible; we support giving credit where it is due. However, editorial submissions should neither promote a specific vendor or product nor position it as the only or best option.
Pitches on stories, projects, or products that have been recently covered might be rejected, but if you have a new angle, perspective, or finding to add, send it our way.
Short-form stories, news stories, product write-ups, Q&As, and how-tos range from 500 to 1,500 words. Longer-form stories, case study compilations, and expository pieces range from 1,000 to 2,400 words.
How to send your pitch
Everything starts with a pitch. Provide a one- to three-paragraph summary of the article you wish to write, including its objective, interview subjects and sources, and a description of the artwork (photos, illustrations, infographics) available for publishing. The quality and voice of your pitch should reflect the quality and voice of your writing style.
Pitches for online publication are accepted on a rolling basis, with draft due dates scheduled accordingly.
For stories targeting a print issue (May and November), send your pitch two to six months in advance of publication. If the pitch is accepted, a first draft will be due to the editor approximately two months before the issue month. For example, articles planned for LightSPEC’s May issue must have drafts submitted by March 1.
Due to the volume of pitches we receive and the nature of the publishing cycle, not all pitches will receive a response from an editor. If you want to send a follow-up email, please wait a week after you originally submitted your pitch.
Pitches and articles must be exclusive to LightSPEC. Email pitches to editor Linda Becker.
Submission materials
Submit all drafts electronically in a format that can be edited in word-processing software, like Microsoft Word. Necessary clearances or approvals for publication should be obtained in advance of the due date. Anticipated delays should be discussed with the editorial team as soon as possible. LightSPEC reserves the right to reschedule accepted submissions based on the timing of topics, events, news cycle, and publication constraints.
Editorial materials should include:
- Full text, edited and copy edited, and written in active voice.
- Suggested headline using an active verb.
- Art and captions, with callouts in the body of the article.
- Photo credits for all supplied images. Contact the editor for guidance related to royalty-free images.
- Author biographical information (50–100 words); include full title, work city, and email address of the author(s).
- Author headshot.
Art guidelines:
- Emails cannot contain attachments larger than 15 MB. Please use a file-sharing service as needed and notify us via email to expect file notifications.
- Photos or screen captures should be high-res PNG, JPEG, TIFF, or PSD files. If the resolution is unknown, check that the image has a minimum dimension of 1500 pixels.
- Illustrations, diagrams, and infographics should be in vector file formats such as Adobe Illustrator (AI), PDF, EPS, or SVG, with a minimum dimension of 1500 pixels.
- Cover image submissions must be a minimum of 3000 pixels wide; JPEG, TIFF, or PSD files are preferred.
- Provide a caption and photo credit with each image.
Learn the rules before bending them
See what types of articles and story ideas are best suited for LightSPEC by reading our magazine. Back issues are available for free in our magazine archive, with additional web-only content on our website, lightspeconline.com.
But we are also in the never-ending process of rebuilding and expanding our brand. While existing article formats include project case studies, product blurbs, and conversations with subject matter experts and industry leaders, we welcome your ideas for growing our coverage. If you believe your idea will benefit our audience, pitch it!
Press release submissions
Our editorial staff evaluates project, product, personnel, and company news based on their applicability to the lighting and design industry at a national or global level. Releases focusing on objective, evidence-based findings or details will be prioritized. Do not fill the release with hyperbolic rhetoric or superlatives.
Date the release and include a contact person’s name and email address, as well as high-res image files that are approved for editorial publication. For product images, clear images silhouetted against a neutral background are ideal. For web publication, images should have a minimum dimension of 1500 pixels.
Copyright, publishing, and republishing information
Endeavor Business Media (EBM) assumes copyright of all final published materials in LightSPEC and on lightspeconline.com. EBM reserves the right to share, republish, or distribute content on other EBM media brands. When an article is accepted and scheduled for publication, we will send the author(s) or author’s representative a digital contributor agreement that must be completed as a condition of publication.
LightSPEC does not accept articles that have been published in full elsewhere without confirmation that article licensing is not restricted. In addition, we require the exclusive right of publication for 90 days following publication in LightSPEC.
Any multimedia or artwork must include appropriate permissions and credits.
Note: Per corporate policy, we require all authors (or a company representative) to sign our author agreement form before content is published in print or online for the protection of both parties.
Editorial discretion
There is no charge for having an article posted, but we only post those articles we accept for publication.
We do not guarantee that any accepted story or article will be published in an LightSPEC issue or on its website, even if it was initially planned and conveyed as such. For example, we may encounter reduced page budgets, schedule delays, or unavailable space. We reserve the right to publish articles exclusively online.
We also reserve the right to hold or pull an article due to editorial discretion. Articles that do not meet our editorial guidelines may be delayed for publication. We reserve the right to reject any article that we believe will compromise the editorial integrity of the brand.