National Underwriter welcomes submission of bylined article ideas and, upon editorial approval of those ideas, the articles themselves.

Pitching a Story Idea
The following guidelines apply in all cases:

1. Topics for bylined stories should first be discussed with the editors of the Property-Casualty and/or Life-Health editions, to determine their suitability for our readership.

2. A bylined story is one that expresses the knowledge and insights of the author(s). The purpose of such a story is to educate and/or update our readers on the basics or the latest trends as it applies to the insurance industry. We do not publish case histories.

3. Once a topic is approved, the author(s) should submit an abstract or outline to the appropriate editor that clearly defines the scope and key points to be dealt with in the article. Upon approval of such abstract or outline, a deadline date will be assigned and specific needs (e.g., author photo, accompanying graphics, special length) will be discussed. At that time the writing process should begin.

Article Guidelines
1. Contributed bylined articles should be between 800 and 1,200 words in length, unless a different arrangement is approved by National Underwriter.

2. Such articles may not mention the name of the author's company or that company's products directly. In addition, articles may not be obviously slanted toward a particular company's products. The author's company and location will be mentioned in a byline identification that appears with the article.

3. Contributed bylined articles may not contain third-party attributions or direct or indirect quotations. Hypothetical or typical examples of applications or trends may be used, for example, but the companies involved cannot be named. Again, the article should express the author's knowledge, expertise and opinions. We do not ask contributing authors to act as reporters.

4. Deadlines are firm, unless an extension is granted. While publication dates will be assigned, articles may be held until later issues due to space considerations.

5. Generally, National Underwriter follows Associated Press style guidelines.

Licensing Agreement
National Underwriter requires that all contributing authors sign a licensing agreement which specifies, in part, that the article being written may not be published elsewhere until it has appeared in print in our publication. The agreement is generally signed before writing begins. The agreement gives the author full copyright and the right to republish elsewhere, but only after the article appears in NU. NU does not publish articles that have been published elsewhere.