FAQs

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SUBSCRIPTIONS AND CUSTOMER CARE

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FAQs

GENERAL FAQs

SUBSCRIPTIONS AND CUSTOMER CARE

You will find all your Customer Care FAQ’s here: Customer Care FAQ

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES FAQs

What are your submission guidelines? How do I send you a picture or story?
Please visit our Submission Guidelines page to learn how to share stories and photos with Birds & Blooms.

What’s the best way to get my photo or story into the magazine?
First, be sure to check out our submission guidelines. The easiest way to get in is by submitting a unique story for our “Bird Tales,” “Front Porch” or “From Your Backyard” sections, along with a good photo. These are some of the most popular sections of the magazine and are great for first-time contributors. Be sure to keep your story short and sweet (under 400 words). If you have an accompanying photo, make sure it’s good quality.

I have a “Glad You Asked” question. How do I contact Melinda or Kenn and Kim?
First look to see if your question is answered on our website. If you need a timely answer, visit our Facebook page to chat with fellow Birds & Blooms readers. They’re a great resource, and you can often get immediate feedback. If you have a unique question and don’t mind waiting a bit for an answer, please use our Submit Your Story form to send your gardening or birding question to our experts.

I submitted a story or photos a while back, but I haven’t heard anything. Why?
We get hundreds of pieces of mail each week, and although we wish we could give personal feedback, it’s not possible because we have a very small staff. We do read and carefully evaluate every submission, and please know that your stories and photos—published or not—contribute toward making Birds & Blooms the unique reading experience it is.

I have a great photo to share with your readers. How do I send it?
First, please view our Submission Guidelines, which explains our photo requirements. Then use our Submit Your Story form to share with us.

If I include a self-addressed stamped envelope, will you return my photo or story?
We are not able to return mail or photos—even if you send an SASE—so please make a copy before you send! Most stores with a photo department can help you scan a photo and create a good quality reprint for very minimal cost.

Can I send a photo taken with my phone or tablet?
Technically speaking, photos need to be at least 1800 X 1200 pixels or 1 MB file size to print clearly in the magazine.

If I send a photo that is used by the magazine, do I get paid for that photo?
We receive large amounts of materials for each issue, so we urge you to submit photos for the reward of sharing with our more than one million subscribers.

I saw a photo in Birds & Blooms and would like a copy. How do I get one?
The photos in our magazines are property of the photographer, be it our readers or our professional photographers. We do not have permission to give away their work. Photos taken by professionals will have a photo credit on the page, usually appearing vertically in the margin. You may try searching the internet to see if the photographer has a website and contact information that would allow you to ask them directly about purchasing a print of their photo.

If my photo is published in the magazine or online, will my name be included in the credit?
Yes, we always credit our photos.

I am a professional photographer and would like to submit photos for publication.
Please use our Submit Your Story form to send us a link or lightbox of some of your best work related to birds and gardening. If interested, we will contact you.

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GENERAL FAQs

What is Birds & Blooms EXTRA?
Birds & Blooms EXTRA gives you everything you love about Birds & Blooms…and a whole lot more! It arrives on the off-months of Birds & Blooms and contains an extra flock of photos, reader tips and expert advice. Birds & Blooms EXTRA requires a separate subscription, though. Subscribe today!

I’m looking for the zone hardiness map. Can you help?
Here’s a link to the USDA zone hardiness map we use.

How do I enter the Backyard Photo Contest?
We hold a new contest every year. For information on the current one, please visit our Contest section. If we are in the voting stage of this cycle, please vote and watch for an upcoming call out for new entries for next year’s contest. These will be posted in our Contest section as well.

How do I enter the “Find the Hummingbird” contests?
Please visit the Contest section of our website. This is where we post the rules as well.

When I entered the “Find the Hummingbird” contest, it says that I’ve already entered this month. I think it’s a mistake, so what’s the problem?
This message appears when folks want to be sure they entered the contest. They hit “submit” and press hard on the mouse or “return” key. It is recorded instantly but when the mouse button is held down longer than it needs to be, it thinks you’re attempting to submit a second entry.

I would like old magazines for my school, church or community group. Can you help?
Unfortunately, we don’t have a large backlog supply of magazines, so we are unable to accommodate these requests.

I’m looking for a story or project plan from an issue of Birds & Blooms. Can you help?
We put many of our stories and projects on our website, so try a search.

I read an article and want to contact the author. Could you send me his or her address?
Sorry, but we’re unable to give out contributors’ addresses or any personal information.

I saw a photo in Birds & Blooms and would like permission to use it in a project.
For personal art projects or children’s crafts, it is fine to cut out and use images from the magazine. If you are an artist who wants to use our images as models, you can respect the photographer’s rights and vision by using the Birds & Blooms’ image for guidance and inspiration, rather than attempting to replicate the image exactly. In other cases, especially in for-profit or public projects, we do not have the authority to grant such permissions. If the image in question is a professional photo, you might locate the name of photographer in the credit line, sometimes found in small vertical print along the center fold of the magazine, and try a Google search to find their website or agency.

I want to be featured in Birds & Blooms. How do I do that?
We would love to hear your stories and see your photos about birding and gardening. Use our Submit Your Story form on our website to share.

Where can I find your Privacy Policy?
Our complete Privacy Policy can be found here.

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