Submitting to Optimist Magazine

What is Optimist Magazine?

Optimist International’s quarterly magazine, Optimist, is published in the fall, winter, spring, and summer. The magazine’s mission is to shine a light on the great work the organization’s Clubs and Members are doing in communities around the world and to share a message of Optimism with Members and non-members alike.

Making headlines in Optimist Magazine submissions are a terrific way to share your innovative Club service projects and fundraising ideas with other Optimists. Give your Club a pat on the back while inspiring others to better serve their communities.

What Optimist is looking for

Send us news and photos of unique Club fundraisers and service projects that have made a difference in your community.

How to submit an article

All submissions should include the basics of any news story: who, what, when, where, why and how. In addition, always include the name, phone number and email address of an individual the magazine can contact for more information.

Photography

Photographs can make or break a story. If we receive a story with good photos, we’re much more apt to run it. But small or poorly scanned photos don’t print well, so please submit high-resolution digital photos at least 2400 pixels long on the shortest side. That’s roughly a 7-megapixel image, which almost any digital camera or smartphone made in the last 5 years can take. Just make sure you share the original file, not a thumbnail or screenshot.

You may email digital photos as attachments or mail a CD or flash drive containing your images to the appropriate address below. The Optimist also accepts digital scans of film photos, but please don’t send prints. With all photos, please write a short caption (1-3 sentences) telling us what the image shows, explaining when and where it was taken, and naming any identifiable person in the image. Captions can be included in the body of an email or as a text file on a CD or flash drive.

Finally, be sure to tell us the photographer’s name and make sure to obtain the photographer’s permission to share it with us.

Finally, please be patient

With almost 2,500 Clubs around the globe, Optimist receives many excellent submissions that do not make the magazine. Please don't be discouraged if your submission is not published right away. Keep sending your stories and photos!