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Frequently-Asked Questions

Questions About How To Submit A Home Feature Idea

Q: How do I submit a home feature idea?
A: Log Home Living runs two to three home features in each monthly issue. As you can imagine, competition for these spots is fierce, but it is open to homeowners, builders and log home manufacturers on an equal basis, with every home judged according to the following criteria:
  • Attractive design. The exterior of the home should be well-proportioned and the interior should be open and inviting. We’re particularly interested in homes with modern, good-looking kitchens and large great rooms that make a statement, since these rooms are focal points for our readers.
  • Size. We strive to provide a varied mix of homes in each issue, with one home less than 2,000 square feet, one dream home more than 6,000 square feet, and one in between. Though we do use large homes from time to time, we try to limit features on homes more than 10,000 square feet because we believe that extremely large homes aren’t realistic options for our readers.
  • Architectural style. We strive to represent a good variety of styles (Ranch, Appalachian, Rustic, etc.), so we can expose readers to all the varieties out there. If we’ve run too much of one style home recently, we may opt to turn down or postpone using another home in the same style.
  • Geographic region. We try to feature homes from all parts of the country, so readers can relate to something near them.
  • Log suppliers. We spread around choices so we can show the good work of a number of producers and builders.
  • Decor. For many readers, Log Home Living is an idea magazine. They expect to find written advice and photos that inspire them and spur their decorating ideas. To meet their needs, we strive to feature homes that are tastefully decorated with high quality furnishings.
  • Landscaping. We want to show readers homes in their finished state. So we usually wait to make the decision about a home until its landscaping has started to mature.

To Submit a Home for Consideration If you’d like us to consider featuring your home in the magazine, please send us snapshots of the home and all its key rooms. We’ll want to see photos of the exterior, the kitchen, the master bedroom and bath, the great room, and any other key rooms or unusual features (architectural elements, furnishings, landscaping, etc.) that you think make your home special. Please send the items to the address below. We will review your snapshots and respond within one month.

Home Buyer Publications–Log and Timber Group
Attn: Assistant Editor
4125 Lafayette Center Drive
Suite 100
Chantilly, Virginia 20151
703-222-9411 x2295

Questions About Our Company

Q: Who publishes Log Home Living, Country’s Best Cabins and Timber Home Living?
A: Our company is called Home Buyer Publications LLC, a division of Active Interest Media. We are based in Chantilly, Virginia. In addition, we present building seminars and home shows.

Questions About Our Home Shows And Seminars

Q: How much does it cost per person to attend a home show?
A: The cost is $15.
Q: Do I have to pay for my children to attend the home show?
A: All children 18 and under attend our shows for free.
Q: Can I register for a home show by just showing up at the door?
A: Yes, but please allow a few extra minutes to go through our registration process.
Q: We registered ahead of time, but have not received our tickets. What should we do?
A: Go to the "Will Call" booth at the show’s location. (Do not stand in line.) Your registration packet will be waiting for you.
Q: I received my tickets, but some of my information is incorrect. Can I get the tickets reprinted?
A: Yes. Please come to the "Will Call" booth at the show’s location. (Do not stand in line.) We will take care of it for you.
Q: What is the difference between a seminar and a show?
A: A seminar is a full-day event in a classroom type environment. There are a small number of attendees (100- 300). An unbiased speaker presents on every stage of the log home building process, answering questions, and encouraging input. There are around a dozen builders and producers present and exhibiting.

A show, on the other hand, is a three-day event involving dozens of exhibitors and thousands of attendees. There are 50-minute free workshops on a variety of topics (building, financing, choosing a company/builder).
Q: How does it benefit me to attend both a show and a seminar?
A: A show provides the opportunity to "shop around"?. This is the opportunity to gather and to see the possibilities available. The short workshops offer a brief look at decisions and pitfalls you may encounter along the road to attaining your dream home. A show is appropriate for people at every stage of the building process from "just thinking about it" to "moved in and living the log home life." The variety of exhibitors offers something for every one.

A seminar is geared towards people who are either beginning their research or are on the path to achieving their log home dream. In the six-hour lesson, all the information that one collects at shows is whittled down in a manageable step-by-step format. A seminar offers the opportunity to ask specific questions of an unbiased source as well as to listen to others’ questions and experiences. A seminar is a true learning and sharing environment.

Questions About Our Magazines

Q: Where can I find contact information for the builders and companies that make the furnishings and accessories appearing in homes featured in your publications?
A: At the back of every issue, or at the end of the online features, we print a Resources directory with the contact information (address, phone number, web site) for the companies that contributed to the homes we feature. The Resources directory also contains information on the companies and products showcased in our special interest articles.
Q: How can I order a subscription to one of your publications?
A: Please visit the following page to select the title you are interested in or call toll-free 800-234-8496 for Log Home Living, 877-235-2233 for Country’s Best Cabins or 866-298-5649 for Timber Home Living.
Q: When will I receive my first issue?
A: Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of your first issue.
Q: How do I cancel my subscription?
A: Please call us, write us, or just write cancel on your invoice.

For Log Home Living you may call (800) 234-8496 (U.S. and Canada) or (386) 447-2398 (International). You can also write to P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.

For Log Home Design you may call (877) 235-2233 (U.S. and Canada) or (386) 447-2398 (International). You can also write to P.O. Box 420235, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0235.
Q: Will I get my money back if I cancel my subscription?
A: A refund will be issued for all the remaining copies that haven’t been mailed at the time of the cancellation.

Questions About Our Online Floor Plans

Q: I am interested in one of the log home plans featured on your site. Can you send me more information or kit prices?
A: We are pleased to serve as a host for the many companies that feature log and timber frame home plans on this site. However, we do not sell these homes ourselves—we are merely a link between you and the various producers. If you are interested in a specific home, please reference the contact information that appears at the top right of the web page with the floor plan. There, you will find the name of the company that produced the plan, along with their address, phone number and (where applicable) links to their e-mail and web addresses. You must contact the company directly to get any more information about the home featured.
Q: What exactly is included in a log home kit or package?
A: Log home kits are as individual as the companies that sell them. Some kits include nothing but the logs necessary to frame the home. Other kits include windows, doors, roofing systems, assistance in erecting the home and other extras. Do not use the log package price, or research from other log home companies to make assumptions about what exactly a particular kit contains. Rather, ask the log home company to provide you with a detailed list of what they specifically provide in their packages.
Q: What would be the cost to build one of the plans I see on your site?
A: We do not sell these homes ourselves, so we cannot quote you prices on the plans you see on our site. Please contact the specific home’s producer directly to discuss pricing.
Q: Where can I find more log and timber home floor plans?
A: Every issue of our publications contain pages of floor plans like the ones we provide for this site.

If you find the home plans of one specific company to be especially appealing and want to narrow your search, you can purchase a plans book or catalog from that particular producer. The prices of these books, as well as the number of plans they include, varies by company. Our online Log and Timber Home Bookstore offers dozens of different log home company plans books, making it easy for you to compare the various companies and their literature before choosing which ones to order.

Questions About Our Photographers' Guidelines

Q: What guidelines do you have for photography submissions?
A:

We strongly recommend that you review our magazines for style and content. Photographs not meeting the minimum standards described in these guidelines generally reflect poorly on the log home producer and therefore are better not used. We review all photographs submitted and select those that are technically flawless. We appreciate your investment in your photos, and we’re pleased to have an opportunity to view them.

General Requirements
Log Home Living publishes more than 500 color photographs of log homes annually. There are essentially two ways we use photographs:

  • Log Home Living Annual Buyer’s Guide primarily uses single photographs of interiors or exteriors of homes. These photos are published independently of the articles they accompany, and photo captions identify the producer and some interesting detail in the photo.
  • Log Home Living magazine uses photo features. Each feature requires a minimum of a dozen or more photographs of both the interior and exterior of a particular home.

Feature Requirements
To adequately lay out a feature article, we need a minimum of 12 photos of the exterior and interior of the home. These must include views of all major rooms. Close-up shots of such details as roof trusses, log stairs, railings, dormers, porches, and window and door treatments are also appreciated.

A full complement of views is recommended, including horizontal and vertical formats, close-ups, and distant shots from various angles and of various elevations, front, back and sides. Exterior shots must be well framed and present the home attractively in the context of its setting and landscaping.

We also recommend that you include a black-and-white print of the floorplan, no larger than 12-by-15 inches so we can quickly see the relationship between rooms.

Film Requirements
We prefer to see 4-by-5-inch format color transparencies or Kodachrome or Ektachrome color slides, although smaller color transparencies and 35 mm color prints are also acceptable.

Mailing
We will treat photographs with care, but we cannot assume responsibility for loss or damage while they are in our possession. We recommend that you carefully pack all photos and transparencies between cardboard and mail in a sturdy envelope taped on all four sides.

Each photograph must be individually identified with owner’s full name and address. Please do not write with pen, pencil, or marker on the photos. Ink may bleed onto other photos. Pencil marks often show through to the image-side of a print. Tape an address label or business card to the back of each photo.

Returns
We always need publication-quality photos, so we keep all photos we don’t use immediately on hand for possible use in future editions of our magazine. Unless we have your photos, we cannot consider using them; in other words, “out of sight, out of mind.” If you want your photos returned after we look at them, please specify this in your cover letter.

Sample Copy
If you would like a sample copy of Log Home Living magazine, please send your check or money order for $4.00 to HBP, Attn: Sample Copy, 4125 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly Virginia 20151.

Style and Content Suggestions
Following are suggestions that will help you better understand what we look for in a photo shoot:

Less is better when it comes to home decorations. Too many objects in a shot overwhelm, preventing readers from getting a true sense of the homes. Please pare back as needed. For example, if you’re shooting a dining room with a table for 12, we’d rather see two glasses, some cheese and a bottle of wine, than 12 place-settings and a centerpiece. And if you’re shooting a den, we’d rather see a half-full bookcase and a few tchotchkes than shelves, walls and every available horizontal surface covered.

  • We’re interested in close-ups of neat details, like a family crest carved in the mantle, an intricately carved newel post or a unique piece of furniture.
  • We’re also interested in shots of innovative technical details, like a dumb-waiter that carries firewood from the basement to the great room, or some high-tech innovation. These shots are helpful in illustrating the technical sidebars that sometimes accompany our features
  • On a similar vein, we’re interested in photos of grand home features, like an indoor pool, built-in cabinets, home theaters and such. These are the sorts of details that entertain readers and help them plan their homes.
  • If the home has a spectacular view, please try to work it into a shot. You might show it through the great room window, or in a in a photo shot across a welcoming porch. We want to place readers in the setting and let them see what it would be like to live in this house.
  • We like photos of the owners, if they’re willing, but placed in the home rather than posed. For example, you might shoot them cooking a meal together, if they love to cook, or sipping wine in the great room while watching the fire. The goal is to get them looking natural, like we’re eavesdropping on the great life they lead.
  • If appropriate, incorporate the owner’s pets into one or two photos to further establish the home’s lived-in feel.
  • Please don’t use any lighting or effects to warm your photography. The natural tones of the logs lend plenty of warmth on their own.
  • We want bright, welcoming interiors, so please light the home accordingly. It’s particularly important to brighten up the corners, which otherwise can look oppressively dark. Our readers are interested in every aspect of log home construction, so whenever possible, light even the back corners of the rooms.
  • We’re looking for a mix of shots–wide-angle, medium range and close-up and a mix of compositional styles. For example, an overview of the room, followed by a close-up from a different angle of a particularly interesting feature of that room.
  • We’re interested in exterior shots of things like a wildflower garden, or a quiet spot with a teak bench and bubbling fountain. We’re expanding our coverage of gardening and landscaping, and these types of shots will help readers visualize good ideas.
  • We want to make sure the photos and text complement each other. So, when you’re shooting a home, please ask the owners about their favorite features or favorite rooms or unique furnishings and make sure to include photo of those things. Occasionally in the past, we’ve had homeowners rave to our writers about a feature and not been able to show the feature because we didn’t capture it on film.
  • Please keep an eye out for strong cover compositions. Please budget time specifically to shoot potential cover shots. These could be interiors or exteriors. We look for dynamic vertical photos that have a neutral area on the left side against which our sell-lines will be readable. For example: an expanse of wall that is of fairly consistent color value provides a legible, uncluttered background for sell-lines, as does an area of sky transitioning to lawn. Please keep in mind that we need approximately one-third of the image space for text. We can provide cover acetates with sell-lines if this will help you compose the photo.

Questions About Our Store

Q: Your order number is ?
A: Your order has been submitted and is in the queue to be processed. If all items you ordered are in stock, it will take about 1 to 2 days for your order to be processed and marked as shipped. This time does not include ship time. We will be sending you another email when we ship your order.
Q: Why hasn’t my order been shipped yet?
A: Depending on how many orders have been placed by other customers before you, it may take some time before your order is shipped. When your order was placed, we notified you of the processing time. This does not include the ship time. The processing time is how long it will take from the time you placed your order online until the time your order is shipped from our warehouse. This is not when you will receive the order.
Q: When will I receive my order?
A: You can determine when your order will arrive based on your shipping method. The timeframes are estimates and are based on when your order is shipped from our warehouse, not when the order was placed.
  • UPS: 1-5 days
  • Mail Innovations: 5-8 days
  • UPS Next Day: Next business day
  • UPS 2nd Day: 2nd business day
  • Global Priority Mail Innovations: 5-10 days
  • Global Economy Mail Innovations: 1-3 weeks

Questions About Our Writer's Guidelines

Q: What guidelines do you have for submissions?
A:

Description
Log Home Living is a monthly magazine for people who own or are planning to build contemporary log homes. It is devoted almost exclusively to modern manufactured and handcrafted kit log homes. Our interest in historical or nostalgic stories of very old log cabins, reconstructed log homes, or one-of-a-kind owner-built homes is secondary and should be queried first.

Readership
Our audience is primarily composed of married couples between 30 and 45 years old. They are generally well-educated and very individualistic do-it-yourselfers.

Specifications
Log Home Living welcomes new talent and strives to develop long-term relationships with those contributors who consistently deliver quality work. We buy four to six bylined feature articles of 1,500 to 2,000 words per issue. These articles should reflect readers’ lifestyles and interest in log homes as follows:

Log Home Owner Profiles. Articles about people who have built modern log homes from manufactured or handcrafted kits. In a conversational tone, describe the home as it is and tell how it came to be. Emphasize the elements that make this home special: intent, design, solutions to problems, features, furnishings, interior design and landscaping. Every story must include scouting photos if applicable. Floorplans of the completed home, construction costs and schedules are a plus.

  • Design Features. Stories on various architectural features of log homes. Stories can focus on a particular home or the same architectural feature on different homes.
  • Technical Articles. How-to advice about specific aspects of log home construction or pre-construction. Examples are scheduling a construction project, selecting wood preservatives, installing flooring, decorating log homes, dealing with subcontractors and innovative financing programs. Writers of these articles should be experts or able to interview experts and convey the information for a lay audience.
  • Historical Features. Articles about historical log structures in North America or abroad and restorations of same. As mentioned before, we have a limited need for this material.

Submissions
We will read unsolicited manuscripts but prefer an outline or a detailed query letter first. We accept submissions via mail or e-mail. E-mailed documents should be sent as Word attachments or within the body of the message. E-mail manuscripts and queries to editor@loghomeliving.com or mail to Editor, Log Home Living, 4125 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly VA 20151. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like your materials returned.

Photos
If you are submitting an unsolicited manuscript or a query, it always helps for the editors to see scouting shots of the home you would like us to consider for a feature story. Please submit color snapshots of the interior and exterior.

Writer’s Contracts
Log Home Living requires its freelance writers to sign a contract with every feature story we accept. The writer’s contract spells out what we can expect from our writers and what our writers can expect from us if a story is accepted for publication in the magazine. It provides basic protection for both parties if disputes should arise over payment, usage, etc.

Payment & Rights
Payment for features ranges depending on length, nature of the work and writer’s expertise on the subject matter. We acknowledge receipt of submissions immediately and try to provide an editor’s response within 30 days. Payment is made within 30 days of acceptance.

Cancellations
If we determine that a submitted article requires substantial rewriting, we will pay a $100 research fee for the information supplied. If we decide not to use an assigned accepted article, we will pay a $100 kill fee.

Rights & Conditions
Log Home Living buys first North American rights and nonexclusive reprint rights. Upon publication, authors will receive two complimentary copies of the issue with their work. We cannot accept responsibility for the personal safety or property of any freelancer while on assignment for the magazine. Writers and photographers are urged to have their own insurance while on assignment. We assume that all contributed manuscripts are original and that all facts and quotes have been verified. Articles that have been published or submitted elsewhere must be so identified; in such cases, the author is responsible for obtaining permission to reprint previously published materials prior to submission to Log Home Living.

Expenses
Reasonable expenses will be covered, provided that travel plans and all anticipated costs are discussed beforehand with the editor. A complete expense report, including receipts for all claims, should accompany the contributor’s work. Expense reimbursement is made with payment for an accepted article.

Sample Copy
If you would like a sample copy of Log Home Living magazine, please send your check or money order for $4.00 to HBPI, Attn: Sample Copy, 4125 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly VA 20151.

Questions About The Log Home Industry

Q: Where are log homes built?
A: All over the world! The top five states for log home construction are Colorado, Wisconsin, Tennessee, Texas and New York. Worldwide, log homes are being built in Canada, Japan, Germany and Finland, to name just a few countries.
Q: How can I get started with the log home building process?
A: Recently, Log Home Living ran a comprehensive 15-part feature called "15 Steps to a Log Home." This series traced the process of building a log home from Step 1 ("A Beginner’s Guide") through financing, buying land, designing the home, choosing a builder, construction, finishing, maintenance and beyond. Its convenient step-by-step format makes it a great resource for someone who is just getting started. Our online bookstore sells a compilation of these 15 articles for $4.95.
Q: Where can I go for the latest log home information?
A: We have two log publications… Log Home Living and Country’s Best Cabins.

Log Home Living was the first log home magazine and, more than 20 years later, is still considered the premier source for information about the process of designing, building, furnishing and maintaining a log home. A subscription to Log Home Living gets you monthly issues, each one tackling imperative aspects of the log home experience: floor plan design, decor/accessories, stains/sealants, windows, doors, flooring, lighting, fireplace/hearth, kitchens/baths, landscaping and more. The subscription also includes our Annual Buyer’s Guide, which answers all your questions about the log home process from start to finish. The current Annual Buyer’s Guide is currently on sale on newsstands and in our Log and Timber Home Bookstore.

Country’s Best Cabins focuses on the design and style of your home…showing you how to get the details or your log home just right with helpful tips on decorating, landscaping and so much more. A subscription to Country’s Best Cabins gets you seven issues, each one filled with helpful information: design, decor, do-it-yourself projects, small home planning and more. The subscription also includes our Annual Buyer’s Guide, which answers all your questions about the log home process from start to finish.

Our online Log and Timber Home Bookstore is another great resource for new information. The world’s largest log home bookstore, it features more than 70 books specifically geared towards the log home experience, from building manuals to cost cutting to design to cookbooks! The bookstore also sells the plansbooks, videos and CD-Roms of 83 log home companies, making it easier for you to find the right producer.
Q: I’m looking for a builder, dealer or general contractor in my area. Can you send me a list?
A: Our publications consider impartiality an important part of its publishing mission. Therefore, we do not rate or recommend individual companies over others. However, our magazine does include a monthly classified section, the Builder/Dealer Marketplace, which lists companies by state or province.

Our Log Home Living Annual Buyer’s Guide and Country’s Best Cabins Annual Buyer’s Guide issues contain several sections that are designed to allow you to find log home manufacturers and compare them to one another. This issue features over 150 of the top producers. Each issue is available in our Log & Timber Home Bookstore.
Q: How can I reach people who are interested in log homes?
A: Anyone can reach our audience by advertising in our publications and/or by exhibiting at our Log and Timber Home Shows. Whether you are a log or timber home producer or supplier with a product to sell to log or timber home enthusiasts, you will receive a high quality response from our readers.

We have many advertising opportunities available to you. Display advertising, regional advertising, floor plan advertising, a Handcrafter’s Gallery, special advertising sections, web sponsorships and classifieds. Read more about the marketing opportunities we offer, or contact us toll-free at +1 (800) 826-3893 or by e-mail at salesdepartment@loghomeliving.com to request a media kit.

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