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So, You Want To Write For MuggleNet?
A brief guide
Because we receive editorials daily, many of which address two or three main topics, we thought sharing a few tips from the editors' side of the process might help the editorial writer who wants their submission to stand out from the rest. So, feel free to treat the following ideas as a checklist of sorts. We guarantee you'll raise your odds of being posted.
Just don't forget to have fun!
Writing tips
Submitting tips
Miscellaneous tips
- Grammar is extremely important. If we can't read it easily, we're apt to delete it. If you grossly misspell important characters', spells', or places' names, we feel you don't really care. Punctuation styles may vary, as different countries use different styles, so just be sure to use one style and stick to it.
- Beware the overanalyzed topic. At the present time, these include "Is Snape good or bad?" and "Is Snape loyal to Dumbledore or Voldemort?" It's not that we won't accept editorials on these topics; we just hope you've read what's already been posted and find an original and interesting angle by which to approach the question.
- Don't rush. We don't always post long and heavily researched editorials (although some of us prefer them). Often, a reader is unexpectedly blessed with an original idea and quickly types an editorial and sends it to us. Those with a natural gift for good grammar and creative writing are lucky; most others should relax and know we're always here, and the odds that someone else has seized upon your original idea are very low in most cases. Take your time. Jot your original idea down, brainstorm, look for supporting (and unsupporting!) evidence in the books and address them in the editorial.
- Cite all quotes! Double-check you've copied the quote word for word, and include the page number(s), chapter name and edition (i.e., U.S. hardback). If you use the same edition throughout, you only have to say so in the first citation.
- Be sure your editorial is ready for publication. It's very confusing for us to get one, two and sometimes three revisions. We have to go back and delete the old ones, and at times that can be a harrowing experience, as we have to traverse the trenches of queued editorials. However, if new information comes to light after you've submitted your editorial, and before it's been posted, feel free to send us an updated (and complete) version with a short explanation of the changes made.
- Clearly state the purpose of your e-mail. If you are leaving feedback for a particular author or columnist, state it so we know where to forward the e-mail. If you are sending us an editorial for a specific section other than the main page (i.e., Madam Puddifoot's), tell us so. Also, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR NAME AS YOU WOULD LIKE US TO PUBLISH IT WITH THE EDITORIAL.
- Familiarize yourself with the section before contacting us with questions. Oftentimes the answer to your question will appear before your eyes that way (see our F.A.E.Q.). For instance, if you'd like to send feedback to a particular columnist and want to bypass the standard editorial e-mail address, you'll likely find the writer's personal e-mail address at the end of his or her column's main page.
- It's not required, but would be helpful if a very brief description of the main point of your editorial is included in the e-mail (especially if you're sending an attachment). If you're writing about an already overanalyzed topic, be sure to include how you look at it in an original way or include your fascinating conclusion -- whatever you think will grab our attention.
- Send one editorial per e-mail. It helps us keep up with submissions, and at times will prevent a two-for-one deletion.
Miscellaneous tips
- Sometimes bravado works, sometimes it doesn't. Be sure you know how to use it before trying it on us.
- ALL CAPS is the very rude equivelant of yelling. Please don't do it.
- Get to know us! We promise we're nice people. The current editorial staff consists of Rachael, Sharon, Sara, Nicole, and Katie. Want more dirt on us? Check out the About Us page (we're on the bottom, *sigh*).
Hope those helped a little. Don't let them intimidate or deter you...we just want you to know some of the standard things we look for in a process that often requires a first-glance pass through. We'll add more tips as we think of them.
Good luck!
6/2/06
 
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MuggleNet is an unofficial Harry Potter fan site. Please email us if you have any questions or concerns. MuggleNet's original layouts were designed and created by Navy. All subsequent layouts by Dylan Spartz.
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