According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a quibble is “a slight objection or criticism about a trivial matter,” but criticism is only a small part of the analysis we have here. Welcome to the office of The Quibbler. We are the Alternative Voice of the Wizarding World. Have you read our magazine before? If not, take some time to browse and comment on the essays we’ve published.
We should also tell you that our magazine does not rely on our writers alone. We love submissions from individuals who are passionate about their work. If you would like to send us a quibble of your own, we ask two things of you: First, follow our Guidelines for Submissions. Second, check out our Writing Tips and FAQs so you can make your submission as strong as possible. Happy writing!
To submit your quibble, send us an email at editorials@staff.mugglenet.com. Please be sure your essay poses and answers a question. Additionally, keep your text between 500 and 2,000 words, use appropriate, accessible language, and organize your thoughts in a clear format to present your ideas. Don't forget to proofread.
Please be sure that all submissions include the following:
- A title
- Author's name (your name or a pen name)
- Attached Microsoft Word doc or link to Google Doc containing your essay
- A 1–2 sentence summary of your essay in the body of the email
- Any specific formatting directions, including any photos or GIFs you would like to be included
Note: MuggleNet does not claim ownership of your essay, nor will we re-create it on any other parts of the site. However, we might just make some spelling and/or grammar corrections.
Thank you for sharing with us!
Because we receive submissions frequently, we thought sharing a few tips from the editors' side of the process might help the writer who wants theirs 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 published. And don't forget to have fun!
Writing Tips
- Grammar is extremely important. If we can't read it easily, we're apt to delete it. If you grossly misspell the names of important characters, spells, or places, we feel you don't really care. Punctuation styles may vary since different countries use different styles, so just be sure to use one style and stick to it.
- Beware the overanalyzed topic. Please read what's already been published on the site and find an original and interesting angle for any frequently discussed subject.
- Don't rush. Jot your original idea down, brainstorm, look for supporting (and unsupporting!) evidence in the books, and address them in your submission.
- Cite all quotes. Double-check that you've copied the quote word for word. If you used a US hardback edition, include the book and page number(s) or, if you used a different edition, the book and chapter number(s). You only need to specify the edition you used in the first citation if you used the same one throughout.
Submission Tips
- Be sure your submission 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 frustrating experience. However, if new information comes to light after you've submitted, feel free to send us an updated (and complete) version with the changes you've made highlighted.
- Clearly state the purpose of your email. If you are leaving feedback for a particular author or columnist, state it so we know where to forward the email. If you are sending us a submission in response to something specific, tell us so. Also, please include the name you would like us to publish with your submission.
- Familiarize yourself with this page before contacting us with questions. Oftentimes, the answer to your question will appear before your eyes (see our FAQs below).
- Send one submission per email. It helps us keep up with submissions, and at times, it will prevent a two-for-one deletion.
We hope those helped a little. We're excited to read your thoughtful submissions!
Have more questions? Read our FAQs below.
How do I submit a post?
Send your submission directly through email, or as an attachment (preferably Microsoft Word or Google Docs), to editorials@staff.mugglenet.com with "Owl Post Submission" as the subject.
How long will it take for my submission to be published?
We generally schedule our posts one to two months ahead of time. However, if your submission is time-sensitive, we may be willing to publish it quicker than that. The publishing schedule may also depend on how busy our calendar is and how many other submissions we’re receiving. There may be times when your submission fits the theme of one of our future site-wide campaigns, so we may discuss with you the possibility of waiting to publish it at that time. We will try to communicate with you as far in advance as possible so that you have a clear date for when you can expect to see it on the site.
Will you let me know that you've received my submission?
Sorry! We receive too many submissions to be able to do this for everyone. Unless you receive an error message, be assured that we've received your email.
If we are planning to publish your submission, we will likely get back to you within one to two weeks of receiving it.
Will you tell me why you decided not to publish my submission?
Again, sorry! We receive too many submissions to be able to do this for everyone, and we don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. If it's constructive criticism you're after, you can follow up over email, and we'll help you as best as we can. If you feel that your submission is worthy to be published on MuggleNet and it still hasn't been published six months later, feel free to submit it again - funny things can happen.
We may get back to you and ask you to clarify certain sections or add a paragraph to your essay. This is a good sign! That means we like your idea and want to work with you to make it the best it can be. Please get back to us with edits as promptly as possible.
English isn't my primary language. Can I still submit a post?
Please only submit posts if you are highly proficient in written English.
What if my submission is more than 2,000 words long?
Sometimes you may be doing a deep dive into a topic, and you simply can’t fit all your analysis in 2,000 words. That’s okay - we sometimes split up the submission into two or more parts. If this is what you would like to be done with your submission, please indicate where you would like us to split it.
If you have any questions about writing for MuggleNet that are not addressed here, email us at editorials@staff.mugglenet.com.
Can I be a columnist?
We usually choose columnists from reliable authors who have consistently shown us they can write thought-provoking editorials. In other words, if you're interested in writing a regular column for us, don't ask us - show us. If you have ideas you'd like to share, write them up and send us editorials to publish. Whether or not you're tapped to be a columnist, you're getting your ideas out there.
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