Note from the Editor:
Now that our readers have the ability to submit articles, reviews, and critiques to MFM through our Submission Portal, some folks have brought up some great questions. Most recently, we got a great set of questions that so well stated things that we decided to use them for our FAQ. (Special thanks to Anna Maganini for getting us started on the process of putting up our answers here!)
-Jeremy T. Hanke
Do you accept most articles or not?
So long as the article deals with filmmaking or content creation in some facet and doesn’t spew libel, we will at least publish it. The default publication will be with the title “(User Article)”. If yours is well-reasoned and publish-ready, it will likely be raised to an official “(Article)” status. If you have three such articles raised up, you will have the option of becoming an official contributor. (This opens the doors for you to do official coverage of events and products on behalf of MFM.)
Any length parameters?
Length is usually 800-1000 words. (There’s a link to download our article template in the online article uploader, but you can download it directly from: http://www.microfilmmaker.com/temp/ )
Should they be publish-ready, or do you edit and change them according to your liking?
Make them publish-ready. As to my editing, for average user submitted articles, I just make sure it deals with filmmaking/content creation, is not spam, and that it’s not libelous/defamatory. If your article pulls me in enough to be considered for official Article status, then I will correct any typos that I see and may add paranthetical comments that tie into past articles MFM has done, which give your work greater credibility to our readers. If there is a paragraph that makes no sense in an otherwise amazing article, I would send that back to you via email and ask that you rewrite it in a manner that makes sense.
Any other guidelines I should keep in mind?
- Use the appropriate template.
- Include images that are the appropriate sizes (according to the uploader).
- Use images you own, that are in the public domain, or are legal to use under creative commons; remembering to credit them.
- For Articles, try to write from a personal perspective whenever possible. For Reviews & Critiques, try to be as objective as possible, though don’t be afraid to use examples from your own life in these.
- Don’t forget to update your Login Profile with a bio paragraph and picture, as this will be the professional signature at the end of your article.
- Have someone proof-read your article for you before you submit it, so you correct typos and fragmented thoughts.
How long between a contributor sending an article and you guys publishing it?
It depends on how many articles are currently in the pipeline. It can be a week to a month and a half. However, I try to email contributors as soon as I’ve had a chance to do a quick proof on an article.