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Thanks for your interest in writing for desktopPublishing.com. No, you won't get rich, but we'll give you your own page where you can place your bio, images, and links to your site. Considering there are thousands of distinct visitors per day here, you'll be famous :)
Maybe you will get rich, but unfortunately not from us since we won't pay you one thin dime for your objective reporting! Sound good? How could it not when it's put that way?
Well, if you're still interested, read on:
Please take a moment to read the following guidelines. Please, don't be scared off by all the jargon as these are simply guidelines. If you have any questions, please contact the . |
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- All submissions should either be original, unpublished material or work which can be reprinted. If a submission has been printed elsewhere, please provide proof that it can be reprinted or an e-mail address at which that proof can be obtained.
- In general, products which are in alpha or beta testing will not be reviewed, however, exceptions may be made from time to time. Check in advance.
- Writers should not do articles about hardware or software which they have profited from as either regular or contracted employees of the developer. To do so creates a conflict of interest. The exceptions would be such things as an inside view of a company.
- In the case of such exceptions, the writer's connections should be clearly noted. Being a beta tester does not create a conflict of interest, nor does the receipt of product for review.
- No article should violate a non-disclosure agreement or any other agreement of confidentiality. If one does, desktopPublishing.com assumes no responsibility for the violation.
- desktopPublishing.com accepts First North American rights and second serial (reprint) rights. Articles remain the property of the author. Photographs are the property of the photographer.
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- Please contact us at the above address before writing an article to verify someone else is not already working on what you have in mind.
- Articles do not have to be objective. In fact, they're usually more interesting if they aren't. However, few products are completely good or completely bad. Try to look at both the positive and the negative. The result will be more thoughtful and more useful to readers.
- The goal of writing is to communicate. It isn't to impress, and it's not to settle a grudge with a company you dislike. The ideal article is clear, concise and precise. Its language is the simplest needed to get the point across.
- Avoid jargon whenever possible. Obviously, no one can write about computing without using some jargon and obviously, many readers will be familiar with the more common terms. However, more technical terms should be avoided if possible. If they must be used (and there are many cases in which they must), explain the terms fully the first time they appear in the article. If an abbreviation must be used, spell it out in full the first time the term is used, putting the abbreviation in brackets immediately after. In general, try to remember you are writing for an interested, but not necessarily expert, audience.
- Article length can be between 1000 and 3000 words, but is not limited to that. If a package is complex and you require more space, feel free to do so.
- At the end of the article, include the names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and URLs of any manufacturers whose products have been discussed. Include the retail price of any software or hardware discussed in the article.
- Provide minimum system requirements, recommended system requirements, the hard drive space required and the system it was tested on.
- Evaluate the product for its ease of installation, learning-curve, price/performance ratio (what would be a good product at $50 may or may not be equally good at $250.), benefits of this package over others in its category and overall impressions.
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Opinion Pieces, Interviews, etc. |
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- Opinion pieces are accepted only if the writer's qualifications are clearly stated.
- Where appropriate, include quotes from those "in the know" about your subject.
- Be sure to include the interview subject's qualifications and experience where applicable.
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- The deadline for submissions is the 20th of the month. Submit your articles in plain ASCII text, as an e-mail attachment, to the
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- Leave a line between paragraphs. Do not indent paragraphs or use tabs. Single spaces after a period. Most of all, spell check, proof read, then check it again.
- If you would like to have links in the articles, list them at the end of the article with the reference and the URL.
- Screen shots or other graphics should be sent separately, GIF or JPG where possible, zipped and clearly identified. It may be a good policy to send a separate message stating that a package will follow and what the content is.
- It is the contributor's responsibility to ensure that all screen shots and other graphics are not copyrighted by someone else. If permission is needed, please include a credit with the graphic ("Screen shot courtesy AAA Software").
- Include a brief biography of yourself and an e-mail address.
- Include the following at the end of your article, omitting those items that don't apply.
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Product:
Category:
Company:
Address:
City/State/Zip:
Telephone:
WWW Site Address:
MSRP of Program:
Minimum PC Configuration:
Minimum Macintosh Configuration:
Tested on:
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