Seawitch
Water, water everywhere,
If you write articles for R2R or you want to write articles for R2R, this post is for you.
I thought it was time to talk a little about writing for R2R and address a few misconceptions, answer a few common questions, and explain a little about what I do and how I do it.
Can anyone in the forum write articles for R2R?
Yes! Yes! We want articles. If you don’t know what to write about, send me a private message, and I can help you come up with an appropriate topic.
How long should articles be?
For readers, there is a sweet spot between 800 and 1200 words. So, if your article is longer, I may suggest we break it up into more than one part. I would say don’t worry about it. Write what you want, and let me worry about the length.
What can I write about?
Anything marine-aquarium related. Also many topics that are related to marine biology are welcome, but talk to me before writing your 10K-word masterpiece. Technical pieces are fine, but non-technical pieces can be interesting, too. One of my personal favorites is the piece a while back about the poking stick. I can’t link to it at the time of this writing because the article section is down.
How do I submit articles?
There are three ways. Some people have a button on their dashboard for creating articles. If you have that button, you can write an article and then it stays in a queue until someone approves it. I do the approving.
If you don’t have that button, and most people don’t, then you can private message me, and copy and paste your work of art into the message field. You can also send me photos that way. Or I can give you my email address and you can email everything to me.
Neither the private messaging box nor the upload-article field allows for Word or Excel files. For those, you need to email them to me.
It’s easier for me if you if you send the article to me directly rather than use the button because I usually need to talk to you or ask a question or two. Also, we may be phasing out the button anyway with a big upgrade we’re doing.
Who are you, Seawitch? And what do you do?
If you look under my name, you’ll see Article Coordinator. But my function is really Article Section Editor. That means that I either write or edit everything that gets posted as an “article” except most of the sponsor-related posts or articles that come in through an RSS feed, like articles by Mike Paletta.
@revhtree introduced me in December, but there are still lots of folks who have no idea who I am or what I do.
So, I’m either writing or editing. All the time. Sometimes I go through the forum and silently correct grammar and spelling if something jumps out at me. I also go through older articles and edit them. I’m very plugged in, but I do occasionally take a day or two off and unplug.
Who do you answer to?
I answer to @revhtree , who I call “Boss 1” and @mdbannister , who I call “Boss 2”. I am in constant communication with both of them every day on topics related to the article section.
What do you do to the articles submitted?
I try to do what any good editor does. I make sure the article makes sense and the average reader is going to understand what you’re saying. I correct the English if I notice any mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, diction, etc. etc. etc. I check the photos and make sure they are attributed correctly and are in good focus. Sometimes I might try to sharpen a photo or crop it to make it look better. Then I format it to make it look like all of our other articles. I may fact-check the article if possible. For example, I can’t fact-check an article that Dr. Holmes-Farley writes because he knows (a lot) more than me on analytical chemistry.
Don’t be put off or insulted if I ask you questions about your article. I’m trying to make you and R2R look good. I don't edit just because I can. I only do it if I have to. My goal is that when you see your article published you say to yourself, "Wow. That's my article. But better."
Do forum members get paid to write articles?
No, they don’t. Writing articles is voluntary and helps the community at large.
Sometimes we pay outside writers a small stipend, if they are professional writers and/or if they are well known experts in their field.
What if I find a mistake in an article?
Please tell me ASAP, so I can correct it. Send me a private message. Big publications like The New York Times have several layers of proofreaders for everything that goes to print. Here, there’s just me. And I’m human. As diligent as I try to be, sometimes I miss something.
I usually ask at least one or two other forum members to read articles before they go live, but mistakes happen. I appreciate it when someone points out a mistake so I can fix it.
Do I have to submit photos with my article?
No. BUT, all articles must have photos, so if you don’t have any, then I will add some. I have many sources.
If you submit many photos, I may not use all of them. Don’t take it personally. I choose/accept the photos based on a) how good they are b) how well they illustrate your story and c) are we allowed to use them.
Can I use random photos that I found on the web?
Not unless you ask permission from where you found the photo or the photo is tagged as being free for anyone to use. This is an issue I run into all the time. You may not take random photos from the internet and just use them for yourself. There is a protocol for asking permission, and sometimes your article may be held up for a while why I try to get permission. Sometimes we get it, and sometimes we won’t. If we can’t get permission, then we try to substitute a photo that we can use.
That recent blobfish article sat on my desktop for over a month while I tried to get permission to use a photo. There are very few blobfish photos available because the fish was recently discovered.
So, when you submit an article, the first thing I’m going to ask is, “where did these photos come from?” I’m not being a jerk or a pain-in-your-neck. I’m trying to keep what we’re doing in the article section legal and proper. And classy.
How do I submit photos?
The best way is to send them to me separately either in a private message or by email. It’s important to either make the file name obvious like 1kukufish.jpg so I know it’s the first photo of the kuku fish or 12345.jpg with a key like “12345 = kuku fish.” Then in the body of the article you just leave a space and say, “Photo 1—my photo” or “Photo 12345—credit goes to Joe Shmo.” Because I need to know a) what each photo is of b) where you wanted it in the article and c) where the photo came from.
Sometimes I receive an article with lots and lots of photos that look similar but they aren’t labeled. Then I spend hours trying to figure out what each photo is of and if we have permission to use it. Like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
Also, I have a 64 meg limit on what I can upload and publish in any one article. That means if you’re sending me 50 photos, they need to be 1 meg or less each. If you’re computer savvy, then it saves me a lot of time if you reduce your file sizes. If you don’t know how to do that, then don’t worry about it, and I’ll do it for you. This is one of the reasons why Reef of the Month is so many hours of work—managing the photos.
This, below, is what I look like when I receive 100 photos that aren't labeled, and I have no idea what they are pictures of or where the photos came from:
How about if I just embed photos in a Word document?
Actually, that doesn’t help me. It creates extra work for me. The software we use does not allow me to copy and paste photos into the field. I have to upload photos separately THEN show the software where I want the photo. So, if you send me embedded photos, I have to take them out then put them back in.
Can I make suggestions for articles?
Absolutely. I love suggestions. Send me a private message.
How come my submitted article isn’t published yet?
Well, it could be lots of reasons. It might be because I am waiting for permissions for photos. Or I might be fact-checking it. Or maybe it’s about the kuku fish and I had two articles this week about that topic, so I’m holding it for a week or two. If there’s something wrong with the article or if I have questions, I will let you know. If you haven’t heard from me, assume everything is fine. If you’re nervous then private message me.
At any given time, I have maybe 10 articles waiting to be published in different states of readiness. So, when you submit something, I shuffle everything around to fit yours in.
Is there anything I, as a forum member, can help you with?
Sure! Thank you for asking. I have go-to people for different topics, general content, fish, identifying livestock, and proofreading, for example. If you want to help, then send me a private message and tell me what you’d like to help with.
What can I do as an article writer to make your life easier?
Thank you for asking. The one biggest single thing you can do when submitting articles and photos is give photo files names that make sense or give me a key to unscrambling them. That’s what takes most of my time.
Is there anything I should give you besides the article and any accompanying photos?
Yes. I will ask you for a blurb about you: a few lines about you and your reefkeeping or writing or area of expertise experience. If you include that, then you save me from asking for it. If you’ve already written for me, then I will have that information on file.
Wait! I have other questions!
Send me a private message. My inbox is always open. And I’m pretty nice when you get to know me.
This, below, is what I look like most days of the week:
I thought it was time to talk a little about writing for R2R and address a few misconceptions, answer a few common questions, and explain a little about what I do and how I do it.
Can anyone in the forum write articles for R2R?
Yes! Yes! We want articles. If you don’t know what to write about, send me a private message, and I can help you come up with an appropriate topic.
How long should articles be?
For readers, there is a sweet spot between 800 and 1200 words. So, if your article is longer, I may suggest we break it up into more than one part. I would say don’t worry about it. Write what you want, and let me worry about the length.
What can I write about?
Anything marine-aquarium related. Also many topics that are related to marine biology are welcome, but talk to me before writing your 10K-word masterpiece. Technical pieces are fine, but non-technical pieces can be interesting, too. One of my personal favorites is the piece a while back about the poking stick. I can’t link to it at the time of this writing because the article section is down.
How do I submit articles?
There are three ways. Some people have a button on their dashboard for creating articles. If you have that button, you can write an article and then it stays in a queue until someone approves it. I do the approving.
If you don’t have that button, and most people don’t, then you can private message me, and copy and paste your work of art into the message field. You can also send me photos that way. Or I can give you my email address and you can email everything to me.
Neither the private messaging box nor the upload-article field allows for Word or Excel files. For those, you need to email them to me.
It’s easier for me if you if you send the article to me directly rather than use the button because I usually need to talk to you or ask a question or two. Also, we may be phasing out the button anyway with a big upgrade we’re doing.
Who are you, Seawitch? And what do you do?
If you look under my name, you’ll see Article Coordinator. But my function is really Article Section Editor. That means that I either write or edit everything that gets posted as an “article” except most of the sponsor-related posts or articles that come in through an RSS feed, like articles by Mike Paletta.
@revhtree introduced me in December, but there are still lots of folks who have no idea who I am or what I do.
So, I’m either writing or editing. All the time. Sometimes I go through the forum and silently correct grammar and spelling if something jumps out at me. I also go through older articles and edit them. I’m very plugged in, but I do occasionally take a day or two off and unplug.
Who do you answer to?
I answer to @revhtree , who I call “Boss 1” and @mdbannister , who I call “Boss 2”. I am in constant communication with both of them every day on topics related to the article section.
What do you do to the articles submitted?
I try to do what any good editor does. I make sure the article makes sense and the average reader is going to understand what you’re saying. I correct the English if I notice any mistakes in grammar, spelling, punctuation, diction, etc. etc. etc. I check the photos and make sure they are attributed correctly and are in good focus. Sometimes I might try to sharpen a photo or crop it to make it look better. Then I format it to make it look like all of our other articles. I may fact-check the article if possible. For example, I can’t fact-check an article that Dr. Holmes-Farley writes because he knows (a lot) more than me on analytical chemistry.
Don’t be put off or insulted if I ask you questions about your article. I’m trying to make you and R2R look good. I don't edit just because I can. I only do it if I have to. My goal is that when you see your article published you say to yourself, "Wow. That's my article. But better."
Do forum members get paid to write articles?
No, they don’t. Writing articles is voluntary and helps the community at large.
Sometimes we pay outside writers a small stipend, if they are professional writers and/or if they are well known experts in their field.
What if I find a mistake in an article?
Please tell me ASAP, so I can correct it. Send me a private message. Big publications like The New York Times have several layers of proofreaders for everything that goes to print. Here, there’s just me. And I’m human. As diligent as I try to be, sometimes I miss something.
I usually ask at least one or two other forum members to read articles before they go live, but mistakes happen. I appreciate it when someone points out a mistake so I can fix it.
Do I have to submit photos with my article?
No. BUT, all articles must have photos, so if you don’t have any, then I will add some. I have many sources.
If you submit many photos, I may not use all of them. Don’t take it personally. I choose/accept the photos based on a) how good they are b) how well they illustrate your story and c) are we allowed to use them.
Can I use random photos that I found on the web?
Not unless you ask permission from where you found the photo or the photo is tagged as being free for anyone to use. This is an issue I run into all the time. You may not take random photos from the internet and just use them for yourself. There is a protocol for asking permission, and sometimes your article may be held up for a while why I try to get permission. Sometimes we get it, and sometimes we won’t. If we can’t get permission, then we try to substitute a photo that we can use.
That recent blobfish article sat on my desktop for over a month while I tried to get permission to use a photo. There are very few blobfish photos available because the fish was recently discovered.
So, when you submit an article, the first thing I’m going to ask is, “where did these photos come from?” I’m not being a jerk or a pain-in-your-neck. I’m trying to keep what we’re doing in the article section legal and proper. And classy.
How do I submit photos?
The best way is to send them to me separately either in a private message or by email. It’s important to either make the file name obvious like 1kukufish.jpg so I know it’s the first photo of the kuku fish or 12345.jpg with a key like “12345 = kuku fish.” Then in the body of the article you just leave a space and say, “Photo 1—my photo” or “Photo 12345—credit goes to Joe Shmo.” Because I need to know a) what each photo is of b) where you wanted it in the article and c) where the photo came from.
Sometimes I receive an article with lots and lots of photos that look similar but they aren’t labeled. Then I spend hours trying to figure out what each photo is of and if we have permission to use it. Like a giant jigsaw puzzle.
Also, I have a 64 meg limit on what I can upload and publish in any one article. That means if you’re sending me 50 photos, they need to be 1 meg or less each. If you’re computer savvy, then it saves me a lot of time if you reduce your file sizes. If you don’t know how to do that, then don’t worry about it, and I’ll do it for you. This is one of the reasons why Reef of the Month is so many hours of work—managing the photos.
This, below, is what I look like when I receive 100 photos that aren't labeled, and I have no idea what they are pictures of or where the photos came from:
How about if I just embed photos in a Word document?
Actually, that doesn’t help me. It creates extra work for me. The software we use does not allow me to copy and paste photos into the field. I have to upload photos separately THEN show the software where I want the photo. So, if you send me embedded photos, I have to take them out then put them back in.
Can I make suggestions for articles?
Absolutely. I love suggestions. Send me a private message.
How come my submitted article isn’t published yet?
Well, it could be lots of reasons. It might be because I am waiting for permissions for photos. Or I might be fact-checking it. Or maybe it’s about the kuku fish and I had two articles this week about that topic, so I’m holding it for a week or two. If there’s something wrong with the article or if I have questions, I will let you know. If you haven’t heard from me, assume everything is fine. If you’re nervous then private message me.
At any given time, I have maybe 10 articles waiting to be published in different states of readiness. So, when you submit something, I shuffle everything around to fit yours in.
Is there anything I, as a forum member, can help you with?
Sure! Thank you for asking. I have go-to people for different topics, general content, fish, identifying livestock, and proofreading, for example. If you want to help, then send me a private message and tell me what you’d like to help with.
What can I do as an article writer to make your life easier?
Thank you for asking. The one biggest single thing you can do when submitting articles and photos is give photo files names that make sense or give me a key to unscrambling them. That’s what takes most of my time.
Is there anything I should give you besides the article and any accompanying photos?
Yes. I will ask you for a blurb about you: a few lines about you and your reefkeeping or writing or area of expertise experience. If you include that, then you save me from asking for it. If you’ve already written for me, then I will have that information on file.
Wait! I have other questions!
Send me a private message. My inbox is always open. And I’m pretty nice when you get to know me.
This, below, is what I look like most days of the week:
