Contents
Here are a few pointers to follow if you'd like to write something for Clubbed.
Nothing on this page is set in stone but if you want to do something different
or have a special requirement please discuss it with the editor before
spending a lot of time on something that might not be suitable.
The first thing to know is that Clubbed is a non-profit making magazine which
means we can't pay anything for what we print. However you can be sure your
work will get to an appreciative audience of Amiga users. If we publish your
article you'll get a free copy of the issue in which it appears or a copy
added to your subscription if you're a subscriber.
We're interested in articles on any aspect of Amiga use, below are some notes
on the more common types of article. Whatever you're planning to write it's a
good idea to EMail the editor
to let him know what you have in mind in case anyone is already working on
something similar.
Reviews
We're interested in reviews of all types of Amiga product, including hardware,
games, applications and periferals. Reviewed products don't have to be brand
new as we recognise that older products can still be very useful however we
prefer that you review the current version. Unlike commercial magazines it is
unlikely that a Clubbed reviewer will have had a wide experience with competing
products in the same area so as much as possible we prefer to concentrate on
the features of the product being reviewed rather than comparisons with its
competitors. If you feel you are in a position to compare by all means do so.
If possible please include a selection of images to illustrate your review.
Please include captions for the images with your review and indicate which
image they belong to.
Then we need the details details for the information and score boxes:
- The full name of the product.
- The version.
- The purchase price
- The dealer it was purchased from (please include name, address, phone number and internet addresses if available)
- The distributor (please include name, address, phone number and internet addresses if available)
- A brief description of the machine you used it on.
- The system requirements (Type of Amiga, RAM, hard disk etc.)
- Any useful contacts such as web sites relating to the product.
...and for the score box:
If you feel it's relevant:
- A short list of good points for the pros section
- A short list of bad points for the cons sections
Your rating using our fishy scoring system:
- Caviar - The best of the best, only the most minor niggles.
- Tasty - Very good but with room for improvements
- Fish Fingers - Average, probably not the best of it's class or scope for major inmprovements.
- Smelly - Below average but with some redeeming features.
- Rotten - Dreadful, avoid at all costs.
Tutorials
We are always eager to receive tutorials on popular applications, the main
thing to remember when writing this type of article for Clubbed is that the
magazine is quarterly. This means that a multi-part tutorial which builds over
time isn't really suitable for Clubbed, we don't want to leave readers on the
edge of their seats for three months! Therefore we suggest that each tutorial
is a self-contained whole, leading to a useful result. This approach also has
benefits for the writer as you don't have to commit to writing multiple parts,
also you don't have to be an expert in a complete package to share a useful
technique.
Once you've written your tutorial please take the time to work through it
using the software to check everything is correct. If you've written it from
memory it's easy to get a simple fact wrong (for example the name of a menu
item) which can confuse a beginner.
If possible please supply as many screen shots as possible with your tutorial.
Shots of complex settings requesters are particularly useful and of course we
need a shot of the finished result. As with all images remember to include
suitable captions and what image they relate to in your text.
Features
Features can be on pretty much any topic we often have interviews and features
on different uses for your Amiga (like our recent "Get Netted" one) basically
anything that will interest a range of readers will be considered.
Hints and Tips
This is an area of the magazine we'd really like to expand so if you've got a
tip please send it in. Anything from a brief one-liner to a mini-tutorial is
fine. Tips can be related to the AmigaOS in general or to specific software
or hardware.
Different?
Don't worry if your idea doesn't fit into one of the catagories above, as long
as it's Amiga related we'll be interested just send the
editor an EMail.
What we Really Need
There are a few types of article we really find hard to get and particulary appreciate:
Tutorials - Good tutorials on popular applications are our most requested item,
remember you don't need to be an expert to write on a whole application to
write a tutorial on a particular aspect of it.
Images for the Gallery - If you have an image you're proud of submit it for
inclusion in our gallery section on the back cover. A short description of how
you created it is also useful.
In each issue of Clubbed we have a finite amount of space into which we must include a variety of content to appeal to our readers. This means that any piece you submit must fit into a reasonable amount of space. Here are a few guidelines to help you gauge how much to write:
| Type of Article
| No. of Pages
|
| Reviews of upgrades or small products
| 1
|
| Full Reviews
| 2
|
| Full reviews of major products
| 3-4
|
| Features
| 2-4
|
We find roughly the following number of words fit on a page allowing space for a few graphics or the odd box-out:
- First page (with title etc.): 700 words
- Following pages: 800 words
If you want to write a longer item maybe it could be split up into several
parts. There are several things to remember if you decide this is what you want
to do however, firstly as Clubbed is published quarterly each instalment should
be complete in its self so readers aren't on the edge of their seats or waiting
for vital information for three months. Secondly you must be committed to
writing all the parts so the series doesn't peter out, in fact we would
probably ask for several instalments in advance.
Images
Illustrations to go with your submission are always welcome and help brighten
the pages. Images can be in almost any format and in either colour or black and
white. Bear in mind that they will be printed in black and white* at a fairly
low resolution so the subject needs to be clear. If you'd like us to use
particular captions please include them in the main text of your article noting
the file name of the image each caption should go with. It's always a good idea
to include as many images as possible so we have a choice of which to use and
can pick ones which fit our layout well.
*If the illustrations that go with your item would really benefit from colour
we may be able to print them on the back cover, something else to discuss with
the editor.
If you want to include photos and don't have a scanner send the prints along
and we'll scan them then return them to you.
Text
We can deal with text in most format although plain ASCII is easiest and
compatable between all platforms. If EMailing plain text please archive it
first as we've had trouble with some EMail porograms truncating long
paragraphs.
If you want to send text in a wordprocessor format here are the programs we have here:
- Final Writer 5
- Wordworth 5
- PageStream 3.3
I also have access to Word 97 at work which can deal with most PC formats if you're really desperate :).
Please supply us with your contact details so we can get in touch if we have
any questions about your submission, an EMail address or phone number is the
easiest method. If you'd like your details printed with your article so that
readers can get in touch with you directly please make it clear what details
you want printed, we won't print your details unless you specifically ask us
to.
Getting Your Submission To Us
You can send your submission to us on Amiga or PC formatted double or
high-density floppy disk. SEAL members can hand it to Robert Williams at any
SEAL meeting anyone else can post it to:
Clubbed
26 Wincoat Drive
Benfleet
Essex
SS7 5AH
United Kingdom
If you're on the internet you can EMail your submission to us at:
clubbed@seal-amiga.co.uk
Please note that at this time we cannot accept Zip disks or similar removable
media (we don't have a drive), we can of course handle CDs if you have a CD
recorder.
If we decide to publish your article we may need to edit it, this is usually
due to lack of space. If we want to make major changes we will always contact
you first to get your approval or ask you to make the changes yourself.
Ideas?
If you've got an idea for any type of article you'd like to see in Clubbed but
don't feel you could write it yourself then still let us know, if we like the
idea we'll attempt to get someone to write it.
Any Questions?
Please EMail or write to us and we'll do our best to answer any other questions
you may have.
