| CertCities.com
(http://certcities.com), from 101communications
LLC, is an online magazine geared towards the needs of IT professionals who are
certified or are seeking certification. |
| This
is a general guide for CertCities writers, and may be modified on
a case-by-case basis. |
| Types
of Editorial |
| CertCities offers
readers several types of original editorial, both certification and
non-certification related. Those sections that are freelance written
include: |
|
|
Book/Study Material Reviews:
400-600 word review of a technology book, CD training guide, or combination
thereof. |
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|
Tips Articles: 1,000-
to 1500-word article containing tips for passing a specific test or
accomplishing a specific task: e.g., "Top 10 Tips for Passing the
XXX Exam" or "10 Tips for Balancing Your Network Traffic." |
|
|
Exam Spotlight: 1,000-
to 1,700-word article giving insight on a particular certification
exam. |
|
|
Features: We are seeking
a variety of features, including the following types: |
| |
-- |
Overview of a certification
or certification area (e.g., Internet certs, security certs). |
| |
-- |
Trend articles on happenings
in the certification world. |
| |
-- |
1st-person story on how one
conquered a particular technical problem. |
| |
-- |
High-level how-to technology
articles instructing users on how to complete a specific task or implement
a particular technology. |
| |
-- |
Profiles of people of interest
to the certification/IT community. |
| |
-- |
Career pieces specific to
IT professionals. |
| |
-- |
And more. |
| Note: Specific writers guidelines are available
for the Reviews, Tips and Exam Spotlight sections.
Please e-mail editor@certcities.com
to request one or more. |
| Authors |
| We seek authors
who have an understanding of technology/certification, who often (although
not always) are IT professionals themselves and hold one or more certifications.
|
| Submissions |
|
While we do consider unsolicited manuscripts for publication, it
is recommended that authors first submit a query (article idea)
via e-mail. Include an outline, when possible. An editor will respond
to your query and, if we are interested in your idea, will assist
you in crafting the completed manuscript. Note that all manuscripts
are submitted on a speculation basis, and all assignments made by
an editor are also on speculation basis. Payment is made upon publication.
We reserve the right to return for edit or reject any story that
we deem, in our sole discretion, unacceptable for publication, as
well as the right to edit any article as we see fit.
All articles must be submitted in electronic format. Send an e-mail
with a Word or text file attachment to editor@certcities.com.
|
| Copyright |
| Manuscripts
are considered for publication with the understanding that they represent
original material and are offered exclusively to CertCities.com/101communications
LLC. 101communications buys all rights on an exclusive basis;
including the right to use your article, name, image and biographical
data in advertising and promotion. You must sign a 101communication's
author contract before your first accepted article can be published.
|
| Editorial
Policy--Vendors |
| We
do not accept vendor-generated articles. Any work authored or commissioned
by a vendor or vendor's agent (e.g., PR rep.) will be rejected. |
| Accuracy |
| Authors
are responsible for checking and verifying the accuracy of the information
included in their articles. Product versions, prices and contact
information must be verified with the company for any product discussed
or reviewed. This can't be over-stressed. Your readers are every bit
as technical as you are. Erroneous facts and figures lead to numerous
calls to the editors--and reflect poorly on you, the writer. We'll
check your facts, but it's your responsibility to check and re-check
them as well. For example, if you need to state how many users a system
can support, check your figure against the product. Remember, your
name will appear over the story. |
| Writing
Style/Tips |
| |
Outline
First Unless you're an experienced writer who has worked with
us before, an outline of your story may be required. This saves time
for both you and us, since you avoid extensive rewrites by targeting
the story correctly from the start. A good article begins by telling
the reader what you will say--an introduction that "hooks" the reader
with the importance of your article. The body of the story then fulfills
the promise of the lead. Finally, a short conclusion sums up the important
points in your article. |
| |
Short
and to the Point Shorter articles are read by more readers. (Don't
you tend to "set aside" long pieces for a later time, then never return
to them?) We favor features between 1,000 and 2,000 words. Some sections
(e.g., reviews) have their own word counts (see above). As for the
"get to the point" part: Often, when readers start in an article,
they'll read the first few sentences, then ask "So What?" Make
sure you answer that question within your lead (1st few sentences/paragraphs)
before going on to the main body of the article. More on leads later. |
| |
Use
sidebars, charts and diagrams whenever possible. Every feature
submitted should come with 1 to 2 sidebars (e.g., 'Best Resources"
"Tips for Passing…." "Glossary," etc.) Ask your editor for suggestions.
As for graphics, nearly any story can be summed up visually with some
sort of art. If you can sketch it, we can make it look polished and
professional. |
| |
Write
the way you speak. As with similar publications, our style is
informal. Write in a friendly, familiar, energetic style, as if you're
explaining things to a coworker or friend. Use short sentences and
commonly understood words. On the other hand, don't be too casual.
Slang is OK for emphasis, but sloppy writing is difficult to follow.
If you aren't sure about style, read the story aloud to see if it
sounds like something you'd say. If it is, you're probably on the
right track. Also, realize that personality counts. Unless you're
writing news, a first-person tone, opinion and humor are always welcomed
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| |
Use
active verbs. Avoid passive statements and impersonal pronouns.
It's better to say "you" than "they" because it involves the reader,
and avoid saying "we" when you really mean "I." For example,
"I finally got the software installed and running at 2 a.m." is more
interesting than "It took until 2 a.m. to install the software." |
| |
Make
your article easy to read. Help your reader through the story
by using subheads that follow your outline; use more paragraphs and
make them shorter; use bullets and numbered lists when possible; keep
text units well organized. |
| |
Make
your writing interesting. No matter what your topic, there is
a dull way to present it and an interesting way. Active verbs and
tone are important (see above), but so is the lead. The lead is where
you'll draw people into the story, making it crucial to attracting
and keeping a reader's attention. Following are some tried and true
lead types: |
| |
|
A startling
fact: Start with a fact like "70 percent of all dollars spent
on client-server migrations go to personnel" or "By 1996 every PC
sold in the US will have a CD-ROM drive as standard equipment", etc.
|
| |
|
An intriguing
question: Start with a question to grab the reader like "Can
structured exams really test programming skill?". |
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|
A common myth:
Try an introduction like "BASIC is considered to be a weak programming
language: True or False?", etc. |
| |
|
An interesting
anecdote: Start with a personal story such as "After six hours
of support line calls and 18 hours of non-stop trial and error, we
finally got the system installed..." |
| |
|
New information:
Readers always want to learn of new programs, products, statistics,
etc. Any time you can provide new information as a starting point,
you'll have the reader's attention. |
| |
|
Testimonials:
If you can get a quote from a well-known industry executive,
CIO, or respected technical professional, your writing can support
the testimonial and have much greater impact. |
| Payment |
We
do have a set pay scale, ranging from $75 (reviews) to $200 to $300
(in-depth features). Contact your editor for specific payment information
for the type of editorial you are interested in writing.
Thank you for your interest in writing for CertCities.com. Please contact me with
any questions.
Becky Nagel
Web Editor
CertCities.com
16271 Laguna Canyon
Blvd.
Irvine, CA 92618
949-788-7057
949-465-1369 (fax)
bnagel@101com.com
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