This page is part of my What is Science Fiction? site.

Guidelines for contributors

OK, OK

These detailed guidelines seemed like a good idea when I wrote them. But reality has had a few months to catch up with me, and now, I'd be glad to air almost any opinion or viewpoint that makes minimal sense and is different from the ones already on the site.

How to contribute
What to contribute

How to contribute

Contributing text or HTML

To contribute a piece of text (which may include HTML tags, your address, the URL of your home page, etc., but no images), mail it to me and tell me where you would like to see it appear. But first read my copyright policy; if I include your contribution, it will be covered by this policy (but see below under "Contributing a URL"). Legalistically, I think this boils down to the following: by contributing text, you grant me a non-exclusive licence to make and distribute copies thereof, provided that I don't charge for them.

I make no promises of timely response, but will generally try to give you my decision within a week (apologies in advance).

Contributing a URL

By far the easiest way to add your voice (or someone else's) to the discussion is to send me a URL pointing to your/their views. This has the following advantages:

I'm more likely to include links than big chunks of text
you don't have to agree to my copyright policy, and can put your own copyright notice on your page
you can change the contents whenever you like.

Just mail me the URL, probably with your idea of where it should be inserted and a brief introductory text for me to put before/around it.

Editorial authority

I plan to retain a great deal of control over the content of this discussion: I'll act as an editor, not just a moderator. Being only human, I'm somewhat more likely to include views with which I agree.

Changes

If someone else contributes a piece that says the same thing as yours, but seems to me to say it better, I may remove yours or move it to a side page, but will tell you that I've done so (at whatever e-mail address I have on file). Conversely, if you want to withdraw a piece you contributed, just let me know and I'll remove it as soon as I can after getting your message.

What to contribute

At some places in the text, editorial invitations to contribute will be visible. Wherever a story, book or author is briefly mentioned, it is likely that a piece about how he/she/it fits into (or crosses) the genres being discussed will be welcome; but a biography of the author, or a review of the book, will be less welcome, and anything containing plot spoilers will be unwelcome. Attempts to expand on or disagree with opinions you find here are always of interest, as are corrections to any errors of fact or attribution.

Back to the main Science Fiction page.