Writing for Low End PC
Dan Knight, publisher,
Low End PC
Thinking From the Box is your turn to write for the Web.
Are you up to the challenge?
First, do you have something important to say about Microsoft,
Intel, PCs, or a related subject? If you're a typical computer user,
you're opinionated and do have something to say.
Second, do you have something different to say about this topic? The
world doesn't need another "I Hate Linux Even Though I Haven't Used It
Because It's Different from Windows" article. But if you have something
unique to say to PC users around the world, keep reading.
Third, can you write effectively? Read Writing for the Web by Stephen Van Esch before you
conclude you're a great writer.
Okay, we're not just looking for great writers, although
we'll take all we can get. We do want good writers - competent
writers, thoughtful writers. We also want writers who aren't regulars
on other sites; we want to develop new talent. (Get good enough and we
might offer you a regular column.)
Your grammar doesn't have to be perfect (mine isn't). Neither does
your spelling, although you should definitely run a spell check on any
writing you send out (even email). If you're a bit rusty on commas and
semicolons, that's not a big deal.
Editing
I'm a editor. I can fix the little stuff.
But if your sentences run on without end or if they're missing a
subject and verb, I may not want to edit them. The same goes for
writing filled with misspellings, incorrect words, strong language
(we're family friendly), or other abuse of the English language.
I'm an editor, not a miracle worker. If your writing isn't good to
begin with, you need to rewrite it before it gets edited.
On the other hand, if your writing is good, a good editor can be
your best friend. Some of our current writers are very good, but every
article is edited before publication. And every article is improved
(usually subtly) in the process.
What makes a good editor? Someone who can write effectively, who
knows and loves the language, and can make changes to another person's
writing that leave's the writer's fingerprints intact.
I strive to edit with a light hand. And, not being a professional
editor, sometimes I have a friend go over articles that stymie me. She
marks things up with a red pen, and then I decide which changes are
necessary. (She's also the only person I trust to edit my own writing,
when I feel that would be helpful.)
Writing for Thinking From the Box
Telling someone how to write is like explaining how to ride a bike.
You really have to do it, not explain it. Writing comes easy to me. I
love words, phrases, ideas. Editing is a bit more work.
You should familiarize yourself with our Web Style Guide. Follow its advice when
writing for Low End PC; that's why we posted these usage rules.
Don't make it too short. Don't make it too long. I rarely read
articles that continue for screen after screen after screen, although a
few have held my interest that long. Reading online is different from
reading in print; really long articles are simply not a good idea.
Make it flow. Include headers between sections to break your article
into smaller chunks for easier digestion.
Submitting Your Article to Us
Got it done? Good. Before you submit it, please do a few things:
- Strip out smart quotes. The Web supports straight single- and
double-quotes (" and '), but not so-called smart or curly ones.
- Ditto for en- and em-dashes, assuming you use them. The Web only
supports hyphens. Our style is a space, two hyphens, and a space to
replace em-dashes and a simple hyphen to replace en-dashes.
If I think of anything else, I'll add it, but this is all that comes
to my mind at present.
Now you need to submit in your article using a format we can handle.
These are the best options:
- An HTML attachment. This is certainly easiest for us, since all our
Web pages end up as HTML. Most recent word processors support HTML
export.
- A Word or Claris/AppleWorks attachment. (Yes, this site is produced
on a Mac, not a Windows PC.)
- A plain text attachment, such as a SimpleText or BBEdit file.
- Or you can send it within a plain text email, which is how most of
our current writers operate. Be sure to have a blank line between
paragraphs, since we use TextSoap to quickly convert email text to
normal paragraphs.
Ready to go? Send it to <webmaster@lowendpc.com> so we
can read it.
Thanks!
