Guidelines for Contributors

Columns and Reviews

If you have a passion for writing and a fascination with some aspect of professional Web development and design, we encourage you to become a reviewer or columnist. Regular columns and reviews from expert contributors help to build the site's identity, attract repeat visitors, and keep the industry thinking of new ways to innovate.

First Things First

Columns: The first step is to contact the editor and propose a theme and a focus for your column. We will work together to tailor this theme so that it's as relevant to our audience as possible, and so that it complements (i.e., doesn't overlap with) the territory staked out by other Digital Web Magazine columnists. Once we've agreed on a focus for the column, we'll brainstorm about a running name and develop a color scheme to give the column a distinctive visual identity.

Reviews: The first step is to contact the editor and indicate the book or product you wish to review. Products or books shoud be no more than three months old to review. We will work together to ensure that it is as relevant to our audience as possible. Once we've agreed on product or book for review, we'll work with the publisher to get a NFR or review copy of the product or book.

Frequency

Most columnists and reviewers submit new articles monthly. We can also accommodate other schedules, from biweekly to bimonthly. Since Digital Web Magazine is largely a volunteer operation, we won't hector you about deadlines, but keep in mind that publishing fresh articles on a regular schedule helps to build a loyal readership.

Length

Individual columns and reviews should be no longer than about 2500 words. Most Web readers shy away from commentary-type articles that are any longer than this.