Reader Mail

Reader Comments About the September, 1997, issue:

Subject: No particular one...

I was wondering if you had an articles on what is considered good writing on an online publication. Here at the Academy of General Dentistry, our web page is run by a computer-type person with no writing background and her arguments always run contradictory to what people with writing and editing backgrounds would say, it's turning into an interesting political battle and I'm just trying to find as much information as I can about what are the rules for writing on an online publication.

Silvia Foti
Chicago, IL
AGDImpact@aol.com

Dear Silvia,

The generally accepted rules for what constitutes good writing in a magazine do not vary whether the magazine is in print or is distibuted solely online. Interesting topics, clear, concise writing, appropriate word usage, proper grammar and all the standard style rules apply to an online publication, just as they do in an offline magazine. Publishing a magazine online, such as The IWJ, for example, does require the Editor to make a few decisions on style matters because of the limitations and the nature of Hyper Text Markup Language ("HTML"), but these differences are minor. For example, the rules about block quoting lengthy quotes sometimes have to be modified to fit into the format of a web page. However, it is up to the Webmaster (the person who runs the website from a technological standpoint) to explain the options to the Editor (the person overseeing the content and style of the publication), then it should be the Editor's decision as to the final format. After all, it is the Editor of the publication who will be judged by the quality of the content of the publication -- not the Webmaster. The Webmaster will be judged on the layout, design etc. The bottom line is this: unless there is a technological reason why standard writing and editing rules cannot be applied in a particular instance, the traditional rules apply.

The Editors

Subject: Submission Guidelines

Your submission guidlines state, "The Journal does not offer payment at this time." I can understand that---neither did Writer's Digest pay when it started out. But your including the phrase "at this time" implies you anticipate that you will be paying sometime in the future.

Do you have a target date for that ?

Sincerely,

Leon Fletcher

Author,
How to Speak Like a Pro (Ballantine, 1996)
How to Design and Deliver a Speech, 6th ed: Nov 1997. (College Text)
LeonFlet@aol.com

Dear Leon,

We do plan on being a paying market in the future, but have not yet set a target date. We will most likely evaluate the issue in the Summer of 1998. Although we do not offer monetary payment at this time, we do, however, provide compensation in the form of online publicity.

Thank you for writing.

The Editors

Subject: Your Entire Zine

Talk about synchronicity: On Nov 2nd our Conference Center is hosting a writer's workshop and I intend to introduce your Zine to all attendees. Glad my Scout Report found you for me! Keep up the great work!

Roger Mourant
Oviedo,Florida,USA
canterbury.retreat@worldnet.att.net

Dear Roger,

Thanks!! Be sure to submit conference information to us by following the link on the Events Calendar page so that we can list it on our Events Calendar in the IWJ and on the Conference Page on Writerswrite.com. It sounds like a great resource!

The Editors

Subject: General

I've read most of the articles in the first 2 issues, and I thought there were a lot of interesting and useful comments on the act of writing and about publishing one's work, but I think it would also be very interesting if you'd please also publish some short stories or poems. I think it would compliment the selection of articles you already have.

Noemi Millman

New York, NY,USA

(Email witheld)

Dear Noemi,

We have no plans to add fiction at this time; however, we have not ruled out the possibility in the future.

Thank you for your opinion; we are always interested in what our readers want to see in The IWJ.

The Editors