Starship Modeler Logo

Contributor Guidelines

Got something you want to contribute? We're always on the lookout for new material. All material on the site is covered under the copyright of Starship Modeler™ to protect us and our contributors. We do retain reproduction rights to images for promotional purposes only. Authors retain the copyright to all their images and text, and may distribute them elsewhere, as they see fit. Contributors get prominent billing and have the option of including a link to their e-mail address and home page (if they have one). We can't pay for material (just maintaining this site is expensive enough!). We're in this for the love of SF modeling, just as you are.

We may edit submissions, though this is done only to correct any existing grammatical problems. We regard the substance of the article as sacred. If we require substantial changes, we'll either ask the author to tweak the work - or we'll get the author's permission to make changes, if that's what they want.

Send your submissions to onezero@aol.com.

What We're Looking For | Format and Media | Build-Up Reviews | In-Box Previews | Reader's Gallery
Hobby News


What We're Looking For

Starship Modeler presents information in many forms, and we're always looking for more. Below are the basic article types we use - for in-depth requirements for each, see the following sections.

Reader's Tips are short texts, dealing with a single topic, which might be useful to other modelers. The topic can be anything you want; the only requirement is the tip be helpful to the people who frequent this web site. All tips submitted are sorted into categories, by subject matter, so that readers can search through them more easily.

A Gallery piece is essentially a few photographs which show off someone's completed model. Usually, there is little text to describe or rate the product as it came out of the box, or how the builder actually created what is in the pictures. There can be some of both; there is no rule against it, but this type of article is primarily a "here are some cool pictures of my finished model" type of thing.

An In-Box Preview has very little information about how well a particular kit builds up. Instead, it focuses on describing and rating what comes in the box. It will also include the reviewer's first impressions as to the kit's quality, value, accuracy and so on. Images should be geared more towards the raw parts than to the finished model. This helps kit shoppers more than kit builders. "Window shopping" can be fun, and we all want to spend our hard-earned hobby dollars on something worthwhile!

A Build-Up Review is primarily used to relay information about the process of building a particular kit. The modeler rates the kit's value, accuracy, ease-of-assembly and so on, talks about their personal building experiences and/or overall impressions, etc. They try to point out ways to avoid pitfalls in the assembly process, if there are any. The whole point is to describe how one turned lumps of inert material into a fine finished model. There should be a number of photographs that show the completed model at various angles, as well as pictures of the work in progress. These latter can be especially helpful when describing complex modifications or super-detailing. So can diagrams. When writing such an article, please consider submitting any of your short tips or tricks to the "Reader's Tips" section, if that seems appropriate to the situation. This will helps our readers find useful tips easier. It also helps keep each article's size reasonable.

Though many of our reviews are out-of-the-box buildups, that does not mean that's all we'll accept. It's really up to you, the reader, what we publish. We welcome articles on super-detailing, accurizing, adding just a few details, and straight out-of-the-box builds with equal enthusiasm.

How-To articles are always welcome - and in fact, highly sought after. These should focus on processes, techniques, or building stages and offer step-by-step instructions for accomplishing whatever topic the reviewer is addressing. Examples are: lighting models, scratchbuilding techniques, weathering and detailing sci-fi vehicles, etc. These articles will of necessity be more free-form than others described above - just remember that more detail and more pictures are always preferable to less of either. When writing such an article, please consider submitting any of your short tips or tricks to the "Reader's Tips" section, if that seems appropriate to the situation. This will helps our readers find useful tips easier. It also helps keep each article's size reasonable.

Finally, a Workbench Review is essentially a hybrid article, somewhere between a Preview and a full-on Review. The modeler has begun building a kit, but has not fully completed their build-up yet. The reviewer has definite opinions about the kit at this point. It is helpful (but not absolutely necessary) if a reviewer tries to rate and describe the kit's contents. They may describe their overall impressions of the kit to others, along with their personal building experiences to date. They may suggest ways to make the build-up process easier or how to avoid assembly pitfalls. They can clarify bad instruction sheets. (But consider sending any generic, non-kit-specific tips to the "Reader's Tips" section). A reviewer can point out how to improve the finished kit, in terms of accuracy or anything else. There are some pictures of the model in progress at this point, which are primarily intended to help readers understand the text better. Because the kit is not 100% complete at this point, there are no pictures of the finished product.

Kits that have been described in multiple Workbench Reviews are prime candidates for Build-Up Reviews hosted on Starship Modeler. We generally do not publish incomplete reviews - something the reviewer has started, but not finished - as "installments" or multi-part articles. That's not to say we have any hard-and-fast rule against such things; we just don't want to leave people hanging. Talk to us if you think your article could be featured this way.

Format and Media

We'll take input from any source (just about) - even a simple e-mail is fine. However, it really helps if you follow these guidelines:

  • Send us the article as a plain old text file. Write it in whatever word processor you're comfortable with, but save it as *.txt (ASCII text or MS-DOS text are the usual options). Spelling and grammar checking your work before you ship it makes our job easier and helps us get it posted sooner

  • Please do NOT put spaces or non-alphanumeric text in your filenames (no # $ ( % & ) * etc.)

  • Try to use a solid background for your pictures, like a piece of posterboard or a sheet. This eliminates things that distract they eye - like the fact you haven't vacuumed your carpet in a week! Tile floors, tabletops - cover them up with something. Also, use as much indirect lighting as possible when photographing.

  • More pictures are always better than less pictures. But please, give us a break with your images by not sending 50 pictures in one big attachment (or a huge zip/stuffit file that takes all weekend to download!). Either compress them into a .zip file, or better yet, send them one or two at a time, with a note as to what each one is (this is especially helpful for construction photos).

  • We can use almost any image format - as long as it's compatible with PC's. JPEG's (set to the highest quality) or GIFs are preferred - try to stay away from Windows bitmaps (.BMP's) if you can. If you want to composite your masterpiece onto a starry background, that's fine - but the point of this site is to see the models. We prefer it if you just give us pictures of the model, showing off your handiwork, and save the space battle scenes for your homepage.

  • Don't have a scanner or digital camera? No worries - drop us a note letting us know the situation and we'll work something out.

  • Unless we specifically ask to reprint a given article or pictures, Starship Modeler only accepts previously unpublished material. If you are submitting an article to us, please do not submit it elsewhere at the same time. We print almost everything we get, so if we've left any question in your mind as to whether or not a work is accepted, just ask us.

Build-Up Reviews

First and foremost, try to keep your assessments balanced. Starship Modeler readers look for fair and informative reviews and previews. If you have a drum to beat about a given manufacturer, keep it in the closet and stick to facts. Keep in mind the intended target market for a kit, i.e., don't review a $125 resin kit as if it were for kids, or vice-versa. A good rule of thumb is to not commit anything to print that you wouldn't be willing to tell the manufacturer to their face. Back up your opinions and estimations with solid facts.

In doing a kit build-up review, be as detailed as you can. Note where you had difficulty, what needed to be fixed to make it accurate - etc. Give the reader some background on the vehicle, especially if it's an actual piece of space hardware (however, a blow-by-blow account of the ship's service during the Dominion War is probably a little too much). Construction / in-progress photos are always a bonus, as is a detailed, step-by-step narrative describing how you built it. Comments on the kit's accuracy to the original vehicle or filming miniature are also beneficial. Take a look here as an example of how to format your article and what pieces you'll need. This isn't a "you must do it exactly like this" template. You can be pretty free-form, but please include all applicable basic information:

Manufacturer: Who made the kit (also where you got it, if different)
Cost: What's the retail price? And did you get it for less/more somewhere else?
Scale/Size: What scale is it? What are the finished kit's dimensions?
Parts/Media: How many parts are there, and what are they made from? (resin, plastic, brass, soap, etc.)
Instructions: What is included (# of pages, paint guide, etc.).
Decals: What's included, if anything.
Paints/Supplies: List the paints you used.
References: List any references you used to make the kit a more accurate representation of the original.

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being a masterpiece and 1 ... not being a masterpiece .... rate the kit. Please bear in mind that perfection is a state rarely attained - by model makers as well as everyone else. Be objective! Use the following criteria to rate, and please summarize your rating with one sentence (e.g. Parts Fit: 9 - I used only a hint of putty):

Molding/Casting Quality: How well made are the pieces? Are there serious amounts of flash, steps between molded halves, prominent seams?
Detail: Is the surface detailing, panel lines, etc. sharp? crisp? blurred? nonexistent?
Accuracy: How well does the kit reproduce the original?
Fit: How well do the kit parts go together?
Ease: Is this a kit one can do over a rainy weekend? Or will one spend 30 years of one's life building it?
Instructions: Are they an aid or a hindrance? Is the paint guide accurate?
Decals: Are they easy to use? Thin and tearable? Accurate and in register? Missing anything?
Overall: Was this kit a gem or a stinker? Was it worth what you paid? Would you recommend it to your best friend?

Note: These ratings are intended as a "snapshot" or summary. You don't have to write a book on each one - but please, if something is really good or really bad, explain why in the body of your article.

In-Box Preview

The primary purpose of an in-box preview is to provide the reader with an idea of what he or she gets for their hard-earned hobby moolah. To this end, it's important to have good, clear pictures of the parts. If you can, arrange everything that comes in the box together for an overall picture, then either place the parts on a scanner or shoot close-up photos of groups of parts. Again, keep in mind the intended target market for a kit -don't review a $125 resin kit as if it were for kids, or vice-versa. See this review as a guide for what we're looking for.

Please provide as much of the following info as possible:

Manufacturer: Who made the kit (also where you got it, if different - and whether this was a review sample provided by a distributor or manufacturer)
Cost: What's the retail price? And did you get it for less/more somewhere else?
Scale/Size: What scale is it? How big will the finished model be, roughly?
Parts/Media: How many parts are there, and what are they made from? (resin, plastic, brass, soap, etc.)
Instructions: What is included (# of pages, paint guide, etc.).
Decals: What's included, if anything.

Once again, use a scale of 1 to 10 to construct a "snapshot"of the kit. Please bear in mind that perfection is a state rarely attained - by model makers as well as everyone else. Be objective! Use the following criteria to rate, and please summarize your rating with one sentence:

Molding/Casting Quality: How well made are the pieces? Are there huge mold mis-alignments? Seams? Flash? Pits or other surface flaws?
Detail: Is the surface detailing, panel lines, etc. sharp? crisp? blurred? nonexistent?
Accuracy: How well does the kit reproduce the original?
Decals and instructions: Accurate? Decals in register? Either of them missing anything?
Overall: Was it worth what you paid? Would you recommend it to your best friend?

Reader's Gallery

Here's where you can showcase your work without necessarily writing a book about it. Please do tell us a little bit about the model though - like what it is! If it's a garage kit, tell the readers where you got it and who made it, and what it was like to build. If it's a scratchbuild, kitbash or diorama, give us all some idea of what you used to make it.

Again, more pictures are better than less pictures. Ideally, you should provide front, rear, side, top and bottom views, along with at least one "beauty shot", taken from an angle and showing your masterpiece at it's best.

Hobby News

Do you have a new product or service you think would interest the sci-fi modeling public? By all means, tell us about it! Please tell us the kit's:

  • Price
  • Primary Media
  • Number of parts
  • Instructions and decals provided, if any
  • Size when assembled
  • Where and how to order, and methods of payment accepted

    Pictures are really worth a thousand words, so please also include images - whether of the parts, master, or assembled kit is up to you.

  • Go back up | Starship Modeler Home | Site Map | Feedback

    This page copyright © 1997-2001 Starship Modeler™.
    Last updated on 6 November 2001.