The Nifty FAQ

mandy · MyVillage Joined: 30 Mar 2007 Posts: 103 Location: London

Can anyone join as a Contributor?

Yup – we are looking for people who love writing, have great local knowledge of their hometown and want to see their name in lights on our website. Well, not actually in lights, but you get what we mean. Enthusiasm and reliability are key, experience is a bonus but not a requisite.

Is there an age limit?

Our websites main demographic is between the ages of 18 – 40, so please keep that in mind! We are not looking for writers under the age of 18, as we may want you to write about pubs and drinking and all sorts of stuff, and even though we know you no doubt are very knowledgeable about such things, we have to keep things legal! As for older writers, as long as you are young of heart and take an interest in local matters, we’d like to hear from you.

Can I write about activities for kids / gadgets / sports news / DVD reviews / computer games?

Our main areas of editorial are what’s on (arts, comedy, theatre, gigs, films), bars & music (gigs, clubs, bars and yes, music), restaurants (reviews, a few features), celebrities (gossip, biographies, a few features), health (alternative therapies, diets, exercise) and community (local places, history, issues). We have no categories for anything else, which means we have no area in which to publish these articles. So the answer is no for now (April 2007) although this might change in the future. Check out our websites in the About Us section, you’ll get a good idea of what we write about from there.

Can I email my submission to you?

No – we want you to join our forum and post your articles publicly. This is a great way to sharpen up your writing, as everyone else can read it here, as well as getting used to seeing your work online. This forum is not linked publicly except from writing websites, so we can hopefully expect everyone here to be interested in writing!

Can you email my feedback to me?

No – all feedback is for everyone to read. Constructive criticism, praise – it is all helpful for everyone to see so people know if they are on the right track.

I don’t agree with your feedback?

We are sorry about that, but what we say goes for our websites, mainly as we have been writing for them for a very long time and know our audience. Check out our style guide to see our word counts and how we like to write articles.

Do I get paid?

No, this is voluntary. But you get to write for a website with over 3 million readers, you get your work professionally edited and you get your work published online for all to see. It is a great way to get better at writing and build up a good body of work. And who knows where it could all lead…?

It's midnight on Saturday and I have just asked an admin question - why haven't I an answer yet?

Ah. Well, this messageboard is part of our day-job, of which working hours are Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm. So although we *may* pop on outside of that time, we more than likely may not to be honest. However, as soon as we see your question we will be straight back with you.