h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Love this site But please, can someone please draw a flow diagram or do something to explain the various ways in which you write for the guide. My mind is awash with edited entries, peer review, alterantive guides, writing workshop, collaborative writing etc... Is there a way of displaying these different branches of the website ? Just a suggestion, don't get me wrong cos i think this site and the writing is brilliant! Take care and happy travelling all!

endless

I'll have a go...

Just by creating a Guide Entry, you have written something that's part of the Guide - people will find it when searching for the subject matter in h2g2.

However, if you want to try and publicise your entry and get it more recognition, there are ways of doing this. The most traditional and obvious way is to try and get it accepted into the Edited Guide - this is done by submitting your entry in PeerReview where it will be read and commented on by regular writers for the Guide, and if it reaches the required standard will be picked to go into the EG by a Scout, then polished up by a <./>SubEditor</.> and published on the front page of http://www.h2g2.com.

So if you're wanting to get into the Edited Guide, PeerReview can be the place to start. But if you're a bit nervous about pitching straight into Peer Review (PR), then you can work on your entry in the <./>Writing-Workshop> first, where the idea is you will get some helpful advice and an idea of whether your entry has the potential to make the Edited Guide, and you can work on it a little before submitting it to PR. That's the theory, although the Writing Workshop isn't as well-read as Peer Review, so feedback doesn't always come quickly.

The Collaborative Writing Workshop (<./>Writing-Collaborative</.&gt is much like the Writing Workshop, the difference being that it's technically the place to put stuff when you want other people to work with you and help contribute to your entry. It tends to be very quiet in there, though - if you put something in there, there's no guarantee of people finding it in passing so the best thing to do is start a thread asking for contributors at <./>Askh2g2</.>.

So that's what to do if the Edited Guide is your aim - the only potential snag is that entries for the EG have to meet the criteria in the Writing-Guidelines. So if researchers want to write, say, fiction, or first-person opinion pieces, travel writing or reminiscences then they'll never make the Edited Guide no matter how good they are.

The place for entries like these that don't meet the </.>Writing-Guidelines</.> but would still like some feedback on it, then the Alternative Writing Workshop (AWW - <./>Writing-Alternative</.&gt is the place to submit your entry.

The <./>UnderGuide</.> selects its entries from the best of what's submitted to the AWW, similar to how the Edited Guide selects from PR. As they say, they will consider poetry, fiction, personal experiences or just about anything that isn't suitable for the Edited Guide. The quality standards are high, but there are only a few formal guidelines for UG entries:
1. It can't be suitable for the EG.
2. It must adhere to the <./>HouseRules</.>.
3. It must be original.

The other place to submit articles that don't meet the Writing Guidelines is h2g2's own newspaper, <./>ThePost</.> which is published weekly and features a mix of features, fiction, cartoons, columns and h2g2 news... the best way to explain it is to recommend giving it a read!

There, I hope that helps. Two places to look if you're after inspiration for what to write about are the <./>FleaMarket</.>, which is where entries that have been abandoned in PR by their authors get sent to - the criteria is that they need to be promising enough that they can make the EG with a bit of work. About half of my Edited Guide entries were ones I originally found in the Flea Market. The other place is Challengeh2g2 where researchers post suggestions for entries they would like to see in the Edited Guide that haven't been written yet.

Oh, and a third. Some of the early Edited Guide entries (All have numbers beginning with 'A', the ones with the lower numbers are the oldest ones) were accepted back when standards weren't quite so high and there was a different system in place before Peer Review was invented. If you come upon an Edited Guide entry that looks in need of improving and updating, you can write a new version of it and submit it to the UpdateForum.

There, I hope that helps. The other thing I'd say is, having read your entry on Forest Hill, is come and join us over at A1286886 - might be right up your street...



Cheers,
Number Six

So to put all that simply:

Writing Workshop
or >>> Peer Review >>> Edited Guide
Colloborative Writing Workshop

Alternative Writing Workshop >>> UnderGuide

except the WW/CWW stage is optional, and of course not all things in PR end up in the EG, and only the best of the AWW goes into the UG.



I'm knackered now...

Damn! Didn't work.

Writing Workshop or Colloborative Writing Workshop (both optional) >>> Peer Review >>> Edited Guide

Alternative Writing Workshop >>> UnderGuide

Thank you so much

Im writing an entry in writing workshop with a view to going in the Peer Review site, when i think its ready. It's on Forest Hill, a subject close to my heart!

Cheers again

endless

oh, and come and join us over at A1286886

Hi there. This is Eddie, your shipboard computer ...

Well, not really. I'm just some towel, ya know?

But there is a critical step missing from your flow diagram. First come up with a topic, and search the guide to see if there is already an EG entry.

If there is, and if it seems to say pretty much what you had to say, pick a different topic. If you can write your entry in a way that speaks to some aspect(s) not covered in the existing piece, title your entry appropriately.

Other than that, be sure to familiarize yourself with the Writing Guidelines so as to avoid frustration down the line. And, do not submit to Peer Review until you think it has been thoroughly proofread and is ready for the Edited Guide. That's the only thing PR is for.

Good Luck!