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Writing for XML.com or WebServices.XML.com

The commissioning process

XML.com has a simple commissioning process. If you have an idea for an article, send an abstract or outline (or, in some cases, the finished article) to our submissions tracker at xmlcom@rt.usefulinc.com. Include links to examples of your previous work. If we like your idea, we'll agree a contract with you to write the article.

Writing your article

Write in a compact, friendly, way. Articles should be no longer than 1,500 words, or the limit you agreed with your editor. Use plenty of examples. If your article is technical, include example code.

The first few sentences of your article are critical in getting the attention of the reader: don't ramble, and use these sentences to explain in clear and interesting terms what your article is about.

Include plenty of hyperlinks to related articles and specifications. Hyperlink the body of your article and try and include at least four links for us to create a "Related links" section.

Reviewing

Please check your work before sending it on to us. Don't check your article straight after writing, have a few hours' break and come back to it fresh.

If necessary, we will pass your article to experts in the community in order to review it. It would be a good idea if, before handing in your article, you asked some colleagues in your area of expertise for their comment on your work.

Format

Markup: please submit your article in simple, well formatted, XHTML. Use <h2> for the main heading, and <h3> for subheadings. Avoid the use of CSS styles.

Please do not just send the "Save as HTML" output from a word-processor -- such files are invariably full of formatting rubbish.

Images: please use the "alt" attribute for all your images. Where possible include originals along with your article, and we will scale them to fit our page dimensions. If your diagram is a vector drawing, please include an EPS version (hopefully we'll soon be able to accept SVG, too). Please use the PNG format for bitmapped images, aside for photographs, for which JPEG format images are appropriate.

Sample code: if the code isn't too long, and is central to your article, include it inlined in <pre> elements. References to code inside a sentence should use <code>. For longer listings please include as a separate file. Please ensure that code sections do not exceed 60 characters in width.

Additional details

If you haven't written for us before, please submit a 2-3 sentence bio along with your article.

After your article is published

We'd like your article to get the widest possible readership, and you can help. If your article is of interest to some other community than might normally read XML.com, you may like to draw it to their attention, or suggest to us ways to promote your article.

Getting paid

In order to get paid, we need two things from you: the contract, which you should have signed and returned when it was sent you by an editor. Secondly, we need an invoice. You can send this by email to edd@xml.com -- be sure to include your address and contact telephone number. Payment is usually 30 days after publication.