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INeedCoffee Article Tips and GuidelinesAre you thinking about submitting a contribution to INeedCoffee? Excellent. Since April 1999 INeedCoffee has published numerous contributions from coffee fans and professionals. This page is to give guidance on that process. Contribution EmailPlease read the checklist below. It should answer most questions. Once you have, send your contribution and contributor information to Contribution Checklist
Contribution TipsThe following tips are here to make your contribution as good as it can be. Brewing and Roasting TutorialsWhen writing a tutorial on brewing or roasting it's best to be as detailed as possible. Don't assume the reader knows anything. If the topic is of an advanced nature, make sure that is clear from the beginning. Good tutorials will have step-by-step directions. Each step will have a photograph. If the photograph is unclear, it will be marked up with additional writing. Since it's also possible for the reader to mess up following a tutorial, it is also a good idea to anticipate possible errors and address them in the article. Below are some tutorial examples. Roasting Coffee in a Popcorn Popper RecipesA well written coffee-based recipe will include an introduction, list of ingredients, step-by-step instructions and a photograph of the finished product. Not all the recipes on INeedCoffee have photos. The ones that do receive the most page views. A photograph of a completed recipe is what sells it to the reader. Recipes without photos are far less likely to be printed out and carried into the kitchen. Below are some recipe examples: Lola's Cinnamon Syrup Iced Coffee Health, History, and AgricultureThe more academic articles should include references to back up the article. Below are some academic examples. The Story of the Bialetti Moka Express Coffee on the RoadAnyone that likes coffee can write a Coffee on the Road. The premise is simple. Find a theme about your hometown or the place your vacationing. Become part of the coffee scene. Take pictures. Now blend it all together in an article. This is not a review like you would find in a local paper. Think of it as showing someone around your town and you'll hit a few coffee places on the way. Photos are essential. Below are some Coffee on the Road examples. Coffee on the Road - Grand Circle Artwork and PhotographyMany artists and photographers make their living with their work. It's therefore important to include as much information about the work on the contribution. What size is the painting? What medium did the artist use? Where and when was the photograph taken? Is there a direct link to a larger image where the piece can be purchased? The most important thing to include with artwork is a title. Search engines are lousy at looking at images for meaning. It's best to include a description to reach a wider audience. Below are some examples. Java Goddess PoetryWe prefer not to have short submissions. Ideally the user should see a full page. If the poetry is short, we advise sending more than one. Adding photography and artwork is also encouraged. Below are some examples. 8 Minutes Everything ElseWhen thinking up a topic to write about, try and make sure that we don't already have an article on that topic. We don't need another article on Fair Trade or water quality. The best way to see if a topic has already been covered is to use our search engine or go to Google and add "site:ineedcoffee.com" to your search. Topic IdeasAs of this writing (November 2006) we need articles and tutorials on the following topics.
Topic MentorsIf you are considering writing an article or tutorial and need topic specific guidance, many of our contributors can help. Feel free to contact them directly for assistance. |
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