Since Source Gaming has been expanding, the amount of requests for ‘guest posts’ have dramatically increased. Therefore, I’d like to outline a few guidelines to follow before submitting a guest article. Guest translations guidelines are written below. Please understand, we can not offer monetary compensation for guest articles/ translations. We will allow writers or translators to include links to their personal website/social media.
Guest Article Guidelines:
The first step is to write it. While ideas are great (and there’s a dozen of ideas to write about) an article is only going to be good if it’s written. I’ve scrapped dozens of articles and projects because I was not satisfied with the the final results. Before asking for approval, please go ahead and write it. If the SG team does not approve of the guest post, then I might at least tweet a link to your content. If you are unsure if we would approve of your article, please keep reading.
Opinions must be labelled as such. Saying “I believe” or “I think” is not enough. There must be a warning before the post. This is to help the readers to take the author’s writing with a grain of salt. The reason we do this is because there are a lot of “click-bait” articles on the webpage. By labelling the article as an opinion it helps distinguish fact and fiction. Despite this, opinions must have some train of logic presented with them. For example: simply stating, “Mario is objectively the strongest character in Smash 64” is not enough. The author must show how they came to that conclusion.
The content must be ‘meaty’. Editorials or opinions are welcomed by people who can offer a unique perspective on that topic. For example, we would gladly accept a post written about the competitive Smash scene. To put bluntly, we may not accept content if there’s not enough research involved. Source Gaming writers sometimes write opinions/ speculation articles, but we try to combine these article types as much as possible so there will be different takes on the same question/ issue/ topic.
The article must be sourced. Part of the reason that Source Gaming has received such a warm welcome by the community is because we attempt to source everything. If something has been said by someone, it’s not enough to simply quote them. A link to the original content must be made available. This is to ensure that the quote or information is accurate. Links to the secondary source (such as forum posts reporting on a quote/information) are generally not accepted. Furthermore, do not take quotes out of context. Enough information must be provided to ensure that the quote can be understood in its’ original meaning.
Other guidelines:
- -No double space after a period. Wrong. Right. Got it?
- -Japanese names in Western order (Masahiro Sakurai)
- -Avoid using -san, -chan, -kun, etc in Japanese names unless it’s extremely relevant.
- -Use spell check, and read the article out loud before submitting it for approval.
- -The fourth and fifth installment in Smash may be shortened to “Smash for 3DS/ Wii U”
When finished, reach out to us on Twitter.
Guest Translation Guidelines:
Guest translations will also be accepted. However, the approval process for guest translations is a little stricter. Just like guest articles, they must be written before approval.
After submitting a guest translation for approval, it will be checked by 2-3 members of the Source Gaming translation team. A document will be set up, where comments and suggestions can easily be tracked.
Rules for translation:
- -Avoid bias. There are a lot of ways to translate things, and translators need to be careful not to impart their own bias in their work.
- -「スマブラ 」is generally translated as “Smash”. However, exceptions do exist.
- – Convert Japanese dates to Western dates.
- -Write names in Western order (Masahiro Sakurai).
- -Only include titles (-san, -chan, -kun) if they are directly related to the text (for example a joke being made about the title). Otherwise, a translated name may be used. (Masahiro Sakurai)
- -Use footnotes to explain cultural or other differences that are not easily explained in a translation.
-Do not use footnotes to react to a translation. If you would like to react or show your opinion on a translated piece, please write a separate article. Translations should be as close as possible to “1st source” material.
When finished, please submit the guest translation to guestpost@sourcegaming.info. Thank you!
Please let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment below.
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So wait, where should we start just in case? Like in a Google Doc or something?
Google Doc or a Word Processor is strongly recommended. For sending the article for approval, either sending the link to the Google Docs, attaching the file or simply copying and pasting is okay.
In terms of Scope and with what you’ve said in the past regarding expanding the site and other games you will accept guest articles that are not related to Smash but Video Games generally speaking?
Yes, General video game articles are okay.
He, seems like a good opportunity for making an article about the case for
Layton, as well as the (now debunked) surrounding rumours.
Not sure if you guys received my email or not but the email on this page is spelt wrong.
Thanks for pointing out the error, just corrected it! We are currently reviewing your post. Once we decide what we will do, we will send you a reply back.
This looks interesting. I would like to try bringing out some cases on certain characters for Smash like Jibanyan or Mametchi or etc, but quite worried if I could make a good and interesting article since I’m terrible in grammar skills, as some parts might not make any sense. As I have Microsoft Word, I could give it a try. I don’t know if it’s gonna be acceptable or not.
Try your best, as long as the content is there we can work with you. If a balanced approach isn’t there then that’s a bigger issue than grammar. Using Word will help!
Hello there, you may know me from Smash World Fourms, I was wondering if I could write an article on a particular topic, the reuse of assets in Smash Bros. As you may know, Smash Bros tends to use things from other games, so I was wondering if I could make light one what these things are. If you’re willing to accept me writing the article for the site, I’d be more than happy to! Thank you for your time!
I’m thinking of writing a guest article but I might need a few paragraphs of Japanese translated for me. Would you be willing to help with that?
As long as it’s not too excessive and relevant to the article, we can help you with a “SG-approved” translation.