Frequently Asked Questions

 

Becoming a writer

Do I have to be a woman of color to submit an article to SheMade?

No. Anyone and everyone is welcome to pitch an article or become a contributing writer for SheMade. However your work should be relevant to an audience of women of color in their 20s. 

Only women of color may submit to series such as Open Letters. 

How long should my article be?

There is not a strict word count but every word in your article should be there for  a reason. No extra fluff. 

For reference, a shorter article should be between 500 and 800 words. Long articles should be between 1200 and 1500 words.

Where can I find photos to go along with my article?

All articles need at least one photo to be published. The photos cannot be copyrighted or just pulled from Google. SheMade has a handy photo guide for you with multiple sites to get photos from and handy photo tips. Although we prefer horizontal photos, vertical and square photos are acceptable too. Always remember to give credit to the photographer.

If you have your own photos or, know a photographer that wants to publish their photos you can add those photos and give credit. If you are a designer and would like to design something for your article, you may do that but be sure to use non-copyrighted photos.

Note that any photo you add maybe changed by an editor to better fit the website.

When will my article be published?

After you submit an article, our editors will go over it. You should get an email within a few days on the status of your article. Your article may be approved, rejected or sent back to you with feedback. If it is approved, you will get a publishing date that will be about a couple weeks out. If it is not approved, you will be notified and you can try again. 

To increase your chances of your article being approved, see our editor’s checklist.

Will editors edit my article?

Editors are authorized to make small changes on articles. Those changes may include grammar, word choice, photos, paragraph size, etc. Editors are not allowed to change the tone, structure, content or message of the piece. 

If your article needs bigger changes, it will either be sent back to you with feedback or rejected. 

Can I submit an article that I already published somewhere else?

Short answer: No. SheMade does not republish articles. You may write about the same topic and repurpose that article for SheMade’s audience. 

What are some reasons why my article would not be published?

There are multiple reasons why an article would not be published. Here are a few:

  • The article does not match SheMade Digital’s mission

  • The article does not fit into any of our sections/is not relevant to our site or content

  • The article is written academically instead of journalistically

  • Article is not written well with a clear structure 

  • Article is offensive or problematic to a group or community

  • Article does not have hyperlinks to credible sources

  • Article has plagiarism or copyright infringement

  • Article is not factually accurate

Can I curse in my article?

SheMade allows cursing in articles in limited scenarios. If it is a personal story or a quote from an interview, that is acceptable. If the article is more formal and factual, cursing may not make sense. It is more powerful to curse rarely and with intention than excessively. If you’re in doubt, ask your editor, the editor will have the final say.

What is the 4 week writing cycle for the contributor program?

The contributor program runs on a 4 week timeline that restarts at the beginning of every month.        

  • Week 1: You have 1 week to sign up for a prompt or pitch an article idea 

  • Weeks 2 & 3: You have 2 weeks to write your article.

  • End of Week 3: Deadlines for articles (No late articles accepted. You may submit your articles early.).

  • Week 4: Editors will read your article and make edits. 

    • If your article is approved, you will get a date for when your article is published. 

    • If your article needs work, you will get it back with comments. You will have 1 week to edit it and send it back to the editor.

    • If your article is not approved you will be notified.

Can I write more than once a month?

Through our contributor program, you may only write once a month. You can always submit to a series or pitch an article idea at the same time. If you would like to sign up for 2 prompts in one month, you must get approval from the managing editor first. 

What happens if I miss the window to sign up for an article prompt or pitch an article idea?

The contributor program runs on a strict schedule. If you miss the window to sign up for a prompt or pitch an idea, you will have to wait for the next window at the beginning of the next month. 

If you miss the deadline, you may always pitch an article idea and work with an editor to create a timeline for the article to be published. 

What happens if I miss the deadline to submit an article?

The contributor program runs on a strict schedule. If you miss the deadline, and your article is finished and ready, please contact the managing editor.  We cannot guarantee that your article will make it to the editing process since it is a late submission. 

Who do I contact with questions?

You may email SheMade’s managing editor at shemadedigital@gmail.com.