Writing FAQ

1. Do I have to be a professional writer to submit to BootsnAll?
2. Do any professional writers submit to BootsnAll?
3. I don’t write for free. Why should I consider a non-paying market like BootsnAll?
4. Have any of your authors been ‘discovered’ on BootsnAll?
5. Do you ever reject stories?
6. Do you hire writers? Do you have any job openings?
7. Can I submit images with my story? How many?
8. Do I need to use my full name?
9. Why do I need a valid email address?
10. Who does your fact checking?
11. What writing/editing style do you follow?
12. Who edits my story?
13. Will I get an assessment of my piece from the editor?
14. When will my story be published?
15. Can I remove my article in the future?
16. I see an error in my article after it’s published. How do I get it fixed?
17. Can I submit article revisions?
18. I want assignment editors to be able to contact me. How can they do that?
19. Can I write a bio for your site?
20. I see my article on another site and I didn’t submit it there. Did you publish it elsewhere?

1. Do I have to be a professional writer to submit to BootsnAll?
   Absolutely not! Our writers come from, live and travel all over the world. They are people of all ages, of all walks of life. Some are very serious about being professional travel writers; some use BootsnAll as a way to build a portfolio as they try to break in to the writing biz. Some people just want to talk about travel, to share their experiences and what they’ve learned with others.
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2. Are any professional writers a part of the BootsnAll community?
   Yes, quite a few, including Rolf Potts, Jen Leo, Karen van der Zee, Erik Olsen and Ayun Halliday. There are also a number of other industry lurkers including journalists, editors, publicists and writers.
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3. I don’t write for free. Why should I consider a non-paying market like BootsnAll
   Simply put, because Google loves us. Go ahead, type in Africa Travel Stories or France Travel Stories or even just plain ‘ol travel stories. You’ll see that a BootsnAll site is always the first thing listed. That means any editor searching for Africa, France or many other destination-based travel stories will find your writing at the top of the list. And, as you’ll see in question 4, that can mean $$ for you. Publishing something on your own website doesn’t do you any good if no one sees it.
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4. Have any of your authors been ‘discovered’ on BootsnAll?
   Yep! Check out the stylings of Philip Blazdell, Leif Pettersen, Erik R. Trinidad and Dave Copeland, among many others.
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5. Do you ever reject stories?
   Unfortunately, yes. Stories that are too short, full of spelling and grammtical errors, well over the word limit, poorly put together or clearly advertising copy for a resort or service are rejected. All authors whose articles are not published will be notified with reasons for the exclusion.
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6. Do you hire writers? Do you have any job openings?
   We do not hire freelance writers. Our in-house writing is done by our staff. Current job openings are listed on the BootBlog.
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7. Can I submit images with my story? How many?
   We encourage you to submit up to three images with your story. We do not publish more than three images per story due to slow download times for many of our users. If you would like to showcase your photography, check out Why Go.
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8. Do I need to use my full name?
   We ask that you do use a first and last name for your articles. You can choose a psydonym if you would like, however, please use real names.
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9. Why do I need a valid email address?
   We promise not to sell, distribute or spam your email address, however, we do need one in order to publish your writing. We must be able to contact you in case of any questions or issues that arise from your story. You can also review our privacy policy.
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10. Who does your fact checking?
    You do. So please research the correct spelling of names, dates and locations.
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11. What writing/editing style do you follow?
    We follow a modified version of AP Style.
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12. Who edits my story?
    Mary currently performs most of the editing on BootsnAll. Chris and Donovan also work as editors.
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13. Will I get an assessment of my piece from the editor?
    Due to the high volume of submissions, we are unable to provide analysis of any articles submitted to BootsnAll. However, our community often comments on published pieces and provides feedback.
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14. When will my story be published?
    If it is your first submission, we try to publish your story within two weeks of receiving it. Returning authors can expect their stories to be published within a month of submission. You can see if your story has been published by searching the site for your author name and watching the recent stories list on the homepage.
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15. Can I remove my article in the future?
    No, you cannot. By submitting your article, you are agreeing to let us publish it for an indeterminate period of time.
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16. I see an error in my article after it’s published. How do I get it fixed?
    Email us and let us know what needs to be corrected.
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17. Can I submit article revisions?
    Due to the time spent editing articles, revisions may not been sent once it is already edited. Please revise your article before submitting it for publication.
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18. I want assignment editors to be able to contact me. How can they do that?
    The easiest way for people to reach you is to include an email address at the bottom of your entry. Bios longer than a paragraph with multiple links will not be published at the end of articles.
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19. Can I write a long bio for your site?
    Please do. Include a photo as well. It’s great to have a face and personality behind the story. Write away and then submit here.
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20. I see my article on another site and I didn’t submit it there. Did you publish it elsewhere?
    Chances are, probably not. We have had problems with other sites republishing our content without permission in the past. If you spot this, please let us know.
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