guide
A guide for contributors
Thank you for considering this. It's meant to be a pleasant thing to do. There is nothing to learn first, and nothing is published unless you say so.
The timeline
where do you keep returning?
- Sun, Nov 1Prompts announcedA handful of prompts to choose from.
- Wed, Nov 11Writing session 112:00-1:00pm ET. Details are on your Luma invitation. Write in company. Cameras on, never recorded.
- Wed, Nov 25Writing session 212:00-1:00pm ET. Details are on your Luma invitation. The same, a week and a bit on.
- Sun, Nov 29Drafts dueA target, not a deadline.
- Wed, Dec 2PreviewA way to see your piece laid out in the magazine's design.
- Wed, Dec 9Review session12:00-1:00pm ET. Details are on your Luma invitation. See how it all looks together.
- Mon, Dec 14FreezeAfter this, changes go through Zaheer.
- Mon, Dec 21, 3:50pm TorontoPublicationWinter Solstice. Together we celebrate.
What you are doing
Each issue has a few prompts. Pick the one that calls to you and respond to it in whatever form fits: a line, a few paragraphs, a poem, a drawing, a recording of your voice. Trust your instinct.
Your two pages
In Notion you each get two pages, shared with you alone. Your page holds who you are: a short bio, a photo, links and anything else you want near your name. Your piece is where you write your response to the prompt you selected. You only ever see your own. They are being set up now and will be ready for you this week.
Writing in Notion
A free Notion account is all you need. Zaheer will share your two pages with you; open them from Notion and you will see a few small fields at the top and a big empty space.
If Notion is more than you want to take on, send your piece to Zaheer by email and he will coordinate placement with you.
- Just write.Click in the space and type. Pasting from another document, an email or your phone is fine.
- Add a picture.Type
/imageon a new line, press Enter, then drop in a file or paste a link. - Record your voice.Type
/audioon a new line, press Enter, then choose to upload a recording. Record it on your phone first (the Voice Memos app on iOS works well), then add the file. - A line is a whole piece.A single line or one image is enough to be included.
- Saving is automatic.There is no save button.
The small fields
You only need to touch these if you want to.
- Seed:
- which question you are answering.
- Kind:
- what sort of piece it is: a reflection, a short line, an image, audio, or a mix. Choose the closest one.
- Status:
- where the piece is. Start with Draft. Move it to Review when you feel it is ready for Zaheer to look at.
- Consent line:
- tick this when you are happy for the piece to be published as written, under your name. You can untick it again whenever you like.
Seeing it laid out
In November you will get a way to see your piece in the magazine's own design, close to how it will look. Until then, write; the look is Zaheer's job.
What happens next
You write and, when you are happy, tick the consent line and set Status to Review. Zaheer reads it and checks with you before anything changes. You see it laid out, and have a chance to tweak it. On the day of the issue, it goes live.
Questions
Can I change it after I have shared it?
Yes, until the issue is frozen on Monday, December 14.
Can I take it back?
Yes, at any time. Tell Zaheer and it comes down.
Will it be public?
Only when you say so. Writing on your page is private to you and Zaheer until then.
What if I get stuck?
Send Zaheer whatever you have, even a sentence. Or come to a writing session.
Do I need to be good at Notion?
No. If you can type in a document, you can do this.