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Guide for Contributors | |||||
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Guide for Contributors | |||||
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All readers are welcome to contribute their own input to this site, regardless of skill level. But please note: this site displays 1/72nd scale models only, or other kits that can be proven to actually scale out to 1/72nd, or very close to it. While I very much enjoy seeing well-built 1/76th scale kits, this site is only for posting 1/72nd scale models. I understand that some models from recognized 1/76th scale companies (such as Airfix) are actually much closer to 1/72nd scale than 1/76th. Reviews of these kits (with measurements and references) are most welcome.
The time it takes for me to post contributions will depend on how many I receive, and what my work schedule is like for the month. I post contributions in the order in which they were received. It may take up to a month to post your contributions. If you don't see your items posted by two months after submittal, drop me a line, and let me know. Perhaps it got lost. If you send in numerous contributions at one time, I will spread them out over several updates. |
| I have set up a separate page to discuss Contributed Photo Guidelines . Please read this page. |
| The following are guidelines I wish for contributors to follow. They are not hard and fast rules, but please consider following them. |
| Reader's Gallery |
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This is a place to submit photographs of your favorite kits, but without a construction review. Simply send in a scanned (or digital) photograph(s) of your kit, and the name, and manufacturer of the kit in the email. I'll do the rest.
Please send any contribution to: |
| Manufacturer's Kit Lists |
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I have mini-reviews of most of the kits I own on these kit tables, but I don't own them all! So if you own some kits not already reviewed, write up a three or four sentence mini-review for the kits and send them in. I'll add them to the lists. Keep the reviews short and concise, hitting on the major points. Please do not type in ALL CAPS, as I simply cut and paste from your email. If you are not completely comfortable writing in English, I will be very happy to edit the spelling and grammar for you. I highly encourage international contributions.
In-box Previews: These are meant to give the readers a view of kits right off the shelf. Point out things such as quality of the molding and casting, any errors which are obvious prior to construction, and other notes you think are necessary. For the part scans, it is not necessary to photograph the parts, and then scan the photo. You can simply lay the parts directly on your scanner, and cover them with a blank piece of paper for a backdrop. A small scan of the box-top is useful to show the viewer what the kit will build into. Scans of the instructions are not necessary, and not encouraged. |
| Kit Reviews |
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This is the page for full-length construction reviews. Here, you can feel free to be as verbose as you'd like, keeping in mind that the longer the text, the more interesting it needs to be to keep the reader's attention. For the narrative, please write it in the body of your email, or send it as a .txt file attached to your email. You can also attach it as an HTML, Wordperfect, or MS Word file (but text files are preferred). If you do your own HTML, follow the same format seen in the other reviews. Do not include price information or advertising in the review, unless the kit was provided to you as a review sample from either a retailer or manufacturer. In such cases, you
must
credit the source of the kit.
Don't spend any time on the historical background of the vehicle being modeled; there are plenty of other sites out there for that purpose. Focus on the kit itself: what most impressed you about it, major weaknesses or errors, construction hassles, and descriptions of any additional work or changes you did to the basic model. Descriptive comparisons to kits of the same vehicle from other manufacturers are good too. For negative criticisms of the kit, please be constructive rather than derogatory. But please don't hesitate to review poor kits; this forum is meant to help fellow modelers. If you wish to make any claims about the scale accuracy of the kit, you must include the references you used to make such a judgement; simply stating that "It looks too small to me" is not adequate. Feel free to review models which have already been reviewed. Include as many photographs that you feel are necessary to show all important aspects of the model. |
| Articles |
| Anything and everything related to 1/72nd scale armor. Construction techniques are always appreciated, and comparison articles for models of the same vehicle from competing manufacturers are always very popular. Do not plagiarize other's work, and be sure to quote sources where appropriate. Disagreements and counter-articles are great as long as they are polite. The I.M.S. article is always looking for good tips to be added to it, as is the article on what constitutes a good model . |
| Editorial Notes |
| I will not edit the content of any contributions unless asked (although I will edit the formatting). If I find something objectionable, I will confer with the writer before changing it. If you wish me to proof-read for typos, I would be happy to; just let me know. I'm still finding typos in my own reviews, even after proof-reading them a dozen times! As I mentioned above, I will be very happy to help international writers with their English. |
| eMail Policy |
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Due to the spread of email viruses, my policy is to post email addresses in the following format:
Simon Barnes - To send email to such an address, you must type it by hand into your email program, with . I will post contributors's email addresses to encourage discussion of their models. If you prefer to not have your email posted at all, let me know and I will leave it off. If you do not keep your virus scanner up-to-date, please remove my email address from your address book! |