Online Merchant Network Submission Guidelines

What We Look For

Submissions should be on subjects that interest online merchants. We look for concise, friendly, and engaging writing. You can review the existing articles to get an idea of what we're looking for. Submissions should not duplicate other material published on the subject; however we may consider articles depending on how new the information may be and how unique the presentation is. Please use caution with humor and sarcasm. Not everyone finds the same things funny, and sarcasm doesn't always come across in writing.

Length

Articles should be 1,000-2,000 words, although we will consider longer or shorter submissions. Keep in mind that your article will be read on the web and not in print, so 2,000 words is probably the longest you'd want it to be.

How to Submit Your Article

Send your submissions in a Word document in plain text format to omnsubmit@paypal.com. Please include your name and e-mail address on the first page of your manuscript. Submissions will be reviewed, but we cannot guarantee that they will be published. Please do not submit articles you have submitted elsewhere or are currently under consideration. By submitting your article to us, we require ongoing non-exclusive electronic rights to post the article. There will be no payment for articles. We will give you full credit for your article.

Editing

We do not make extensive edits; our editors mainly fix typos and correct grammar and punctuation. However, we will make suggestions on how to better communicate your ideas. We reserve the right to make final decisions on any content. Please be sure to submit a completed article rather than a draft. We highly recommend that you read the "Our Style" section before submitting your article.

Our Style

Like most websites and magazines, we have our own set of rules on writing styles  We follow a combination of the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, AP Stylebook and Wired Style guide. So whenever we have a question - such as "Does brick-and-mortar have hyphens?" or "When do you use a colon or a semicolon?" - we look to these three references.

If you need more information than a dictionary can provide, the AP Stylebook can answer questions about words, grammar, and punctuation. The book covers the basics on writing, how to use words that you frequently see in publication, and legal issues with copyright and libel. You can get a copy of the AP Stylebook at your local library. However, we highly recommend that you buy a copy or subscribe to the stylebook if you're going to write a lot for the Online Merchant Network or another publication. This stylebook is very useful since most magazines, newspapers, and websites follow it. 

For all the tech jargon that inevitably comes about when talking about e-commerce, please refer to the Wired Style guide. There are some exceptions to the AP Stylebook in the Wired Style guide. Call it quirky, but we follow Wired Style for lowercasing these words:

• internet
• web
• website
• webpage
• homepage
• email

Pet Peeves

Off-topic articles - This is the Online Merchant Network. We know that you might have this really cool article about how trains are made, but unless you can make it relevant to online merchants, we're not going to publish it.

Short-lived topics - Today's buzz is tomorrow's tired old news. It has its place, but we'll like your article more if you focus on ideas, information, and news that's going to be relevant to online merchants a year from now.

Double spacing between sentences - You should only have one space between sentences. Back in the days when we used typewriters, you needed to put two spaces between sentences because there was only monospaced type and it made it hard to see where the sentenced ended. But then, word processors were created, allowing you to  choose fonts, which made it easier to see punctuation. So today, it's not necessary to put two spaces between sentences. We won't reject your article if you do; we'll just make fun of you for doing it.

Notes within your article - Sometimes we see notes to the editor within the submitted article. This is a dangerous practice and your comments could inadvertently be published. .Use the comment tool within your document, or put your comments in a separate document.

"Log in to" is three words - It's a common mistake that lots of people make. You log in to a website. "Log in" is two words as a verb.

One-sided or pitch articles - A good article gets both sides of a story. If the sole reason for your article is to pitch a product and not inform, we're probably going to reject it.

Writing Resources

Many writing resources are available to you. A few of our favorites include: The Elements of Style, Guide to Grammar and Style, and The OWL at Purdue.