Welcome to the 24 guide here at TV.com!
I do not want to copy general guidelines to this forum, but if you wish to read them up, I recommend the TV.com Guidelines Center. I also recommend you to read the links at the bottom of this post.
Now I would like to give you some specific guidelines for this guide, things that have come up when having to reject submissions, so I do not have to repeat myself when working on your submissions. Be aware that they are my specific way of handling submissions, so no other editor is obliged to apply them as well.
Source and Copyright
Whenever you submit something to the guide, you need to include the source of your information. That source needs to be reliable and verifiable and should preferably be an URL. Submissions without a source usually get rejected. When your source is another website, make sure the content you submit is not copyright protected. Do not copy and paste protected material, use your own words instead.
New episodes
Whenever you want to add a new episode to the guide, mostly one that hasn't aired yet, be sure to stick to the Episode Submission Criteria and do not forget to give a source, as mentioned above.
Production codes
Do not add made up production codes, especially not for new episodes. The correct production code (not just three digits that resemble season and episode) is either depicted in the end credits or registered at a copyright office. As always, you need to provide a verifiable source for your added production code.
Quotes
When submitting quotes, be sure to stick to the Show Quotes guidelines for layout questions. Other than that, please remember that only memorable, significant or humorous quotes are a valuable addition to the guide. Quotes should be exact, and your comments should include a time stamp or a rough idea, where in the episode the quote occurs.
Hyperlinks
The internet lives of links, so whenever you can spice up your submission with a link, please do so, but be aware that I can only accept links to TV.com pages.
Episode music
Now this is another point for the endless note or trivia discussion. Personally, I consider the music played in an episode on-screen trivia, especially when the music plays an important role in a specific scene, which it usually does, otherwise it wouldn't be used in that scene. If you can name the scene in which a certain piece of music was played, please do so, but please use the layout of the rest of the guide (see below, Consistency).
Consistency
Keep the guide consistent, especially when it comes to layout. Look at other submissions and copy their layout when you submit a new blurb.
Comments
Your comments when submitting something are essential for me to decide whether to approve or to reject the submission. Copying your submission to the comments field does not help me. Leaving the comments field empty or meaningless does not help me. Giving your source or explaining the reason you submit something really does help me. Also, when you edit a blurb, especially when it is a considerably long one, please clarify your edits in the comments field as well.
Arguments/discussions in the guide
Do not start arguments or discussions in the guide by editing a blurb and posting your answer or opinion to a blurb there. If you feel a blurb is incorrect, mark it for deletion and give your reason(s) in the comments. The forum should be used for discussions, not the guide.
Rejected submissions
Whenever I reject a submission, I give an explanation why I did that. In case your rejected submission does not show any comment, you can assume a system hick-up. Feel free to contact me, if you want to know the reason why your submission was rejected, but please include the original submission, as it might not be the only one I worked on.
Accepted submissions
I urge you to read the acceptance PM, as it might contain some helpful tips for future submissions.
Last but not least, if you are unsure about a submission or if you have any question, feel free to message me.
Finally, here are some useful links for contributors:
TV.Com Submission Tips - Week 1 - Write Like You Talk
Submission Tips - Column #2 - Sourcing Your Material
Submission Tips - Column #3 - Know Your Capitals!
Submission Tips - Column #4 - A Matter of Timing
Submission Tips - Column #5 - Soundalikes And You!
Submission Tips - Column #6 - Periods and Commas and Colons, Oh My!
Submission Tips - Column #7 - Apostrophes, Hyphens and Quotation Marks, Oh My!
Submission Tips - Column #8 - Numbers and You
Submission Tips Column #9 - New Season New Shows
Submission Tips Column #10 - How to Write a Better Biography (pt 1)
Submission Tips Column #11 - Tips on Trivia (Part 2)
Submission Tips Column #12 - Star Quotes and Appearances
Submission Tips Column #13 - How to Submit an Episode
Submission Tips Column #14 - Episode Notes, Trivia, and Allusions
Submission Tips Column #15 - Episode Quotes
Submission Tip Column #16 - Writing reviews
Submission Tip Column #17 - Adding Cast and Crew
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