Submission Guidelines for the Fall/Winter 2008 Issue

  1. Submission deadline is November 15. Release date will be December 5, 2008.

  2. One submission per active member (exceptions are made occasionally when the total number of contributors is 3 or less). Submissions must be your own original work. You will retain the copyright for your own work. Send submissions to libertygrl by email () or by private messaging.

  3. Graphic contributions such as art or photography must be submitted in JPG format, no larger than 1200 x 1500 dpi. The image may be resized depending on the layout of the newsletter. You may also submit up to 500 words of text with your image, if you would like to include some description or background on the image. Text is optional.

  4. Written contributions must be 2,000 words or less. Cited references are included in the word count. Written contributions may be fiction or non-fiction, and may be edited with spelling or grammar corrections. You will have the opportunity to approve any corrections before the issue is released. Some examples of written contributions would be essays, stories, articles, reviews, or poetry.

  5. A photo or drawing may accompany your written contribution (to illustrate an article or a review, for example). If you wish to include an image of this type with your written submission, then the word count for the piece must be 1,000 words or less. If the photo or drawing is not your own, credit the source. Do not submit it unless you have copyright permission to publish it.

  6. Specify what name you would like to have used to credit you for your work in the newsletter.
Please note: You must subscribe to the list in order to receive the newsletter by email. To subscribe, follow the instructions found here.

Regular Features

Space is reserved in each issue for featuring interview excerpts with Couch members. If you would like to volunteer to be featured for an upcoming issue, please post a note in the thread dedicated to this topic. Questions, suggestions, and discussion are welcome.

  1. Not more than one interviewee will be featured per issue.

  2. For the feature, you may select up to ten questions and answers from your interview thread. (A single post with multiple questions may be treated as one question if you answered them together as one question in the response post.)

  3. Questions and answers may be edited for spelling and grammar. You will have the opportunity to approve any corrections before the newsletter is posted to the list.

  4. You may include a photo of yourself or an artistic avatar to be displayed with your interview excerpts.

  5. Since they are part of a regular newsletter feature, your interview excerpts do not count as a regular newsletter submission (meaning that you may still have a graphic or written contribution in the same issue).
Design Guidelines

If you would like to contribute your graphic design abilities to an upcoming issue, please get in touch with lib.
  1. The newsletter should be designed in PDF format, 8.5" by 11".

  2. You are welcome to use the coffee table logo, if you like, or you may design your own for the issue that you're working on. The newsletter should be titled "The Coffee Table", with the subtitle "quarterly publication of The Couch Forum".

  3. Include the appropriate season and year (e.g. Spring 2007) to identify the issue, and include the Couch website address (www.thecouchforum.com).

  4. Include the following advisory: "All contributions are original works, published with permission from their respective copyright owners. The views expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the site administrator. This newsletter may be reprinted and distributed for non-commercial use only. Any other use is strictly prohibited without express written consent from each of the contributors."

  5. Include the following subscription instructions: "To subscribe to The Coffee Table, send an email to with the word “subscribe” in the subject line"

  6. Save the PDF file with security options that will allow printing but not allow copying or editing of the text.

  7. Members should send all submissions to lib for editing (spelling and grammar), after which they will be forwarded to you. After the deadline is up, please submit your rough draft to lib, after which it will be sent to the contributors for proofing and corrections. Then she will post the final copy to the list.

  8. For variety in style, newsletter designers will be rotated or alternated whenever possible so that the same person does not design two issues in a row.

  9. Please credit yourself for the design in the newsletter, as well as for any photos or art you may have contributed in design (the exception to this would be if you are using stock photos for which you have paid the licensing for royalty-free usage).

  10. Feel free to consult the archive for examples of previous issues.

The Couch Forum
www.thecouchforum.com