<font size="1">[Adapted from post to RU...]</font><!--1-->
<b>What is the GUILD?</b>
The Guild is a group "by the people for the people" as they say. It's a cooperative association of authors and aspiring authors (and just plain fishermen) who work together to provide top quality published flyfishing stories for the web. In it's charter year, the venue will be to generate a sponsor-funded Dream Trip Drawing for a lucky contributor each season, all proceeds will go into the Drawing Account.
<b>New Private Discussion Area</b>
If you choose to become a Guild Member, you will be able to see a new category called "Forum Writers Guild" as soon as I switch your account over. This is where we will post new stories for each other to review and offer other constructive comments, praise, status reports, etc.
<b>Obligations as a Member</b>
You would be obligated to submit an article outline or preview (just a brief rough version so we can tell what you're up to) within 30 days of enrolling. This is to let us get started finding sponsorship for your story, and plan for a good variety of content. You should expect to provide a first draft of the story within 60 days. We will help you get the article ready for sponsors to fight over http://216.71.206.188/images/flytalk/Wilk.gif" border="0" align="middle"> within 90 days if all goes right. These durations are just guidelines, to give you an idea. There will be no pop quiz or report card.
<b>Sponsorship and the Guild Dream Trip Drawing</b>
It will be the shared responsibility of the guild members, myself and business development appointees to find a sponsor (or group of sponsors) to generate a total of $100 worth of advertising support to publish the article. Once published, the author will receive an entry ticket for the annual Guild Dream Trip drawing. I suspect that the first drawing will result in a modest grand prize, but with time and momentum the prize could become very significant! The only obligation of winning will be - a featured article describing the prize trip! <img src="http://216.71.206.188/images/flytalk/Wilk.gif If the trip is declined, the winner is free to do what they wish with the money but the idea is to arrange a trip with cooperating lodges and guides that could not be matched by the value of the cash alone.
A very complementary sidebar or banner will be provided for each sponsor in the layout of the story. The $100 sponsor will get full stage, partials will share the sponsorship with other banners/sidebars, etc.
It hasn't been a problem getting great stories to publish... and the right thing to do with these generous contributions is make a forum for giving back something to the folks who contribute.
As authors of published articles, you would be eligible for certain discounts from many manufacturers and would be likely to receive test equipment once in a while in addition to the prize drawing.
The Guild is not designed to earn money for the site, it's designed to be a fun way to contribute content with some perks for doing so. If we all put some energy into it, the returns will intensify - it's up to the Guild members themselves to make it work! If you're like me, you enjoy just getting your story published, but we might as well make it fun and rewarding.
As Guild members, feel free to comment on the organization of the pages, tools as well as the goals or guidelines of *your* Guild as we move ahead.
Thanks and hope you join the GUILD!
<font color="ff0000"><center>*** RESPOND TO THIS THREAD TO BE INCLUDED ***</center></font><!--color-->
<b>What is the GUILD?</b>
The Guild is a group "by the people for the people" as they say. It's a cooperative association of authors and aspiring authors (and just plain fishermen) who work together to provide top quality published flyfishing stories for the web. In it's charter year, the venue will be to generate a sponsor-funded Dream Trip Drawing for a lucky contributor each season, all proceeds will go into the Drawing Account.
<b>New Private Discussion Area</b>
If you choose to become a Guild Member, you will be able to see a new category called "Forum Writers Guild" as soon as I switch your account over. This is where we will post new stories for each other to review and offer other constructive comments, praise, status reports, etc.
<b>Obligations as a Member</b>
You would be obligated to submit an article outline or preview (just a brief rough version so we can tell what you're up to) within 30 days of enrolling. This is to let us get started finding sponsorship for your story, and plan for a good variety of content. You should expect to provide a first draft of the story within 60 days. We will help you get the article ready for sponsors to fight over http://216.71.206.188/images/flytalk/Wilk.gif" border="0" align="middle"> within 90 days if all goes right. These durations are just guidelines, to give you an idea. There will be no pop quiz or report card.
<b>Sponsorship and the Guild Dream Trip Drawing</b>
It will be the shared responsibility of the guild members, myself and business development appointees to find a sponsor (or group of sponsors) to generate a total of $100 worth of advertising support to publish the article. Once published, the author will receive an entry ticket for the annual Guild Dream Trip drawing. I suspect that the first drawing will result in a modest grand prize, but with time and momentum the prize could become very significant! The only obligation of winning will be - a featured article describing the prize trip! <img src="http://216.71.206.188/images/flytalk/Wilk.gif If the trip is declined, the winner is free to do what they wish with the money but the idea is to arrange a trip with cooperating lodges and guides that could not be matched by the value of the cash alone.
A very complementary sidebar or banner will be provided for each sponsor in the layout of the story. The $100 sponsor will get full stage, partials will share the sponsorship with other banners/sidebars, etc.
It hasn't been a problem getting great stories to publish... and the right thing to do with these generous contributions is make a forum for giving back something to the folks who contribute.
As authors of published articles, you would be eligible for certain discounts from many manufacturers and would be likely to receive test equipment once in a while in addition to the prize drawing.
The Guild is not designed to earn money for the site, it's designed to be a fun way to contribute content with some perks for doing so. If we all put some energy into it, the returns will intensify - it's up to the Guild members themselves to make it work! If you're like me, you enjoy just getting your story published, but we might as well make it fun and rewarding.
As Guild members, feel free to comment on the organization of the pages, tools as well as the goals or guidelines of *your* Guild as we move ahead.
Thanks and hope you join the GUILD!
<font color="ff0000"><center>*** RESPOND TO THIS THREAD TO BE INCLUDED ***</center></font><!--color-->