The society wishes to publish a steady stream of articles on our website to showcase the rich and diverse range of design emerging from the UK during the Art Deco period. We have an open invitation to all members to contribute to this.
Below is some information you may find useful if you’re interested in writing a piece.
We’re looking for informative articles of approximately 1000 words covering any aspect of inter-war design from the UK. This could centre on films, graphics, fine art, fashion, music, architecture, ceramics, interior design, transport, or anything else that fits the brief.
Once submitted, the editorial team will review it and let you know when it has been published. Please note that it is our normal practice to correct spelling and grammar and standardise certain terms like for instance ‘Art Deco’, always starting with capital letters prior to publication.
Should we propose further changes in order to make the article clearer and more accessible to our readers, we will send you the revised version with our suggested changes. In the event that we don’t hear from you within a week, we will assume consent and publish the piece.
Alternatively, should the piece require further very significant inputs from you to make it publishable, we will request you to revise it.
FAQ
1 Preparing your article
What format should I use?
Please submit text as a Word or .rtf file, with photographs sent separately; see photo section below.
Set language to UK English and use Word’s spelling and grammar checker before sending us your article.
Add section headings. Don’t invest much time in formatting your text because web formatting is different.
How long should my article be?
We suggest 800-1200 words, but length will also depend on the subject and the skill of the writer. It is possible to publish an article in several parts.
Please ensure you include an appropriate introduction and a short conclusion to your piece to sign off.
What style should I use?
Avoid a very academic style as articles should be accessible to everyone. A small number of footnotes or embedded links to sources is fine.
2 Photographs
Can I include photographs?
You must supply photographs to accompany your article as visuals are an essential feature of the site. Please avoid copyrighted photographs and let us know if photos have a creative commons licence so that we can credit the photographer. Don’t paste them into the Word file but send them separately.
Photos should be of good technical and artistic quality. Most of our writers take their own photos. Please ensure that camera settings are delivering files of good size and quality rather than highly compressed, low quality shots.
Please send all files in JPEG format.
What about copyright?
If you supply us with your own photos, you grant us permission to reproduce them on the society’s website and social media for an unlimited time. If you want a specific photo credit, or copyright statement, let us know.
Some writers provide period or historic photos. Please provide links to photos sourced from the web so that we can read any Creative Commons licensing requirements.
How should I submit photographs?
Please send them separately and do not import them into the Word text of your article as this reduces their quality.
The best way to send us your photographs is via WeTransfer or equivalent. We can then download full-size files. If you email them, choose “Full size” or “Large” so that the email provider doesn’t compress them and reduce their quality. This option can be an explicit question asked by some devices and applications eg for iPhone users sending photos via Apple’s own Mail application.
What about scans of photographic prints in my possession?
To ensure best results, use a flat bed scanner and save the scans in high quality as colour/black and white JPEG files, not PDFs. Make sure the glass platen is clean and free of dust before scanning.
There are also scanning apps for smart phones. We don’t have much experience of these but advise you to use them under conditions of even, natural light. Artificial light may introduce colour casts which will compromise the look of the photo.
Why is photo file size important?
Although web publishing uses smaller file sizes, we like to undertake some post-production in order to make your photos look their best, such as straightening out distorted verticals and colour correction. These tools work best on files whose quality has not been compromised by email compression. We use a professional tool to reduce your photos to the correct size after post-production.
Do you accept video?
Embed links into your text as you see fit. If you have a video from one of the major sites that you want us to embed, please instruct us accordingly. NB our site has no capability for hosting video.
3. Submission
Where should I send it?
Send it to articles@artdecosociety.uk
Our editorial team will normally come back to you within a week.
How long does publication take?
This depends on how ready your piece is for publication, in terms of suitability for our readers and members; and on our publication plans. Normally we aim to publish one post per month.
Please note: Whilst we appreciate that there are many individuals and companies manufacturing or trading in fine Art Deco era related products, the Society does not endorse any particular product, but may from time to time include mentions in newsletters or competitions should space and timing permit it.
Art Deco Society UK 