What We Want

 

SilenceResourceCenter.com focuses on sound suppressor history, technology and performance ? with particular emphasis on suppressor use for sporting applications, training and tactical deployment. We also welcome submissions on related topics subsonic ammunition (both factory fodder and how to reload), firearms and sighting systems particularly well suited to use with a silencer, holsters and other gear, and technical pieces on thermography, time-domain and frequency domain analyses of suppressor performance, animal control, varmint hunting, and the effects of gunshot noise on hearing loss in humans. We will not accept or publish articles on how to build silencers.

 

We welcome submissions for Articles (3,000 words maximum length), Industry News (500 words maximum length per subject or manufacturer per month), New Products (500 words maximum, one new product per manufacturer per month), Tips (500 to 2,000 words), and Book Reviews (250 to 1,000 words).

 

Subject areas of particular interest include but are not limited to: (1) silenced rimfire rifles and pistols (including but not limited to technical evaluations, history, stories about hunting and animal control, use for training, use for target shooting, and use for family fun); (2) centerfire handgun suppressors; (3) submachine gun suppressors and silenced carbines of pistol caliber; (4) carbines of rifle caliber and suppressors, (5) sniper rifles, precision rifles, and suppressors: (6) heavy sniper rifle suppressors; (7) beltfed machine gun suppressors; (8) specialty ammunition and reloading subsonic ammunition, (9) tactical gear, gun cases, holsters, and accessories; and (10) articles about Hiram P. Maxim, Hiram S. Maxim, and Hudson Maxim.

 

We hope that the Silencer Resource Center becomes more than a one-way flow of useful information. SilencerResoure-Center.com is a collegial effort by silencer enthusiasts, professional end-users, historians, scholars, authors, manufacturers, and medical authorities to share information of mutual interest and benefit on the history, performance, utility, and lawful use of sound suppressors. We also intend to share up-to-date information on the latest silencers, new technologies, and news on the development of the industry itself.

 

This collegial effort is a work in progress that depends upon the good will of those who support it. We hope the website evolves into a forum that encourages the exchange of useful information among qualified civilians, and military, law enforcement, and animal control professionals. We, therefore, encourage everyone to submit letters and manuscripts of any length when they have newsworthy or fun or technical tidbits to share by writing to editor@SilencerResourceCenter.com.

 

When submitting material for possible use on the website, we ask that you use a real and verifiable e-mail address so we can avoid some of the problems we’ve seen on Internet boards and chatrooms. We want to ensure that we generate more light than heat. We will post your contribution using only your initials unless you specifically ask us you use your full name. We will not accept anonymous posts.

 

 

Who May Write For Us

 

You do not need a sound meter to submit an article. You do not need to be an established author to submit a manuscript for one of the aforementioned website areas. We like to nurture beginning writers. We also welcome submissions from military, law enforcement, and animal control professionals.

 

PRO TIP: While sound data are optional, good illustrations are not. Please see our photographer’s guidelines for photo tips. Furthermore, readers have come to expect hard information. Include specific details on metallurgy, dimensions to nearest 0.1 inch (and mm since this is an international website), specific details of ammunition being used, and accuracy to nearest 0.01 inch (0.1 mm).

 

If you do wish to use sound data, we do not accept manufacturer’s or third-party measurements. Any sound data that we publish must be generated by the Silencer Resource Center unless the author has an appropriate sound meter and has been trained by us. We’ve been burned egregiously on this issue, so this rule is non-negotiable.

 

 

Query Before Writing

 

We discourage unsolicited manuscripts. Send us an e-mail at editor@SilencerResourceCenter.com explaining your idea for a story to find out if we are interested in your subject, before you begin to write. Also please tell us something about yourself and your qualifications. If possible, attach several examples of your writing or published articles if you haven’t worked with us before. Acceptance of the idea does not automatically guarantee that the story will be published, but rather that we would like to use the article if the text and photos meet our standards. If this will be your first foray into having something published, a superb place to start is something short, such as a piece for Industry News. While book reviews are short (1,000 words maximum), writing a book review is high art and is not a good place for a beginning writer to start. If you are a newbie and are really fired up about doing a book review, e-mail editor@SilencerResourceCenter.com and he will send you a detailed help sheet specifically engineered for writing a good book review.

 

 

General Writing Guidelines

 

Above all, any silencer article must say "silencer". Whether the article is about target shooting with a suppressed arm, hunting with a silencer where that is legal, using suppressed firearms for safer and more effective training, the latest suppressor designs for military squad automatic weapons, or how to justify the purchase of sound suppressors to law-enforcement bean counters, the story should have a silencer slant.

 

The stories should be vivid and focused. They should provide a unique perspective.

 

For example, don't write a fluff piece about a particular brand of .308 Winchester subsonic ammunition. Folks can read the ads and PR releases. Talk about how the ammunition behaves in different barrel lengths and temperatures, what kind of rifles and sound suppressors are incompatible with subsonic loads, and whether or not the cold shot of the day yields significantly different velocity and point of impact. If writing about a well-known sound suppressor, then the story must take a novel approach that will tell silencer cognoscenti something they did not already know.

 

Only the first paragraph of each story (plus one lead photo) will be visible on the website for all to see. This means 75-100 words plus one preferably horizontal photo maximum. The author must hook the reader’s interest in the first paragraph, explain what sort of compelling information follows, and put a fire in the reader’s belly so they simply must read this article. The lead photo must provide a visually stimulating photo that supports the title and the lead paragraph. The best lead photos incorporate a person, since people prefer to look at both people and hardware. Our preferred article length is 2,000 words. If you have a lot to say and write very tightly, then 3,000 words will be acceptable.

 

Do not add words to build your word count. Wordiness is a disservice to your readers because it makes reading more difficult to comprehend. Furthermore, it makes you seem less competent. Take as much space as you need, but be as brief as possible.

 

The managing editor used to tell his science students that their grades on term papers or project reports would be “inversely proportional to the length of the manuscript.” In other words, a longer paper would get a lower grade than a shorter paper. This was not a ruse to make grading easier. A full explanation is both interesting and insightful, but beyond the scope of these guidelines.

 

PRO TIP: From a purely mercenary point of view, the lead paragraph and lead photo are the tools you employ to make your sales pitch seducing the reader to want to read the article. In the case of SilencerResourceCenter.com, the lead photo and lead paragraph must interest the reader enough to add your article to his or her order basket. The better the lead paragraph and photo, the more likely you are to reach your intended audience, and the bigger your royalty check will be as a consequence.

 

Besides the large manufacturers, we’d also wish to showcase small regional manufacturers who have loyal local followings, but have received little or no national exposure.

 

We welcome article submissions from people involved with silencer manufacturing; we simply require that you use your real name and not a pen name.

 

We are especially interested in articles from outside the United States .

 

 

Submission Guidelines

 

DOs: Please send both paper (i.e., printed) and electronic copies of your submission ? plus original photos or digital images on CD ? to Managing Editor, Tradecraft Press, P.O. Box 606, Vilonia, AR 72173. The electronic copy of the text file should be in Microsoft Word format, with “Times New Roman” font, font size 12, NOT justified, 1-1/2 space.  If that’s not possible, send as a plain text file. We accept both MAC and PC-formatted CDs and DVDs.

 

Be sure to include a list of key words that can be used to index the article, including such things as the names and models of firearms and sound suppressors, manufacturer names and variants of ammunition used in testing, any optics or major accessories discussed in article, as well as any key concepts such as “2,000 yard shooting” or “kids – training”.

 

PRO TIP: ALWAYS use the “spell checking” and grammar checking features of your word-processing software. Spell checking can catch a lot of errors you’d otherwise miss, but pay close attention while performing a spell check. The software’s autopilot can introduce errors as well, especially to technical writing. After spell checking, leave the manuscript alone for a day or two, and then read it one last time, syllable by syllable, like you were back in 2^nd grade. This will usually catch a few more errors. You may even notice blocks of text that don’t make any sense that must be changed. Only after completing this final edit, is the manuscript ready for submission. Remember, your work will be out there for the whole world to see for decades to come. Do yourself proud.

 

DON’Ts: Never submit a handwritten manuscript. Never submit text in all capital letters. Never put your name on something written by the company you are writing about. Never write under a nom de plume (pen name) for SilencerResourceCenter.com. We will, however, consider using a pen name if you are currently in active government service. We welcome submissions from folks in the silencer manufacturing industry; we simply require that you use your real name and affiliation.

 

 

General Writing Ethics

 

Be honest.

 

Be courteous.

 

Be professional in your habits.

 

Don’t let personal friendship or animas cloud your writing. Consider the following case study. Since the late 1990s, one manufacturer has repeatedly told manufacturers and editors in the industry that one writer’s microphones were bad (despite regular recertifications and numerous side by side comparisons to the contrary).

 

This individual and his people have tried to get this writer fired from several magazines on three occasions, thereby losing much face for himself and his company among industry insiders in the process. While such behavior is not a good way to establish an excellent working relationship with a writer or a magazine or professional colleagues, to put it mildly, the writer in question has continued to write objective and favorable articles about this company’s products throughout this period. His correct logic is that he owes impartial and continued coverage to his readers, and this trumps any personal angst he may or may not feel from groundless disinformation campaigns.

 

Give the subject of article an opportunity to critique the manuscript for factual errors before submission. If the writer and subject have irreconcilable differences about the conclusions of the story, give the subject an opportunity to articulate his or her opposing opinion in writing. The opposing view will be published as a sidebar to the story if the editor deems the argument creditable or at least thought-provoking.

 

Only allow factual corrections within the body of the article, however, such as the correction of model name, price, manufacturer’s contact information, etc.

 

The subject may also find typos or other glitches that the author missed. This is a wonderful opportunity for both writer and subject to ensure the article is as professional and accurate as possible.

 

PRO TIP: One author always gets an additional third party to review his article for content, clarity, and errors before submission. This third party may be an impartial expert in the field, a fellow author, or a friend who is a critical reader. This outside review can prove to be invaluable for articles and other submissions.

 

Do not allow the subject to dictate content. This is an absolutely critical rule. Consider the following case study. One author recently had a manufacturer threaten “If you don’t write exactly what I tell you to write, I will destroy you.” The manufacturer went on to say that he’d try to get the author fired from the magazines where he worked if he refused to add his name to company-generated propaganda and disinformation. The manufacturer promised the author that he and his cronies would malign the chap on the Internet until he was utterly destroyed. Knowing full well that the manufacturer would make good on his threats [and he did], the author could not even for an instant consider yielding to such a threat. If he sacrificed his integrity as a writer in the face of threats, then he might as well throw his computer and himself off a cliff, for a man without integrity must surely be an empty shell of no use to anyone.

 

All that the manufacturer and his cronies accomplished by such bullying was to lose any respect they had among industry insiders, intelligent customers, and the publishing industry. When the merde hits le Ventilateur rotatif, it generally sprays back at le Cochon whence it came. So always keep your integrity and try to ignore the merde et merde encore that may come your way from time to time simply because you do your job with integrity.

 

Honest, independent writing is non-negotiable. This goes to the very heart of scientific and journalistic ethics. We are on a quest for Truth with a capital “T”, not propaganda.

 

PRO TIP: Never get into mud-slinging with malicious folks, even if you are being slandered egregiously ad nauseam. Take the high road and continue doing your job professionally and ethically. The owners of sound suppressors worldwide are as bright, honorable, and fair-minded a group as one is likely to find among the hominid population, so they pick up on the silliness of the odd source of disinformation pretty quickly. If you ever find yourself taking flak as a writer, trust in your fellow silencer enthusiasts, writers, editors, manufacturers, and professional end-users. Simply continue doing your job to the best of your ability. The rest will take care of itself.

 

 

Rights

 

We request “world electronic rights” for text and photographs.

 

 

Payment:

 

Royalties on Articles and Tips will be paid once a year in the same manner and at the same standard percentage rate as book royalties, with each paid download being the moral equivalent of one book sale. Once we have published 6,000 words, you will be listed as a “Contributing Writer” on the masthead. Once we have published 20,000 words, you will be listed as a “Contributing Editor” on the masthead.

 

Industry News and Book Reviews are not downloads but are rather free-access items on the website, so we have no mechanism for generating revenues to pay authors for contributions to these areas at this time. The best we can do at the moment is nurture your writing skills. Our Industry News and Book Reviews editor, who has nearly 40 years of experience, normally charges $70 per hour for freelance editing. You’ll get the moral equivalent of a journalism degree for free if you become a regular contributor. We will list you on the masthead as a “Contributing Writer” after we’ve published five short submissions. Once we have published 20 short submissions, you will be listed as a “Contributing Editor” on the masthead.

 

 

Thimk!

 

Finally, we ask prospective contributors to thimk. Be creative, yet pay attention to details. Think.

 

What is the most effective weapon of an armed professional? The mind. What is the most effective tool of the author? The mind. The managing editor used to tell his students to read widely because they had to know what good writing was like to write well themselves. Writing is a creative skill that depends on learned skills, sets of rules, and a writer’s creative insight that grows into something unique and personal in the fullness of time. Every seasoned writer develops a unique voice. Every seasoned writer has a unique way of seeing the universe.

 

SilencerResourceCenter.com provides a venue for seasoned and aspiring writers to work on their craft and see the fruits of their labors made available to the world for decades to come. This is a rare opportunity in the history of publishing. Join the family and help us foster a collegial effort among silencer enthusiasts, professional end-users, historians, scholars, authors, manufacturers, and medical authorities to share information of mutual interest and benefit on the history, performance, utility, and lawful use of sound suppressors.

 

Al Paulson

Managing  Editor,

SilencerResourceCenter.com

 

Revised April 11, 2007