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360-HQ.COM :: How to Submit News - Submission guide / guidelines
How to Submit News - Submission guide / guidelines
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Post Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2007 7:31 am   
Post subject: How to Submit News - Submission guide / guidelines
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So you want to submit a news story, and help out 360-hq, but are overwhelmed and not sure how to get started. Download the attachment and have at it.

How to submit news stories to 360-hq.com
http://www.360-hq.com/submit.html

List of sources that are updated regularly:
http://www.n4g.com
http://kotaku.com
http://xbox360.qj.net/
http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/

When you submit a news story, you want to read thru the story. If it is about a piece of hardware, game, anything you think might be in our database, we would like it if you linked to that item within our database.

For example, your news story is about downloadable content for crackdown. You would go thru the games database, find crackdown, and whenever you refer to crackdown in the story, link to it in our database.

Then at the end of the news story, you would add 360-Hq Game Database: Crackdown.

When it comes to pictures, it’s very simple, people like pretty pictures. So you can snag one from our screenshot database, or search Google, for a picture that fits the story. We would like it if you kept the pictures small, i.e. 300x200. You can go smaller, play around with the picture until it fits the story. It is also advised to wrap the text around the picture as well, which gives the impression of the picture being part of the news story.

<b>IMPORTANT</b>:
We prefer if you don’t just copy paste the story over. We like when you go straight to the source of the article, read it and edit it personally. Most of the news sites, copy paste a bit of the original story. We like when you write it up in your own words. Makes for a better read, and doesn’t have the appearance of being copied from another site.

If the story starts getting to long, there is a section for extended text. Cut off your story at a good point and continue it on to the extended text. At the cutoff point, insert “Click Read More to View Entire Story”.

Every story should be digged. If you don’t have an account, make one, so that you may add our stories to digg. Even if digg shows the same story as being on the site already, disregard that. You have written in it your own words, and have made it unique. Digg is a powerfull tool, to draw people to the site, and keep the hits for the site up as well.

Commands:

To add links to your story use this command.
Code:
<a href="http://www.360-hq.com/sample-link" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">http://www.360-hq.com</a>


Now there are two links within this command. The first link is the actual link, that will take them to whatever it is you want them to go to. The second link is the first link edited down for size. It is the text that will be displayed in your news article. So instead of your article containing a long drawn out link, it will be short and clean.

Now you use this same command to link to anything within our database you are using. The first link will point to the page that you want them to go to (like the sample in the beginning of this doc, about crackdown), the second would contain the name of the item in the database. (crackdown) So if you were linking to crackdown in the story, the actual code for that would look like this.

Code:
<a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=18
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.>

So anywhere in the article where crackdown is used you would use that command in its place. So that the reader can simply click the word crackdown. To be brought to the page containing all info on crackdown that is in the 360-hq game database.

This same command is used in the end of the news article to link to the source you obtained the story from. At all cost do not link to the site that pointed you to the news. E.g. www.n4g.com, go to the source they obtained it from, and link the story to the source. The format we use for that is.

Code:

<b><u>News-Source</b></u>: <a href="http://www.360-hq.com/source-link" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">http://www.360-hq.com</a>


This highlights, and underlines News-Source. This gives credit to the originating person that put the article together. The same applies for putting the games database link as well. Instead of News-Source you would simple put 360-Hq Game Database in its place, and link to the game within the database.

Now onto adding pictures. You will see Image Upload: With a link underneath saying Click here to upload images. Select that, browse to the directory that holds the image. Select it and you will be present with code that looks like this.

Code:
<center><img src=http://www.360-hq.com/images/news/uploads/mypic.jpg></center>


Now this command will simply center the picture you want. Theres a few times you can actually use this as is, but that’s far and few between. It is also not recommended. When you put a little effort into your pictures it will really set off your story. So what you do is upload your image and drop the <center></center> from the link.

Say you want to align that link to the right and have text wrapped on the left hand side of the picture. This is the command you would use.

Code:
<img src=http://www.360-hq.com/images/news/uploads/mypic.jpg align=right width=200>

Align=right, is the placement of the picture, you can change it to left to have the picture on the left if you so choose to do so. Remember though, you want your story to have a good look to it. An easy way to scale your image down is with the width=200 command. You can play with that until the picture looks good, and fits the story.

Another thing with pictures, please at all cost reframe from using any pictures that have any type of watermark. If you are getting it from 360-hq database there will be a watermark most of the time, this is acceptable. But if you just can’t find a picture without a watermark, this is the ONLY time it is acceptable to use a watermarked picture.

So far the commands we have gone over are.

Code:
<a href="http://www.360-hq.com/sample-link" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">http://www.360-hq.com</a>  Your common link.
<b><u>News-Source</b></u>: <a href="http://www.360-hq.com/source-link" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">http://www.360-hq.com</a> Your source link – database link.
<img src=http://www.360-hq.com/images/news/uploads/mypic.jpg align=right width=200> Standard picture link.


Now you can bold, certain parts of your story by using <b>bold text here</b>.
For italics <i>Italicized Text here</i>
For Underlined text <u>Underlined Text here</u>
Now you can combine these but the order that you use the commands have to stay the same when closing them. So let’s say you want to bold, Italicize, and underline Endless is one good teacher. The commands for this would be <b><i><u>Endless is one good teacher.</u></i></b>.
You must keep the order in which you first used the command in the beginning. They are in brackets, so bold was first, so you close it last, so on so forth. If you go to use the command and notice it doesn’t show up right, it’s most likely due to the order of closing.

Now for a sample news story.

So I browsed around and found a story id like to put up.
http://gamers-creed.com/?p=122
So I read thru it. Rather simple to the point article.
Microsoft has just released yet another demo on live this week which brings the total number of released demos to 3 just for this week only. The size of this demo is about 901MB. MotoGP ‘07 is the definitive next-generation motorcycle racing title, delivering the most authentic MotoGP racing experience to date.

Featuring life-like visuals, complete 2007 rider and team data, new 800cc MotoGP bikes and the newly-announced Misano event, the game’s GP mode will be more robust than ever before. The title will also feature interactive track-side crowds, intense on-line tournament features, on-line “pink-slip” racing, a revamped Extreme mode and significantly more bike and player customization options.

So now I have to write it up in my own words.

Today, Microsoft has released a demo for MotoGp 07. This will deliver an authentic, MotoGp racing experience. It will feature realistic visuals effects, a complete 2007 rider/team roster, 800cc MotoGp bikes, and a newly announced Misano event.
MotoGp 07’s Gp mode will be deeper then ever before. Other goodies include, interactive track side crowds, online tournament features, Xbox live pink slip racing, revamped Extreme mode, and more bike, and player customization options.

Now it’s time to add our links and a nice picture. So we look up MotoGp 07. Go to the gaming tab at the top of the site, select Xbox 360 Games, then select the m letter to bring us to the page with games starting with m. Scroll down and find MotoGp 07, in the address bar were going to copy the link.
http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
So now we insert that into the command that lets you use your own text to link to the page.

Code:
<a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.>


So now that we have that, we replace MotoGp 07 in the story with the link. Side note, on 360-hq right clicking is disabled. So you will have to utilize windows shortcut keys. To copy text, highlight the text and hold down ctrl and press c. This will copy text. To paste text you hold down ctrl and press v. Our story now looks something like this.

Code:
Today, Microsoft has released a demo for <a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.>
. This will deliver an authentic, MotoGp racing experience. It will feature realistic visuals effects, a complete 2007 rider/team roster, 800cc MotoGp bikes, and a newly announced Misano event.
<a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.> Gp mode will be deeper then ever before. Other goodies include, interactive track side crowds, online tournament features, Xbox live pink slip racing, revamped Extreme mode, and more bike, and player customization options.

Now let’s go ahead and add a picture. I want to add it to the right hand side and wrap my text to the left. So I upload the picture I want, just copy the link disregarding the <center></center> and use the command 
<img src=http://www.360-hq.com/images/news/uploads/mypic.jpg align=right width=200>
Now I want the first paragraph to be left alone, I simply enter down once, and place this link. So now our story looks something like this.
Today, Microsoft has released a demo for <a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.>
. This will deliver an authentic, MotoGp racing experience. It will feature realistic visuals effects, a complete 2007 rider/team roster, 800cc MotoGp bikes, and a newly announced Misano event.

<img src=http://www.360-hq.com/images/news/uploads/mypic.jpg align=right width=200>
<a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.> Gp mode will be deeper then ever before. Other goodies include, interactive track side crowds, online tournament features, Xbox live pink slip racing, revamped Extreme mode, and more bike, and player customization options.

Now that links are in place pointing to 360-hq database. With a nice picture with text wrapped, it’s time to wrap this story up.
So were going to use the news source command.
<b><u>News-Source</b></u>: <a href="http://www.360-hq.com/source-link" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">http://www.360-hq.com</a>


Lets edit the first link to point towards the source, and clean it up. Now our story looks something like this.

Code:
Today, Microsoft has released a demo for <a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.>
. This will deliver an authentic, MotoGp racing experience. It will feature realistic visuals effects, a complete 2007 rider/team roster, 800cc MotoGp bikes, and a newly announced Misano event.

<img src=http://www.360-hq.com/images/news/uploads/mypic.jpg align=right width=200>
<a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.> Gp mode will be deeper then ever before. Other goodies include, interactive track side crowds, online tournament features, Xbox live pink slip racing, revamped Extreme mode, and more bike, and player customization options.

<b><u>News-Source</b></u>: <a href="http://gamers-creed.com/?p=122
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.>


Now it’s time to add our database link as well. So with everything said and done this is our newly created story.

Code:
Today, Microsoft has released a demo for <a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.>
. This will deliver an authentic, MotoGp racing experience. It will feature realistic visuals effects, a complete 2007 rider/team roster, 800cc MotoGp bikes, and a newly announced Misano event.

<img src=http://www.360-hq.com/images/news/uploads/mypic.jpg align=right width=200>
<a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.> Gp mode will be deeper then ever before. Other goodies include, interactive track side crowds, online tournament features, Xbox live pink slip racing, revamped Extreme mode, and more bike, and player customization options.

<b><u>News-Source</b></u>: <a href="http://gamers-creed.com/?p=122
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.>

<b><u>360-Hq Games Database</b></u>: <a href="http://www.360-hq.com/modules.php?name=Xbox_Games&op=view&id=392
" target="blank" class="hqgreen11">Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.>


There you have it, everything needed to start posting your own news stories. If you need any help at all, feel free to get in touch with me.



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