Q: Give it to me straight. How much does this pay?
We pay $60 for tutorials and lifestyle features (more on what these are in a sec). We pay $40 for kit reviews. If you are reviewing a new or high-demand kit, we also reimburse you for its cost.
Q: What types of contributions are you looking for?
Generally, we are seeking three kinds of content:
- Tutorials. Got a skill you want to share? We’d love to help! We’re looking for tutorials with multiple steps and plenty of photos taken during the process.
- Lifestyle Posts. Entered a Gunpla competition? Visited the Gunpla factory in Shizuoka? Have a personal essay on how Gunpla has improved your life? We’re always looking to share our readers’ stories.
- Kit Reviews. Built a new kit and have some feelings about it? We’d love to publish your review and photos.
You can also check out my most recent wishlist of article topics for ideas.
Q: How frequently are contributors expected to submit articles?
A: We accept contributors on a post-by-post basis. If you submit a pitch to us and it is accepted, it is not a contract for repeat work. If you have a second story idea for us, you are welcome to pitch us again!
Q: How do contributors submit articles? What are “pitches”?
A: Gunpla 101 readers might not realize that I (Lauren) am a professional journalist. I write for Forbes, Anime News Network, and other outlets. So when I outline how I want you to submit articles to Gunpla 101, it’s not because I’m picky. It’s based off of what I do as a pro!
- Email me a writing sample and a photography sample. Previous contributors have submitted everything from personal blog posts to school essays for the writing component. Photos that you submit should feature Gunpla kits. Remember, you don’t need to be a pro to submit these samples. Your experiences as a Gunpla hobbyist are more valuable to me than you being a pro writer or photog.
- Provide a topic or three you want to write about. You do not need to write an entire draft before you write to me; in fact I would prefer you don’t so you don’t waste your time! Just a sentence or two about what you want to write about is fine.
- I’ll assess the idea, then suggest changes or a deadline Sometimes I will suggest a modified version of a topic if I think it will make the article more helpful to more readers. And since this is a hobby site for fun, my deadlines are accommodating and reasonable.
Q: What is the editing process like?
Once I approve your pitch, it goes something like this:
- You send me a draft, and I try to get back to you within a week. People who have worked with me before know I can be slow, but I’m working on it! My kids are older now!
- I return your draft with edits. I edit Gunpla 101 contributions for style and tone, so they sound similar to other articles on the site. I may also send you some questions at this step if anything was unclear to me.
- I ask you for a short bio. Include links to social media or a blog. I want to give you “exposure” through a link as well as a payment in real dollars!
- I schedule the post for publication and pay you. I will give you more detailed steps on invoicing at this time. I prefer to pay contributors using PayPal but I can be flexible.
- Your post goes up and you can share it with whoever. After this, you are officially a Gunpla 101 contributor!
Q: What kind of articles do you NOT want from contributors?
A: We don’t want stuff we’ve already written, so make sure you don’t see your story idea in the archives. We’ve written tutorials about all the basics: weathering, topcoats, basic painting, etc. (Expansions on those topics, or intermediate tutorials, are still OK!) We also don’t want reviews of kits we’ve already reviewed.
Q: This Gundam kit is old. Do you still want a review of it?
A: Yes! Any kit that is still being sold, readers will love to read about. If the kit is NOT being made anymore (vintage or special edition) we are not interested. If the kit is not Bandai, we are not interested. No bootlegs.
Q: How do I outline a review for Gunpla 101?
A: As this review demonstrates, We want your review to cover six sections and include plenty of photos. These are the six sections in order:
- First Impressions
- Color and Design
- Difficulty
- Articulation
- Extras (weapons, hands, effect parts)
- Final Verdict
Thank you so much for supporting Gunpla 101 as a reader and now as a potential contributor!