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Guidelines for FXP articles

theFreshXpress.com is a forum and a community of young black thinkers, writers and philosophers. If you’ve got something to say, email your article submissions as well as a short biography to include with your article.

theFreshXpress.com assumes consent to publish upon receiving emailed submissions but articles are published only at the discretion of TheFreshXpress.com editors.

Please keep in mind that submitted articles must be factual, original, thought-provoking content that is timely and relevant to young, black Americans. Writer’s guidelines for shorter-form articles are below.

Fresh Reads: FXP will accept, at editor’s discretion, highly opinionated articles of at least 500 words about topics that readers/thinkers/writers are passionate about. We’d like writers to be concise and clear about certain issues in addition to sparking debate and posing questions to readers to see how they’d respond.

An ideal Fresh Read may take this form, below, but is acceptable in any readable, understandable variation.

Points to include:

  1. First sentence should get straight to the point.
  2. Short story/summary about what happened or why you feel a certain way.
  3. What it is that bothers you about this situation or topic.
  4. Engaging the reader to ask how they’d respond and explaining how you responded.

Example:

Everyone needs to know that D.L. Hughley is against black women. When Don Imus called the Rutgers basketball team the infamous name that I won’t repeat because I’ve heard it too many times, D.L went on David Letterman and said he agreed because they were some of the ugliest women he’d seen. How can anyone continue to support his nonsense? I will never buy another D.L. Hughley film or watch another one of his comedy specials again. I believe, if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem; he’s part of the problem with black men who don’t stand up for black women. What do you think?

Fresh Feeds: If you’ve got a tip on a hot artist that everyone else seems to be sleeping on, please let the FXP community know. While we may not print reviews on every Tom, Dick or Harry that we hear about, give us a good reason why this artist, designer, musician, dancer, or whomever is fresh in 500 words or less and we’ll consider it. Please don’t forget to submit photos/artwork, and a web address where we can find out more.

An ideal Fresh Feed may take this form, below, but is acceptable in any well-written, comprehendible variation.

Points to include:

  1. Short story about what happened or why you like this person.
  2. Backstory about the artist/performer/musician/designer
  3. Information about how to find/watch/hear this person

Example:

Peering through the lens of a true artist, Kwesi Abbensetts will take you to realms unknown. He captures energy, a yearning, sexuality, and a playfulness that collide to create a potent serum. Take a trip to his universe; his spaceship will pick you and take you to an obscure Downtown [Manhattan] scene, a Brooklyn oasis, or into the personal abyss of a welcoming subject. Kwesi on his mission, “…It’s about progression. Not static. Adhering to no particular style. I want them [his audience] to see photography as art and a representation of life. I experiment always…”Kwesi on his inspiration and influences, “ [there are] Many. Hedi Slimane’s work. Koto Bolofo. I seek out black photographers to see how my work fits in… Women influence me, hence my subjects.” I can’t stop looking at his work; it’s so damn captivating. His work is an intimate experience. Venture to his site, kga.carbonmade.com and blog, spaceshipgeorge.blogspot.com (at home- may be a bit much for the corporate homies) for the full experience.

Fresh Features: If you believe you are a great writer and are interested in providing a deeper perspective on an issue/topic, FXP will accept, at the editorial team’s discretion, highly opinionated articles of at least 700 words about topics that readers/thinkers/writers are passionate about. We’d like writers to be concise and clear about certain issues in addition to sparking debate and posing questions to readers to see how they’d respond. We would prefer feature writers to have written material for general consumption previously, but we are open to showcasing fresh new talent.

These articles should include some background on a selected subject and information about why it’s important for us to discuss now. These articles should also include several researched-backed talking points, if applicable, and a strong conclusion that ties it all up together and leaves the reader walking away with some knowledge.

Please email all article submissions to submit@thefreshxpress.com.

If you are interested in joining the FXP Blog Network please check out that section of the site for more information.

For any questions concerning or related to theFreshXpress.com content, please contact info@thefreshxpress.com.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by bloggers featured on theFreshXpress.com are not endorsed or supported by the web site, unless expressly stated in the post. Otherwise you can view FXP as an open forum for discussion and debate on issues affecting the black community. If they’re talking about it, more than likely we’re talking about it too. We’re just the conduit for discussion, growth, understanding and progress.