Here are some thoughts to consider when writing about what you've seen and heard. We'll add more stuff as we encounter the need for it.
- Be honest. Don't plug for your friends unless they really deserve it. Don't plug the venue if you work for it, unless it really deserves it. Don't review the person either, review the poetry. If they pushed infront of you in the queue, don't give them a bad review unless their poetry was bad. Just don't do any of those things. Your mother will know.
- Don't waffle (the above is an example, but I'm allowed...)
- Say what was good AND what was bad.
- Pick up a flyer/poster.That means you won't have to remember names, dates etc
- Include as a header to the review the name of the event, name and location of venue, date (and whether one-off or a regular event, start time, then a rating (see below), then the review.
- Ratings. Here is a very rough guide. Add a point if it was free.
1/5 – Rubbish, not worth any amount of money
2/5 – Poor, one or two quid at the most
3/5 – Alright, max a fiver
4/5 – Good, up to a tenner
5/5 – Amazing, tenner+
- Give non-poetic details about the events if they're are important, ie price, how to get there, contact details, if it's a rough area, what the bar's like (prices, late licence, staff friendliness).
- And as editors, we'll put your review into our house style, but we won't make any major changes (things like spelling or grammer where the sense is ambiguous or wrong details are examples of minor ones) without discussing it with you first. Do give it a look for spelling and such though; we don't want to be there for hours fixing them.