Draft Submission Guidelines

Created contributor submission guidelines for Austin Free Press to standardize editorial asset collection, improve documentation consistency, and reduce publication bottlenecks. This documentation was designed to support reporters and freelancers by clarifying submission expectations and streamlining editorial workflows.

Overview

To streamline editorial review, asset management, and publication workflows, contributors should include the following materials when submitting article drafts to the editorial team.

Article Assets

Include the following supporting materials alongside your draft:

• Suggested photos or image options
• Photo captions and source information
• Photographer credits
• Headshots of interview subjects when relevant
• Organization or source links referenced in the article
• Links to interview subjects’ professional pages or websites

Assets may be attached directly to the email or provided through a shared link.

Photos

Reporters and freelancers are responsible for providing photos to accompany their stories whenever possible. This may include:

• Original photos taken by the reporter
• Courtesy photos provided by an organization or interview subject (with permission to publish)
• Suggested photo opportunities if photography is being coordinated separately

Photo & Credit Notes

For all submitted photos:

• Include the source of the image.
• Include the photographer credit when applicable.
• Confirm that permission to publish has been obtained for courtesy photos.
• Include any relevant caption information, including names, locations, and dates when known.

Unless otherwise arranged with an editor, reporters and freelancers are expected to submit either original photos or courtesy photos with each story. If no photos are available, please notify the editorial team when submitting the draft.

Hyperlinks

If organizations, reports, public records, or interview subjects are referenced in the story, please include relevant attachments and/or links when available.

Hyperlinks & Supporting Materials

If your article references organizations, public records, studies, reports, or external resources, include relevant links or attachments whenever possible.

Supporting materials may include:

• Public documents
• Reports or datasets
• Source materials
• Government records
• Interview subject websites or profiles

Including source materials during submission helps streamline fact-checking and publication workflows.

Questions

If you have questions regarding submission standards or required materials, please contact the editorial team before submitting your draft.