When the SWG was founded in 2005, fandom groups were sometimes competitive with, even hostile toward, each other. We decided that we didn't want to perpetuate this dynamic and, instead, made a part of our mission that we would offer support to other fandom entities and help to connect SWG members with resources and opportunities that we did not provide.
Around the World and Web is a longstanding part of our site that helps to advance that mission. We use volunteers called scouts to help us collect announcements, links, and resources from outside the SWG that might be of interest to our members and visitors here. Our Volunteers page has more information on volunteering as a scout, which includes both members wanting access to post about fandom events they run and volunteers willing to post throughout the month about events, articles, and resources related to Tolkien and the Tolkien fandom that they find.
What Should Be Posted in Around the World and Web?
Generally, Around the World and Web content falls into two broad categories:
- Announcements about upcoming fandom events, such as challenges, readings, big bangs, swaps, fests, appreciation weeks, conferences, conventions, study groups, zines—basically, if there is potential for Tolkien fans to get involved, we want it announced here!
- Links of interest that connect members to content they might be interested in, such as articles, blog posts, resources, organizations, and websites related to Tolkien.
All content posted to Around the World and Web should meet the following standards:
Inclusivity
Events and projects must be open to all comers, with the exception of events that highlight the contributions of groups that have been traditionally marginalized in fandom (e.g., a zine collecting stories written by women of color).
This includes inclusivity in terms of content. It is understandable that many events focus on specific genres, groups of characters, characters, and pairings, and these events are welcome in Around the World and Web. For example, a ficswap for femslash stories, or an appreciation week focused on Elwing would all be acceptable examples.
Events that would not be eligible would be those that exclude genres, characters, pairings, or other fannish content without reasonable justification. For example, an event for stories about Maglor that bans same-sex pairings would not be eligible. (However, an event for het stories about Maglor would be acceptable—note the difference in language in celebration versus exclusion of certain content.)
Because sites and webhosts used by fandom groups have various rules around adult content, the exclusionary rule does not apply to events and projects that do not allow adult content or that limit adult content as long as those limitations do not mirror the marginalization of real-world people. For example, not allowing explicit content featuring minors would be an acceptable limitation. Not allowing explicit content featuring minors in same-sex relationships would not be acceptable.
We recognize that this can feel like a fine line and encourage our scouts to contact the mods if they're not sure if an event meets our eligibility requirements around inclusivity.
Relevance
Around the World and Web content should be relevant to fans of J.R.R. Tolkien. While our group focuses on The Silmarillion, we accept content in Around the World and Web that is of interest to the broader Tolkien fandom, so for example, an announcement about an upcoming Thorin Oakenshield event would be just as welcome as an announcement about a fanwork exchange focuses on the Fëanorians.
Likewise, multifandom events and links are welcome, as long as the event is open to Tolkien fans or the link is relevant to Tolkien or Tolkien fandom.
Credibility
Resources, articles, and other links should be credible. While we don't expect scouts to do exhaustive fact checks—rest assured, this is not at all our expectation!—a resource or article that identifies its sources achieves a reasonable baseline in terms of credibility. Likewise, if a source presents a one-sided view of a debate, seeks to convert readers to a "one true canon," or uses loaded language, this is a good indication that it is not best to be shared on our site.
Finally, links of interest should point to content that contributes to discussions happening in the Tolkien fandom. For example, a link to a Tumblr post about commercial versus fannish depictions of Sauron would be welcome. Links to memes, jokes, and other more ephemeral content does not fit our purposes here.
Civility
The SWG is committed to open, civil conversations around topics related to fandom. As a result, we ask that our scouts not link to content that is designed to be hurtful or stoke drama.
Add a New Around the World and Web Announcement or Link
To add a new link or announcement to Around the World and Web, go to My Account and click Post New Announcement, which will open the form to add a new Around the World and Web item. Use the following directions to fill out the fields on this form.
Title. Use the name of the event or the title of the link with its author, if available. If you'll be posting multiple announcements about an event, be more specific about the intent of each announcement. For example:
- Ladies in Love Femslash Fest
- Russingon Swap Prompt Collections Opens May 3
- Russingon Swap Sign-Ups Open May 12
- "Single-Handed Heroes in Tolkien" by Artemis
- Tolkien Botany Resource on TolkienNerds.net
Link. This link should point to the content (for links or interest) or the page most relevant for the event. Keep in mind that this is the link where visitors will go when clicking on the title in Around the World and Web. Additional links can be added below.
Type. Choose if the Around the World and Web item is an announcement or a link of interest.
Summary. Provide a brief summary of the Around the World and Web item. This will appear on the sidebar under Around the World and Web. Write your content assuming that the person reading it knows nothing about the event or link. Provide key details here and try to keep the summary under one hundred words.
Full Announcement. Include the full announcement or additional information here. This will show up in the listings on the Around the World and Web page. This is a good place to include additional links other than the main link included above.
When including links, it is important to make those links accessible to screen readers. The linked content should communicate where the link leads, which makes it possible for screen readers to detect where the link points when users "tab over" the link. For example:
- Good: Full guidelines for the Russingon Swap
- Not Good: Full guidelines for the Russingon Swap are here
In the first example, screen reader users who tab over the link will hear the entire linked text and know it leads to the full guidelines for the Russingon Swap. In the second example, they will hear the word "here," which isn't enough information to know where they'll end up if they click.
As with the summary, it is important to write your post with visitors in mind who are totally unfamiliar with the event or link you are posting about. Think about the what, where, when, and who of your event. Keep in mind that fandom jargon used on some sites may not be universally understood by all fans.
- Good:
Russingon Swap
The Russingon Swap is an annual event held on AO3 and Tumblr for fanfic and fanart about our favorite Silmarillion pairing, Maedhros/Fingon! All Russingon fans are welcome who want to write a story (1,000-5,000 words) or complete an inked or colored drawing focused on the timeless love of Maedhros and Fingon and using a request from another fan. You will get a chance to request a fanwork (art or story) and will complete a fanwork (art or story) for another participant. Sign-ups open on October 12, close October 19, and your final fanwork is due in the AO3 collection and on Tumblr by December 1. - Not as Good:
Russingon Swap
Sign-ups open on October 12 with your prompt and DNWs. Fic 1,000-5,000 words and ink or color drawing for fanart.
Note how the first announcement is clear what the event is about, what kinds of fanworks are eligible, what participants will be expected to produce and by when, and the sites where the event occurs. The second announcement is vague on these details and relies on jargon (Russingon, DNWs) that may not be familiar to all visitors.
Start Date. This field defaults to the current date, meaning that your item will post to Around the World and Web right away. If you'd like to schedule the post to appear at a later date, you can include a date in the future here.
End Date. Enter the date when the item should come off of the active Around the World and Web list. Note that it will remain in the Around the World and Web archive. If you are posting about an event with a due date, use the date after the due date. If an ending date is less clear, enter a date two weeks out from the start date.
When to Use Multiple Posts about an Event
Some events have multiple dates that may be of interest to SWG members. For these events, you are welcome to use multiple posts to highlight dates that may be of interest to SWG members. Don't post announcements for dates that are handled via internal communication to event participants, such as check-in dates.
For example, the Númenórean Big Bang includes several dates important to participants: author sign-ups close on June 1, artist sign-ups close on June 15, there is a check-in date on July 15, fanworks are due in the AO3 collection on August 24, and the collection opens on September 1. It is helpful to think about which of these dates are useful to SWG members and visitors who are not already receiving communications from the event organizers. In this case, it would make sense to post about author sign-ups, artist sign-ups, and when the collection opens. The check-in and collection due dates are only relevant to people who are signed up for the event and who should be hearing from the organizers through the channels of communication set up as part of the event.
Do not post multiple times to "bump" an event to the top of the list. Multiple posts should be used only if there is new information or dates relevant to SWG members and visitors.
Event Admins and Moderators
If you are running an event featured in Around the World and Web and would like access to edit announcements about the event, contact the mods for edit permissions. Note that you need an SWG account for us to grant these permissions.
