If you are interested in contributing to the SWG Reference Library, please carefully read the guidelines below before submitting your work.
Reference Library Mission
As part of the Understanding component of the SWG's mission, we maintain a Reference Library to collect and showcase essays, articles, and resources that provide reliable information on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, the craft of creating fanworks, and the fandom culture in which we all participate, as well as other topics that we feel would be of interest to our members and guests. We aim for our Reference Library to provide reliable, enlightening, and entertaining secondary sources on subjects of interest to SWG members.
Contributing to the Reference Library
We invite authors of nonfiction to consider submitting their work to the SWG Reference Library. Currently, we are accepting submissions on the following topics:
- The works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Submissions should have some relevance to The Silmarillion or its related works. (See our "What is Silmfic?" FAQ for an overview of what we consider Silmarillion-based fanworks.) An essay on the fate of Men or the history of Númenor would be welcome; a biography detailing Aragorn's childhood would likely not be relevant to our purposes.
- The craft of creating fanworks. Submissions may cover any aspect of creating fanworks relevant to The Silmarillion.
- Fandom culture. Submissions should be relevant to the Tolkien fandom or to book-based fandoms in general. An essay looking at fandom size following the release of a movie based on a novel would be relevant. An essay about racial and gender stereotypes in MCU fanfiction would not.
If you have a nonfiction piece that does not fit the topics above, please query us before sending it. Also, if you're not sure if your essay is relevant to our purposes here, please ask before assuming that it is not. We are rarely as strict as people think that we are, and if you think it would be relevant, it probably is!
Reference Library Review Process
All works under consideration for publication in our Reference Library must pass a review process before inclusion. Our review process is intended only to ensure that references meet the SWG's standards for source citation, accuracy, and grammar and usage before publication. It is not intended to favor or disfavor a particular interpretation, opinion, or viewpoint.
Please note that the SWG does accept nonfiction related to The Silmarillion in our public archive. Any references eligible for our Reference Library are also eligible for the archive. No review system is used to determine what is published on the archive. If you desire feedback on your work or wish not to put your work through our review system, then we suggest that you consider putting it on the archive instead. Works published in the Reference Library will be cross-listed on the archive.
The review process required depends on the publication status of your submission. The Reference Library recognizes three publication statuses:
- Initial publications. This category includes any work that has not previously undergone a vetting process as part of publication outside the SWG. This category includes works that have not been published anywhere prior to submission, as well as those that have been self-published on archives, blogs, or other sites that do not involve an editorial or review process. Initial publications must pass both staff and peer review.
- Reprints. This category includes any work that has been previously published elsewhere after a review/editorial process, or works published on a reputable site where the author has been granted posting privileges. Because these works have already been vetted and published, the SWG's role becomes making a copy available on our site for our members and visitors. This category includes works previously published in an edited or peer-reviewed print or online publication or on a reputable blog not owned or controlled by the author; college/university papers; and presentations from conventions, conferences, panels, courses, and workshops. The Reference Library staff reserves the right to make the decision as to which submissions are considered reprints, including what constitutes a "reputable site." Reprints must pass staff review only.
- Newsletter articles. Content from the SWG newsletter is sometimes included in the Reference Library. This content is edited and approved by the newsletter staff.
Staff Review
The review process begins with a review by Reference Library staff. All available Reference Library editors will review a submission prior to advancing it for peer review. The editors will assess the submission for the following:
- The submission is relevant to the purposes of the SWG Reference Library.
- The submission is written coherently and well enough for inclusion in the SWG Reference Library. Small errors are, of course, excusable, and all pieces will be copyedited before publication. Large rewrites because of incomprehensibility or major errors will be the responsibility of the author.
- The submission includes appropriate source citations for all information that is not common knowledge. The submission does not have to use the correct citation style for the SWG Reference Library at this stage, but enough information should be available for editors and reference readers to fact-check the submission.
- The submission does not include any factual errors that the staff can determine without a detailed review of the author's sources. The submission includes the strongest evidence available for a claim and addresses counterevidence as needed.
In the case of a tie in deciding whether or not the Reference Library staff editors want to accept a submission, the submission will be passed to active site moderators to break the tie.
If the submission passes staff review, then it will pass on to peer review. Please note that staff do not accept or decline submissions based on interpretation or other differences of opinion. The SWG is committed to welcoming a variety of interpretations. If an author feels that their submission has not received a fair staff review, they may request that it be reviewed by the other active site moderators.
Peer Review
Initial publications that have not been vetted and published elsewhere undergo peer review after passing staff review. Peer review is conducted by volunteer reference readers. Any SWG member may volunteer as a reference reader. Please see our reference reader page for more information on how you can help.
Reference readers fact-check and offer suggestions to improve a submission for publication. Reference readers do not vote to accept or reject a submission; once a submission has passed staff review, it is assumed that further work on the submission will focus on preparing it for publication. If a reference reader notices a serious concern about a submission that the Reference Library editors overlooked, they should bring it to the editor handling that submission to decide if the submission should be accepted. Reference readers do not copyedit, beta-read, or provide critiques of the writing or style of the submission. Between two and four reference readers should read and comment on a submission. If at least two reference readers cannot be found, SWG moderators may serve as substitutes.
Once a submission has passed staff review and comments have been returned from all reference readers, the editor handling the submission will return any required edits to the author, as well as additional suggestions from the Reference Library editors and reference readers. The Reference Library editors may accept a submission contingent on changes or edits being made.
Once a final version of the submission has been received, a Reference Library editor will copyedit the submission to adhere to SWG Reference Library style guidelines. Once the author approves the copyedited submission, it will be published.
If an author disagrees with the decision on a submission, they may appeal first to all Reference Library editors. If they disagree with the editors' decision, they may appeal to all active site moderators.
Citing Sources
All submissions to the SWG Reference Library must cite all sources and include a works cited list. Submissions that do not will be returned to their authors for correction before passing to peer review. The SWG Reference Library is open to publication by Tolkien fans as well as scholars, and we encourage Tolkien fans to submit their work to us. Our editors are willing to assist authors with preparing their manuscripts for publication on our site. Please do not let unfamiliarity with academic writing or citation style dissuade you from submitting your work to us.
Reference authors should keep in mind the following:
- If you are not familiar with the SWG Reference style, but you are familiar with a citation style such as MLA or APA, use what you are comfortable with. Our editors will work with you to revise to the appropriate SWG reference style during copyediting.
- If you are not familiar with a citation style, include as much information about your source as you can. Unique identifiers such as an ISBN, DoI, or URL (web address) are helpful. If you do not have this information, include the author, the title of the piece, and the book/periodical/journal/website where you found it. If you are using a print source, be sure to include the page number or chapter/section where you found the information you are citing.
- Secondary sources (by authors other than Tolkien) are acceptable and can add depth to a submission. However, when citing facts from Tolkien, a primary source should be used.
- You should cite a source for any information that is not common knowledge for a majority of readers. Authors should assume readers on our site are familiar with the basic plot and major characters from The Silmarillion, as well as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Small details or obscure facts should be cited. Authors should not assume any familiarity with books beyond these three (such as Unfinished Tales or the History of Middle-earth series) and should cite all information from these sources. Direct quotations should always be cited. When you're not sure, err on the side of citing too much; our editors will remove any citations that are unnecessary during copyediting.
The Reference Author Resources page has more details on the citation style we use on the SWG. When in doubt, ask us for help before assuming that we don't want your submission. Our reference editors can be reached at loremaster@silmarillionwritersguild.org.
Publication Rights Acquired
Contributors to the Reference Library should be aware that the Reference Library is not a self-editable archive. Works in the Reference Library is published by the SWG, meaning that it is in a final, completed form and will become a permanent part of our site.
In submitting work to the Reference Library, the author affirms that they have the right to publish that work.
The SWG seeks one-time rights to publish a contributor's work online on our website silmarillionwritersguild.org and to link and excerpt your work on our social media satellite groups.
Contributors reserve the right to have their work removed from our site at any time. It is the contributor's responsibility to contact us at loremaster@silmarillionwritersguild.org in order to effect the removal of their work. However, we do ask contributors not to submit work that they feel they might wish to remove at a later date. Reviewing and preparing a reference for the library takes a good amount of time of our staff and volunteers and is done so with the understanding that their efforts aid in making references a permanent part of the SWG Reference Library. The SWG does reserve the right to refuse submissions from contributors who make a habit of withdrawing work from the Reference Library.
Contributors reserve the right to have their work updated at any time and must contact us at loremaster@silmarillionwritersguild.org in order to do so. However, contributors should understand that, depending on the nature of the update, the work might have to pass staff and peer review again, and the updates may be rejected. Again, contributors are encouraged to submit only work that is completed and with which they are satisfied.
Contributors are encouraged to discuss with us any terms they would like to place on the publication of their work. We will gladly name and link any publications in which the work has already appeared and will do our best to meet other terms as well.
All rights and copyright remain with the contributor. This means that that work is yours to do with as you please and to put up on as many other sites and archives as you would like.
Submitting Your Work
Use the button below to access the Reference Library submission form. In choosing to contribute a reference, you are attesting that you have read the guidelines here.
You will receive confirmation that we've received your reference within a day of submission. If you do not hear from us within twenty-four hours, query at loremaster@silmarillionwritersguild.org.
