Frequently Asked Questions

How do I join Alte?
Send a paragraph (maximum of 200 words or less) about your thoughts/research regarding "FLOATING CITIES" to alte.sententiam@gmail.com with the subject heading "Application". Be sure to include your full HOL name.

What’s with the floating cities nonsense?
It makes sure you really want to join Alte. And that you're paying attention to the application form. Oh, and Cassie happens to like floating cities, duh!

Can I be an editor?
Positions for anything other than writers (editors, webmasters, etc.) will be announced in the Alte forum and the website when there are openings and we’ll tell you how to apply there.

What if I want to write for Alte, but I’m not sure I’ll have the time?
That’s why we have guest writer positions. Just send us your articles whenever you have them done, no application or anything. They have to be approved just like staff writer articles, though, so be sure to check with Cassie.

What should I write about?
Anything you like. Whatever interests you at the moment. Something you’ve always wondered about. A subject you’re studying in school. Anything goes, as long as it’s HOL appropriate. If you’re stuck for ideas, talk to one of the editors. We can help you get ideas.

Small note: The Alte is no longer accepting short stories. If you would like to showcase your short stories/fanfiction/etc., you’ll find that the Ravenclaw Library has an open-door policy on that.

Does my topic need to be approved?
Yup. Send your topic to Prof. Cassandra S. Lobiesk (pr_lob) for approval before you write it. You can send me a HOL Message, PM, or email. If you come to me on IRC, I ask that you also send me an email or PM or HOL message anyway for my records, because otherwise I will forget. Keep in mind that even with an approved topic, your article may still be unpublished for certain reasons.

I may have approved your ideas for submissions, but this doesn’t mean that I will most definitely publish your article. If my editors and I agree unanimously, I will either a) talk to you about improving the article or b) won’t use the submission for that month. I usually try to contact the author anyway, to try to work out the phrasing for certain articles, so there’s really been no reason for us to completely reject a submission unless it’s plagiarized or poorly thought out.

How long does my article need to be?
As long as you need it to be. Seriously. It can be anywhere from a paragraph or two (300 words-ish) to several pages. Keep in mind how much you need to write to cover the subject, and how much people really want to read. If you’re looking at an epic, that’s great, talk to us about turning it into a series.

When do I need to have my article in?
Well we’d like staff writers to have an article in for every publication, but we understand that real life happens, and if it’s not in on time, that’s ok, we can put it in the next one. Just try not to keep postponing your articles over and over again, the editors do get tired of having to wait for submissions.

I have an excellent Column Idea, how do I apply for one?
Send your column idea to alte.sententiam@gmail.com. Also, please include a written excerpt of what you might write in your column. If you send an entire sample article, and if the column is approved, the sample article can count as your issue article (unless you would rather write another one). Keep in mind, once you apply for a column, you are expected to write an article for that column for at least every other issue (if not every issue).

Where do I submit my article?
Send your article to alte.sententiam@gmail.com. Be sure to include the title in the email, and your full HOL name and ID, so we know who to credit. Don’t forget to include your references.

What kind of references should I use/include?
You can use the internet, your local library, encyclopedias, whatever. Just be sure to include links to any sites you used, or the titles and authors of any books that you’ve alluded to.

Plagiarized articles are immediately crumpled, shredded, tossed out the window, and buried deep under an abyss that no one can get out of (not to mention you are risking valuable HOL points). Consider yourselves warned.

How often is Alte published?
Alte will be updated/published approximately every other month. Depending on the number of issues received, however, there might be the case that an issue will come out in the consecutive month.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email Prof. Cassandra Lobiesk at alte.sententiam@gmail.com.