Posting & Submission Guidelines
The following guidelines and rules are here to help you have the greatest chance of success here at DGM. Failure to follow these rules may result in your article, photograph, or artwork being deleted.
User Submitted Articles
Rules for Submitting an Article:
- You must be old enough in your country to be considered a legal adult.
- Articles must be grammatically correct to the best of your ability. (Then have a friend who is good at grammar read it over before you send it in.)
- Articles must contain at least two – three paragraphs of content that makes sense on its own.
- Please be respectful of others and their views. It’s okay not to agree with a particular view, but articles must not contain any libelous or denigrating material to others
Articles will not be accepted that:
- Promote or Proselytize for Individual Religions or Political Groups.
DGM exists to unify Goths. Our readers, writers, and contributors come from very disparate belief systems, so we do not promote individual religious or political systems. - Promote or Romanticize Self-Injury or Suicide.
A lot of our readers struggle with self-injury, depression, and suicidal thoughts and we do not glamourize this in any way. - Contain nudity, sexually erotic, or pornographic content.
- Promote or romanticize clearly illegal activities or terrorism.
- Endorse or promote racist, sexist, or hate-based groups.
If you are at all unsure where the line on one of these things is, please contact us directly for clarification.
User Submitted Photography & Artwork
Rules for Submitting Photography & Artwork:
- You must be old enough in your country to be considered a legal adult.
- You must be the legal owner of the photographs/artwork being submitted–or you must have an arrangement with the legal owner where you can submit this content for the purpose of publicity. (Galleries and photos posted at DGM are not financially reimbursed and therefore are classified as promotional use under most photographer/model agreements.)
- Photos should be of single models, not multiple models, unless pre-approved.
Photographs & Artwork will not be accepted that:
- Promote or Proselytize for Individual Religions or Political Groups.
DGM exists to unify Goths. Our readers, writers, and contributors come from very disparate belief systems, so we do not publish pictures or galleries that promote individual religious or political systems. - Promote or Romanticize Self-Injury or Suicide.
A lot of our readers struggle with self-injury, depression, and suicidal thoughts and we do not glamourize this in any way. - Sexually objectify their models.
(The difference between sensual and sexually objectifying images are what the posing, costuming, lighting, and angle incline the reader to perceive about the model. Those which are sensual showcase a human being that has a visceral side–not just sexual–whereas those that are sexually objectifying show a “thing” whose purpose is sexual gratification.) We respect the models we post here and we will not glamorize the sexual objectification of men or women. - Contain Frontal Nudity.
Although nudity can be artistic, it is almost impossible to quantify where that line is and it adds unneeded limitations on those who can visit our site. - Promote or romanticize clearly illegal activities or terrorism.
- Endorse or promote racist, sexist, or hate-based groups.
If you are at all unsure where the line on one of these things is, please contact us directly for clarification.
Content for Official Consideration
To have your content officially considered–meaning you’d like your submission to be raised from “User Submitted” to “User Approved,” “Contributor Submitted,” and, eventually, “Staff Submitted,” there are some additional suggestions we make for having the greatest chance of being raised to that level.
For Writers:
Here are things that will separate you from the pack:
- Read Amanda Palmer’s amazing book, The Art of Asking, and see how she shows the outside perspective on things and ask questions about the world we live in, yet doesn’t get preachy in that process.
- Consider articles that focus on ways that we in the Gothic community can improve and unite.
- Share stories of personal journeys and overcoming difficulties from your own life.
- Challenge your audience with questions about pre-conceived notions and the way the world works in a way that encourages them to make their own decisions, rather than tries to force your own perspective on them.
For Photographers/Models:
Here are a few things that will separate you from the pack:
- Read Ben Mig’s awesome the photography book Alternative Portraiture and look to create shots that show a well-defined sense of space, lighting, and texture that are similar to those seen here.
- Try to submit galleries that have no more than one or two different models in them.
- Submit galleries that have a cohesive theme–ideally from a single shoot.
- Consider galleries that tell a story throughout, somewhat like a graphic novel.
- Embrace colorful and fanciful costumes and makeup. (While some amazing artistic photography can be done in black-and-white, a lot of modern Gothic photography is very colorful and eye catching, having more in common with Cirque du Soleil.)
- Avoid blood bath/splatter photography. (There are times blood can be shown elegantly and we will occasionally post galleries that include some of this, but it’s very hard to do well.)
- Avoid lingerie, pasties, and string bikinis. (While it’s possible to use these minimal outfits in a way that’s classy and doesn’t objectify the model, it’s very difficult.)
Submission Agreement
If you submit content, you are agreeing to give DarkestGoth Magazine a license to use your submission as they see fit so long as you are appropriately credited for your work. This is a non-exclusive license and does not prevent you from using your work for any other purposes, so long as it does not exclude them from using your submission.
Thank you,
The DGM Team
