Submission Guidelines

Mirror News Submissions

Mirror News is open to original, interesting articles covering local news, opinion, and popular topics.

Open Submission Process

  • Submissions need to be sent via e-mail to editor@hfcc.edu with “Mirror News” in the subject line, followed by the article’s title/type and the text “finished draft”.
  • Email must contain the name of the author, relationship to Henry Ford College (student, instructor, staff member, etc.), and contact information.
  • The article itself must be within the body of the email, or attached as a file.
  • Photographs can be submitted in color or black and white, and should be attached to the article submission email in .jpg or .pdf format. Images must be at a high resolution (min. 300 dpi). There is no guarantee that photographs will be in color. Color priority will be given to photos where color is essential to the meaning of the photograph. A caption is REQUIRED for all images. (See caption criteria below.) All photos of people where the individual is clearly identifiable must be accompanied by a completed media release form: Henry Ford College Media Release for Adult or Minor. Any image or photo that is not original must be properly credited to prevent copyright infringement.
  • New submissions from first-time contributors require a brief summary of the article in the email, and basic biographical information about the author.

All open submissions are encouraged to complete the online Assignment Sheet to assist Mirror News staff in deciding if and where to place a submission that is being considered for publication.

Freelance Submission Guidelines

  1. Published content is at the ultimate discretion of the Mirror News Editor in Chief.
  2. Stories cannot contain any plagiarized materials or information. All submissions must be the original work of the person submitting. Proper in-text citations and attribution are always needed, regardless of submitted material type, length, or content.
  3. Stories submitted must adhere to strict standards of proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
  4. Articles written must be between 300 and 900 words and be relevant to the Mirror News’ readership.
  5. Stories will need to be structured in accordance with standard journalism formatting and style, regardless of story type or content. Reporting will strive to be as neutral and objective as possible. Opinion pieces can be subjective, but will labeled as such.
  6. Stories cannot be formatted like traditional essays and cannot be accepted with works cited pages. Editors are unable to “convert” essays to accepted journalism formats. Please review Associated Press Style standards for proper format.
  7. Stories from contracted “freelance” staff writers must be granted approval by the Editor in Chief before the article is written. Open submissions are not eligible for pre-approval.
  8. All stories submitted may provide a photo or a graphic with the article. Proper credit must be provided to avoid copyright infringement. Freelancers may request a graphic or photo. Media requests must be made to the Editor at least five (5) business days before articles are due.
  9. Editors may contact you and provide feedback on submitted content. Contact is not an assurance of publication.
  10. Stories submitted are subject to editing that extends beyond grammatical and typographic errors. Your content may appear in an altered manner. Stories will not be re-written. Edits do not require approval by the writer.
  11. The Mirror News managing editors reserve the right to reject any submissions that deviate from the purpose and integrity of the Mirror News.
  12. Writers give The Mirror News first serial rights for their stories, meaning the Mirror News will be the first to publish your work, but then rights revert back to the author.
  13. We cannot guarantee published photos or images will be in color.

Payment for Freelance Submissions

Please be aware that only published submissions in the printed edition are paid. The Mirror News accepts articles from freelancers at $25/each for up to three paid submissions an issue. Photos and non-news items earn $15 each up to $75 per issue. Payment cannot exceed $75 per issue. Any content published above and beyond this for any given issue will not be subject to payment, but are publications that can be listed on a resume or portfolio.

Looking Glass Submissions

Looking-Glass is open to original, creative projects—writing, illustration, photography, etc.—produced by the many imaginative and artistic students at Henry Ford College.

  • Submissions need to be sent via e-mail to editor@hfcc.edu with "Looking Glass" in the subject line.
  • The complete submission must be within the body of the email, or attached by file.
  • Poetry, Short Story, Creative Non-Fiction are accepted.
  • Art work must be: 300 dpi, and sent in .jpg or .pdf files.
  • Can be submitted in color, but we cannot guarantee that all works will be published in color.
  • We do accept: drawings, design, pictures, and typography with any media.
  • Can be a 3D Art Piece (i.e sculptures, paintings, tile, textiles, ceramics, etc..) Please email editor@hfcc.edu to make an appointment for a photo of Art Piece.
  • No anonymous work is accepted.
  • All work must be original – copyrighted material cannot be published.
  • All submitted work must have a title in order for it to be published.

Note: All Submissions

Please be aware that only published submissions in the printed edition are eligible for payment, but publications on the online versions of "The Mirror News" and "Looking Glass" provide an excellent opportunity to build your portfolio and/or resume.

All submissions must be the original work of the person submitting. All work must include the name of the author, relationship to Henry Ford College (student, instructor, staff member, etc.), and contact information.

Looking Glass submissions require in the body of an e-mail, a brief summary of the article or description of the art piece and contact information about the author or artist. Submissions that are considered for publication will receive a follow-up email requesting a brief biography of the author or artist.

Office Number: M-117 Student and Culinary Arts Center, building "M"

Mirror News and The Looking Glass reserves the right to edit all submissions for length and clarity, and to reject any submissions that deviate from the purpose and integrity of the Mirror News or Looking Glass. Email all questions to: editor@hfcc.edu