There are two methods for becoming a contributor to The Pub, and which method used depends on whether or not you are an established author already. (This section deals exclusively with authors, because artists are currently accepted automatically, due to the extremely low numbers of them here.)

The first method applies to already-established authors, whose work is available online somewhere, and who already have a fan base. For these authors, the easiest way to become a contributor to The Pub is to have their fans request it, through the use of the Recommend a Contributor page.

If you are not yet an established writer, or if you think you don't have enough fans here at The Pub to get enough recommendations, you can use the Prospective Authors system to try to become a contributor here.

We would like to point out that using this system DOES NOT guarantee that you will ever be a full-fledged contributor to the site. This system allows the site readers to see your work, and to give their opinion of whether or not they wish to see more. Here's how the system works:

First, you post your story. It will appear under a special contributor, named "Prospective Authors". This contributor appears on the Author List on the site. Also, all Prospective Authors work has a special section on the recent submissions table on the main page of the site.

You may post as much work as you want, while you are still eligible. (We'll get to why you might be ineligible in a minute.) The members will then read your story(ies), and use the Recommendation System to give their opinion of your work. Once you have a certain number of opinions given, you will be evaluated for a spot as a full-access site contributor.

No part of the formula (and it is a numerical formula) that determines whether or not you are accepted as a contributor will be made public, but we will tell you that it is not based solely on reader opinion. You will also be evaluated on site participation. Remember: The Pub is a community, not just a stories site. If you want to be a contributor here, you should participate in every way you can.

There is also an activity time limit on acceptance. You must post something at least once every four months. Also, you have a maximum of one year to receive the required number of opinions from the members. (If you have multiple stories posted, all opinions are summed together. You do not have to reach the required number on any one story this way.)

If, once you are evaluated, it is determined that you will be invited to be a contributor, all of your previous posts will be moved into your own section of the site automatically: you won't have to re-upload them, and you won't lose your stats! (Of course, you won't have been able to see your stats until this point, but once you're a contributor, they'll be there waiting for you!)

On the other hand, if you are evaluated and for whatever reason, it is decided not to ask you to be a contributor, your posts will be removed from the Prospective Authors section, and you will be ineligible to post to the section for a period of six months. We do this because we know that authors get better with practice, and while you may not have been ready just now, perhaps with a little more practice, you will be. But if we simply kept all your work up until you got it right, your old scores would negatively impact your new scores, and that's not helpful to either of us.

So, if you're ready to give this writing thing a try, go to the menu under "Prospective Authors", and Add A Story now!