Step 1: Sign up to write a review

To sign up, simply navigate to Sign Up for a Review or go straight to the sign-up form here. Once you reach the form, you’ll have two options:

• Sign up for an already existing review. In the form, you’ll have the option to view a spreadsheet listing all completed, ongoing, and unassigned reviews for Zenith. If you see a movie, book, restaurant, etc. without an reviewer name listed next to it, it is open for sign-ups, and you can simply enter in the name of the item to be reviewed on the form.
  
  
• Pitch a review idea. If you have an idea that’s not listed on the aforementioned spreadsheet, you can simply enter it in on the form. Please try to make sure whatever you’re reviewing is fairly current, especially if it’s a non-fiction book. If not, it might fit more squarely under “Long-form/Essay.”

After you fill out the form, we will email you within 48 hours to approve or deny your review request.

Step 2: Read our email!

After your review idea is approved, we’ll send you an email with a document on which to write the review, as well as resources you can use to better understand the structure of review writing. At this point, you’ll want to consume whatever content it is you’re reviewing, and take notes on it!

At this point, if you’d like to have a Zoom with your editor so they can introduce you to review writing and our writing/editing process, reply to the email or to your editor’s text message saying you’re opting in to a meeting! We’re always happy to help writers get on board more easily.

Step 3: Consume the content and finish your story outline.

The outline for your review (document sent out with the initial email) is due one week after the review has been approved. We’ll be checking in with you on the day it’s due, just to see how things are going. Before you finish your outline, you should, of course, have consumed whatever content it is you’ll be reviewing (e.g. you should have watched the movie, read the book).

Step 4: Write your review!

Usually, you will have around 2.5 weeks total to complete the review (so the final draft is due four days after the outline is). If you are sending in a long-form essay/analysis, you may have longer to finish the story.

On the day your final draft is due, we’ll edit it for grammar and comprehensibility.

Step 5: Make the (multiple rounds of) edits added to your review.

You’ll have a chance to review the edits and make them, and when we’ll go through a second or third round of edits if necessary (this is not always the case). Once you have made all the edits, you’re done! If you have any concerns regarding the changes, simply make a comment on the Google doc you’re writing your story on, and your editor will make any necessary adjustments.

The whole editing process usually takes 3-4 days, depending on how responsive you are. Your editor will update you every time new edits have been made, and the story will be published the day of or the day after final edits have been resolved.

Step 6: Celebrate! You’re done!

Head back over to this site to see how your hard work has paid off! 🙂