Submission Guidelines
How to pitch to The Kiosk
The Kiosk’s mission is to bridge the distance-learning gap by creating a virtual student lounge for all aspects of student life. If you’re a CUNY School of Professional Studies student and want to share your work with our community, we’d love to hear from you!
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Guidelines:
Please send us an email at thekiosk@spsmail.cuny.edu with the subject of your pitch in the email subject line. In your pitch, please provide a detailed explanation of what your story or multimedia project would entail, including a possible headline and lede or first paragraph. If you already have a completed article or project, feel free to send it over.
While we are open to various topics, we only ask that you adhere to a writing style that prioritizes clarity, brevity, consistency, and of course, accuracy. If you’re interested in journalism as a career and want to use your article as a clip for future job applications, we suggest adhering to the AP Stylebook, though it’s not necessary to be published in The Kiosk.
Here are the stories we’re most interested in:
- General CUNY SPS news
- Announcements for upcoming CUNY SPS club events
- Coverage of past club events
- Op-eds or personal essays on student life
- Faculty or student profiles, or stories covering university departments and efforts
Despite these topics being of most interest to us, we believe that everyone’s voices, perspectives, and experiences have the potential to make an impact. We welcome any piece of writing or creative work that you’re passionate about sharing — that includes photography, art, videos, podcasts, and much more.
Any submission is welcome — and it just might have a place within The Kiosk!
Our Principles on Using AI
At The Kiosk, we understand that AI tools like Grammarly or ChatGPT are being introduced at a rapid pace. While these tools offer ways to speed up tasks or better understand material, we must maintain our integrity as authors. Let’s use these tools to improve our writing and research skills so that we can stay ahead of the curve, but use them responsibly.
The Kiosk allows limited use of generative AI tools where the writer must critically evaluate and fact-check all AI suggestions. Since these tools have a tendency to hallucinate, it is essential that the written work is evaluated to avoid misrepresentation, plagiarism, and infringement of journalistic ethics.
So we ask the following of our fellow students writers:
- The student is always fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all published work.
- AI tools are permitted only to support grammar, light editing, and clarity of the work. It is not to be used as a ghost writer.
- Any use of AI should be disclosed to editors and noted to the readers for transparency. The editor will have the final say before publishing.
Allowed
- Brainstorming topics, angles, or questions.
- Outlining possible structures for a piece.
- Revising and editing sentences for grammar and clarity.
- Image generation for the article
Not Allowed
- Submitting 100% AI‑generated work as if they were fully written by the student.
- Using AI to imitate another person’s style or identity.
Helpful Prompts
AI tools are large language models that generate unique responses based on the specific context of a conversation. These prompts are processed differently every time, where the output can differ for each student. In any case, you can always count on The Kiosk’s editors for their support during the writing process.
Suggested Prompt for Copyediting
“Proofread this article for grammar, spelling, and punctuation only. Do not change my meaning, facts, or tone. Then, list the main types of errors you fixed so I can learn from them.”
Suggested Prompt for Clarity
“Give me feedback on the flow between paragraphs. Where should I add transitions or cut sentences to improve pacing and coherence? Only offer suggestions. Do not change anything so that I can learn.”
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do I submit my work or idea to The Kiosk?
You can submit your ideas via email.
What kind of content does The Kiosk accept?
The Kiosk is open to various types of content, with a focus on journalistic writing about the school and students. However, we also welcome multimedia submissions, including photography, videography, podcasts, and more. Feel free to reach out to us with your ideas!
Is there a word limit for submissions?
We recommend articles to be between 200-800 words. Depending on the content, we will also accept longer articles.
Is it necessary to follow the AP Stylebook for submissions?
It is not necessary to follow the AP Stylebook for submissions, but encouraged. Our editorial team will review your writing before publication, providing you with an opportunity to receive feedback.
Do I need to be a current CUNY SPS student to submit?
While we mainly encourage current CUNY SPS students to submit, we are open to alumni contributing if the topic is relevant to their time at the school.
Does The Kiosk offer any compensation or recognition for published work?
Currently, we do not offer monetary compensation. However, we are working on a system to allow students to receive credits for their contributions. Publishing for The Kiosk can also serve as valuable experience on your resume for career development.
Does The Kiosk offer any resources or support for students unfamiliar with journalistic writing or multimedia production?
Yes, we hold open editorial meetings every week each semester to discuss story ideas and give feedback to writers. If you’re interested, reach out to us via email to get information about meeting invites and times.
Can I submit content that I previously wrote?
Yes, you can submit content you’ve written before, as long as it hasn’t been published elsewhere.
How frequently does The Kiosk publish new content, and are there specific deadlines for submissions?
We aim to publish at least 2 articles a week. There are no general submissions deadlines, but we will communicate with you directly about when we’re looking for your submission.
Ready to Submit Your Idea?
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