Starship Modeler presents information in many forms, and we're always looking for more. Below are the basic article types we use - for in-depth requirements for each, see the following sections.

Reader's Tips are short texts, dealing with a single topic, which might be useful to other modelers. The topic can be anything you want; the only requirement is the tip be helpful to the people who frequent this web site. All tips submitted are sorted into categories, by subject matter, so that readers can search through them more easily.

A Gallery piece is essentially a few photographs which show off someone's completed model. Usually, there is little text to describe or rate the product as it came out of the box, or how the builder actually created what is in the pictures. There can be some of both; there is no rule against it, but this type of article is primarily a "here are some cool pictures of my finished model" type of thing.

An In-Box Preview has very little information about how well a particular kit builds up. Instead, it focuses on describing and rating what comes in the box. It will also include the reviewer's first impressions as to the kit's quality, value, accuracy and so on. Images should be geared more towards the raw parts than to the finished model. This helps kit shoppers more than kit builders. "Window shopping" can be fun, and we all want to spend our hard-earned hobby dollars on something worthwhile!

A Build-Up Review is primarily used to relay information about the process of building a particular kit. The modeler rates the kit's value, accuracy, ease-of-assembly and so on, talks about their personal building experiences and/or overall impressions, etc. They try to point out ways to avoid pitfalls in the assembly process, if there are any. The whole point is to describe how one turned lumps of inert material into a fine finished model. There should be a number of photographs that show the completed model at various angles, as well as pictures of the work in progress. These latter can be especially helpful when describing complex modifications or super-detailing. So can diagrams. When writing such an article, please consider submitting any of your short tips or tricks to the "Reader's Tips" section, if that seems appropriate to the situation. This will helps our readers find useful tips easier. It also helps keep each article's size reasonable.

Though many of our reviews are out-of-the-box buildups, that does not mean that's all we'll accept. It's really up to you, the reader, what we publish. We welcome articles on super-detailing, accurizing, adding just a few details, and straight out-of-the-box builds with equal enthusiasm.

How-To articles are always welcome - and in fact, highly sought after. These should focus on processes, techniques, or building stages and offer step-by-step instructions for accomplishing whatever topic the reviewer is addressing. Examples are: lighting models, scratchbuilding techniques, weathering and detailing sci-fi vehicles, etc. These articles will of necessity be more free-form than others described above - just remember that more detail and more pictures are always preferable to less of either. When writing such an article, please consider submitting any of your short tips or tricks to the "Reader's Tips" section, if that seems appropriate to the situation. This will helps our readers find useful tips easier. It also helps keep each article's size reasonable.

Kits that have been described in multiple Workbench Reviews are prime candidates for Build-Up Reviews hosted on Starship Modeler. We generally do not publish incomplete reviews - something the reviewer has started, but not finished - as "installments" or multi-part articles. That's not to say we have any hard-and-fast rule against such things; we just don't want to leave people hanging. Talk to us if you think your article could be featured this way.