Tips and tricks

The Mudditor Checklist

The dirt about the dirty work

At MuddyUm, we editors call ourselves Mudditors. We have processes and checklists and a whole lot of fun editing all the funny posts that come our way.

This post was originally put together to help new Mudditors get up to speed quickly. But one day, we had an epiphany! What’s the point in keeping all this a secret? If we don’t tell our writers what we are looking for, how will they ever know what to expect from the friendly Mudditors?

So here it is. All our secrets are revealed! Now you know! Sshh!!

Things to check before we fall off the chair laughing at the latest funny post

• The title is formatted per our guidelines
• A subtitle exists and is formatted per our guidelines
• A kicker exists and is formatted per our guidelines
• A cover image exists and the source is given due credit
• Parenthesis to be avoided (unless unavoidable). See a note about this at the bottom
• Ellipsis to be avoided unless unavoidable
• All images across the post must give credit where credit is due
• Check the tags (topics) to ensure that one of them is Humor

• Important: The post’s humor must not resort to punching down. For those Mudditors unfamiliar with this slang — to make jokes at the expense of a person or group that is in a position of social, political, or economic weakness relative to oneself

Frequently asked questions

Older Mudditors are being asked these questions frequently.

I am a new Mudditor and I am raring to go. What should I do first?

First, you should read all the guidelines posted under the Outlaws tab and absorb them like a sponge.

You could start with this one:

Naturally, this applies to writers too!

How do I apply to be a writer? Check out Captain Susan Brearley’s post for how and where.

Once you are added as a Mudditor, go to the MuddyUm pub. Look for the MuddyUm thumbnail to the right of your profile pic. Click on it. Click on Stories. You will see the Drafts and Submissions tab with all submitted stories waiting to be accepted.

Start reading, leaving private notes, publishing, or politely returning the post although that happens pretty rarely. We want to encourage people as much as possible.

A fellow Mudditor’s post has been lying in the queue for a while. Shall I publish it?

Oh no no no no no! It is likely that the fellow Mudditor is still chewing on it. Also, if you publish it, the post is taken off the Medium paywall. We have no idea why. If you solve this mystery, publish the solution here.

How do I know if some other Mudditor is already editing a post?

When you open an article, scan it fully to check for private notes. If another Mudditor has already looked at it and left notes, you can do one of two things:

• Check if the writer has responded and made the required corrections. If yes, quickly check the article once again and hit Publish
• If the writer has not yet responded, leave this post alone and move on to the next one in the queue
• Or you can do a third thing. Edit anyway and leave your own notes. Writers can benefit from the expertise of multiple Mudditors.

How do I respond to a writer if their post is not a good fit?

Stock responses for various situations are available in the Google Doc shared on our Slack channel. Short answer though — be polite and give constructive feedback.

I have left a private rejection note for a writer. What next?

• Click on the three dots on the post and select Manage Submission

• Click Don’t accept. The writer will be notified that their post has been rejected, and the post will disappear from the MuddyUm queue

Rejection is such a negative word though. Try to avoid using it. There are many other ways to let a writer down gently without using the dreaded ‘R’ word.

I want to publish on MuddyUm. What should I do?

Submit your post to MuddyUm just like you would to any other publication. Your post will show up in the queue. You can continue to work on it for as long as you want. Publish it yourself when you think you are ready.

Important: Just because you have the power, don’t jump the queue and publish your post as soon as you finish. Make sure you or one of the Mudditors has responded to posts that came in before yours. Never forget what you learned from Spider-Man — with great power comes great responsibility.

What is the ideal length in minutes for a MuddyUm humor post?

In the Captain’s words:

On fiction and short stories, there’s no limit. They are humor pieces, not comedy or satire, which need to stay short. Form dictates the length.

Should I clap for a post that I published?

You published the story because you thought it was good, right? Then clap! You may not give them the full 50. But your claps will help that article get started on its journey to famedom! And the writer will be pleased.

Do we follow American English or British English?

Either style is ok. But you must ensure that the writer is being consistent throughout a single post.

Important: Regardless of what style of English is used, tags need to be in American English. Humor. Not Humour. Medium tags are all in American English.

A note about the usage of parentheses and ellipses

We are not proposing that parentheses be banned. We are just wary about overuse or thoughtless use. We believe writers may sometimes use parenthesis if they are not sure about what they are trying to say. By pushing back, we want to make writers think some more and write with certainty.

Also, parentheses tend to slow down reading and take the reader away from the main story. Pushing back helps writers tighten their storylines.

Replacing all parentheses with dashes is not the right answer either. The real answer lies in stepping back and looking at how the content can be presented better.

Ex-Mudditor Sarah Paris summed it up well. Here’s what she had to say about the two chaps we discourage.

At MuddyUm, our commitment to diversity and inclusivity is rooted in the belief that humor is a unifying language, reflecting and respecting the myriad facets of human experience. We champion a platform where diverse voices and perspectives are not just welcomed but celebrated, using humor to connect, reflect, and enlighten.

Our content strives to transcend stereotypes, fostering understanding and empathy through shared laughter and thoughtful dialogue. As a community and publication, we are dedicated to using humor as a bridge across cultural divides, committed to continual learning and an ongoing conversation about the impact and scope of our work. MuddyUm stands as a testament to humor’s power to both entertain and engage, highlighting the richness and variety of the human narrative.