Paper Trails would like to welcome you on a journey into cyberspace.
From this issue forward, you are in control of Paper Trails. You decide when to submit your photos and travel essays to the newspaper for consideration for publication. You upload them online to the new Paper Trails blog, where fellow readers can see your photos, read about your trip, comment on your tips, ask questions or request more information. Anonymity is up to you.
Hard-copy photos will continue to be accepted, and we will post those on the blog for you. The Travel section will choose from the submissions on the blog for weekly publication in The Denver Post.
To access the Paper Trails blog, visit denverpost.com/papertrails. There you will be given all the information needed to register, log in, upload photos and answer the questions required for publication consideration. Still have questions about the process? See Page 2T for a Q&A on the new Paper Trails. Also, be sure to check out the photography tips from professional John Fielder.
Give the new Paper Trails blog a try, and let us know what you think. And thanks again for taking us along on your travels.
Q. Where should I send my Paper Trails photo and information?
A. Starting today, upload all photos taken with a digital camera onto the Paper Trails blog at denverpost.com/papertrails.
The first time you visit the site to upload your photo and enter information, you will have to register. Registering is free and requires you to create a user name and password. Your user name is what other readers will know you by when they view your photos and travel stories. You also will be asked to enter your e-mail address, which will be kept confidential.
Q. Do I have to register to view the blog?
A. No. Anyone can visit the site to read Paper Trails and post comments.
Q. Will Paper Trails still be published in the newspaper?
A. Yes. Each week, we will look at the photos that have been submitted to the blog, and we will choose one to four photos for publication in the following Sunday.s Denver Post Travel section. The number of photos chosen depends on the amount of space we have.
Q. Why does The Denver Post need my e-mail address?
A. Because the Paper Trails uploaded to the site are considered for publication in The Denver Post, and the Travel section must be able to contact you for questions and verification.
Q. I don.t have a digital camera. How do I get my photos onto the blog, and will they still be considered for publication in The Denver Post?
A. Good-quality prints will be accepted and can be mailed to the Travel section at The Denver Post, 101 W. Colfax Ave., Suite 600, Denver, CO 80202. We will upload them to the blog site for you, along with the accompanying information, and they will be considered for publication along with the other photos uploaded that week.
Q. Do I have to submit the same information required before on the blog?
A. We do not need your name, address or phone number on the blog when you upload your photo. However, if your photo is chosen for publication, we will e-mail you to request your name and city of residence. The rest of the information is still required: who? (identify the people in the photo, from left to right); where? (where the photo was taken); best meal; best deal; best time to go; best travel tip.
If you are sending a print through the mail, we do need your name, address and phone number so that we can contact you with questions and for verification.
Q. What are the minimum requirements for photos?
A. For digital images, we prefer HiRes (3 megapixel or larger resolution) JPEGs, and you are limited to one upload per trip on the blog.
Q. I keep sending my photos and information, but they never get printed in the newspaper. Why?
A. A lot of factors go into the choosing of Paper Trails for publication. The Paper Trail on this page is an excellent example of what we are looking for. The photo is clear, and it offers more than simply the readers in the photo with their Denver Post Travel section (which is, of course, a requirement!).
In the photo, there is something else to look at in the background, which not only makes it more fun, it also gives other readers an idea of what to expect if they want to travel to the same place. In addition, the information in the narrative is helpful. The writers went beyond .wear comfortable shoes. (check out our Top 10 list on this page called .Things Paper Trails Already Knows. for more ideas on what not to give as Best Travel Tips), offering a specific restaurant and other detailed ideas that readers will be able to use, and are interesting and concise.
We also try to vary the locations of the Paper Trails. Sometimes in a given week, a large percentage of photos are from one place, such as Mexico or Hawaii.
Q. Do you print my Paper Trail exactly as I send it to you?
A. Not always. We reserve the right to crop a photo to fit or to edit out the date, and we will trim narratives for brevity, clarity and space.
Please read the questions closely and answer them as succinctly as possible. Paper Trails are chosen for their ability to convey information creatively while being brief and to the point.
Paper Trails submitted to the blog that do not follow the required format, with all questions answered, will not be considered for publication. We also will monitor the blog for inappropriate content.
Q. Will my photos be returned, and will you contact me to let me know if you have received it or if it will be published?
A. The volume of Paper Trails makes it impossible to verify receipt or return photos. If a Paper Trail from the blog will be published, the entrant will receive an e-mail requesting full name and city of residence for publication. However, this does not guarantee date of publication, only that it has been chosen and will be published in a future issue.
Q. Why a blog?
A. One of the things that was becoming clear with Paper Trails was that readers wanted to get more information from each other about their trips. Because of confidentiality issues, the Travel section could not release personal information to other readers, and it was impossible to easily get readers in touch with each other.
Also, because we receive nearly 100 Paper Trails submissions a week, we wanted a way to more quickly post your photos on the website so you could experience each others. trips. The blog is the ideal way to do this.
At the site, you can view other readers. trips and search for readers. photos and tips by geographical location. That means if you are about to take a trip to Africa, you can find out if other readers have been to the same area, see if there are restaurants they liked there and discover what their best tips are for traveling in that part of the country. You also can comment on reader submissions and ask for advice.
Q. I e-mailed you a photo this morning before I saw today.s newspaper. What will happen to it?
A. Photos received before midnight today will be posted to the blog by the Travel section. E-mails will be sent to those photos received after midnight requesting that they be posted to the blog.
Q. There is a problem with the blog. Where do I go for help?
A. Call denverpost.com at 303-954-1300.
Travel editor Kyle Wagner can be reached at 303-954-1599 or travel@denverpost.com.
