onCUE listings and reviews represent objective and subjective points of view.  Listings are meant to be objective (unbiased) and to provide general information to the reader.  Reviews are meant to be subjective (biased) and to capture an individual’s experience.

Listing guidelines:

• Please remember to write objectively and in the third person.  Avoid saying things like “I thought the restaurant was very clean”; rather, say “The restaurant was very clean.”
• Keep the listing short and concise.  A normal listing is between 100-150 words.
• Please do not self-publish listings.  When finished, please save listing as a draft and write “finished” in the listing title.  For example, if the listing is for Papa John’s, the final draft title would be “Papa John’s, finished.”
• Listing components:

1. Address, hours of operation, phone number, prices, and web address (the web address can be entered outside of the “custom fields” section beneath the text box).
2. General physical observations of the location.  If in a restaurant, mention the approximate seating capacity; if in an art museum, note the number of galleries.
3. General style observations.  Make notes on interior design and ambiance.  Are the colors inviting?  Is the seating area crowded?  Are the restrooms clearly marked?  Etc.
4. General service observations.  Take into account the politeness of the service.  Were you seated promptly?  Did the information desk worker provide helpful directions?
5. Note anything that is unusual.  Does the restaurant have any special offers or a happy hour?  Do waitresses serve food on roller skates?  Does the museum offer a nightly ghost tour?  Letting the reader know of a location’s peculiarities is perhaps the most important component of any listing.

Listing Writing Sample:

Yesterday’s Rose is a thrift store just off Main Street accessible by the University Drive & Sager Avenue bus stop.  The self-proclaimed “friendly neighborhood thrift store” offers a variety of used products including books, records, clothing, furniture, toys, sporting equipment, and more.  A non-profit store, all proceeds are passed on to charity organizations, including The ARC of Northern Virginia and The National Council of Jewish Women.  All products are received as donations from members of the community.  Yesterday’s Rose has a number of special sales, all of which are listed on monthly sales calendars; the two most notable sales are “Lunes Loco” (during the first Monday of the month, all clothing is 75% off) and “Clean Sweep” (during the last day of the month, everything in the store is 50% off).  Sale calendars are available on the store website.