1. Text: Submit working drafts of 1-2 pages (600-800 words recommended) in Word format no later than the deadline. The editor will assist you with editing your article to meet the needs of the publication.
2. Art: Send photos, charts or graphs SEPARATELY as individual JPEG files. Please DO NOT embed them in Word or PowerPoint as that makes them unusable for our purposes. Photos should be high resolution – at least 300 dpi at 5x7. Higher dpi and larger size files are preferable for quality print publication. Send the highest resolution that can be emailed. Include captions and credits.
3. Required accompanying data:
a. A POC - name, telephone number and e-mail address. This is someone readers may contact for more information or to ask questions.
b. Author's name, job or position title (in relation to the article) and organization.
c. List of all acronyms and abbreviations used, along with their meanings.
4. Submit: E-mail your working drafts to: mary.b.thompson@usace.army.mil. If you do not receive a reply, please follow up to make sure it was received.
Tips and suggestions for producing a great article
1. Look for a way to breathe life into the piece:
a. One simple way is to organize your article around a number, i.e., "10 tips for master planning success" or 2 things or 50 things ...
b. Another would be to tell the story as an answer to an intriguing statement or question, i.e., “How BRAC Division overcame the worst (something)” or “Where is the military lodging world heading?”
c. Tell the information as “how-to help,” i.e, “Fast way to find out how to ...” or “Get quick answers to ...” or simply “How to ...”
d. Start with an example that illustrates what you are writing about, explain how that fits into the big picture, and then write about the big picture. (Jane XXX sees this problem daily in her DPW work at Fort XXX. Problem is symptomatic of what occurs across the Army. A new method, system, something will help Jane deal with the problem.)
e. Ask yourself why this information is important to the reader? Use the answer(s) as an aid as you organize and write.
2. Avoid writing in the first person unless you are writing an editorial or a commentary. Write in the third person because you are reporting, not commenting.
3. Avoid jargon and bureaucratic language. Jargon is not understood outside your field of expertise. Words like “implement” and “execute” other bureaucratic terms are vague. Look for more shorter, clearer and more explicit wording.
4. Great photos and graphics help to pique the interest of the reader and to tell the story.
a. Quality photos should be JPEGs of at least 300 dpi. Graphics also need to be high res. High resolution (300 dpi or higher) reproduces better in print.
b. Photos could also serve as illustrations. Rather than a snapshot of a project, try shooting something that illustrates what you are writing about, like the CFL on the cover of the Sep-Oct 2007 Digest that illustrates the Energy theme.
5. Length: about 600-800 words is optimum. Less or more is ok when needed to cover the subject.
