FOR ALL EDITORIAL AND STYLE QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO THE FOREIGN POLICY BLOGS’ ADAPTED AP STYLE GUIDE

What is the Foreign Policy Blogs network?

Foreign Policy Blogs (FPB) is the largest network of global affairs blogs on the web.   Launched by the Foreign Policy Association in 2007,  our roster of bloggers includes topical and regional experts, journalists, authors, members of academia, the non-profit world as well as federal and global organizations.  You can read more about the blogs on the FPA Wikipedia page or the About section of our homepage.

How can I get a blog?

If you’d like to propose a blog, send an email to the blogs editor.  Be sure to include the subject matter you are proposing to write about, along with at least two sample blog posts and a resume.

What are the requirements for bloggers?

Bloggers should publish news-driven posts on their respective subjects at least twice a month on specified dates. Bloggers who fail to post more than 2 times per month without notifying the blog editor ahead of time will be removed from the network.

The time commitment for bloggers is one year, with the possibility of an extension following the initial year.

Finally, bloggers are encouraged to participate in media requests sent through the FPA.

What are the benefits for bloggers?

While all bloggers are volunteers, they are given the benefits of a national FPA membership, which includes all FPA publications, admission to many FPA events, and access to all parts of www.FPA.org.   Outstanding bloggers are given full support from FPA in other endeavors within the foreign policy community, including letters of support, press credentials for covering conferences and events as member of the media, and more.

I’ve been selected as a blogger for Foreign Policy Blogs. Now what?

Once you have gone through the selection process and been invited to join the Foreign Policy Blogs network, you will receive a welcome email containing a login and password.

Ok, I am sorted out.  Now how do I get started?

Follow these simple steps before you begin posting.

Login
Go to www.foreignpolicyblogs.com, and click the link in the footer that says “Blogger?  Log in Here.”

Manage your blog
Blog management is conducted from the “Dashboard.”

Create Your Profile
Click on your username in the upper right column.  Select “Your Profile.”

Enter your name, contact information and bio.  Your bio should include your professional credentials, but also something fun and personal.  How did you choose to become involved in this issue?  Is there a funny or interesting story behind it?  Have you traveled in this region?  What was it like?

*Be sure to select your  “Display name publicly as” so that it appears First name Last Name.

Upload a photo.  Click on the “Upload Avatar” button to upload your profile picture.  Please use a professional looking headshot or passport type photo if possible.

How do I create a post?

To create a post, simply click on “Add New” link from the Dashboard “Posts” section. You may edit and compose posts in draft mode. Once your post is ready for review, click “Submit for Review” so it can be looked over by the blogs editor prior to publication. The more posts you publish, the more traffic is likely to be driven to your site. Blogs should be updated at least once every day.

*When creating a post, be sure to select the category box that it best corresponds to.  Most new bloggers will be assigned a particular category, though bloggers can post across categories within their group at the discretion of the senior blogger.

You should select only one “category” that best relates to the nature of your post.

What about Tags?

Be sure to write in a few key words that best describe what your post is about.

How do I add a link?

To add a link to a post, simply highlight the text you wish to link and click on the image of the chain in the top navigation of the content management system.

How do I add a photo?

ALL POSTS MUST INCLUDE A PHOTO 600 PIXELS WIDE AT TOP CENTER

To add a photo to your post, the image must first be stored on your computer’s hard drive. You can also insert a link to a photo to display, though this is not encouraged.

To upload the image:

• Click on the image upload icon in your tool bar (it looks like a square within a square)
• Select the destination from which the image will be uploaded (your computer, a url, or your media library in WP)
• Add a title, description and any other information you’d like to appear
• Select the size you’d like the image to display (image must be 600 pixels in width)
• Click “Insert into Post”

Click here to see an example of how an image should be inserted into a post.

*Please respect copyright in choosing photos for your posts.  A few good places to find copyright free images include Wikimedia Commons, Flickr and Creative Commons.

How do I embed a video?

There are many ways to embed a video.  Most video players now offer “embed” code for a given video.  This is the most simple way to embed a video.  When writing a post, select “HTML” in the upper right side of your viewing panel. You can then paste the embed code for the video into your post.  Go back and select “Visual” in the viewing panel and you should see where the video will appear.

How do I upload an audio clip?

Hosting for audio clips is provided by the Foreign Policy Association.  If you have an audio clip to upload, contact the blogs editor for special instructions.

How can I promote my blog?

The best way to promote your blog is to email the link to all of your contacts and let them know you’ve just joined the largest network of global affairs blogs online.  Once you’ve got a substantial number of posts up, it’s time to reach out to organizations, blogs and publications that are interested in your topic, and offer to exchange links.  Promotion should be ongoing throughout the blogging process.

What about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?

There are three ways you can best optimize the way search engines find your blog posts.  The first two, adding a meta title and a meta description, can be done under your writing pane where it says “Platinum SEO Pack”.  A good title should be short and start with the keywords you’d like to bring up your article.  Bloggers are also required to use “tags” — key words that related to the content of your post — that can be entered in the right column under “Post Tags.” Separate each tag with commas.

Will my blog be edited?

All bloggers are responsible for editing their own posts in accordance with AP Style.  Prior to publication, all posts must be submitted for review, at which point they will be reviewed for style, grammar and formatting by the blogs editor. While FPA staff will review and provide feedback on posts, the FPA is not responsible for content on Foreign Policy Blogs due to the high volume of posts.  All editorial questions should be directed to the blogs editor.

Who provides technical support?

FPA provides technical support to all blogs.  If, after checking the Best Practices blog for solutions, you can not solve your problem, email FPA technical support.

What happens if I don’t post?

All bloggers should twice a month.  Bloggers who fail to publish at least 2 posts per month without notifying the online editor ahead of time will receive an email inquiry regarding the lack of posting on the first occurrence.  A second occurrence will result in removal from the network.

If you will be away for an extended period, or other time conflicts arise, simply email the blogs editor and he or she will make arrangements for a guest blogger during your absence.

What do I do if I receive a complaint of an error on my blog?

If FPA staff receive notice a content error, the post will be removed by an FPA staff member to be reviewed and revised. If you receive notice of a content error, please email the managing editor, who will handle the incident accordingly.

In the event of an overlooked grammatical error, please email the managing editor, who will revise the post.

Who owns the copyright to my blog?

Technically, the FPA owns all copyright on material that appears on the Foreign Policy Blogs network.  However, we are generally very open to bloggers having content syndicated or reprinted in other publications.  If another site, organization or publication would like to reprint a post, they should be encouraged to post only an excerpt and include the authors name, note that it originally appears on ForeignPolicyBlogs.com and include a link to the original post.

What if I still have questions after reading this?

If you are still experiencing problems after reading this tutorial, or have any other questions, please contact the blogs editor.