Write

Write for STC National

The publications that are produced by the STC are industry-leading publications that are a wonderful resource for articles, blogs, and research in the field of Technical Communication. Visit the STC Publications website to see more information about them and get access to the current issues.

• Intercom Magazine offers the following opportunities:
  • Feature Articles
  • Themed Articles
  • Columns
  • Society Pages
  • Departments

Read more here.

• Technical Communication Journal the following opportunities:
  • Proposals
  • Manuscripts
  • Cover Illustrations
  • Book Reviews
  • Abstracts

Read more here.

Write for the Lowdown (Newsletter)

Thank you for being so interested in contributing to the NTLS chapter Newsletter, the Lowdown! What can you write about? Writing, editing, technology, software development, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), instructional systems design (ISD), multimedia, multichannel publication, design thinking, usability, user experience (UX), information architecture, content strategy, search engine optimization (SEO).

Why should I write for the Newsletter?

You continue a long and rich tradition by writing or editing for the Newsletter.

• Strengthening the technical skillset of local practitioners with the latest insight into professional and technical communication.
• Keeping our membership of 50+ communicators informed of current and future events, trends, and opportunities.
• Highlighting the success of our current members and reaching out to related disciplines and newcomers to the field.
• Building up your own portfolio in authoring for a great newsletter

What can I expect through the process?

After you contact us, our Newsletter editor (either the Webmaster or the President) will contact you to help you take your idea from the initial draft to publication. Following our guidelines on this page, you’ll submit the first draft to the newsletter editor. The newsletter editor performs a quick style edit, and then uploads and publishes the content to the Low Down. We’ll send you a link when it’s done, so you can follow up with any questions or share it with your own network.

Authoring Guidelines

1. Subject: Write on a topic that interests you! The field of technical communication is broad, and we publish many types of articles, such as event recaps, tips, and tricks, interviews, or book and tool reviews. Still trying to figure it out? We’re happy to discuss an idea with you!
2. Length: Keep it short and sweet. Your content should be approximately 500-800 words.
3. Title: Provide a snappy and search-friendly headline, like “Top 10 Reasons to go to an STC conference” or “A Beginner’s Guide to Software Testing.”
4. Images: Include a featured image or diagram for the post. You can search sites like Pixabay.com or Pexels.com that allow for reuse and do not require attribution. If the event is a recap, include any photos from the event.
5. Bio: Let us know a little about yourself. We include an author bio with each post that includes a professional headshot (500px by 500px if possible), a few sentences about yourself, and any links to your social media that you want to promote.
6. Extras: Provide any links to resources used. For example, if your newsletter content ties into an event we’re hosting, we might include a link to the event recording in the blog.