The first and most important rule is to familiarize yourself with existing content on the website to get a feel for our style and tone expectations. This style guide will address common issues. For a more complete discussion of writing style, refer to New Hart’s Rules or the Economist Style Guide for internationally recognized standards.

General Rules (Dos and Don’ts)

DO:

• Use American English. The only exception is when a different spelling is particular to a title or an institution’s name.
• Use the Oxford Comma.
• Use symbols. Use “%” instead of “percent,” and “$” instead of “USD.”
• Spell out acronyms. Always spell out an acronym the first time it is used except where the acronym is commonly known across a broad, general audience.  Acronyms should be without punctuation, except the U.S. IE: The U.S. is part of NATO.
• Use American English. The only exception is when a different spelling is particular to a title or an institution’s name.
• Use active voice whenever possible.
• Write clearly. Keep your sentences simple whenever possible, avoiding double negatives and excessive use of commas.
• Keep punctuation inside. Punctuation goes inside quotes and parentheses.  Dashes should all be em dashes. This doesn’t apply to a hyphenated single word, which should use a single dash. In all other cases, please use the em dash. Note that with an em dash, there is no space between the words and the dash. Word–word.
• Keep it simple. Avoid long words when a short one does just as well. Avoid unnecessary words–if you can cut out a word without changing the meaning of your sentence it is usually best to.
• Be clear. Make it clear early on what your argument is, then make sure everything else you write for your piece is in service of furthering that argument.
• Cite your work. Claims need to be cited with a hyperlink to a trustworthy source, unless you are a recognized expert with specific topical expertise that can stand in place of a citation. If you are making a claim based on unpublished research by an organization you represent, explain that.
• Use our standards for topical verbiage. Some topical terms have several acceptable ways of being spelled. Diplomatic Courier settles on a given spelling to be used in all cases. You can find a list of common examples at the end of this guide.
• Be sparing in your use of the “Rule of Three.” We are often trained to use the rule of three to add rhetorical heft on the belief that it emphasizes the importance of a point, engages the reader’s interest, and makes the writer look smarter. (See previous sentence for example.) Avoid this. The “rule of three” works best when used sparingly, and only to drive home truly key themes.

DO NOT:

• Do Not use punctuation in acronyms. This is especially true for acronyms that shorten the names of states and institutions. The only exceptions for this are “U.S.” and for organizational acronyms that intentionally use punctuation as part of the org name.
• Do Not use biased sources. When citing arguments or statistics avoid using Wikipedia, blogs, or biased viewpoint sites. If in doubt, you can refer to RAND’s “fighting disinformation” resource page. Under “Verification” there are numerous resources you can use.
• Do Not use straw man arguments. Be fair when characterizing arguments you disagree with—misrepresenting those arguments only makes your core argument weaker. Do Not use common metaphors. An original or rarely-seen metaphor helps strengthen your points by evoking mental images, while well-recognized metaphors add no value and unnecessarily complicate your sentences.
• Do Not use specialist or “wonky” language. We cater to a broad audience and must be accessible. Research pieces may require more technical language, but always keep your audience in mind.  
• Do Not be stuffy, arrogant, or chatty. Use language of everyday speech when possible. Avoid morally charged language and don’t speak down to those you disagree with. At the same time, avoid “chatty” language. While using everyday speech makes your arguments accessible, writing too informally is irritating and makes your arguments feel less weighty.
• Do Not be afraid to occasionally stray from these rules. If you are a seasoned writer and confident in your ability, you may on occasion find that ignoring one of these rules helps your tone or to make your argument more weighty. Don’t be afraid to do this occasionally. If you find yourself wanting to break these rules often, it probably isn’t productive.

Content & Submission Guidelines

Please note that failure to follow these guidelines could result in your submission being returned to you without review, though we will attach a note telling you what needs addressing.

Submissions:

• Please read our submission guidelines here.
• All submissions should be sent via the submissions form here.
• Make sure you read and agree with our Submissions Agreement (located at the bottom of the Submissions Guideline page, linked above.) By submitting a piece to us, you indicate your agreement.
• Make special note of our word count guidelines. Submissions significantly over word count will be sent back to you without being reviewed, with a note asking you to adjust for word count.
• Submission types and word count:
  - Editorial: approx. 600 words
  - Feature: approx. 800 words
  - Book Review: approx. 1,000 words
  - Analysis Piece: approx. 1,200 words (note we only accept these from authors with clear topical expertise)
  .

Content:

• Hyperlinks to valid sources are required linking to data or substantiating claims which are not widely known. The exception is when the author is a recognized expert on the specific topic to which the knowledge claim is made. Links to Wikipedia, blogs, or clearly biased or controversial sites are not permitted.
• Content should be concise. Lay out your thesis statement in the first paragraph and ensure everything in your piece is relevant to this.
• Bias. While Diplomatic Courier publishes op-eds which argue for particular viewpoints, your viewpoint should never override logic in your argument. Recognize your bias, keep it in check, and treat opposing viewpoints fairly.
• Advertising. Diplomatic Courier will not publish any piece which seems to have the purpose of advertising a business or brand. When relevant, you may point out work your organization is doing to confront a problem highlighted in your piece, but this should be minimized and tasteful. Avoid any appearance you may be trying to build “hype” for any brand or organization.