Submission Guidelines.

Diplomatic courier's

style guide
.


Diplomatic Courier reserves the exclusive right to the publication, republication, or other public dissemination of content which has been published on our platform—except by prior and explicit arrangement. Diplomatic Courier will, on occasion, entertain requests to republish content on other platforms with proper links back to the original content.

PLEASE NOTE.

These guidelines are for approved Diplomatic Courier contributors who have received a specific invitation to contribute by our editors. We any unsolicited pitches or submissions at this time. 

Read the Submissions Agreement.

Make sure you read and agree to our Submissions Agreement (at the bottom of this page). By submitting a piece to us, you indicate your agreement. 

bE HUMAN.

Rely on AI for structure, writing, or proofreading. While AI is a great tool for brainstorming, it does not understand your topic analytically.

Don't pitch your company or organization.

Is your piece about a product or service that you are paid to promote? Diplomatic Courier will not accept any content designed to advertise your employer, client, or organization. You are, of course, free to mention your work as a disclosure on your bio, but it should not distract from the content you submit for publication.

We do not accept requests for inserting links on our articles and we do not publish SEO links or blogs on our website under any circumstances (paid or otherwise)..

Tell Us Who You Are.

Give us a short bio that tells us who you are, and about your interests and credentials. If possible, include a personal webpage, LinkedIn profile, or list of publications.

fOLLOW THE PARTICULARS.

All submissions should be a Word document attachment or a Google doc with open permissions, never a PDF or in the body of an email. Any accompanying graphics, photos, graphs, or tables should be submitted as separate attachments. We do not accept and will not return any material, so do not mail us documents. 

Ensure your submission adheres to the particulars below. 

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, except when a different spelling is part of a title or institution’s name.
  • Use the Oxford Comma.
  • Use symbols, ie: “%” instead of “percent.”
  • 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 active voice when possible.
  • Be concise. Simplify sentences, avoid excessive commas or double negatives. Avoid complex words when a simple one does as well. 
  • Be clear. Tell us clearly what your argument is and make sure everything else you write serves that argument.
  • Prioritize depth and specificity over abstract claims or sweeping statements that appear deep but lack substance.

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 in doubt we recommend consulting a reliable third-party site such as AllSides.
  • Do Not use straw man arguments. Being fair with counter-arguments strengthens your ideas as well.
  • Do Not use specialist, wonky language. We cater to a global audience with varied interests and expertises, make sure your communication matches.
  • Do Not use morally charged, arrogant, or overly chatty/informal language. 
  • Do Not rely overly on AI, or use common AI rhetorical constructions in your writing. This means avoiding the overuse of tricolon lists (rule of three) and “not this, but that” constructions.

Content Guidelines

Failure to follow these guidelines could result in your submission being denied without review. 

Submissions:

  • Make special note of our word count guidelines. Submissions significantly over word count will be sent back to you without review. 
    Expert Commentaries: 400 words Op-eds: 600 words Features & Analysis: 1,200 words
  • Expert Commentaries: 400 words
    Op-eds: 600 words Features & Analysis: 1,200 words.
  • Use hyperlinks to valid sources, linking to data or substantiating claims which are not widely known. Links to Wikipedia, blogs, or clearly biased or controversial sites are not permitted.
  • 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.
  • 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.

types of submissions
we accept

Editorials: 600 words or less

Features: 1,000 words (maximum)

white papers: we do not accept white papers

Submitting Content

In the email subject title, please include “Submissions” and your submission’s working title.
We usually take about 2-5 working days to get back to you with a decision.

By submitting content, this confirms that you have read and agree to the Submissions Agreement below.

Submit Content

submissions Agreement.

Before we can accept any Content from you now or in the future, please confirm that you have read and agree to this Submissions Agreement (“Agreement”), which will govern any Content that you provide to us that is accepted for publication on the Site.

  1. We do not wish to receive or hold any materials from you in confidence. Therefore, you agree that no confidential relationship or obligation of secrecy is established between you and us with respect to your Content. You irrevocably agree not to assert any claim of idea appropriation, misappropriation, or any other similar claims of any kind with respect to your Content.
  2. If your Content is accepted for publication, you can promote yourself and broadcast your voice to our audience. Please understand, however, that we may publish without restriction other content on the same or similar topics as that of your Content. We make no representations, warranties, or promises whatsoever regarding the nature or level of exposure that you or your Content will receive through our publication, and you agree that we have no obligation to you under this Agreement, or under any law, or in equity, in connection with any of your Content that we may use. We expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind, express or implied including, without limitation, any warranty of merchantability, quiet enjoyment, or fitness for a particular purpose.
  3. We do not publish “Anonymous” content and do not guarantee that your identity will not be revealed by other on the internet should you send us content under a pseudonym.
  4. You should not provide us with any Content that is private. Anything published by Diplomatic Courier will be available to anyone on the internet. You are solely responsible for any legal or other repercussions that occur as a result of your Content posted with us. We assume no responsibility or liability which may arise from your Content.
  5. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to edit the Content, remove the Content, and benefit commercially from the Content.
  6. You represent and warrant to us that (a) you are 18 years of age or older and have provided us with your real name and contact information; (b) the Content is an original work created by you that has not been published elsewhere; (c) you own the copyright in the Content; (d) the Content does not contain any express or implied statements of fact that are untrue, false, or misleading; (e) the Content does not infringe the copyrights, trademarks or other rights of any third party; (f) the Content does not contain any viruses, worms, malware or other harmful or destructive material; and (g) the Content does not contain any defamatory, libelous, obscene, pornographic, threatening, abusive, harassing, or similarly unlawful material. You will indemnify and hold us harmless against any damages sustained or expenses incurred (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) in connection with any claim, action or proceeding based on an actual or alleged violation of these representations and warranties.
  7. You acknowledge that there is no partnership, joint venture, employment, consulting or other such relationship between you or us (each a “Party” and together the “Parties”).
  8. The terms of this Agreement are binding upon, and will inure to the benefit of the Parties, including their respective licensees, successors, and assigns.  We may assign, license or transfer any or all of the Rights you have granted to us to any other person or entity.  Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, there are no third-party beneficiaries to the Agreement.
  9. If any provision of this Agreement is found to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, such provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible so as to effect the intent of the Parties, and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions will not be affected or impaired, unless continued enforcement of the provisions frustrates the intent of the Parties.

This is the entire agreement between the Parties, and any changes must be agreed to in writing by the Parties. If you have read and agree to the above Submissions Agreement, you can send your submissions to the editors using the Submit Content button above.