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* Issue topics are subject to change.

Monday Developments Writers' Guidelines

Monday Developments provides in-depth news and commentary on global trends that affect relief, refugee and development work. It features the latest information on the work of InterAction members around the world and keeps readers up-to-date on legislative action in Congress that could impact U.S. foreign assistance to poor countries. Monday Developments also describes new resources for relief and development workers, professional growth opportunities, upcoming events and international employment openings.

General Information: Monday Developments welcomes unsolicited submissions on topics of interest to our readers. We will also respond to queries on whether a given article or topic is of interest, and can give writers guidance on how to proceed.

Core themes include: sustainable development, disaster relief, refugees, environment, women, policy, communications, and news on our members' activities. MD also aims to cover other key topics including: southern NGOs, hunger, health, HIV/AIDS, education, grassroots constituency building, human rights-based approaches to development, children/youth, country-specific overviews, ethical standards, non-profit sector issues and volunteering. MD includes news and commentary on rapidly changing global events that affect international humanitarian work. The primary audience is professional staff and board members of US-based private voluntary organizations (PVOs) engaged in relief and development. Government officials, members of Congress, multi-lateral agency staff, southern NGO leaders, media, university professors and students, and job-hunters also read MD.

Content and Style: Monday Developments articles are written in a clear, accessible, journalistic style. Writers should strive to capture the most interesting, relevant and current aspects of their story. First-time writers should think about writing as they would to an intelligent friend who may not be familiar with the subject, but is likely to care very much about it.

Article submission does not guarantee inclusion in Monday Developments. We reserve the right to reject submission for any reason. It is at the discretion of our editorial team as to which articles are published in individual issues.

Some pointers:

• The article should focus on what is most exciting, innovative, unusual, or controversial about the subject you are writing about.
  
• It should include quotes from people who participated in the project, expressing what they think was exciting, innovative, unusual, or controversial.
  
• The article should be succinct - do not quote numerous people saying the same things
  
• Avoid bureaucratic and official language, which is often found in government and UN documents, official summaries of conferences, etc. Try to rephrase the main points in direct, newsy language.
  
• Try to include a variety of perspectives and a variety of people. For example, be sure to include the voices of southern participants when possible.
  
• On matters of journalistic style (e.g., whether a person's title is capitalized), please consult the Associated Press Style Manual, readily available in bookstores. MD will in almost all cases use AP style, which tends to be less formal than, say, U.S. government style.
  
• Be careful about attribution. When using quotes that originally appeared in some newspaper, TV news story, etc., give credit to that source. Try to work attribution gracefully into the story [e.g. "... Natsios told The New York Times Dec. 14.].When taking information from Web sites or other Internet resources (emails, newsgroups), credit the source. Avoid plagiarism - when in doubt, give attribution.
  
• Please include contact information or a Web site URL so readers can get involved in the project or find out more about it.
  
• Abbreviations and acronyms - spell out the complete phrase or name the first time it's used. Not everyone knows what MBFR stands for.

Additional pointers:

All articles should begin with a "catchy" lead paragraph that makes the reader want to know more. This can be done in many ways: tell one individual's compelling personal story; use a provocative quote; summarize a new trend; give a "real life" example of an abstract theory; or put a theme into historical context. Whenever possible, use direct quotes from individuals whose opinions the reader will respect or who are of interest to the reader. Incorporate the comments or viewpoints of southern NGOs whenever possible.

Be sure to mention any planned follow-up to the story: future meetings, upcoming reports, resolutions or recommendations. When possible, stories should end with the name and contact information (usually email or phone) of a contact person for those wishing further information. Please also provide relevant Internet URLs.

Articles will normally run with bylines - the writer's name, organizational affiliation and email address should be included with the submission.

People are much more likely to read stories that have pictures. We encourage writers to submit photographs or other illustrations to go with their story. Illustrations need to be of high quality and camera-ready. Photos should be high-resolution (300 dpi minimum) and must be submitted electronically.

While we understand that many contributors wish to promote their organization's programas and initiatives, please bear in mind that your submission should read more like a news story, and less like a press release or promotional piece. Please focus your stories on the compelling, overarching issue that is being addressed, and incorporate your organization's projects in a subtle and informative manner.

Length: Please be concise.

Feature article: 800-1200 words
General Article: 600-800 words
Guest Column: 750 words

Format and Other Details: It's best to submit articles by email. Send to publications@interaction.org. Articles may be sent as plain text in email or as a Word 97 or text attachment. We also accept submissions on disk in Word 97 or text; please also supply a hard copy. We will normally edit for conciseness and style.

Deadlines: Deadlines for article submissions are generally on Mondays, three weeks before the publication date of the next issue.

Extra copies: Upon request, InterAction will provide writers with additional copies of the issue in which their piece appears.