Writer's Guide for Article Submissions
The U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center Automotive Directorate plans, conducts, analyzes and reports the results of developmental tests, production tests, and other tests specifically focused in the areas of ground and amphibious manned and unmanned vehicles, vehicular weapons and fire control systems. (Photo by Pvt. Joseph Burns, U.S. Army National Guard)
First, read the magazine. There is no better way to understand what we look for in an article than what we publish.
We’re looking for articles that tell a story—you have the “what,” now explain the “how” and “why.” Give us details and specificity on best business practices, innovations and other information valuable to the Army Acquisition Workforce.
Download the MS Word Article Template to Get Started!
Feature articles. News of interest and use to the workforce, written in a problem-solution framework, with the issue presented clearly. The best articles describe solutions in one domain of acquisition, logistics or technology that can be applied in another.
Career-related articles. Timely news or insight on subjects related to Army acquisition careers, training and the like.
Commentary. Thought-provoking and incisive opinions on issues of interest to the Army acquisition enterprise and industry. These could include recommendations for process changes, lessons learned from program managers, or interesting angles on how the Army might do business better.
No-Go articles. We’re not looking for histories, program overviews, footnotes, endnotes or articles scheduled for publication in other outlets. We do not publish white papers or research papers. We do, however, publish feature articles based on them.
Length. Articles can be short, 500-800 words, or longer, up to 1,600 words. Word counts don’t include writer’s bio, captions or sidebar, if applicable.
Approach. Articles usually follow one of three narrative types:
- Expert articles. The majority of our articles are about best practices and lessons learned. They are usually written by experts in acquisition, logistics, science and technology, contracting, finance and other domains, and approach the subject in a problem-solution framework.
- Reported articles. These are articles written by people other than experts, but are reported using experts as quoted sources. They usually focus on best practices and lessons learned.
- Q&A articles. Sometimes, an in-depth interview is best presented in a question-answer format. This kind of article can speak to questions the workforce may have about particular issues. Most begin with biographical details of the subject or subjects.
- Commentaries. Each issue we publish commentaries from acquisition experts and thinkers, and we welcome insights and fresh takes on how the Army does the business of acquisition.
There are other approaches. Would-be authors are wise to read the magazine, and then read it some more. Images and graphics. Be sure to submit high-resolution photos, charts and other images (as separate files) that illustrate and expand upon the article, along with a brief caption that explains the image. Each photo or graphic needs a photo or graphic credit.
Requirements
We have a few requirements for each article you submit. Functional lead, public affairs and OPSEC approval. All articles must have functional lead approval from the leadership of the submitting organization and undergo the organization’s operational security review. Authors must make their command’s public affairs organization aware of the article so that Army AL&T public affairs can collaborate with it for the article’s promotion.
Author biographies. These have the author’s name and rank or title; education listing the degrees in descending order, area of study and where earned; DAWIA certifications and Acquisition Corps membership, if applicable, and any other credentials that bolster the author’s authority.
Submit
Upload your articles, photos, graphics and advertisements at https://asc.army.mil/web/publications/army-alt-submissions/ (CAC required).
Due to changes in our publication process, deadlines will be enforced. Our deadlines are:
- Spring issue:
- January 1 for outlines and abstracts
- January 15 for full articles
- Summer issue:
- April 1 for outlines and abstracts
- April 15 for full articles
- Fall issue:
- July 1 for outlines and abstracts
- July 15 for full articles
- Winter issue:
- October 1 for outlines and abstracts
- October 15 for full articles
Please note that if these days fall on a weekend or holiday, the deadline will be the nearest work day. So, if the 15th of the month falls on Saturday, the deadline with be Friday the 14th.
Once your article package is uploaded, you should receive a response from an editor on its status in about a week. If you have any question, please email the editors at armyalt@gmail.com.
AL&T Style Quick Reference
Army AL&T follows AP Style. Here are some quick tips to get you started:
- We always capitalize the S in Soldier when referencing U.S. Army Soldiers.
- We only use title case (initial capital letter) for proper nouns—the proper names of people, places and things. When in doubt, don’t capitalize (no matter what your Army instincts tell you).
- Job titles (not position descriptions) before the individual’s name get title case, per AP; those after the name do not.
- Under AP Style, rank is never in all capitals. Use Maj. Gen.; Lt. Col.; 1st Sgt.; Pvt., etc.
- We use Humvee, based on AP style, instead of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).
- Use acronyms and initialisms only if there is no other option. If the acronym or initialism appears only once or twice, don’t use it.
- Acronyms and initialisms should be fully capitalized unless in a trademark. (DoD? No. DOD.)
- Do not use footnotes or endnotes. Introduce sources in a sentence to cite them. For example, “In Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War,’ we learn that…”
- Note: If you cite monetary figures, peer-reviewed studies or published material of any kind, it is helpful to include a link to your source’s webpage or PDF.
- At the end of your article include:
- A sentence beginning “For more information…” that directs readers to a point of contact, website or other resource for further details or questions.
- A brief biography—about 100 words—for each author listed in the byline. Only three authors are allowed in the byline. Any others will be listed as contributors.
- Submit high-resolution photos and graphics (images that are about 2MB in file size, or 300DPI) that support your article. Do not embed them in the article—submit them as separate files.
- At the end of the article, or in a separate Word document, provide a brief caption for each photo that includes naming those in the picture, describing what is going on in the picture and an approximate date for the picture.
- Are you submitting a chart or graphic? Make sure to tell us what all the acronyms stand for in the caption. If you have information or an idea for a chart or graphic, we’ll help you make it!
- Don’t have any pictures? Search for free images here: https://www.defense.gov/observe/photo-gallery/ and https://www.dvidshub.net/.
For more detailed style guidelines, go to https://asc.army.mil/web/writers-guidelines/#title or email the editors at: armyalt@army.mil.