Write for Worldchanging

Worldchanging relies on our global network of connected, informed, engaged volunteer contributors to send us smart, original, cutting-edge content from around their world. Our team of correspondents includes noted authors, activists, designers, educators, businesspeople, researchers and many others.

We are always open to new contributions and ideas. If you would like to pitch a Worldchanging post, please follow these guidelines:

1. If you have not previously written for Worldchanging, please keep your submission under 800 words. We will not accept submissions from new writers that exceed this word count.

2. We also accept ideas. If you are not sure that your idea will make a good post and could use some guidance, we encourage you to contact us before putting your time and effort into writing something that may not be a good fit.

3. Please write in the general style of Worldchanging. Our tone is like that of a magazine, rather than like that of an academic or technical journal, or like that of a personal blog or diary. We encourage clever, pithy writing that is clear and has a positive, curious and intelligent tone.

Topics that we are regularly interested in (but not limited to):

· Environmental sustainability and sustainable design.

· Ecological and geophysical analysis and knowledge.

· Global development and poverty reduction, with a particular focus on "leapfrog" development.

· Urbanization and population growth.

· Community building, community organizations and public health

· Human rights and democracy.

· Global culture, particularly the examples of media and creativity with a strongly collaborative element, or an innovative approach to addressing social change.

· Social networks and networked democracy.

· Open Source, particularly as a model for non-software innovation.

· Emerging technologies, with a strong bias towards the kinds of technologies most applicable to the worldchanging issues.

· Futurism, history and “long view” perspectives on current problems, with a particular focus on scenarios and foresight as a means of gaining better understanding of how these issues may evolve over time.

What we DO NOT cover:

Partisan Politics

Self-Promotion

Negative Reviews

Old Ideas, Products or Programs – unless there is a brand-new way of using or understanding them that has only recently emerged.

The main thread to follow when writing blog-style posts:

Quick intro: This could be anecdotal, start with a quote, ask a question, or just introduce your subject without a lot of fanfare. Keep it short to hook your readers to the main thought.

Explain your focus: In a nutshell, what is the thing/initiative/idea/article/person you're talking about?

Why is it a solution? Address why this is a solution, and why it's better than what's already out there.

What are the possibilities? Connect your thought to a larger context. What if this technology were to spread? What are the next steps to developing this idea? What can the reader to do take action/show support? Etc.

What makes a good post better?

Pithy writing: Write short and strong. Try to start with a strong, declarative first sentence. Readers should be able to see the core point or focus of the post in the first paragraph.

Specifics: Always refer to a specific example of an initiative, an idea, or even a person, rather than explaining things in general terms. And make sure to double-check the spelling of any names, businesses and other proper nouns.

Excerpts: Include a few quotes from a relevant article, book or study to add value to your post. You can even comment directly on what another author has said, to add depth to your discussion. The best excerpts are ones that can stand on their own, by introducing a worthwhile thought or crucial bit of information for the casual reader. Identify the excerpts in your draft by putting the text in italics. Always use ellipses to indicate when a quotation has been edited.

Clear explanations: Particularly in the case of a new technology (but also in the case of a social program or other complex innovation), always make sure to explain to your audience what it is and how it works, unless you are absolutely sure they already know.

Before you submit your post, please make sure to:

Include links to background information, websites, any article we have published on Worldchanging covering a similar topic, and other appropriate sources of information. It's not necessary, but if you have experience writing html and you can add the code for links into your draft, that is very helpful to our small staff.

Include at least one low-res image to illustrate your post. This can be a photo you've taken, an image licensed under Creative Commons, or one that you have permission to use. Make sure that, if you do send a photo that someone else has taken, you include that person's name and a url to his/her site so that we can give credit.

Please email your submission to Editor [at] Worldchanging [dot] com.

As stated above, all Worldchanging writers currently contribute on a voluntary basis. We do not have the resources to offer financial compensation. Worldchanging team members enjoy writing for various other reasons, including exposure to our broad audience of educated and engaged readers, and the ability to get their thoughts out to the world in an interactive way. We understand this arrangement cannot work for everyone. But if you are interested, and excited about shining a light on solutions for a bright green future, we would love to hear from you.

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