Our guest bloggers have really rocked it so far! Thank you for your wonderful submissions! Many of you have expressed interest in blogging for us, and we want you to know we hear you! We’ve made some changes to our blogger requirements and guidelines. Many of the guidelines remain the same, but we’d like to clarify what we’re looking for in your submissions. The following changes are reflected in our Blogger Guidelines, so be sure to check them out!

The biggest change you will see is that we are now accepting posts from a wider audience! Milspouses with a personal blog that is more than 6 months old or milspouses with a personal portfolio website who can show they have been blogging for more than 6 months can now submit posts for consideration. For those milspouses who have the blogging bug for multiple organizations, now is your chance! Personal portfolio websites must include links to writing samples.

How do I ensure my blog is considered?

Write about the blog call topics. We are working hard to ensure we offer a variety of topics to write about. Only blog posts addressing the blog call topics will be considered for publication. Topics change frequently and are updated regularly on our Military OneSource Facebook page. You can also find the current topics at the top of the Blog Call page. Be on the look out!

Adhere to our blogger guidelines. Be sure to carefully read and follow these Blogger Guidelines before submitting a blog post. If you do not immediately meet the criteria listed, we encourage you to submit posts at a later date. Blogger Guidelines are subject to change without notice. It is the blogger’s responsibility to ensure they submit posts that fall within the guidelines.

Submit inspirational stories. We are looking for posts with a “wow” factor and that provide useful information to other military spouses! Don’t be afraid to share your personal stories that will make people laugh, cry, or leap to action. We know you have amazing stories that will inspire other spouses through sound advice and relevant experiences! We want to hear them!

Write well. We are looking for posts that are grammatically correct and free of spelling and punctuation errors. Write well-structured sentences. Clearly illustrate your ideas. Avoid clichés and jargon. By the time the blog post comes to The Blog Brigade, it should be ready for publication.

What blog submissions will not be considered?

Blogs posts from organizations. We do not accept blog posts from organizations, but we recognize that some milspouses write for multiple websites. If you are a milspouse blogger who writes for multiple publications, please include the link to your personal blog or to your personal portfolio website (i.e., www.janedoe.com) containing links to your writing with your submission.

Blogs without a valid link. We need a valid blog link to verify that your blog or website meets the criteria set forth in the Bloggers Guidelines. Please double-check your link for accuracy before submitting your blog.

Self-promotional blogs. We recognize that as talented military spouses, you are eager to share success stories about blogs you’ve started, businesses you own or are a part of, or other ventures in which you are involved! Your stories can be very inspirational! However, rather than focusing on the ventures themselves, we encourage you to share the intangible benefits of your successes. What hurdles did you overcome to get where you are? How have these ventures empowered you? How can you inspire others to be successful? Keep the emphasis on your personal journey, rather than on the ventures themselves.

Blogs that include statistics. We understand that statistics can be powerful, but they are also hard to verify. We encourage you to find other ways to illustrate your point.

Blogs that include brand names. References to brand names will not be accepted. Include generic references like “cola” or “mobile device” versus “Coke” or “IPhone.”

Blogs that violate social media guidelines. We want you to write in your own voice! Each blogger provides a unique perspective that can enrich the lives of other milspouses. The Office of Military Community Outreach, Military Community and Family Policy’s (MC&FP) has established some basic guidelines that every voice must follow. Be mindful that the Blog Brigade will not accept blogs that violate the social media guidelines found on the Blog Call page.

We are excited that the Blog Brigade continues to give military spouses a “boots on the ground perspective” of military life! Keep sending us your submissions and providing your feedback as we expand this new Blog Brigade adventure! Your unique perspectives could change lives in our community, one post at a time. Happy writing from the Military OneSource Blog Brigade!