In order to ensure that the IEDA newsletter is comprised of quality information that educates and informs our membership about important topics facing economic development, the IEDA Communications and Sponsorship Committee (“Committee”) has developed the following guidelines for articles. However, if for any reason the Committee determines, in its sole discretion, that an article is valuable to its membership, an article may be published even though it does not conform to one or more of the following criteria. 
• All articles must be relevant to economic developers around Indiana. For example, while it is great to promote a successful project in your county or community, it is better to provide an article that highlights what is behind the successful project, or insight into the negotiations or innovative thinking that made the project a reality.
•  The article must be an original article that is being submitted by the author or on behalf of the article by a member of the organization with which the author is affiliated.
•  If your organization hires authors to write articles, the article submitter must have permission that allows your name to be associated with the articles produced for you.
•  All articles must be informative and share your unique expertise. Include tips, strategies, techniques, case-studies, analysis, opinions and commentary in your articles.
•  It is important that articles are not publicity pieces. For example no press releases, advertisements, sales letters, promotional copy, or blatant and excessive self-promotion or hype will be accepted.
•  Each submission must use proper English, spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization and sentence structure. While we know there is a variation in what is considered "proper English," we ask that you at least be consistent within your article. Your article must also be proofed and double checked for accuracy. The Committee reserves the right to edit all articles.
•  No articles that contain inappropriate language or content will be published, including articles that advocate against any individual or group, have insulting, obscene, degrading tone, or contain profanity. IEDA reserves the right to determine whether any and all content is appropriate.
•  All articles must not contain any content that is a violation of any law, be considered defamatory, libelous, or that infringe on the legal rights of others.
•  Please make sure that the article contains information that would be beneficial to another member reading that article. To the extent, that the article is able to highlight best practices that could be replicated, authors are encouraged to incorporate this perspective.
•  Visual aids, including pictures and charts are helpful. IEDA would prefer to include a picture of the author.

ARTICLE BODY:

i. Must be a minimum of 250 words and no more than 1,500 words. For us, an ideal article size is 400-750 words.
ii. Please include a name for the article and the author’s name at the top of the article.
iii. Copyrights, if any, must be at the bottom of your article.
iv. If you include a REPRINT RIGHTS statement in your article, it must be at the BOTTOM of your article.
v. If the ARTICLE BODY is determined to be promotional, then IEDA will not publish the article. You may place a short paragraph below your article to promote yourself or your organization (no more than 50 words) is acceptable.
vi. Your article body MUST deliver on what is promised in the title. We do not accept teaser links or phrases that require a reader to click away from the article or reference another source in order to receive the full benefit of what has been promised.
vii. We would prefer a short paragraph at the end of the article about the author.
viii. Please double check the accuracy of any weblinks discussed in the article or descriptive paragraph below for accuracy.