Write for Us

EFL Magazine welcomes submissions for articles. Contact editor@eflmagazine.com.

 

Writing your article

Audience Profile

We have an incredibly varied audience. Our readers include business owners, Directors of Studies, teachers, teaching assistants, college lecturers, publishers, students, writers, and authors. They are coming to EFL Magazine to learn, to access the best knowledge from people who know the industry best. Not everyone will be up-to-date on latest acronyms, buzzwords and trends, but they will be engaged, curious and eager to learn. Bear this in mind when writing your article.

Article length

We suggest an article length of 800,  1,200 or 2,000 words. You can reduce the word count if your article contains a lot of images.

Article style

Style is really important. You want your reader to understand what you are writing about, and maintain their attention. Here are a few things you can do to to help achieve this, and generate more interest:

• Use shorter sentences and paragraphs. Many online readers skim articles.
• Use subheadings and space them out evenly. Your reader will find what they are looking for more quickly.
• Use the same keywords or key phrases throughout your article. This will make it more visible.
• Use transition words, aka linkers/ connectors
• Be personal. Avoid using the passive voice.
• Highlight key text by using bold, or italics for key points you are trying to make.
• Use bullet points where relevant.
• Link to as many sources as possible. Include a hotlink for any name, company, or quote so the reader can discover more.
• Whenever possible, try to cross-reference at least one prior post on EFL Magazine.
• Use quotes. Expert quotes always add to your work. Remember to include a source for these from blogs, books,
• End your article with engaging questions such as ‘What are your thoughts?,’ ‘What’s your experience?’ to encourage discussion; or an action request, such as, ‘Please enter your comments in the box below.’

To find out more, you can read the following articles:

• Three phases of writing an article
• Phase 1 of the writing process: Preparing your text
• Phase 2 of the writing process: Writing your text
• Phase 3 of the SEO copywriting process: Editing your text

And find out if your article is SEO friendly here.

Copyright

Content published by the magazine is original and will not be published elsewhere. We ask that all content submitted to us by authors also be original.

 

Sending your article

Please send your article to editor@eflmagazine.com.

When you send us your article, please include:

A profile

This should be an 80-word bio, written in the 3rd person, with a profile picture. We are happy to include a link to personal blogs or organisations associated with our authors, but do not promote essay writing services.

Pictures

Please include at least one, ideally two screenshots / pictures / graphs per article. Make sure you have the rights to these, and avoid using clip art. Pictures should not exceed 480 pixels wide for larger pictures and at least 280 pixels for smaller ones. We can resize images if you’re not sure how. Please send over images separately so we can upload them to our server. Alternatively, please send a file via DropBox or similar program.

Videos

You can, but don’t have to, include videos. For video, please include a link to YouTube, Vimeo or another site that can be embedded in the content.

 

We welcome the following articles

How-to Articles

Comprehensive How-to Articles are articles that explain to your reader base how to overcome important challenges they face.

This type of content is popular because it meets the needs of your readers. When people discover something new, they’ll find great value in your content. When you strike a chord with people, they will widely share and reference your articles.

Structure

How-to articles are usually pieces containing at least 1,000 words. If you don’t have significant substance in your article, people won’t find it as valuable as it should be.

Opening Statement

Connect with your readers by asking a few questions they can relate to. For example, if you’re writing an article on how to manage children’s behaviour in the classroom, you might start with an opening like this: “Are your kids out of control? Do you wish they’d listen to you? If so, look no further. This article will reveal proven techniques from teachers just like you.”

Setting the Stage

Here’s where you define critical terms and explain why the reader should even care. This component of how-to articles is often overlooked. When you set the stage with readers, you properly align them with your content. Your opening statement may have grabbed the readers, but you still need to give them reasons why they should keep reading your article.

Taking the managing children’s behaviour example, let me show you what I mean:

Perhaps you had a strict teacher in school and vowed never to be so strict with your students. Studies show that children who lack discipline often struggle later in life. You know you need to do something different . . .

You can see how this paragraph is designed to address some common concerns teachers face, while connecting with them at the same time. You might go on to explain how out-of-control kids impact the lesson, other students’ classroom experiences, and so on.

The point here is to simply write a few paragraphs that explain why the reader needs to pay attention to the article. The goal is to build some affinity with the reader, so he or she thinks, “Yes, that’s precisely why I need to do something about this. I want to learn how.”

The opening statement and setting the stage components are often used in persuasive sales letters and landing pages. Frequently, the how-to details are reserved as special content available only to people who purchase a product or event. That’s why, when you proceed to deliver the how-to solution for free, you’ll set your content apart.

Once you’ve properly set the stage, your article is ready to describe the solution to the problem.

Revealing the How-to Details

At this point in your article, you should explain to your readers how they can solve their problem. Should You Give Your Knowledge Away for Free? If you make your living selling knowledge, you might be resistant to sharing how-to details for free? It’s  a good idea not to  reveal certain aspects of the process for free. For example, not speaking about core components . This means you provide valuable insight, but don’t share everything you know. And even if you do reveal all you know, you’ll still find most people don’t do it the way you do. But the response from your reader base will be enormous, as you share details never made freely available before.

Often, the best how-to articles reveal a number of tips. For example:

What follows are five easy ways to get your students to stop their disobedient behaviour and listen to you…

The rest of this article would provide plenty of details, crafted in a manner that is easy to understand.

The details portion of how-to articles can be arranged in a number of different ways, including:

• Step-by-step

If there’s a logical progression of steps your readers should take to accomplish the goal of the article, then outlining those steps should be the core of your article.

• X-number of tips/ways

Itemising a number of tips or ways to solve a problem is another popular approach, such as:

• ’10 ways ..’: If you can support some of your tips with images, such as screenshots or stock photography, it will further enhance the article.
• X-number of examples: Sometimes, providing examples of others who are doing it right is more than sufficient.

 

Case Studies

Firstly, when you showcase successful teaching / business / other methods, highlighting what they do well, you offer encouragement to your reader base.

Secondly, case studies simply make for great content. When your readers find out about others’ success, they’ll discover new ideas or tips that could help them achieve their own success.

Finally, this type of content can be a lot of fun to create. A case study is an examination of a successful business or individual. This type of story often details the challenges people faced, what they did to overcome those challenges, and the actual results they achieved.  Look for an outstanding story that will encourage and empower your reader base.

The challenge

To make your story strong, you need to start with a little history and provide some context. Explain what needed to change. What were the problems that prompted the new solution? When you write about problems, you’ll help your readers identify with the story.

What was done to overcome its problems? This is the section that your reader base will find the most interesting.

The results

Share the results achieved in your case study. This is where numbers are important. How much did X improve by?  Be as specific as you can. Results speak loudly to your reader, and will often be used as justification for someone trying a similar tactic.

Quotations

Ideally, you’ll be recording an interview in preparation for your case study. You’ll want to grab key soundbites from the source. Peppering the story with quotations adds a human element to the story.

Lessons learned

You also might want to ask the case study subject for tips or pointers they can share with your readers. These often make for powerful supporting material for your case study.

 

News Stories

The good news about creating news stories is that they are often much shorter than the typical article – they could be as few as 200 to 400 words. You’ll want to include some images in your news stories.

The news in a sentence

The opening line of your news story should summarise the high-level news you want your readers to know.

A quote

Ideally, you should seek out a quote, or reference one from a third-party authority that can either add credence to the news item.

What the news means

Try to give your readers an early take on what you think about the news item. Help them to understand what, if anything, they should do in response to the news. If you decide to regularly produce news stories, be sure to check out new sites.

 

Book Reviews

Book reviews are a great way to share your thoughts and make recommendations to others in the industry. Our readers always welcome advice on which materials can help improve different aspects of their teaching, teacher training, materials writing, or academic management (among others!) and find it really helpful to read reviews of the latest books that may help them. The following information can be included in a book review:

The topic

Providing a general introduction to the topic helps make it clear what exactly the book focuses on and for which context it may be most useful, as well as the kind of information the reader might expect to find in it. For example, is it a grammar reference book or does it provide suggestions for activities to do in class?

The outline

It can help to include a short description of the book and its structure so readers have an idea of what is covered in the book, and which areas they may find helpful. You can do this by referring to different suggested activities or particularly useful chapters. You can also include who you would recommend this book to: would it be better suited to new teachers, or academic managers? Is it for those working with young learners, or those in EAP? 

The strengths

Mention what you think the book does well to help highlight key areas to refer to. Use clear examples, making reference to activities or chapters you want to highlight as particularly beneficial.

The weaknesses

Likewise, think about any areas that you feel could be improved. Would you change anything about the book, or do you think anything is missing? 

Final comments

A final summary helps tie together key points made in the review, and help the reader make the final decision as to whether the book is for them.