The Standard Newsletter is published quarterly in the months of January, April, July and October.

Q1 | Due December 15
Q2 | Due March 15
Q3 | Due June 15
Q4 | Due September 15

Before you begin:

• Identify your audience: Who are you writing this article for? The Standard Newsletter attracts mainly a professional audience. Article submissions should be original, thought-provoking, and well-researched. They should spark conversation among peers and colleagues!
• Research Key Phrases: All good articles begin with some kind of key phrase research. What are readers searching for? When thinking of a topic, ask yourself, what word/phrase would my reader use to search for this topic. This should absolutely inform your piece.

• Pitch your idea to AFCPE’s Newsletter Task Force: Submit your pitch through the form below. The Newsletter Task Force meets on the 4th Friday of every month. During the meeting, they will review article pitches. You will receive an email from an AFCPE Staff Member with feedback for your article after the meeting.

Got the green light on your topic? Let’s start writing.

Follow these style guidelines to maximize readability and Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

• Tone: Approachable, professional, helpful, and easy to understand.
  • Write as though you’re writing for a 15-year-old reader and use transition words (So, thus, etc.…). Vary the length of your sentences to keep the flow interesting and write in the active voice whenever possible.
  • Equity Screen: At AFCPE, every decision we make goes through an equity screen. Here are the questions we ask ourselves when making decisions or pursuing new initiatives. Before submitting, please make sure your article has a lens of inclusion. 
• Length: Newsletter articles should be between 850 – 1500 words.
• Sub Headings: Subheads provide a positive user experience and enhance readability. They also enhance SEO, allowing others to more easily find your article in an internet search. Be sure to use your key phrase in those headings!
  • It’s generally a good practice to use subheads every 250-300 words. This helps the reader easily scan the article. Keep paragraphs to around 150 words.
  • Bullets are great too!
• Links: Give credit where credit is due! If you reference a study or quote research, please include links in your copy. Links are also a great way to cross promote articles and connect readers to AFCPE resources or your own work.
• Key Phrases: Use the keyword/phrase within your introduction and throughout the copy. Search engines love this! It’s called keyword/phrase density.
• Title: When coming up with a title for the article, keep it short and catchy. If possible, use your keyword/phrase within the title.
• Your Byline: Be sure to use your credentials and link back to your website, LinkedIn profile, or organization.
• Plagiarism: Plagiarism is prohibited. We run each of our submissions through a plagiarism checker prior to publication. Please cite any references or sources in your article.

Want CEUs or Experience Hours for your submission? Make sure your content ties back to the AFC Core Competencies. Email certification@afcpe.org for more information.

Please send your final submission to communications@afcpe.org.

• Each submitted article will be reviewed by at least 2 members of the Newsletter Task Force. Your article will be checked for plagiarism during the editing process.
• Your article will be returned to you so you can approve the edits. Please return the article no later than a week before publication.
• AFCPE will finalize the edits (including a scan through Grammarly).

What happens once the article is posted?

AFCPE will publish the new issue of The Standard on the website and distribute it through email and social media.

We encourage you to share your published articles through social media and email.

Once approved, CEU credit or Experience Hours are available for AFCPE certified professionals and Candidates. Approved articles must be posted within the current reporting period to be considered for CEU credit.