Association of Marine Corps Logisticians

Submission Guidelines

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The AMCL Log Blog is a venue to highlight ideas and foster open lines of communication within the logistics community. This blog is not limited to logisticians or Marines; we want to hear from anyone who has thoughts about present and future aspects of logistics in the Marine Corps. Whether you are a lance corporal, retired general, or civilian, we want your ideas regarding the functions of logistics; logistics at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels; training; best-practices; education; history; and leadership. The AMCL blog will publish anything from unit best practices to Marine Corps force design, from logistics-related book reviews to potential future concepts.

 

How to Submit

Send an email to editor@marinecorpslogistics.org with your article in a Microsoft Word document. Include SUBMISSION in the subject line. Even if you just have an idea or outline or are looking for a co-author, the editorial staff wants to hear from you. Emails will receive a response within 3-5 business days.

 

Length

Article lengths can vary, but should generally be between 500 and 2,000 words. If the article is longer and is accepted, the editorial staff will advise authors on shortening to meet this requirement or consider publishing posts with multiple, significant points in serialized posts.

 

Submission Process

When an article has been submitted, the editorial staff will review the article’s content and organization. Authors will be notified if the article is accepted, needs revision, or does not meet the current needs of AMCL. All accepted posts will go through the editorial process in accordance with the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual. Accepted articles will be edited for content and organization. Once the article is resubmitted with edits, the editor will conduct a final review for grammar and syntax. Occasionally, another round of editing may be required. All edits will be made in Microsoft Word using Track Changes. Once an article has been approved for publication, the editorial staff with provide instructions for uploading to the blog.

 

Double Submissions

Please let us know if you have previously submitted your article to other publications. Guidelines for publishing will vary depending on where and when an article is/will be published, but the editorial staff can assist on a case-by-case basis. Most periodicals do not want to republish material, but the same topic can be discussed in different venues if all parties agree. Generally, the topic should be addressed in a different manner for each publication (e.g., scope, spin/focus, and length). Also, all AMCL authors retain the copyright for their articles.

 

Best Practices

Outline first – Outlining the article before it is written will help you organize arguments and ensure that there is a thoughtful flow of your ideas. Tell the reader your main point, give multiple reasons why you believe what you do, and then remind them what you told them.

 

Title – Grab the reader’s attention with the title and give them a good idea of what you are going to discuss.

 

Introduction and thesis/argument/contention - The introduction and main point should be clear and should grab the reader’s attention. Convince the reader to keep reading and clearly articulate what is significant about your ideas, concerns, or innovation.

 

Explain thoroughly and be concise – Readers may or may not be familiar with specific aspects of your article. Ensure that you explain your argument in such a way that anyone can read it and generally understand your point.

 

Avoid familiar voice (we/our/I) – Be specific regarding who you are discussing. Your “we” could be the Department of Defense, the Marine Corps, Marine logisticians, or Marines in your unit. Help the reader identify who you are talking about. These first person pronouns are acceptable when discussing a personal experience. (Good example: “When I deployed in XXX to XXXX, my unit learned that….” Bad example: “I think this because….”)

 

Spell out acronyms – Readers may not be familiar with a certain acronym so spell it out the first time with the acronym in parenthesis afterwards. [Example: United States Marine Corps (USMC)]

 

Use concrete examples – Your argument is strengthened with robust proof. Referencing a real-life example, old articles, or past studies will give legitimacy to your article. This also means citing work. This could be through hyperlinks or footnotes, or included within the paragraph. (Example: General XX’s statement to the New York Times in September 2019.)

Avoid unattributed or abstract quotes – There are enough real quotes that you should not make one up. If you use a quote, it should pertain specifically to the topic and be informative. In blog posts, you have limited space to make your point. Use it well.

 

Avoid passive voice – Do not use passive voice unless absolutely necessary because active voice (strong subject and verb) is more engaging. (Example: “The raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi was conducted by Marines on February 23, 1945.” versus “On February 23, 1945, Marines from E Company, 2d Battalion, 28th Marines successfully raised the American flag on Mount Suribachi.)

 

Do not plagiarize – We want to hear your ideas in your writing, not someone else’s. Use citations for quotations or paraphrased material that supports your ideas.

Graphics and photos – If you have engaging graphics or photos, please include them with your submission. Ensure that graphics and photos include an explanation or are referenced in the text of the article. Include citations for any graphic or photo that is not your own.

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Other tips can be found in the GPO Style Manual.

 

Please provide a short bio along with the submission. It can be an official bio but it will be pared down to 100-250 words. Focus on the qualifications that you think are most relevant and that you are most proud of.

 

Submit your questions and articles to editor@marinecorpslogistics.org. If you are submitting an article for edit, please include SUBMISSION in the subject line. For all other questions, whether related to ideas, outlines, or co-authors, please include INQUIRY in the subject line.

AMCL reserves the right to adjust format, perform administrative edits, or to remove the blog from the site if required.

 

Elle Ekman, Chief Editor

Dr. Alexandra Kindell, Consulting Editor

Kaitlin Kleiber, Editor