It’s easy to submit an item for publishing in Brigada. But you can save us tons of time by using the following guidelines — and increase the likelihood that we’ll use your item, too.
1) Write the item in 3rd person (don’t use “I”, “me”, “we”, or “us”). We write the articles as if Doug is speaking… so it won’t make sense if you say “us”.
2) Keep it short . . . 8-10 lines max please.
3) Keep it simple . . . please don’t send your submission as an attached file. We don’t open them – ever. Sorry.
4) If it seems helpful, feel free to provide an email address in addition to a web URL. When we include email addresses, we convert them to a jpg graphic. This hopefully discourages web-scanning robots from picking up on your email address. Due to this conversion to graphical format, we no longer have to “disguise” email addresses with parentheses and words like “(at)” and “(dot)”. In fact, when you include them these days, it’s just extra work to take them back out.
5) Remember you’re writing to an international audience (40% of our readers live outside North America).
6) If you provide a toll-free number (for USA subscribers), please provide a “normal” number too. Write with an int’l reader in mind! For example, you might say, “USA callers can dial toll-free (others can call via Skype-out) 1-800-xxx-xxxx.” When you write in such a way, you avoid alienating those from countries other than the USA . . . and over the years, that’s been a constant goal of Brigada.
7) Make it interesting, but please don’t use UPPER CASE words or !!! exclamations!!! It might look like spam to certain spam filters, thereby causing the filter to relegate the email version to the spam folder. And please, don’t use sentence fragments or “classified ad language”. For example, instead of saying, “Transfers accepted. Seating limited.”, talk in plain English please: “The school accepts transfers, but you’d better apply soon because seating is limited.” Also, please steer away from using passive voice. Use active voice. (So instead of saying “transfers accepted”, please write “The school accepts transfers.”)
8) We stopped using “pointy braces” <> around email addresses long ago.
9) We love web addresses (URLs); please supply the “http://” on the front and put the address on its own line. Example: “Check out
Even if the URL is at the end of a sentence, we still don’t show a period after the URL, since some browsers reported trouble opening these URLs. Please don’t send us the URL already encoded as a hidden “link” to an anchor word in your item. We still send Brigada as an email (text-only) for low-bandwidth dial-up subscribers, using pure ASCII text. So it’s extra work to have to de-link the fancy HTML. Just write in plain letters please. Besides, our style calls for showing people the actual URL to which they’re being linked. We think it’s a bit more honest that way — to let users see exactly where they’ll be browsing.
10) Suggest a title for the item. Put it at the beginning of the item in normal case followed by a space, then 2 hyphens, then another space, like this ” — “. Please keep the title short. We have to put an item number at the beginning when we compile the text, and we like the title to fit on one line. For samples, just check out a current issue! (Note: Effective immediately, we no longer make this title all upper case.)
11) Start the text of your item immediately after the “space-hyphens-space”; See any Brigada Today for an example. No need to skip a line.
12) Please hit the space bar only *once* after a period (not 2 or 3 times).
13) By default, we mention only first names. You’ll thank us later when you decide you want to cleanse the web of your full name. Also by default, we usually don’t publish email addresses of contributors. (They get archived on the Brigada site… and if we publish them, you’ll probably see an increase in spam anyway.) When we include email addresses — see #4 above.
14) We emphasize items with broad appeal (as opposed to a narrow focus or single people group). We do publish mission opportunities once and awhile, but usually only those aimed at a *group* rather than a job opportunity for just one highly focused individual. Our audience is close to 10,000… and we only publish up to 20 items per week… so we’re looking for items that interest the most people.
15) Sorry — we don’t publish appeals for support (at least 1/3 of our readers are missionaries, so we’d be preaching to the choir!).
16) Send your submissions to
In the subject 
line, please put: “Proposed Brigada Submission”.
17) Make sure you note any deadlines you’re working under… Most of the time we’re backed up two or three weeks on nondated items. Oops — we could be backed up quite a bit longer. :-( But part of that is due to not having a secretary or assistant. If we’re ever able to raise our full Brigada budget, we’ll be able to afford one… and then Brigadas will come out on time… So see? … chipping in a donation to Brigada will make a difference! :-)
18) Please don’t indent or center any lines in your item.
19) Please remove all formatting from the text; Keep it simple.
20) If you write in Microsoft Word, please turn off all “publisher” characters (like fancy quotes).
21) Keep security and sensitivity as a high priority — don’t compromise the identity of those you love.
22) If your name or email address doesn’t reveal your gender, please tell us if there’s any doubt, in case we refer to you later as a “he” or “she.”
23) We try to major in items relating to unreached peoples and/or the challenges of reaching them, along with helpful tools and resources to make it all work together.
24) We simply can’t include everything that is submitted; we reserve the right not to print it all. Much of our international audience is paying by the byte! Thanks!!!
25) Note that you can now collect instant feedback on your item. Just ask readers to click on the word, “Comment” below the item text. In this manner, there’s no need to wait for some kind of “compilation in two weeks,” as we used to have to do in the past.
Thank you for being a part of the Brigada family!
Note: We don’t charge any advertising fees for publishing your item in Brigada. However, if you’d like to pitch in toward the costs of even a part-time assistant, we’d do a much better job managing this publication. Thanks for understanding!
27 responses so far ↓
1 Daniel Berman // Jun 23, 2009 at 9:45 am
Awesome to see you have upgraded from Blogger to WordPress. Have you considered adding an online submission form so that people can fill out a proposed article right on the website, according to the style guidelines…?
2 Editor // Jun 23, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Not until just now, when you suggested it. :-) Thanks Daniel.
3 Phillip // Jul 21, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Tried submitting a blog and the email provided above is not functional.
thank you.
Phillip
4 Editor // Jul 21, 2009 at 11:36 pm
DLucas (at) Team Expansion (dot) Org not functional? There must have been a drop-out on the net at the time. I get hundreds of emails there per day. Please try again. Make sure you have the spelling correct.
5 k.ravi sankar // Jul 30, 2009 at 11:32 am
Dear bro
My son sam manohar is studying x th standard his age is 15 years.
For the last two years he is suffering from CATARACT eye problem his right eye is not properly working sight due to cataract.
In the very samall age he got this problem. Please pray for him that the cataract should be healed in both eyes.
Please remember him in your daily family prayers as he study well with good health.
k.ravi sankar
hotmail
com
advocate
supreme court
e-mail: ravisankar37
09247251608
6 Editor // Aug 3, 2009 at 5:14 am
OK Brother. May God heal him. (There are several sites dedicated to prayer around the web though. You might find them to be more intentional in this regard. You’ve posted here at a site more related to composing items for Brigada Today, a missions journal. Either way, may your son be healed.)
7 brian // Sep 8, 2009 at 7:07 am
I would like to recommend a forum for your website and a members log in. I would feel much more secure about submitting and contributing to discussions it this was available.
8 Editor // Sep 9, 2009 at 11:50 am
Brian! Great idea. Thanks. We’re on it.
9 Mike Tyler // Jan 19, 2010 at 2:08 pm
Hi Ed, I have read through your submission guidance notes and would like be able to introduce Aid for Trade as a possibly unique new free mission support resource.
Maybe I am rather dim, but I cannot see any way to actually submit this to you – could you perhaps add some guidance on this somewhere! – unless of course this is the place to do it!
Mike
10 Editor // Jan 23, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Hi Mike. Doug here (Founder/Editor). It’s easy, actually. Just email it to the address in the instructions.
11 Editor // Jan 23, 2010 at 11:13 pm
Brian, we’re examining a forum. We’ll construct one … but we’ll probably still do the Brigada edition out here in the clear like before.
12 margaret Lake // Apr 15, 2010 at 5:42 pm
Have searched net unsuccessfully for over 1/2hour for a German Christian tract for a friend, downloadable, as I’m away from home
If anyone can help, pls email me.
Blessings
Mrs M Lake
13 Sheryl // May 17, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Sheryl suggests the Optenet PC web filter. Available in 7 languages including English and Spanish, it has been the leading web filter in Europe for years and now available to protect American families as well. Highly accurate filtering via the “Semantic Content Analyzer” engine is the most advanced filtering technology available.
14 Lynn Courtney // May 23, 2010 at 9:18 pm
I think 25 steps of instruction is too many for figuring out how to submit a question or item. You lost me because I’m afraid of making a mistake and never knowing what happened! Possibly you could simplify them?
15 Editor // May 30, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Sorry Lynn. These steps have arisen over 15 years of submissions. The bottom line though is — just send in whatever you’ve got and we’ll always deal with it. Also, the more you get in the habit of reading Brigada items, the more you’ll automatically know how to write them. Because — let’s face it — the submission guidelines really just describe what you’ve been reading for years. So, in reality, if you read Brigada, you don’t even have to read the submission guidelines.
16 sammim // Oct 11, 2010 at 4:11 am
I never heard about it.
Keep on posting.Thanks
17 Wes // Oct 25, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Gospel tracts in various languages – on Apr 15, 2010 Margaret asked about online gospel tracts. Readers can find a gospel presentation online in various languages at:
http://www.4laws.com/laws/languages.html
Readers can also find a presentation on Spirit-filled living online in various languages at:
http://spirit-filled-life.com/languages.html
18 Rev. John Dupree // Dec 29, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Jan. 5-8, 2011 – Traction 2011 – An Epic Event for Young Adults. Hosted by Bridgeway Christian Church in Rocklin, CA (the hills near Sacramento).
For details: call 209-848-2262 or register online – http://www.TractionForGod.com
19 Amber Tuttle // Feb 1, 2011 at 2:18 pm
We serve to challenge, train and disciple young people, exposing them to worldwide missions. As they see the pressing needs of the world, we pray that many will also see the necessity for training to help them meet these needs more effectively. A large number of our former alumni are in full-time Christian ministry serving the Lord worldwide as pastors, teachers, Christian authors and missionaries.
20 JERRY MARSHALL // Mar 9, 2011 at 4:05 pm
What sources for water well drilling in Sudan do you know?
21 Carolyn Jones // Mar 29, 2011 at 3:25 pm
Missions organization is looking for resources in Swahili language for use in training Kenya nationals to train in HIV and STD prevention.
22 CreateInt // May 31, 2011 at 10:20 pm
“The Create International Discipleship Training School in Chiang Mai, Thailand is all about getting God’s heart for the unreached peoples of the world and utilizing the latest communications technologies of the 21st century to share the Gospel message. We will come face to face with the living God and His word, understand His heart for the nations, and learn how to most effectively communicate the Gospel cross-culturally. Join us January 2012! For more information http://www.createthailand.com or email cidts
createthailand
com
23 Wilma Findlay // Jan 26, 2012 at 11:46 am
Are you aware of any comparison studies of self-teaching language learning programs? I know of Livemocha, and Rosetta Stone. Are there others? Pros and cons?
24 Joshua // Mar 13, 2012 at 5:37 pm
More than 99% of foreign missionaries are serving in cities where there is some access to the gospel. (Churches, missionaries, and Christians are present and active.) (It’s called M3 Missions.)
Less than 1% of foreign missionaries are serving in places where there is no access to the gospel. (It’s called M4 Missions.)
It’s an imbalance, which is keeping us from finishing the great commission.
Balance is the key to finish the task of reaching every tribe on the face of the earth.
Organizations like yours that are reaching so many missionaries around the world can spur Christians and missionaries to participate in M4 missions where there is no access to the gospel.
Thanks for your good work. Very informative weekly e-mails.
25 Joshua // Mar 13, 2012 at 5:41 pm
If any of you are interested in M4 Missions, check out http://www.TeachusMission.org/ .
Let’s finish it.
26 gwendolyn haynes // Apr 28, 2012 at 6:41 am
I have adormitory style apartment in back of my hoe for women and children in the city of Compton, California. I would like to offer short term lodging one week to 12 months for missionaries working here in the Los Angeles Metro area. I am willing to proivde clean beds, showers, and b reakfast daily while they are staying out here. Is there any need for my home. Please direct me in this matter, as I would like to give back and I believe this is the best use for the building.
My USA phone number is:1-562-896-6458, website: http://www.clicompton.org, eMail: hope4housing or creativelearnin
yahoo
com.
I noticed the latest posting are dated 2009. Please respond if you are still an active site.
In His Love,
Gwen Haynes
27 Editor // May 11, 2012 at 10:47 pm
Hi. Definitely an active site. Please go to the Home page:
http://www.brigada.org
You’ll see the latest posting is last Sunday.
Very kind of you to offer your home for cross-cultural workers on a journey for His name’s sake. You sound like Gaius in iii John!
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