Write for the blog

Learned something, built something, or went to an event worth telling people about? Write about it for our blog.

You do not need to be an expert or a "good writer". Some of the most useful articles are written by people who just figured something out: "How I fixed my first npm error" helps the next beginner more than an expert ever could.

About ten minutes to get set up. Writing the article takes as long as you like.

How the blog works

Our blog runs on Hashnode, a free website for writing articles.

• You write in your own Hashnode account. Your article is published on our blog under your name, and it stays in your Hashnode account too. It is yours to share and to put on your CV.
• An editor checks it first. Our Comms & Brand team reviews every article. An editor from the team reads your draft, then publishes it or tells you what to change. You cannot publish on our blog by yourself.

What to write about

Anything that would help or interest another member. For example:

• Something you learned, and how you learned it
• A project you built: what it does, and what went wrong on the way
• A problem you solved, step by step
• What happened at one of our events
• Your path into tech so far

Not sure if your idea fits? Ask before you write a whole article: post it in #channel get-involved with the Blog tag, in a line or two.

Step 1: Create a Hashnode account

Already have one? Skip to Step 2.

1. Open hashnode.com/onboard.
2. Sign up with Google, GitHub or your email. It is free.
3. Hashnode asks you to pick a username. Choose one you are happy for readers to see.

Find your username: it is shown on your Hashnode profile with an @ in front, like @ama-dev. You need it in Step 2.

Step 2: Ask to join the blog

You only do this once.

1. Open #channel get-involved on Discord and start a new post. New to forum posts? Using Discord shows how.

2. Pick the Blog tag.

3. Write something like this, with your own username:

   plaintext

   I'd like to write for the blog. My Hashnode username is @yourname.

4. Send it.

An editor from Comms & Brand invites you to the blog as a contributor: a writer who can send drafts to the editors.

Step 3: Accept the invitation

Hashnode tells you when you have been invited. Look for the notification on Hashnode, open it, and accept the invitation.

Step 4: Write your draft

1. On Hashnode, click Write. A new, empty article opens.
2. Add a title, then write your article underneath.

Until you send it, your article is a draft: it is saved as you go, and only you can see it. You can close it and come back to it whenever you like, from your drafts on Hashnode.

Step 5: Send it to the editors

When your article is ready:

1. Open your draft and go to its settings.
2. Choose our blog from the list of blogs.
3. Click Submit for review.

Your draft is now marked Submitted in your articles and drafts on Hashnode, and the editors are told it is waiting. You do not need to message them.

What happens next

An editor reads your draft, usually within a week. Then they do one of two things:

• Publish it. It goes live on our blog under your name.
• Ask for changes. They leave comments on your draft on Hashnode, saying what to change. Make the changes, then send it again as in Step 5.

Not heard anything after a week? Reply in your post in #channel get-involved, or message the Comms & Brand lead. The leads are pinned at the top of #channel get-involved.

Once your article is live:

• Comms & Brand shares it in #channel announcements and on our social media.
• Your name goes in the monthly recap.
• You can add it to your portal profile. Pick Comms & Brand as the team, and use the article's link. Log your work on the portal shows how.

If something goes wrong

I can't see our blog in the list of blogs. You have not been added yet, or you have not accepted the invitation. Check Step 3. If you never got an invitation, reply in your post in #channel get-involved.

Anything else? Ask in #channel ask-for-help on Discord. Say what you tried and what you saw.

What's next?

More ways to help: Help out