So you’ve come up with an idea for a post, sent it to us to double check it’s right for the site, and now you want to publish? Well, let’s do it!

FAQs:

  • What are the formatting rules?
  • How should images be handled?
  • How do I add code blocks?
  • What about links?
  • How formal should I be?

What Are the Formatting Rules?

There are 3 rules that every post we publish needs to follow:

  • Post Images – Every post must start off with a 560 x 145px image. Images should be used regularly throughout the post (The maximum width is always 560px).If you aren’t a big Photoshop fan, the starting image isn’t a dealbreaker (We can do that one for you), but images in the posts are, sorry. We don’t want any walls of pure text.
  • Get to the point – The most important thing we look for when judging the writing quality is a lack of waffle or rambling around a topic. Just get the message out there in the simplest way possible.
  • Use bold – In every paragraph, you should highlight a key 3-5 word phrase in bold to make scanning the post easier.

How Should Images Be Handled?

  • Maximum width = 560px
  • There is no maximum height, but try to keep it as short as possible, e.g. 145px is ideal, but up to double that is fine.
  • In list posts, all images should be the exact same size.
  • We don’t add any formatting (i.e. borders) automatically, so if you’d like a border on the image (especially if it has a white background), add it in your graphics editor please!

How Do I Add Code Blocks?

Code should be wrapped in <pre></pre> tags.

Syntax highlighting can be applied by writing the opening tag as: <pre lang=”php” line=”1″>. Replace the php with whatever language it is from “Supported Languages” on this page. (NB – For HTML it is “html4strict”)

What About Links?

Try to add as many useful links as possible. You can either disperse them throughout the post, or make a “Resources” or “Sources” section at the end of your post.

And if your own site has a relevant post to the topic that’s worth sharing, you’re more than welcome to!

How Formal Should I Be?

This one is hard to answer. We like an easy-to-read, conversational tone, but some level of formality does help, e.g. no smilies in the posts!

One thing you should definitely avoid is over-the-top adjectives about how good something is. Don’t have the post sound like a cheesy marketing pitch!