Become a Published Blogger with InterExchange!

We are excited you would like to become a published blogger with InterExchange! We have created these helpful guidelines to get you started and we welcome your creative approach and ideas!

Step 1: Consider your audience.

Most of your readers will either be current exchange program participants, just like yourself, who are curious to learn how others are experiencing the U.S. and American culture, or future travelers who are looking to apply to an InterExchange program. Think about which aspects of your story are most interesting to these audiences (for instance, what would you have wanted to know before arriving in the USA?), and be sure to include those details in your story.

Step 2:  How would you like to tell your story?

Generally we’re interested in three types of content: articles, photo stories, and video stories. Here are some suggestions to get you started! You’re welcome to come up with new subjects that are of interest to you and are relevant to your individual exchange experience.

• The Perfect American Weekend: Where did you go and how did you get there? Who did you travel with? What did you do that felt uniquely American to you?
• Top Five U.S. Highlights: Did you visit a famous landmark in the Midwest? Eat an American food that you’ve always wanted to try? Make a new American friend who brought you to their family’s Fourth of July barbecue? What were the best moments of your trip and why?
• Three Pieces of Advice: What should someone visiting the U.S. for the first time know? Share your observations and advice about what you should or shouldn’t pack, how you made friends, or perhaps how you became more confident in your English-speaking ability.
• A New Perspective: How has your experience or thinking changed throughout the program? Was there something in particular that changed your perspective about the USA and American culture?
• Cultural Events: Have you attended any cultural events for exchange participants in your region? We want to hear about your experience! What are the top three reasons you think other exchange participants should join these events?
• The Cultural Connection: How did you share your home country’s culture during your stay in the U.S. and what did your new friends enjoy most? Was there something that surprised them?
• Five Funny Things: Did you say a phrase that meant something totally different from what you intended? Did you get lost? Tell us the funny things that happened to you during your stay in America.
• Your Goals: In what ways will your exchange experience in the U.S. will help you achieve your future personal and career goals? In what ways did your exchange experience help you become a more independent person?

Step 3: Review InterExchange submission guidelines.

Please keep the following guidelines in mind before submitting your post:

Articles

• Articles can be written as narratives (with sufficient background information and context regarding your program); as a journal entry or field notes (which document your observations for trips, events, or other experiences during your program); or as a list, with at least five points related to one particular topic.
• Be descriptive! If an event was fun or interesting, tell us why: Was the speaker at the event a great storyteller? Did you make a new friend? What did you learn at the event and why was the topic of interest to you?
• When submitting written work, please submit one or two photos connected to your topic, if you can!

Photos and Videos

• We’d love to publish your photo contributions. But rather than sending individual photos, we ask you to consider a theme and tell a story using five to 10 photos with included captions. Try beginning with a brief intro to set up your story. What kind of connection do you hope to make with viewers? What are you trying to tell them?
• Landscapes are nice, but the setting is only one small part of any good story! You need characters, activities, and feelings. People relate to challenges and to emotions more than a beautiful mountain view.
• Please submit the original size of the photo - that is, the highest resolution possible. If you’re using your phone to upload photos, you may be prompted to send a small or medium size version of the original photo; please ignore this and send the original/full size photo.
• For video submissions, we are looking for finished, edited video so if you’re not comfortable with a basic video editing function (Windows Movie Maker; iMovie; etc.) this might not be the best choice for you.
• As with photos, consider your viewer’s response and think about activities and emotion. Three minutes of landscapes viewed from a car window don’t necessarily tell a story (though that footage makes for good B-roll, or footage that helps set your scene).
• Videos should be horizontally-oriented, not vertically-oriented.

Some suggested ideas for a photo or video story:

• Happy Challenges: Life of an Au Pair
• Why I Like Technology: A Working Adventure in San Francisco
• Grand Canyon: My Grand Dream-Come-True
• New England: What Does it Mean?

Step 4: Submit your blog post to InterExchange!

Once your blog post is ready, please email your post with all supporting materials to media@interexchange.org If the size of your photos or videos is too big to be sent via email, you are welcome to share these items via google drive.

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