The Foreign Service Journal, January 2012

18 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2 H appy New Year! Once again it’s time to issue my periodic invitation to take advantage of the many opportunities to con- tribute to the Journal . Let me begin by calling your attention to the author guidelines on our Web site (www.afsa. org/fsj), wh ich describe the various de- partments in the magazine and give the basic requirements (length, format, etc.) for each. Note that all submis- sions must be approved by our Edito- rial Board and are subject to editing for style, length and format. Most issues of the Journal contain a focus section examining various facets of an issue related to the Foreign Serv- ice, diplomatic practice or international relations. (You’ll find a list of the top- ics our Editorial Board has identified for the coming year on the facing page.) This list is a guide to what’s coming up in 2012, but it isn’t set in stone. Because of our lead time for publi- cation, and the requirement for Edito- rial Board approval, we need to receive submissions on focus topics at least three months (and preferably longer) prior to the issue’s release date. Thus, we have already lined up authors for the January, February and March themes, but there is still time to sub- mit manuscripts for later months. Sub- missions should generally be about 2,000 words long, though shorter pieces are always welcome. If none of the focus choices grab you, or if you feel we have not devoted enough space to a professional concern or functional issue, please consider writing a feature article (also generally 2,000 words long, though shorter en- tries are welcomed) about it for us. Al- though we will not be holding our annual fiction contest this year, you are always welcome to submit short stories with a Foreign Service theme or set- ting for publication as feature articles. We invite those of you who expect to publish a book this year to send us a copy (along with promotional materi- als) for inclusion in our annual compi- lation of recently published books by Foreign Service-affiliated authors, In Their Own Write . That issue will run in November, so Sept. 1 is the dead- line for inclusion. For more informa- tion, contact Senior Editor Susan Maitra at maitra@afsa.org. We continue to welcome submis- sions for our FS Heritage depart- ment, which spotlights past U.S. diplomats (either famous or obscure), as well as issues related to the evolu- tion of the Foreign Service as an insti- tution. Share Your Insights We take seriously our mission to give you “news you can use”: informa- tion about how to advance your ca- reer; tips on dealing effectively with the bureaucracy at State and the other foreign affairs agencies, especially when you are trying to resolve a prob- lem; discussion of professional con- cerns and other issues unique to the Foreign Service lifestyle; and updates on how AFSA is working to improve working and living conditions for For- eign Service employees and their fam- ilies. Much of that coverage is found, of course, within the pages of AFSA News . That section offers many dif- ferent ways for members to share their experiences, thoughts and concerns re- garding professional issues. AFSA News Editor Donna Ayerst is inter- ested in hearing from members about lessons they’ve learned at post, retire- L ETTER FROM THE E DITOR B Y S TEVEN A LAN H ONLEY There are many ways you can share your insights in our pages. Let us hear from you.