This page is useful to those [[Writing Blog Posts]] at the McNair Center.
<onlyinclude>We have a step-by-step McNair Staff are expected to follow the [[Blog Writing Process]] that we expect McNair Staff to follow. Amendments to the process should be done only in consultation with the [[Blog Team]]. This process ensures that everyone creates a page for their blog post using [[Form:BlogPost]] so that everything we do can be efficiently tracked and stored, and so that we can all work together efficiently. Please see See the detailed instructions for [[Blog Writing Process#Creating a wiki page for your blog post| creating a wiki page for your blog post]].</onlyinclude>
==Step by Step==
Please follow the following Follow these steps (as you write your post. Remember to set your content status on your post's wiki page as your enter each stage):#'''Idea''': Before beginning a blog post, blog writers must get preliminary approval from Anne or Ed. To propose a blog post, sketch the an idea in 2-3 sentences in a post on the #bloggers Slack Channel. Include links to at least three sources you would draw on to write the post. State the implications for public policy on entrepreneurship, innovation or economic policy in your proposal. #'''Outline''': After completing research on your post, set up a wiki page. Include (Blog Post) in the title and make the wiki page using [[Form:BlogPost]]. Describe your idea in 2-4 sentences. Include 3-4 proposed references. Alert Anne and Ed to your proposal once your Idea page is complete. #'''Outline ''': Once your post idea is approved. Conduct further research and outline your proposed post on your wiki page. Your outline should include several subsections including Include your proposed argument or thesis statement, 5-6 supporting points and references. Each supporting point must be back by evidence. References should be included for all of the supporting points. Let Anne know when you have finished your outline. #'''Draft''': Once your outline is approved, draft your post. Include an editable a link to the google doc on your blog post's wiki page. Make sure that this link can be viewed by all rice.edu email addresses and can be edited by Anne. Use our the [[Writing and Style Rules]] to improve make sure your writing and make sure it is consistent with the writing style of other posts by the McNair Centerposts.#'''Peer edit''': Drafts are due one week after your idea This step is approvedskipped during the summer. Once the draft is ready for review, tell Anne. She will assign you a peer editor. Make sure that this personyour peer reviewer's name is set in the '''Notes''' field. He in [[Form:BlogPost]] and he or she will make suggestions and return the blog post has permission to the writer. The writer will revise the draft based on these suggestionsedit your google doc.#'''Revision''': Revise your draft based on the peer editor's suggestions. Give the revised draft to Anne, who may require further revisions. If substantial revisions are required at this stage, the post may go through another round of peer review. completing the same process of suggestion and revision as with the peer editor in Step 1. If any large changes are made in this process, the writer will give the new draft to another available peer editor to check for grammar/content one last time before giving it to Ed. Put whether your post is waiting for or approved by Anne and Ed in the '''Notes''' field. This process may have to be repeated more than once if the blog needs further development. Give the final draft Anne for approval.
#'''In Wordpress''': Once Anne’s approval is given, the piece can be posted in the blog using Steps 5-6. See [[Working with Wordpress]] for detailed instructions.
#'''Simultaneously with Steps 1-3:''' Select two or more graphics for the blog post (one as featured image, one for within the post itself), making sure that we are authorized to use the image and that we have the proper citations. Write a caption for the graphic. Give all of this to the Graphics Editor for approval.
#Once the graphics and content have been approved, the writer can post it all into WordPress. The writer needs to make the page visually appealing and set up the WordPress features- Use our [[Working with WordPress]] page for help (SEO, Readability, Tags, Hyperlinks). At this point, the blog post will be ready for publication, but should be labeled as a Visibility: "Private" within WordPress (not public yet).
#Notify During the academic year, notify the Online Editor (see our [[Blog Team]] page for details) that the post is completely ready to be published. The Online Editor checks that the post is at the quality we expect for publishing, looking at graphics, plugins, content, title, etc. The Online Editor can then publish it to the public in WordPress and set the status to '''Published'''.
===Due Dates and Expectations===
A During the academic year, a draft of a post will be expected for peer editing no later than one week after the idea is approved. Peer editors must complete their editing within one shift of being assigned to a post. Then the post should go to Anne. After Anne’s edits are received, a new draft is expected one shift later. Tighter timelines may be specified depending on circumstances.
===Assorted Things to Remember===
<nowiki>
{{BlogPost |TitleHas title= |AuthorHas author= |SeriesPart of series= |Content Has content status= |Graphics Has graphics status= |Blog image= |Publication Had publication date= |Has processing notes=}}
</nowiki>
...but with each of the values filled out, as described in the section above.
[[Category:McNair Admin]]