AOAP Policies

The Association of Aquatic Professionals strives to provide both shared and original content that promote the mission, vision and values of AOAP. Contributors are invited to share their ideas, and, in turn, will be recognized as the contributing author within the blog, in the weekly newsletter, and on AOAP’s social media.

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• AOAP welcomes submissions on topics related specifically to our members and audience. This could include aquatic facility operations, programming, leadership, staff development, marketing, business operations, Model Aquatic Health Code and more.

• Topics should be educational in nature. Submissions which could be viewed as a “sales pitch” for a specific product or service or that speak negatively about other products or services will be returned for revision or rejected.

• Please submit original, stand-alone pieces. Even if your submission is part of a larger series or a summary of research, each blog should also make sense as it’s own piece.

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Length & Format:

• Provide a title of no more than five to seven words. Consider adding a number (5 Tips to Improve Staff Retention) or power words such as proven, safe, free, inspiring, fun, elite, unforgettable, etc.

• An ideal length is 600 - 1200 words. Staff will gladly help edit or proofread if needed!

• We encourage authors to use section headers in bold font to break up the text and guide the reader.

• Submitting two - four links within the article is a great way to help SEO. It could be a link to a product, a website, etc.

• Submissions should be sent as Word document or link to a Google Doc. PDF submissions will not be accepted.

• If possible, please include 1 - 2 high-quality images. These may be images that you have personally taken or that you have the rights to. If you include staff or program participants, please verify that you have photo release forms on all subjects. Please include the approximate date taken and a brief caption. These images can be included with your text submission but should also be sent separately as PNG, JPEG or SVG files.

• Include a headshot and brief bio (2-3 sentences max) along with your job title and email when you submit the blog post.

• We will occasionally share quotes from posts on social media; please include your social media handles, and we’ll tag you as we can!

 

 

Submission & Revision

• Submit your blog to kirsten@aquaticpros.org as a Word document or a link to a Google document. Include images separately.

• Our team will review your submission. Please expect a response within 7-10 working days regarding the next steps.

• If the editors choose to move forward, editorial feedback may be given to enhance readability and accessibility. If substantive changes are made, the editors will send the author(s) a final version to review prior to online publication.

• Editors will also let you know when your blog will be published. AOAP will include your submission in the AOAP Weekly and promote on social media where possible.

 

If you have further questions, please reach out to Kirsten Barnes, Assistant Director, at kirsten@aquaticpros.org.