Share Your DECA Stories

We want to hear from you! DECA Direct is a platform for sharing stories, resources and tips from members and chapters across the globe. Please submit your articles and news using the form below. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that every article will be published on www.decadirect.org.

DECA Direct Online Submission Checklist:

In order for your submission to be considered, it should have:

• A captivating headline
• A polished, thoughtful, complete narrative in 500-600 words
• A concise and compelling excerpt
• At least one high-quality photo

Edit, edit, edit! Ask a friend, parent, advisor or teacher to read your article before you submit. We recommend downloading the Grammarly browser extension to catch grammar issues in real-time.

HEADLINE

This is your space to hook DECA Direct readers with a clever, pithy title. The headline is what takes a casual scroller and turns them into an interested reader. It would be a shame to put so much time, research and thought into your article only to have people skip over it in their feed. Please make sure to capitalize the first letter of every word. Check out this HubSpot post about writing better headlines.

BODY

Think about your audience. WHO are you writing for? Easy-to-read content means engaging content. A big block of text is like a brick wall—it’s not too fun to look at, and it’s just about as hard to get through. Don’t make readers trudge through what you’re saying. One of the easiest ways to spice up your content is by breaking it up. There are lots of ways to do that.

• Start off with a bang. A fascinating introduction can make or break your blog posts. If readers hit snooze from the get-go, then they’ll move on to the next best thing. Give your readers a reason to care from the first sentence.
• Captivate with headings. Headings are another great way to split up your content. They’re like milestones throughout your post, and they can give readers an overview of what’s to come.
• Make a list. If you’re looking to lighten your load, then a list is just the thing. They can consolidate heavy paragraphs into something more understandable, and they remove the added responsibility of coming up with transitions.

EXCERPT

Include a short message with your piece. We recommend teasing the article and explaining what the article is about to your followers. Why should DECA members read this article? Explain in 1-2 concise sentences.

PHOTO

Every article on DECA Direct must have a cover image. Your image should be in landscape orientation, high-resolution, relevant to the article and appropriately attributed.

Did you take the photo? Attribute it to yourself. Did someone else? Include their name! We want to give credit where credit is due.

Personal pictures are the best, if the quality is good. Pictures with people in them are better than pictures without people. Landscapes, sunsets, pictures of the ocean, etc., might be pretty, but they do not encourage people to click!