Atlassian Community Guide to A+ Articles
Stop: Articles and permission
Article-writing permissions are given to Leaders, Marketplace Vendors, Solutions Partners, Atlassian Team members, and those who are Level 4 + above. But for any aspiring Hemingways out there, feel free to apply to become an Atlassian Author. The goal of Articles is to provide the broader Community with inspiration from our experts, and we welcome all ideas.
If you have the right to write, read on!
Step 1: Choosing a worthy topic
The best Article topic is one that you are truly passionate about. But unless you know your topic like the back of your hand, there’s no shame in doing some research before you commit. Google around to see what other folks have written on your topic, and see if you can fill an informational gap, using your own experience to tell a story in a unique way.
For those who truly need a prompt to write on, we’ve got your back. Every month we release a theme to the Atlassian Authors Group, ranging from Cloud Migrations to Confluence onboarding tips and beyond. The themes are meant to inspire, not to dictate what you write!
Step 2: Creating an outline
Please, make Mrs. Jones from 8th-grade Language Arts class proud by creating an outline before you start clickety clacking. Begin by thinking about what lesson you’d like to impart on your readers. Try to make it simple and snappy! If you find you have a multi-sentence objective, you might want to consider writing two Articles.
Ex: At the end of this Article, readers will understand how Trello helps me organize the Atlassian Community content schedule
Once you have your objective, you can start building an outline to support your goal. I like to bullet out statements of all the points I’d like to make. Here’s a quick example:
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Trello allows for flexible list structure
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Butler allows me to easily label content that needs to be ported to other boards
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The Calendar power-up provides great visibility for other teams
Step 3: Deciding the format
Now that you have your list of bullets, you have some choices to make about the format of your Article. For those writers with 6 paragraph essay PTSD, worry not. You can certainly convey your information just as effectively in numbered how-to steps, a listicle, OR a standard essay.
Once you have your major bullets, no matter the format, beef them out with as many details as relevant. Re-read your Article to make sure all points support your objective, and voila! You’ve got yourself a first draft. Bonus points if you include screenshots, code, videos, etc.!
Step 4: Fine-tuning the voice
If an Article is brilliant but no one reads it, was it really brilliant at all? The voice and tone of your Article matter almost as much as the content because readability is crucial in conveying your objective! Write like you’re explaining your points to a friend or colleague, and care if they understand or not. (It can never hurt to send your piece to an actual friend or colleague to gut check). Still unsure? Check out the Atlassian Community’s voice + tone guide.
Step 5: Giving credit where credit is due
Remember earlier when I said it was okay to Google around to find inspiration? Don’t worry, it still is, but what is not cool is taking credit for other’s ideas. There is no shame in linking to another source or author, this actually just shows that you did your research in a thoughtful way!
Step 6: Slamming that publish button!
Or tapping it gently, we accept all forms of clicking. If you would like an editing eye before making it official, feel free to email bsauer@atlassian.com anytime for feedback.
Step 7: Responding to your adoring fans
Don’t be surprised if other users have questions or comments regarding your Article. You should receive a notification by email if someone responds, or you can check on your Community notifications. Keep in mind that your answers should be optimistic, inclusive, and empowering. Acknowledging when opinions differ from yours and celebrate when they’re aligned!
Note! The above guide applies to all Article writers on the Atlassian Community. That said, Solutions Partners and Marketplace Vendors must adhere to these guidelines to ensure that all Community content is created equally.
Inspiring A+ Articles
My love of Trello power-ups - @Jodi LeBlanc
How to run Jira in a Docker container -
How I aced the ACP-600- @Mary Ramirez
The Admin's tale - User Macro filtering a Confluence table - @Thomas Schlegel
Like the content of Confluence, our knowledge is never complete - @Kat Warner
And the list goes on 🙂
Happy writing,
Bridget + the Atlassian Community Team
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Bridget
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Content Manager
Atlassian
Truckee, CA
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