Publish with Google Open Source

We invite Googlers to author a post for our blog and submit content to our channels when they have information to share with our community. We're proud of the impact that our programs have, and that Google open sources so much of its code, so we especially want to share those stories.

Our channels are staffed by an individual Googler in OSPO and now operate in partnership with Google Developer Studios, due to the high influx of content. In order to publish with us, you must follow all guidelines listed here to allow enough time for the editorial and publishing process. All content must be final prior to submission and is subject to review for publication. Publishing on our channels is not at-will and must adhere to these guidelines, or we may turn away your submission.

Please do not contact the Open Source Editor about reviewing drafts that have not been submitted to our process. Once submitted all communication regarding your blog post will occur via Buganizer.

FOR EXTERNALLY TIED DATES: Do not plan content dependent on a particular publication date without inquiring in advance with the Editor if the date is available. For any external PR releases, submit in advance to determine staff bandwidth and availability. The OSS calendar is planned in advance, and scheduled based on the submissions we receive. If you submit and date changes are required, we will require manager approval.

To expedite this process, consult our guidelines and make sure you have secured the appropriate permissions before submitting a request.

  1. Prepare the draft in the appropriate template: [Blog], [Social only], [Video].

    • Your draft must be in its final stage with any necessary approvals from your team/PA in place before submitting. Do not submit a draft and continue working on the content.
    • Please do not use templates from other blogs, or submit empty Google Docs.
    • To comply with SEO best practices, blog and/or social content needs to be original and cannot be duplicated on multiple blogs. More information here and here

  2. Submit a request using the form(s) below, at least 7 business days before your desired publication date.

    NOTE: To avoid delays, please acquire all LGTMs (Except Google Open Source Editor) via the Approvals section in the Google Doc template before submitting a request.

    • Blog and Social Media form
    • YouTube form
    • Make sure you've turned on edit access for emailremoved@ and emailremoved@.
    • If your requested publishing date is already taken we will suggest another date.
    • Please note that editors and approvers are in different teams and have different schedules, therefore we need advance notice, and rushed requests cannot be accommodated.

  3. Refine the draft. Posts go through 2-3 rounds of editing.

    • Some posts require legal approval. If it’s a product launch please seek approval from your PCounsel and include their LGTM in the template. If you’re unable to acquire this, let us know.
    • We'll make edits as suggestions and leave comments to address questions.
    • Only resolve a comment after taking action to address it. If you have a question about an edit please reply to it rather than closing it, so that we may discuss.

Once the draft is finalized and approved, the post will be staged for publication. When the post goes live, we'll promote it on social media. With our GDS partnership, changes to locked drafts, and scheduled or published content, can no longer be addressed by pinging the Google Open Source Editor. You must reply to your ticket in Buganizer for open submissions, OR submit a new request to edit published content. Large edits can result in loss of publication date.

Guest posts

Guest authors (authors who don't work for Google) should follow the same process. However, they should use this template and have a Googler submit on their behalf. Please review the content to ensure it is up to standard with our channel. All guest content is subject to review and may not be published.

Writing guidelines

Every post should adhere to our style guide, which offers guidance on voice, grammar, and punctuation, as well as words and phrases that are easy to get wrong. Here are a few quick tips:

  • Posts should be short, to the point, and informative.
  • Blog posts should be between 500-1,000 words.
  • Write for a general technical audience and include links to external sites that contain additional details.
  • Every post should include at least one image.
  • Don't capitalize or hyphenate open source.

Permissions

Always give proper attribution to content we didn’t create ourselves, generally as a caption. We can only use images and videos in our blog posts if we have the legal right to use them. That means at least one of these must be met:

  • We created it ourselves (it's owned by Google).
  • It's under a Creative Commons license that does not restrict commercial use, such as CC BY, CC BY-SA, or CC BY-ND.
  • We have written permission from the copyright holder to use it in this way.

and:

  • We have permission from everyone in the picture to post their image.

If anyone is named in the blog post, we need their written consent. When seeking consent, ask if they want their name linked to a social media profile (no personal or professional websites). We need a special release form signed if the person is a minor.

Google Open Source channels

We operate and support a website, a blog, and a number of social media channels to further the mission of Google Open Source.