Contributing writers from military communities across Europe make up an important part of our writing team. (Sakoodter Stocker - stock.adobe.com)
Welcome! We are excited that you would like to write a story for Stars and Stripes Europe.
The Europe community website serves as a free resource for U.S. military communities stationed in Europe. We are committed to providing our readers with a connection to their local communities, high quality travel stories, relevant military history articles, information about military life in Europe, kids content, and fun lifestyle stories that bring excitement to an overseas assignment.
Contributing writers from military communities across Europe make up an important part of our team! We appreciate new angles, varied voices and unique stories.
Before sending us a pitch or a story, please read the following guidelines and requirements.
Stars and Stripes Europe accepts story submissions on a volunteer basis. Contributing writers are not paid.
Accepted story submission will be used on the StripesEurope.com website. Some may be selected for use in our print publications at a later date. We will reach out if your article is chosen. We do not accept pitches or submissions directly for print publication.
Accompanying photographs (up to 5) in .jpeg or .jpg format are encouraged and welcome, but not required.
We require all contributing writers to have signed a contributor agreement form which gives usage rights of your submission(s) to Stars and Stripes.
It is highly recommended that contributing writers pitch ideas first. A pitch includes a potential title and 1-2 sentences detailing what the story will be about and why it is relevant. If you choose to send a written story, ensure it is a polished piece and follows the requirements below.
Timely community stories and reports do not need pitched (see “Your Community” below). Feel free to submit these written stories directly.
Contributing writers may only send one fully written submission per week. There is no limit on the number of pitches.
The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including, but not limited to, ChatGPT or Co-Pilot, for writing, content creation, editing or other uses that directly create or change your written words is unacceptable. Basic in-app grammar and spell-checking tools are permitted. An AI content detector will be used on all submissions, with a 0% AI-generated (100% human-generated) acceptance rating.
Please disclose if you are submitting a story that has been previously published in print or online (to include blogs), or if the trip was sponsored in any way. Neither precludes acceptance, but the disclosure is necessary for transparency.
Bloggers or content creators may include a 1-2 sentence bio at the bottom of their piece that includes the name of their brand.
Once your first piece has been accepted, we encourage you to continue sending stories. Your email will be added to our seasonal contributing writer newsletter, and you will be included in our contributing writer incentive program.
All accepted submissions will be edited to adhere to AP style. Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers a great guide.
As the publishing arm of Stars and Stripes, our department works on content between three and six months in advance. Please keep this timeframe in mind when considering submissions. “Your Community” stories are the exception.
We accept stories in the following categories:
We are always looking for stories about your local military community. This may include free or non-profit event announcements, DoDEA school events, special award winners, sporting reports, information about non-profit organizations and after-action stories about local events. Stories in this category are the exception to our long timeline and are handled in a shorter timeframe.
We are interested in stories that offer neutral advice for other military families about PCSing, deployments, family dynamics, spouse opportunities and other topics related to life in the military. In addition, we appreciate receiving military history and veteran stories based in or connected to Europe; bonus points for including a travel element.
This broad category offers topics that are helpful or interesting to our military community for their daily life in Europe. It includes stories about local culture, food and drink, recipes, crafts and projects, gardening, home life, healthy living, parenting, pop culture, performances, holidays and pets.
We enjoy receiving a variety of travel stories that highlight places our military-affiliated audience can reach from duty stations across Europe. Especially desirable are new perspectives, unique travel locations and local sites or experiences near bases in Europe. We accept personal experiences, location guides, tips, budgeting ideas, suggested itineraries, trip reports and hybrid travel/knowledge stories. We enjoy stories written specifically for singles, couples, families, or pet travel. Stories should have a singular and recognizable focus, whether it is a particular location, a specific theme, or an individual experience.
Our kid’s category contains stories for and by military-affiliated youth residing in Europe. Stories by young people are submitted via our youth writer program.
For those stationed in Germany, we accept amateur photography to be featured on the “Your Snapshot” page of our “What’s Up” magazines that are distributed at bases in Germany.
Download, fill and sign the contributor agreement form, which will be kept on file. Email it with your first pitch(es) or story submission.
Email EuropeSubmissions@stripes.com with pitch(es) or a written story. Include pitch(es) in the body of the email, attach written stories per the requirements below.
After an initial response, you will receive an email letting you know pitch we would like you to write, if we will accept your written story, or if we will pass on what you’ve sent. We aim to give final responses within one month of receipt.
NOTE: If you are 18+ and interested in getting volunteer hours through the Army’s VMIS system, let us know. You will need to send in a DD-2793 and have an account on the Army Family Web Portal.
.doc or .docx format, email attachment
300-800 words
12 pt, Arial font, single spaced, one space between paragraphs
Include a suggested title and writer’s name in the document
Attach any accompanying photographs (max 5) separately to the email in .jpg or .jpeg format
Send to EuropeSubmissions@stripes.com with the subject “Pitch” or “Submission”
We look forward to reading all about your amazing adventures in Europe!
