Contributor Guidelines

Thanks for your interest in writing for The Write Life!

The Write Life seeks practical, actionable advice on writing — pieces that will help writers on their own writing journey.

Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions about submitting a blog post for consideration to The Write Life.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I write about?

To get a sense for the type of work we publish, read our site!

As you can see, our posts cover all areas of the writing life, including: freelancing, marketing, blogging, publishing and the craft of writing.

Here are some topics we’d love to publish more about:

• How to earn money writing — our best posts include the author’s experience and advice or feature another writer who has been successful
• Advanced tips for freelance writers, including strategies for earning a living as a freelancer
• Ideas for running and growing your own blog — unique ideas we haven’t heard before are best
• List posts a la “34 Travel Magazines and Websites That Pay Freelance Writers” and “
• Advice from people who work in the writing world: editors, literary agents, publishers, illustrators, etc. If that’s you, we’d love to hear what you have to say!
• Tips and tricks for traditional book publishing and self-publishing
• Stories of writers who have seen success… a la “This Writer Used X to Earn X This Year”
• Personal essays on writing like this post: “How Anne Lamott Helped This Woman Beat Writer’s Block”

Should I pitch you my idea before writing the post?

Sure! Pitch your idea by emailing our managing editor Jessica Lawlor at [email protected]. (Note that we can’t guarantee publication though until we review a completed submission. We’re happy to evaluate your pitch though before you get to writing!)

We also consider fully-drafted pieces.

When will I hear back from you after I send my pitch?

Please allow up to two weeks for our managing editor to respond to your pitch.

Have any tips for ensuring my piece is a fit for The Write Life?

• • Please write in the “you” voice as much as possible, then support your advice with personal experience or stories.

• • Posts should be written in blog style, with short paragraphs, numbered lists, bullets and lots of white space.

• • Including a few sub-headings is much appreciated (we love to use H2!)

• • Only one space between sentences, please!

• We know the Oxford comma is a hotly-debated topic in the writing world, but we follow AP Style and therefore ask that you don’t use the Oxford comma in your submission.