What we write about:

Project Semicolon is a mental health blog that focuses on the following topics:

1. Mental and Behavioral Health.
2. Substance Abuse Treatment.
3. Relationships.
4. Effective Parenting.
5. Counseling and Psychotherapy
6. Family

Our Objectives:

1. Inform readers about issues related to mental health.
2. Destigmatize and demystify mental health and mental health treatment.
3. Provide useful, actionable tips that increase our readers’ quality of life.
4. Stimulate thought, discussion, and debate.

Who Should Write For Us?

Our preference is to publish and promote articles and essays written by masters and doctoral level counselors and therapists who have an expert understanding of the subject matter about which they are writing.

We want people who know what they’re talking about. Preference goes to licensed mental health professionals and those with special education, training, or experience in the field. These qualities need to be reflected in your author bio as well, as we want all readers to know whose work they are reading.

While you need not be a professional clinician, you are nonetheless expected to know the subject matter about which you are writing. Please demonstrate your mastery of the subject matter in your post.

Please do not submit articles if you are under 21 years of age, or if you are not proficient in English. All authors must be identified by their real name, have an accurate bio, and use a headshot for their profile pic.

WHY Should You Write For Us?

• Your own profile pic and byline;
• Author bio with backlinks to your home site;
• Featured on our Authors Page;
• Free exposure to thousands of targeted readers;
• Add to your resume or online writing portfolio;
• Project Semicolon is a trusted blog about mental health, addictions, relationships, and parenting.

Guest Posting guidelines

Writers with an expertise in mental health, relationships, addictions, therapy, or parenting are welcome to submit posts free of charge, provided they are not promoting a paid-for service.

• Strong preference is given to mental health professionals.
• Authors may link back to their own blog in the text of their author biography.
• The article may not include a call-to-action to a specific product or service with which the author may be affiliated.

Authors of both guest and paid posts may choose to republish their articles on their own blog, provided two criteria are met:

1. A canonical link is added back to the URL of the post on Project Semicolon.
2. The article acknowledges at the beginning or end that it originally appeared on Project Semicolon, with a corresponding backlink to the original article, or the Project Semicolon home page.

PLEASE NOTE: Guest Bloggers get one do-follow link in the author bio. All links in the body of the post will be no-follow and are not guaranteed to remain just because they are submitted.

General Editorial Guidelines

Please review the following section so that you understand the type of article we publish, both in terms of content and style. We want every article on Blunt Therapy to be well-written, informative, authoritative, and well-researched.

Author Identity and Bio

Readers have a right know who is giving them health-related information and what experience, expertise, and/or training that person has that makes them an authority on the subject. Anonymous posts are not accepted. Fake names and fake bios are not accepted, either.

In order for your post to be published, you must submit:

• A 200×200 color head-shot of the author;
• A 50-100 word author bio that lists any relevant education, experience, or expertise;
• Link to at least one social media profile.

Tone of Articles

Articles should be written in either 3rd person. The tone should be informative but down-to-earth. Articles should be written for a web-audience, meaning clear and crisp sentences with multiple headings and short paragraphs. Please avoid technical and/or jargon-heavy writing. The focus should be solution-focused and mindful.

Format of Articles

All posts must be list-style, how-to, or what is/why-style articles. A well-crafted blog post will answer a question and have the following qualities:

1. A target keyword
2. An engaging title
3. A clear audience in mind.
4. A friendly, informative tone.
5. Sub-headings
6. An introduction
7. A conclusion
8. Sources and/or research.

Length of Articles

We ask that posts be a minimum of 1,000 words, with an optimal word length between 1000 to 1500. Articles below 1000 words will be rejected.

Need an editor or an expert to make an info-graphic? I use Fiverr for everything. They’re awesome.

Do’s and Don’ts of Article Writing

DO…

Submit Original Posts: Posts must be unique and original to Project Semicolon. Posts must not have been published or submitted elsewhere online. This includes your personal blog and venues such as Medium and Tumblr. Articles will become the property of Project Semicolon once submitted.

Share Your Expertise and Passion: Project Semicolon focuses on mental and behavioral health. You can add value to our work by bringing your own unique voice and views, infused with your own passion and personality. Please write from your heart, based on personal experience and/or professional expertise, and please write as if you’re talking to a friend. The more down-to-earth the better. The best articles are the ones that seem like the author is talking to you, not at you.

Choose a Great Title: When choosing a title, think about the reader. What are they looking to learn? What problem do they want to solve? Write your title keeping those things in mind.

Use a “Hook” in your Opening Statement: The first few sentences will determine if your reader actually reads or moves onto the next article. Please be engaging, tell the reader exactly what they are about to experience, and make them want to keep reading.

Logical & Succinct: In the body of your article…

• Word Count – Please submit articles of at least 1000 words.
• Sub-Headings – Please split up your content with relevant subheadings to make it easier for readers to follow the logical flow of ideas.
• Short Paragraphs – So readers can easily digest your awesome article, please keep paragraphs short and succinct (2-3 sentences each).

At Least One Call to Action: Articles should do one of the following:

• Prompt the reader to consider the topic in relation to their own situation and/or
• Give practical tips that the reader can easily start applying in their life.

Inspiring Quote/s: We encourage you to include to provide at least one authoritative quote within your article that relates to the topic.

Videos Inside Your Article: You are welcome to insert a Youtube video into your article if it is directly relevant to the article topic and the content of that video is positive and appropriate. If you wish to include a video, please ensure you put brackets around the Youtube video URL in the exact place in your article that you wish it to appear.

Quote Sources: If your article references data, facts, statistics, or research studies, please be sure to include a link to a credible source. Feel free to hyperlink the text.

Infographics: If you have produced an infographic, we’re happy to publish it along with your article. Please make sure to include all the relevant links. If the infographic is not yours, please provide the proper citations so we can give credit.

Check Before Submitting: Please spellcheck your work. Read it out loud before you submit it and make sure all errors have been corrected.

DON’T…

We ask that you avoid doing the following…

Don’t send articles that have been, or will be, published elsewhere.

Don’t send superficial articles: We provide high-quality content that has real substance based on personal experience and/or professional expertise. We are not about spinning content, or about linking just to increase traffic. Please bring your A-Game.

Don’t send anything that’s not related to mental health: Please don’t send articles or bio references that promote a business, service, or product that has nothing to do with the focus of our blog.

Don’t send anything that violates our Terms of Use.

How to Submit Your Article

Please email your article, exactly per the below guide, using the contact form below.

Submit your article as an attachment using Microsoft Word.

Make sure to include:

1. Title of your article
2. Article text
3. Your bio – 100 words or less
4. Link to your website or blog, if any.
5. Links for your social media profiles, if any.

Don’t forget to provide us with the correct spelling of your name and a good contact email.

PHOTO: Plus please attach a high-resolution photo of yourself for your bio. .Jpeg format, square, 200X200.

OPTIONAL: Any images, with sources, and/or infographics.

By submitting articles to Project Semicolon you acknowledge the following:

• Article submission does not guarantee that it will be published. Articles will be accepted or denied based on quality, relevance, and uniqueness.
• Project Semicolon does not pay for content contributed.
• You accept our Terms of Use.
• You allow Project Semicolon to make edits and revisions in order to maintain a high standard of quality.
• When an article is published on our site, it is then owned by Project Semicolon. You are not permitted to re-publish that content without prior approval from Project Semicolon.

We reserve the right to:

• Decline articles submitted, without providing reasons. (It is not possible for us to provide feedback on individual articles. We appreciate your understanding.)
• Adjust article titles where necessary, in order to optimize reader engagement and SEO.
• Make edits to articles (including but not limited to spelling, grammar, and paragraph/sentence structure for the purpose of improving readability)

Before You Submit an article!

To insure that your article isn’t removed by monitors, make sure that your submission is:

• At least 700 words
• Original
• A List-Style, How-To, or What-Is Post
• Relevant to mental health/therapy, addictions, relationships, or parenting

And that you have included:

• The author’s name
• an (up to) 100-word bio that lists relevant degrees, experience, or education
• includes a 200×200 headshot of the author

What Happens After I Submit an Article?

After submission, your article is immediately available for community readers.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation!