CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES

ARE YOU LOOKING TO SHARE YOUR STORY OR ADVICE WITH OUR COMMUNITY OF MILITARY SPOUSES? WE’D LOVE TO HAVE YOU VOLUNTEER WITH US!

PLEASE FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES BELOW TO ENSURE THAT YOUR SUBMISSION IS A PERFECT FIT FOR OUR BLOG.

Although we are delighted to collaborate with individuals and organizations that want to champion the wellness of military spouses, we do not accept guest post marketing pitches intended to exchange content for links that have nothing to do with our mission.

Submission Requirements: 

Please submit the following.

  • Word count = 800-1300

  • Include section headings for easy reading.

  • Include resources that will help readers their own wellness journeys.

  • All submissions should have clear, actionable items within.

  • High quality, full-size, landscape-oriented header photo to illustrate your text. See photo tips below. Please do not put text on your photo.

  • Short bio including links to your websites and social media

  • Mailing address, in case we’d like to send you a little something

  • Headshot

Writing Tips

  • Write in your own voice, as if having a conversation with a friend.

  • Connect with the audience by sharing a short personal story about a transformation, struggle, and/or victory.

  • Include actionable items within (i.e. Three easy ways to improve gut health) to inspire immediate change.

  • Relate content directly to the military spouse community, using vocabulary, terminology, and experiences unique to us.

  • Cite facts and support your opinion(s) with stats or studies linked to scientific papers, academic journals, and/or credible news outlets. Please use embedded links rather than footnotes or endnotes.

  • Unless writing a sponsored post, keep references and links to specific brands in your bio.

Still have questions about content? Contact our Content team. We do not accept guest post marketing pitches intended to exchange content for links that have nothing to do with our mission.

General Photography Tips

  • Photos must be 1,000 pixels or larger in width.

  • The header photo will be the most visual image accompanying your blog post. All photos submitted should be landscape-oriented (wider rather than taller).

  • Do not crop or add text to your photo.

Here are some tips to ensure you will have an attention-getting image:

  • Take your photo using natural sunlight. Artificial light can cast hard shadows on your subject.

  • Allow “breathing” space around your subject. Most images require cropping to allow for publishing on different types of media. Taking photos from farther away allows for this without risk of having to crop out an essential part of your image, such as someone’s feet or head.

    • Use the graphics below as a guide:

      • Cropping for ”header image” (keep subject inside red box):

  • Please submit photos without watermarks. Photos published on www.in-dependent.org become the property of InDependent. If desired, we give credit to the photographer under the header photo.

Still have questions about images? Contact our Content team.

Food Photography Tips

  • Use indirect, natural light — outdoors in the morning or evening, or in front of a bright window. Most kitchens offer poor lighting.

  • Use a simple background and add interest with linens, ingredients, dishes, and other props with different textures and colors.

  • Stand back from your dish a bit, so you’re not zoomed in too close. You should typically be able to see something besides food in the shot.

  • Overfill your dishes for a sense of abundance.

  • Take photos directly above or directly in front of your dishes.

  • If you’re comfortable with your camera’s manual settings, changing the white balance can create stunning results.

  • A macro lens hones in on details beautifully.

  • Cell phone cameras:

    • For specifics on taking high quality photos with your cell phone camera, read more here.

Have you read the above and are ready to submit?

Yes, I'm ready to submit!