Guidelines for Guest Posts

The community here at Anxiety, Panic & Health benefits when there are a variety of voices writing articles and comments. For this reason, guest posts are heartily welcomed as a way to bring fresh perspectives and experiences to readers.

If you want to write a post, contact me

If you think you would like to write a guest post for Anxiety, Panic & Health, please email me using the “Contact” tab found at the top of each page. You may have a finished post, the idea for a post, or just the life experiences that you think will be of interest to readers. All are welcome. The email does not obligate you in any way.

Please include the following information in your Contact email:

• Your real name. Guest posts can be anonymous or written under a pseudonym, but I need your real name.
• An outline of your experience and qualifications for writing a guest post.
• Links to other guest posts that you have written, to your blog, or to other materials if applicable. This will let me see your writing style, but they are not required. First-time writers are encouraged to explore writing a guest post.
• Your post subject or ideas. If you do not have a subject in mind, please include enough information so that I can suggest some topics for you.
• A statement that you have read and agree to the “Basic guidelines for all posts” listed below.

In my reply to your initial contact we will discuss the possibilities. If you and I agree on a guest post, I will give you details about how to submit your post and other necessary information.

Editorial policy

In general, I try not to edit guest posts beyond basic spell checking — I want the words and style to be yours. I will add an image and do formatting so that your post looks the best it can.

Payment for guest posts

Unfortunately, I cannot afford to pay you for a guest post. However, I do want to make sure that you receive as much credit as possible through links to your blog and other internet locations. You may mention your guest post in other media in any way that will be helpful to you.

Basic guidelines for all posts

Following is a list of basic guidelines for all posts on Anxiety, Panic & Health, whether it is my post or a guest post:

1. All medical information presented must be attributed to an author, and his/her training must be mentioned. It is ok to be a non-professional (I am!) so long as it is clearly stated that you are. 

2. All sources of information about medical content must be given. In other words, if you make a medical assertion, it has to be backed up with a footnoted authoritative source such as a journal article, research report, book, etc. An example of this sort of sourcing of information and footnoting can be found in my post “Beyond Zits: Acne and Anxiety Disorders Part 1.”

3. All information about the benefits or performance of any treatment — medical, commercial or a service — must be backed up with scientific evidence such as medical journals, research reports, etc. This is related to item 2. 

4. You may write an opinion or personal experience post that has no footnote-able content, but it must be marked clearly being your opinion only. An example of an opinion post is my “Can Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks Be Cured?” Dave, a guest writer, posted his “Conquering Your Panic: Dave’s Success Story” as a personal experience piece.

5. No guest posts may promote or mention a commercial product or service. If you have developed or work for a company that markets a product or service associated with your post, you may not mention that product or service in your post. However, I will mention your company or product in the “about the author” section of the post. An example of this kind of post (and incidentally, an opinion post without any medical information) is “The Evil Trick Anxiety Plays on You and How to Turn the Tables” by Rich Presta. Rich wrote and sells a Driving Fear course.

6. All medical information must be balanced. If you make an assertion, and there are others who object to that assertion, you must mention the fact. Posts that disparage other people, medical treatments, commercial products, or services will not be accepted.

Decisions regarding the suitability of guest posts

I bear the ultimate responsibility for this blog and its contents. All decisions regarding the suitability of guest posts are mine and are final.