Contributor guidelines

Grief Collective is a space for people who are grieving, and much of what makes it meaningful comes from the community. If you've lived through a loss and want to write about it, or your work supports people who are grieving, we'd love to hear from you.

Ways to contribute

Guest post: You write a piece to be featured on the blog. Topics and drafts are approved by Grief Collective, and posts are labeled "Guest post" with credit to you, plus a short bio linking to your site or social media.

Interview: Grief Collective interviews you in written format. You'll receive a set of questions and return your answers within 10 days. Interviewees have a mission and following related to grief, loss, death, or healing, and their work aligns with our non-denominational approach. Interviews are credited with a short bio and link, and need a photo of you or your cause.

What we're looking for:

  • Personal essays about your own experience of loss

  • Writing that speaks to someone who is grieving, not about grief as a subject

  • Honesty over polish. You don't need to be a professional writer. We'll help with editing.

  • All kinds of loss: death, but also estrangement, illness, pregnancy loss, and the losses that don't have names

Styleguide

Format:

  • Posts should be 3–7 paragraphs and no more than 2,000 words.

  • Paragraph breaks and subheadings are encouraged for readability.

  • Limit external links to citations or what's truly necessary; links should open in a new window.

  • Titles should fit on 1–2 lines, use Title Case, and say clearly what the piece is about.

  • Personal essays are written in first person ("I"). Informational posts, like guides and how-tos, use "we" (e.g. "When we experience grief").

Imagery:

  • Each post should include a high-res image (550x750px, landscape orientation).

  • Images can be original art or photography, or sourced via Unsplash.

  • Credit images to the original creator in the subheading.

  • Limit photos of people, which can project an unconscious idea of what grief should "look" like.

  • Consider cultural, racial, and gender contexts, and be sensitive to biases imagery may convey.

Written content

  • Trauma-informed. You can share what happened (e.g. my parent died from cancer), but avoid details that may be triggering, such as specifics of the dying process. Use trigger warnings where appropriate.

  • Inclusive. Grief affects people from every background and culture. Recognize and respect diverse experiences, perspectives, and beliefs around mourning, and avoid generalizations that exclude or invalidate anyone.

  • Supportive, not dismissive. Avoid euphemisms and clichés that diminish the experience, and language that suggests readers should grieve in a specific way.

  • Respectful of grief's ongoing nature. There's no silver bullet for grief. Healing is individual, non-linear, and lifelong. Avoid overly positive generalizations like "Everything will be okay."

  • Approachable and well-crafted. Write in clear, straightforward language that readers of any comprehension level can take in. Good writing here is specific and honest, not flowery. A single true detail does more than an ornate sentence.

  • Empathetic. Approach every subject with compassion. Use gentle, non-judgmental language that helps readers feel heard and validated.

A note on faith

Grief Collective is non-denominational. Your faith is welcome as part of your story; we just ask that pieces don't prescribe beliefs or spiritual answers to readers.

Original, human writing

We publish real people's stories, in their own words. Submissions must be your own writing and not generated by AI. Spelling and grammar tools are fine.

What we don't publish

  • Sponsored content, paid links, or articles written for SEO

  • Pieces promoting a product, service, or book (a short bio with one link is welcome)

  • AI-generated writing

  • Advice that tells readers how they should grieve

How to submit

Email hello@griefcollective.com with:

  1. Whether you're pitching a guest post or an interview

  2. Your full piece, or a short pitch if it isn't written yet

  3. A sentence or two about yourself and your connection to the story

  4. Confirmation that the writing is your own and not AI-generated

We read every submission and aim to reply within a few weeks. Because we publish about once a month, we can't run everything we love. A no is never a judgment of your loss.

Partnerships and gifts

We're selective about partnerships and only work with organizations whose work we'd recommend to a grieving reader on its own merits. Every partnership is clearly disclosed. We don't sell links or sponsored placements in existing articles.

If you'd like to send a book or product, we're glad to take a look, but we can't guarantee coverage, and anything gifted is disclosed if featured. To propose a partnership, email hello@griefcollective.com.