Write for Gen Tales
A publication where genealogy meets history
Have you been researching your family history and have stories to tell? Join our publication as a writer and share them alongside others.
Qualifications for inclusion in Gen Tales
(Updated April 20, 2024)
GenTales originally published two types of articles: 1) family history/stories and 2) lineage research. As of Aug. 2023, the pub will also accept book/media reviews.
All stories must be well written and sourced if possible: links to sites, a bibliography, a statement about where the info was found — it doesn’t have be extensive, but it does need to be evident that you’ve done the research to back up any factual claims.
For family history articles: Your story should be a personal slant on history It can be direct or indirect, as long as it’s honest and a real historical event, location, or person. If it’s anecdotal (a story your family has told), be sure to note that and any research you’ve done to confirm or refute it. (**previously the requirement was that it note in some form your relationship to the subject — I also now accept interviews and excerpts from family history books, which won’t necessarily make that connection clear).
For lineage research: Whether it’s the results of your own investigations or resources you want to share, this area is wide open to interpretation. Share your findings, whether it’s your family or historical curiosity. Share your favorite resources and teach others how to use them. Comment on someone else’s work (respectfully, of course!).
For reviews: The book or media should be on genealogy or used in the field of lineage research.
Guidelines for submissions
Ideally, your story will be at least 400 words with at least one image. It can be a stock photo, as long as the source is properly attributed. A 3-min read photo diary narrative is also acceptable as long as it’s put together as a complete story. Other lengths will be considered based on the content and whether a complete story is told, but try to aim for the above.
Make sure your article has tags and the SEO settings have been tweaked. At your discretion, utilize the heading, quote, divider, and dropcase settings to increase the readability and give your writing personality.
Please also follow best practices on Medium — title in title case, subtitle in sentence case, photos captioned with their source (including the link to the source, e.g., how Medium’s writing picture pulls automatically from Unsplash), and no affiliate links without disclosures.
How to submit
First, you need to be added to the publication as a writer. You can leave a comment with your Medium user handle here or on the call for submission article that struck your interest. You can also email using the link on the Gen Tales homepage. It may take a couple days, but you’ll be notified when you’re added.
Once you’re added to the publication, you can add a completed draft or published article to Gen Tales for addition to the publication.
The Gen Tales editor (currently Alicia) will do a cursory look through your article for any major issues prior to publication but will not change the content beyond small fixes. If your article is not acceptable, you will be notified by private comment on the article and allowed to resubmit.
You’re welcome to follow any call for submission, new or old, and to follow your own topics and train of thought.
