The Brave Writer

Write for Us

New submission guidelines — update 2nd Oct, 2020

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

**Last Updated: 30 January 2021**

We have changed our submission guidelines and process. Please read each section carefully.

Changelog:

• Moving forward (as of 30/01/2021) we’re only going to be considering new writer submissions on Saturdays. You can still submit during the workweek (or on a Sunday), but please only expect a reply to your submission the next Saturday.
• We don’t accept ‘link cards’ in the main article body
• We automatically reject Stories only about Medium (EX. How I earn XX in my first month of Medium, or How to become a Top Writer in 20 Tags on Medium, etc).
• There is a new form to fill out if you would like to apply to become a Brave Writer.
• We have a Slack group which you can join, link at the bottom.

Please note that we do not review writer applications through our personal emails or social media.

Thank you for your interest in our publication.

Welcome to The Brave Writer, a publication made by writers for writers.

Writing is not a simple process. It has its ups and downs. Yes, most of us write because it is our passion. Because we feel the urge to write. But this doesn’t mean that it’s an easy ride.

Writing takes courage. Writing is an extension of our minds to speak the words our voices can’t. Writing is personal. As a writer, you are giving a piece of yourself to the world. That takes courage.

The mission of this publication is to inspire and motivate writers to keep writing, take care of themselves, and become brave writers.

Are you a Brave Writer?

Topics we’re looking for:

• Self-improvement for writers: Tips on overcoming fears, being brave, self-care tips, lessons from writing, etc. You are also welcome to share your experiences as a writer, the challenges you’ve faced, and how you overcome them.
• Motivation for writers: Inspiring advice to new writers. Motivation boosts and tips to keep writing and improving even when things get difficult. Wining mindsets to fight the writer’s block. Motivational material, rituals, mindsets that help you and other writers to be and stay brave.
• Writing tips: How to improve skills as a writer, writing hacks, editing, and publishing tips, tools, and approaches. What to write about, where to write, how to write, and everything that helps us become better writers.
• Marketing for writers: tips on how to market your content. How to pitch editors. Best social media for writers. Social media hacks. Advice on digital marketing for content creators, and so on.

Basically, if you think there is something writers can learn from you, pitch it. We want to read it.

We accept how to’s, listicles, essays, and various forms and writing styles. We love diversity.

Writing Guidelines

• We only accept unpublished drafts.
• Articles must be at least three minutes long.
• You must tag your work with at least one of the following: Self-improvement, Motivation, Writing Tips, Marketing. This helps us to better organize stories and increases the visibility of your story in the publication.
• Titles must be title-case, and subtitles must be sentence-case — with a featured image below it (see image below). If you are not sure about the format of your title, you can use a Title Case Converter.
• Please include at least one feature image in your story. Use high-quality images in your posts. The overabundance of images in the story is not recommended, unless strictly necessary to enhance the story. Remember to credit properly the images you use. You must have the legal right and permission to use it. Failing to do this is a cause of rejection of your piece. If it’s your own picture, add a credit like this “Image courtesy of the Author”.
• Headings in the article must also be sentence case.
• We also don’t accept ‘link cards’ (embedded links) in the main article body, it detracts from your story where a normal hyperlink would do. Though we can accept link cards at the bottom of your pieces for recommended reading.
• Please edit before submitting your piece. There are plenty of free tools for checking grammar and spelling: Grammarly, ProWritingAid, Hemmingway App. Use them. Read your story out loud before you hit publish. Write short and clear sentences, let the reader breathe. We will reject submissions with too many grammar mistakes.
• Family-friendly content: You are welcome to share your rants, but this is a positive publication to improve our lives as writers, and is open to everyone. Keep curse words to a minimum and don’t have any curse words in your title or subtitle, or else Medium won’t curate your article.

Gif from Author

Pieces we’ll automatically reject:

• Anything shorter than three minutes.
• Poetry and fiction, unless related to a writer’s life.
• Articles that are not specifically for writers (i.e, don’t just submit a motivational piece, it has to be for writers).
• Stories only about Medium (EX. How I earn XX in my first month of Medium, or How to become a Top Writer in 20 Tags on Medium, etc)
• Pieces with too many mistakes or are generally unclear.
• Copycats of stories that have been already published.
• Stories full of spam and call to actions.
• Stories deemed offensive or inappropriate for the audience.
• Stories breaking Medium rules and guidelines.
• Stories promoting hate, discrimination of any kind, racism, xenophobia, sexism, antisemitism, homophobia, and any kind of unethical and inappropriate behavior.
• Content that threatens, encourages or incites violence against anyone, directly or indirectly.

All pieces are subject to editing

We reserve the right to make minor changes to your submission without notice. If we need to, we will change your title, subtitle, featured image, and/or formatting. We’ll also do some light editing (grammar, spelling, etc.). Every change made to the article has the purpose of increasing the chances of curation and improving its visibility both inside and outside Medium.

Please keep the editing of your story to a minimum once the story has been published in The Brave Writer. Any violations of the rules, even after publishing, will lead to the removal of your story from the publication.

How long until we get back to you?

Our editors can take 2–3 working days to get back to you. If your piece is rejected, we will let you know with a private note. We may ask you to change or edit your story and re-submit.

Please note that we usually don’t review stories on the weekends. Still, you are welcome to submit your pieces these days.

How to become a writer?

When your post is ready, submit via this form.

*Please note* Moving forward (as of 30/01/2021) we’re only going to be considering new writer submissions on Saturdays. You can still submit during the workweek (or on a Sunday), but please only expect a reply to your submission the next Saturday.

Once added as a contributor, you will be able to submit your drafts to The Brave Writer directly from your Medium Profile. If you don’t know how to do it, read the Medium guide here.

If you don’t hear back from us within three business days, please assume that we kindly passed on your submission.

How can improve my chances of getting approved as a writer?

Other than following these guidelines, you can also take a look at our Editor’s Notes Column.

In this column, our editors share their advice on how to edit your pieces, how to pitch your stories, and how to improve your chances of having your work accepted for publication.

Check it out here.

Removal of writers from the publication

Editors reserve the right to remove writers that keep breaking the submission guidelines and rules.

Also, when stories are approved and published by The Brave Writer team, we expect that they will remain in the publication. The relocation of work initially published in The Brave Writer to another publication is grounds for immediate removal of the author from the writing team.

Slack Community

We have created a slack group for our community. You are invited to join once you become a writer. But you can also join here.