Guest Bloggers

Guidelines for Submitting a Blog Post

Thank you for offering to contribute to the Grief Matters blog! We appreciate that you are helping us build an interactive community of grievers and growing grief literacy.

We know that original pieces, written specifically for our Grief Matters blog, are the best-read items on our website and social media pages. Our goal is to post new and pertinent blog pieces of varying perspectives each month. Since we are always looking for new stories, there are no hard timelines for submission (unless otherwise noted). We are happy to help you tell your story.

Before writing a blog for Grief Matters, please understand the following:

  • Our philosophy is that grief is a part of life and should not be pathologized.

  • Our audience is anyone and everyone who wants to learn more about grief.

  • The best received blogs are those written from personal experience. Don’t forget to introduce yourself: the reader wants to feel like they have gotten to know you.

  • Include links to any resources, research, articles or organizations, etc. that you reference in your piece. (Don’t embed them; add links either in the text or via comments).

  • Please include one or two open-source pictures or images to which you own the copyright with your blog submission; note, however, we may not use them.

  • When possible, keep your post to between 500-1500 words. For longer posts, please consider dividing your piece into two related submissions. Contact us to discuss.

  • The tone and content of your piece is important. Your story should be honest and direct, without being preachy or overtly angry.

  • We understand that sometimes you just MUST say IT, but please refrain from inappropriate language – use symbols if a swear word is necessary.

  • Constructive criticism of medical providers is fine, but please keeps the expression frustrations respectful.

  • If applicable, include the value of palliative care in your experience.

Grief Matters reserve final editorial review. We will never change the intention or meaning of your piece (only tighten, copy-edit, etc.). You will have a final approval before posting.

We are happy to help you along the way. Let us know if you would like help narrowing your topic, building your story, or editing your piece.

  1. Before writing your blog post, submit your idea to info@griefmatters.ca for approval.

  2. Once you are approved, you can email your blog post to us as a Word document.

  3. Include a headshot and short bio paragraph.

  4. Include both a title and a subtitle (one line description) for your piece.

  5. Include a desired photo for the blog post header. It must be copyright-free. You can get free images on websites like Unsplash or Pexels. It should be horizontal, 1133px by 755px to be precise, but don’t worry about exact dimensions. You can look at our blog post page to get an idea. If you can’t find a good photo, we can help.

  6. Tell us your social media handles and/or website, if you want them tagged or included.

Once your blog is submitted and you have approved any edits, we will work with you to determine a date for posting on our website and in our social media. Once it is posted, you can proudly share your contribution with your friends and family via emails or social media.

By submitting a blog post, you agree that your blog post will remain on our website and we may promote it on our social media and newsletters. Older blogs can be searched by title.

Thank you for taking the time to contribute your thoughts and experiences to growing community of people who think that Grief Matters.