This is where you submit guest blog posts to ChangingAging. If you just have a quick question, click here.
At ChangingAging™ we believe there is potential for growth and development no matter your age or condition, so we’re always looking for stories, videos and photos from people celebrating the aging experience. We welcome people of all ages and backgrounds to submit questions about aging or caregiving, personal stories or guest blogposts, especially if it helps shed light on what comes after adulthood. Are you changing aging? Tell us about it!
Our editorial guidelines are informed by the FrameWorks Institute’s groundbreaking initiative Reframing Aging. We strongly recommend all interested contributors read their 2015 report Gauging Aging and watch the accompanying webinar:
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
- Changing Aging: We’re looking for stories that help reframe public perceptions of aging by challenging the declinist status quo and telling the new story that aging equals growth.
- JOURNEYS: We need your stories to change aging. What’s it really like getting old? We welcome stories from people of all ages (we are all growing!) but in particular from those who are exploring the uncharted waters of “Not-Adulthood”. Do we have any Crones reading this? Any Sages? We need to hear from you.
- INNOVATIONS: How is technology, science, culture, art and philosophy changing the way we age and take care of each other? We’re interested in everything from the latest gadgets to breakthrough trends in caregiving.
WHAT NOT TO SUBMIT
ChangingAging will reject submissions that perpetuate negative stereotypes about aging and violate the FrameWorks Institute’s recommendations for Reframing Aging (see webinar above). In particular, we will reject stories that:
- Cue individualism (“lifestyle choice,” “financial planning,” “control,” “responsibility”) that attributes healthy aging to individual choices and fails to acknowledge the importance of social supports and systems.
- Use images or textual cues that “otherize” older Americans and perpetuate an “us” vs. “them” mentality.
- Activate zero sum in discussions about scarcity of resources (“pies,” “pools” and other limited resource metaphors) aimed at framing elders as a burden on society.
- Use crisis messages (“Silver Tsunami,” “Fiscal Crisis,” “Budget Buster”) that frame aging as an impending social/economic/fiscal disaster.
Please note: We will NOT accept guest posts hawking commercial anti-aging products or from SEO marketing companies. We reserve the right to mock anti-aging quackery.
NO:
- Anti-Aging products, pills, quackery or snake oil.
- Fad dieting, vitamins or rejuvenation tips either. Eating healthy and exercising is called common sense, so you better have something new to say about it.
- Strictly self-promoting content or sales pitches.
- Copyrighted material (owned by other than yourself).
RULES OF SUBMISSION
- Posts should be 500-1000 words.
- You retain full ownership of any work you submit to us.
- By submitting your work to ChangingAging you grant your consent to let us publish it. You also consent to let us edit it for length or style.
- We can’t respond to all submissions but we will do our best. You can always share your thoughts instantly by Commenting on any story.
- ChangingAging is strictly PRO-AGING. We are not interested in products, pills, diets or workouts to make us “look 10 years younger.”
Potential reasons for post rejection:
- Dull, negative, inflammatory or overly judgmental posts
- Personal or revealing family issues without consent of family members
- Sensitive medical or mental health issues that pose liability or privacy concerns
- Similarity to recently published content
- SEO marketing firm or writer representing anti-aging products or sites.
