Writer Instructions

This is an internal page for writers, editors, and staff of MartialJournal.com. You should print this page and keep it handy.

Please do not share this page with anyone outside the group.

MartialJournal.com Writer Instructions

Revised 2/2/24

Writing will be edited by at least one other person. Content submissions are expected to fit the following criteria.

  1. Content – traditional martial arts related. If you’re talking about MMA, there has to be a traditional hook to it. If unsure, ask an editor.
  2. At least 500 words. Maximum of 2000 words. Exceptions can be made but should be pre-arranged.
  3. Minimum 1 image inserted as the Featured Image. Additional images are welcome in the body.
    1. Suggested sites:
      1. https://pixabay.com/
      2. https://unsplash.com/
      3. http://www.freeimages.com/
      4. https://www.gratisography.com/
      5. Something you’ve photographed yourself.
  4. A direct link to the source of ALL images should be placed in the Description field. If you took the photo, that must be noted.
  5. Fully checked for spelling and grammar issues
    1. (both MS Word and WordPress, our backend platform, support this.)
    2. Grammarly is a free web plugin that would also be helpful for style.
  6. AI-generated images are acceptable. AI-generated text is not. You are welcome to use AI for outlines, topic ideas, and other queries that support your creativity. But we require all writing to be your own.
  7. An appropriate, catchy title of no more than 50 characters.
  8. A 160-character summary of the piece placed in the Yoast SEO section under “meta description.”
  9. Authors will directly enter their content into the backend of the website. No emailing your work to someone and having them enter it.
  10. Categories – choose one and only one.
  11. Tags – these are specific styles of martial arts, but we need to avoid getting super-specific. For now, base arts only – karate, taekwondo, etc. If the post is about multiple arts, it’s not appropriate to use tags. Few pieces will qualify for tags.
  12. Make sure the focus keyword for the article appears exactly in the “alt attributes” field. The focus keyword would be the one to three words that best summarize your piece.
  13. Focus Keyword-It is very important that the selected focus keyword appears, exactly as written, in the following places for improved Yoast SEO results:
    1. Somewhere in the article title.
    2. Somewhere in the “meta description.”
    3. The first heading (H2) within your article.
    4. Somewhere in the first paragraph of the article.
  14. Link to other Martial Journal articles that might be relevant to the audience. This helps all of us.
    1. Any links to other Martial Journal pieces should be set to open in the same window. External links open in a new window (checkbox).
  15. Once your piece is finished, set the status to Pending Review by submitting with the blue button that says “Submit for Review.” Under no circumstances are writers to publish their own pieces. Once you have set it to Pending, email editors@martialjournal.com
  16. Editing will be done ASAP by someone on the editorial board.
    1. If significant edits are required, you will be emailed. Otherwise, the piece will be scheduled for publishing.
  17. Once published you are advised to promote your piece (and by extension, the site) which will lead to more readers. We suggest using both social media and your own website(s) with brief intros and direct links.
  18. You may not repost any content you posted at MartialJournal.com, but a best-practice strategy would be to write a 300-word summary (aka rewrite) of the beginning of the piece and post it with a link back to your MJ article.
  19. Keep your user profile up to date! This is how people are going to find you and your personal projects. We spent money on the Author Bio plugin we’re using for this very reason. We will not publish any article submission without a completed Author Bio. Check your profile, which shows up at the bottom of each piece you write, and make sure it’s correct.
  20. Interview Submissions: For any interview article to be published in Martial Journal, the author must be able to provide the raw answers/responses from the interviewee. Once an editor has been assigned to your interview, they will reach out to you to get the raw responses that you have based your interview on. The interview will not be published until the requested answers have been received by the editor. This process is designed to protect you as the author, and Martial Journal as an entity.
    1. You must also obtain approval to proceed from the interviewee and be able to provide that to the editor.
      1. In the event that it is not possible to obtain approval from the interviewee, inform the editor of the situation with as much pertinent information as possible. A majority vote from the Martial Journal editorial board is necessary to move forward with publishing the interview in these situations.

If you wish to be a continuing, contributing writer, you will be expected to produce at least one submission per month. Occasional contributions are acceptable, but editing priority will be given to those who contribute regularly.