a. Word doc (.doc, .docx)
b. Google doc (with the Share settings of "Anyone on the internet with this link can edit")
Write for the Orchid Community
Orchid is more than an electronic health record platform — we're a growing community of mental health professionals who care about growth and wellness, and our emerging blog reflects that.
If you’re a mental health professional with any experience with blogging about mental healthcare topics, then we want to hear from you! You could fit right into our community of healthcare professional contributors on The Orchid blog.
Before submitting any blog posts for consideration, please thoroughly review the submission guidelines and FAQ below. Your submission must meet our requirements in order to get published on Orchid's blog. Orchid's editorial team reserves the right to reject submissions at our discretion.
Guidelines for Blog Submissions
Submission requirements
Following these content and quality guidelines when writing your blog post will give you a better chance at publication on Orchid's blog.
Write for Orchid's primary audience
Orchid's blog is intended for an audience of mental health professionals. Please only submit blog posts meant for that audience, not for patients or the general public. Our audience of mental health professionals includes (but is not limited to): therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, policymakers, and researchers in the United States.
Align your post’s topic with Orchid’s content categories
We’re interested in considering in-depth, actionable blog posts about any topic that’s important to mental health professionals. We’re particularly interested in blog posts that share practical advice and expertise on topics that fit into our blog’s content categories:
- Professional Development: practice management, business growth, continuing education
- Clinician Wellness: personal growth, self-care
- Industry Research: case studies, reports
- In the News: current trends and developments in mental healthcare
Read current posts on our blog to get a better sense of the types of topics your blog post could focus on.
Make the point of your post clear
Have you ever read something and walked away uncertain about what you were supposed to gain from reading it? Make sure your blog post doesn't create that type of experience. Your blog post should communicate a clear central premise that includes valuable takeaways that are relevant and useful to Orchid's audience. Whatever you choose to write about, make it clear from the first paragraph what your point is and why it matters.
Follow Orchid's style guidelines
Style matters as much as substance when creating blog posts.
Following these guidelines will help you craft more legible and engaging content.
Use language that's natural to your voice. When in doubt, lean into being conversational over academic in tone.
Structure sentences that are simple, clear, and the most direct routes to your point.
Break up your text with bold section headings that emphasize the key points of your post.
Use bullet points or subheadings where appropriate. Skimmable content structures like those give your words more room to breathe and help readers digest information better than long blocks of text.
Avoid jargon. If you must use a term that's not widely known by mental health professionals, define that term clearly in your post.
Please take the time to self-edit your post along these guidelines before submitting it to Orchid. Not sure where to begin with editing? You could try this free editing app— it helps you identify where your sentence structure and vocabulary could benefit from a refresh (and why).
Pay attention to word count
Although we won't reject a submission based solely on length, 800-1,800 words is a good word count range to target. For example, a post around 1,200 words is long enough to convey a meaningful amount of information, but not too long that readers might be deterred from reading it in full. If your post is shorter than 800 words or longer than 1,800 words, we'll still consider it if it checks all the other requirements.
Suggest a title for your post
The first thing readers will notice about your blog post is the title. Capture their attention with a title that clearly communicates the topic or premise of the post. Keep your title brief: 10 words or 100 characters maximum. It's okay if the title isn't perfect — just give it your best effort. Orchid reserves the right to edit the title in order to influence marketing metrics.
Properly cite your work
If directing to appropriate online sources: Use hyperlinks with text that makes it clear where that hyperlink will direct readers (instead of simply writing something like “Read more”). Please minimize the number of links in your article (10 maximum).
If citing offline sources: Cite references according to American Psychological Associate (APA) style guidelines. Integrate your references directly into the text; don't use footnotes.
Your blog post should be understood as a standalone piece, but if it's related to a larger body of work or journal article, please briefly give that context in your post along with hyperlinks or citations where appropriate.
Include an author bio
We ask that all authors include a short biography (100 words max). That will appear in the publication at the bottom of your blog post. Biographies should include your name, your institutional affiliation and position, and the focus of your work.
Submissions we won't accept
Not following the submission requirements above and/or doing any of the following no-no's will make it unlikely we'd accept your blog post submission.
Incomplete drafts
Please only submit complete post drafts. Our editors will only put your post through a single round of edits, so your post should be your complete and best work when you send it to us. Partial drafts, outlines, or posts lacking a clear central premise will not be accepted.
Promotional copy
Do not include promotional language about yourself or your organization. Your post must not be construed as a link-building scheme, and it shouldn't contain marketing-related links or promotional language about any businesses, products, or events.
Offensive or inaccurate content
Do not include offensive language or discriminatory content. Your post should also not be overly critical of individuals or companies. Do not violate the confidentiality, privacy, or privilege of any protected relationships, information, or communications.
Previously published work
Please only submit original content that has not been published anywhere else. We will not accept your submission if it has already appeared in another website, blog, social media platform, or other form of publication.
Blog Submissions FAQ
When will I hear back about my submission?
Our editorial team is small but mighty — you can expect to hear back from us with an answer within 1-2 weeks.
If my submission has been accepted, what happens next?
Once we've given a thumbs up to your submission, our editorial team will share any feedback necessary to enhance your post's readability or accessibility. That editing process will take place in Google docs as Suggestions and Comments. If substantial changes are needed, our team will send the draft back to you to make those changes. You'll be given the opportunity to read and approve the final polished blog post before publication.
When will my accepted blog post be published?
Date of publication depends on the current volume of our content calendar. We'll communicate your publication date with you as soon as we can confirm it. If your post involves timely subject matter (for example, related to a current event or themed month), please note that in your submission.
Do I get anything in exchange for publishing my blog post?
Publishing your content on Orchid's blog gives your business a key benefit: exposure. Your post will link directly to your Orchid profile, where professionals can message you and patients can book sessions with you. We also promote your post and business on Orchid's social media channels, helping your practice reach a wider audience.
What if I want to pitch an idea but haven't written the post yet?
You're welcome to email us at info@orchid.health with your ideas! If you're uncertain whether your topic is suitable for Orchid's blog, we'll be happy to answer your questions. We do not, however, give feedback on partial drafts. Please only submit complete post drafts or brief idea pitches.
Anything else I should know about publishing on Orchid's blog?
If we publish your post to Orchid's blog, Orchid obtains full rights to the content, including but not limited to: editing, mixing, duplicating, using, or reusing it in whole or in part. Once published on Orchid, please do not publish your Orchid blog post anywhere else. However, you are always welcome and encouraged to share a link to your published Orchid post wherever you'd like.
How to Submit a Blog Post
Make sure your full post draft is readable and editable in one of the following formats:
Attach your Word doc or link to your Google doc in an email. Remember that doc must include your:
a. Suggested title for your blog post
b. Full draft of your blog post (edited and formatted according to our submission guidelines)
c. Short author bio (at the bottom of your post)
Add the email subject line "Orchid Blog Post Submission"
Send your submission to info@orchid.health