I’ve decided to open this blog to guest posts. I can’t be everywhere in the world, and I don’t know everything about larp. So I think it makes sense to invite others to contribute to this blog.

But I don’t want just anything–I want particular sorts of posts, so here are some submission guidelines:

What I get: The right to put your post on my blog, indefinitely.
What you get: An established audience for your work, rigorous editing from yours truly, and of course, some money (half of my Patreon contributions, in most circumstances), because writing is real work that deserves real payment.

The sort of posts that I want

They should be between 450 and 2,000 words. In general, for a blog, shorter is better unless you have something really really cool to say. They must be in English.

Click the “Start Here” tab on the menu to get a sense of what sort of content this blog offers. In general, you can think of me as your first audience–if I find what you have to say interesting, I will be more likely to put it on my blog.

I have tried to keep this blog connected to reality, and to keep it focused on practical information. I like to explain concepts in easy-to-understand language to help newcomers understand the larp theory terms so many people use, I like to offer practical tips for designers, organizers, and players. I like theory terms only insofar as they can help organizers, designers, and players do the things they do better or more simply.

I love larp scripts and would love to publish more of them. I also love brief (!) descriptions of cool new larps. I love stuff about inclusion too.

So keep it connected to reality.

You might also think about what you, uniquely bring to the table. I am a pretty decent reporter and researcher–but you, well, you have something special about you. Maybe it’s your familiarity with your national scene, a cool theory musing yet to be shared to the world, or maybe your practical, hands-on experience with a certain part of the larp world. Whatever your unique awesomeness is, think about how that might affect the angle of your post.

Payment

I have a horde of wonderful Patreon supporters who crowd-fund this blog and ennable me to carve time out for writing. I believe writing is work that deserves compensation. If I publish your post, I will offer you a percentage of my Patreon fee (usually 50%), paid via Paypal. That amount varies depending on when in the month we publish and what my current contributions look like.

If you are interested in promoting your one-shot larp or festival on my blog in a paragraph or two, I’m totally down, but I’m not going to pay you for your efforts because really, you’re advertising. Also, my Patreon fee depends on posting just the right amount (not too much, not too little) and I don’t want to use up valuable mic time pimping someone else’s projects.

How to Submit

Send an email to lizzie.stark@gmail.com. Please include a subject line that says “PITCH: The Loneliness of Elves” or whatever your topic is. This will help me distinguish your email from the rest of mine.

The body should contain your name (remind me if we’ve met–I’m tragically awful with names and faces) and a sentence or two about you. It should also contain a one-paragraph pitch of your topic, something like, “I’d like to talk about the loneliness of elves in the mountains, and how players can practice this in their own closets at home. Closets are the perfect vehicle for exploring this because…”

I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Hope to see you in my inbox soon!