Welcome, Writer!

Every blog post has it's beginning, and every writer needs to have a little bit of a rubric, so that's what this is here for. These are the general guidelines of how this is going to run. 

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1. Would you like to write a blog post for TheFrogBlog?

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This is the most basic question I want you to ask yourself. If the answer is no, that's totally fine! I don't mind at all. I'd much rather you go with your gut than linger on the edge, feeling bad about wanting to say no. However, if the answer is yes, then continue on!! Allow me to introduce you to the basic guidelines that I have to my submission process.

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2. Why should I submit?

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The truth is that I don't have a lot to offer here other than experience and, if you have a blog, a way to grow your audience. If you submit, I'm going to be giving you feedback on your work whether I accept it or not, and you'll have experience pitching to somebody. But unless you have a blog, that's the main way that you're going to grow. If you have a blog, I will give you a shoutout if/when your blog post is published and you may gain more subscribers!

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3. What kind of things are you looking for?

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In a nutshell, I'm looking for anything mental-health related. That means journal entries, short stories, flash fiction, reviews, poems, songs, you name it! What I want is poignant, heart-felt, and true-to-self pieces that show either your mental health journey or what you've seen others go through. That's right, I'm looking for first- and second-hand accounts of mental health issues. So if you've got something pressing on your mind, I'd love to hear about it!

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4. How can I submit? 

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Currently, if you'd like to submit, I ask that you email me. In your email, please include a statement about submitting (e.g., why you'd like to submit), a brief summary of what you're giving me, and then if you'd like, submit what it is. (Please note that if you don't include your submission in the initial email, I might not request for it based on your brief summary) I may or may not accept it, based on what the blog is looking for at this time, but I read through every submission and give my honest feedback on each at this time. Each submission will get content edits, and those that reach my approval will move on to be resubmitted for line-by-line edits before being posted. 

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5. It's taking you a while to respond. Have I done something wrong?

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Nope! Even if you miss a step, I'm going to reply and ask for a little bit more info, or maybe for some tweaks to be made here and there. The reason why it might take me a while to respond is one of two things, 1) I'm swamped with schoolwork and/or 2) I'm having a rough time mentally. 

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6. Anything else I should know? 

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If/When your blog post gets published, it'll be published one of two ways. This is chosen based on comfortability and whether or not I see hope in you as a future Frog Friend. Allow me to explain. 

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Way #1: 

With this form of publishing, it's essentially a one-time deal. I like your piece this time, but no I'm not sure what to expect from you in the future and I'm not ready to bank on you just yet. For this, the post will be posted under my name with your pen name in the title so that everyone knows it's not my post. 

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Way #2: 

With this form of publishing, I'm accepting you as a Frog Friend. This means that I expect multiple blog posts from you (over the course of however long). What this may mean is that you have your own author profile on the blog, your own spot on the "Meet the Friends" page, and you'll be free to submit as many articles for review as you'd like. This spot is reserved for those I know really well and those who have made an impact on me with their writing. 

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Note: If I publish you as a #1 first, but then I upgrade you to #2, I'll swap that post over to be published by you. 

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Another Note: If you were chosen as a #1 instead of a #2 and are disappointed, don't be! I would love to work alongside you to work you up to a #2 poster. It's not meant as an insult, it's simply meant as a gentle "you aren't there yet." But I'm always happy to try my best to help you, from writer to writer, to become a #2 poster.