Writers Wanted

Feb. 7, 2023 Update

Writers Wanted posts and game submissions are closed indefinitely. Thanks for your interest.

Interested in writing for Haunt Jaunts? We’re interested in welcoming you to our Skeleton Crew. Writers wanted!

We cover this in more detail in the FAQs but it’s the number one question we’re asked so let’s address the elephant in the room right off the bat. Do we pay?

Yes.

Not much. Don’t get excited.

However, we believe writers should receive compensation for their craft and we finally have room in our budget to offer a small stipend.

That said, we have specific submission and publishing requirements. If you’re still interested in writing for us, read on for submission details.

Guest Posts

What We’re Looking For

The number one thing we want is original, infotaining (informative + entertaining) content*.

*”Content” being a crucial keyword. We’re looking for useful information that people are searching for right now, or that qualifies as “evergreen” and remains timeless. (#4 in the example posts below is an evergreen post that has consistently performed well ever since it was first published.)

As far as ideas for the type of content, think movies or TV shows, books, places, events, and current affairs that are popular right now. What’s on everybody’s minds? What are people talking about? Answering questions from a fan or traveler/visitor perspective is the crux of crafting the kind of content we publish here on Haunt Jaunts.

An understanding of SEO is also useful, but not required. We’ll edit as needed.

Before submitting an inquiry, get to know us if you don’t already. Read some of our posts to get an idea of how we blend true crime, horror, and the paranormal with travel, events, entertainment, and lifestyle.

We’re especially interested in posts that pose specific questions and answer them, lists (including most/least/best/scariest), tips, how-tos, haunted history, trivia, and “where to find” types of posts.

Here are some examples:

Also, be sure to check out the Guest Contributors feed. It’ll give you an idea of the kind of posts we’ve accepted.

What We’re Not Looking For

1. Fiction.

We only publish non-fiction.

2. Personal ghost stories.

Those are great but not the right fit for us. Although that said, we encourage blending personal experiences into posts. It just shouldn’t be the focus of them.

For instance, if you’ve been to a haunted location and experienced paranormal activity, definitely feel free to mention it, but highlight the location. What did you find most interesting about it? What surprised you? Did you learn anything you didn’t know before going? What do you wish you’d known before you went? What advice/tips would you offer others to enhance their visit?

3. Essays.

While we want informative content, we’re not looking for term paper material.

4. Previously published work.

We are only looking for original content that has not been previously published elsewhere.

5. Paid sponsored content.

We also have no interest in publishing writers promoting paid sponsored content.

We expect you to include links in your posts, but we reserve the right to approve which we’ll actually use and which we won’t.

Note: We will always include a link to your author/business site, if applicable.

What We Pay

1. Flat rate fee.

Pay starts at $15 per accepted post.

2. Bonus pay.

We also pay quarterly bonuses for exceptional performance posts. An exceptional performance post is one that gets at least 5,000 views. We’ll pay you an additional $5 per every 5,000 views.

For example, if your post gets 5,000 views in a quarter, that’s $5. 10,000 views = $10. 15,000 views = $15, and so on.

Regardless of which quarter or how many, the bonus continues to be paid. It’s like earning royalty on a guest post.

We also pay $1 per 1,000 views past 5,000, 10,000, etc. Here are a few examples of what a bonus payment would look like:

7,014 views = $7
16,082 views = $16
19,5050 views = $19

So if you write an exceptional performance post, you would receive the initial $15 for your post plus a quarterly bonus, depending on how many views your post racks up.

As I explained in a post detailing our pay structure, writing an exceptional performance post is not easy but can be done. (Doing so is why we’re now able to pay for guest posts.)

Hint: The key to writing a high-performing post is figuring out what people are interested in. Know what’s trending. Think from the fan’s perspective. Who, what, where, when, or how do they want to know more about? Answer that, and you have a shot at a lot of hits.

How to Submit Guest Posts

Query first. No unsolicited manuscripts accepted.

Send inquiries to submissions@hauntjaunts.net.

What to Expect If Your Pitch Is Accepted

If we like your pitch, we’ll give you the green light to submit your piece.

We require a minimum of 300 words and a max of 1,500.

We can be flexible with the max amount of words, but not with the minimum. So if you’re over 1,500, no worries. We can work with you. But the post has to be at least 300 words.

Along with your submission, be sure to include (1) a short bio and (2) your Venmo or PayPal info (username, phone number, or email so we can get you paid).

As soon as we publish your post, we will send you a link to your piece and payment confirmation.

Fun & Games Submissions

We’re also looking for original (not published elsewhere) puzzle contributions for our Fun & Games page. We’re specifically looking for Creepy Clues, The Order, and Scary Scrambles puzzles.

How to Submit Fun & Games Submissions

Query first to make sure the solution you have in mind is one we can use.

What We Pay for Fun & Games Submissions

We pay $5 per accepted puzzle.

What to Expect If Your Puzzle Is Accepted

If your puzzle is one we can use, we’ll include your name with it and a link to your website (if applicable) or any social media sites you want.

We’ll also need to know your PayPal or Venmo payment preference and your username, phone number or email so we can get you paid.

We’ll send payment as soon as we add your puzzle to the Fun & Games page.

FAQs

Q: Do you pay?

A: Yes. See the “What We Pay” sections above for both Guest Posts and Fun & Games.

Q: Do you accept posts from U.S. authors only?

A: No. As long as wherever you live accepts payment in USD, we’ll consider your work.

Q: I want to make as much as possible. How do you make sure my post qualifies as an exceptional performance post?

A: We have no control over that. Only you do. Write quality content. Focus on SEO. Pay attention to what’s trending. Think out of the box. We’ve had some surprises with posts that we didn’t expect to get a lot of hits, and we’ve had ones we thought might do well that didn’t. But in general, we have moderate success looking ahead to what’s coming out and predicting the kinds of questions people might ask about certain topics. The more specific you answer a question of some sort, the more likely you’re going to create an exceptional performance post.

Q: Do you accept reprints or previously published posts?

A: No. We want original content that has never been published before. After we publish it, you are free to publish it elsewhere, though.

Q: Do you accept multiple queries/submissions?

A: Yes. We’ll consider more than one query at once. We’ll also publish more than one post at a time. Maybe not all in the same month, though. It depends on how many you have and how many other guest posts we’ve already accepted.

Q: Do you accept simultaneous submissions?

A: Yes. We just ask that you let us know if it’s accepted before you hear back from us so that we know to pull it from our queue.

Q: Do you publish fiction?

A: No.

Q. What rights are you seeking?

A: We want first rights. You still own your article and after we publish it, you are free to submit it elsewhere.

Q. Do you edit guest posts?

A: Yes. That’s not to say you shouldn’t proofread and submit your most polished work. If it requires too much editing, we’ll reject it.

But in addition to editing for spelling and grammar, we have a certain style here we like to remain consistent with. We try to keep the author’s voice as much as possible, though.

However, we also format posts for SEO optimization. Therefore, we will craft new titles, add headers if you don’t have them (or adjust with keywords if need be), and modify sentences to make posts SEO-friendly. This ensures our site still ranks high in search engines and gives your post the most visibility possible.

We understand some writers may take exception to this, though. Keep that in mind when submitting. We appreciate that we might not be the right place for you to publish your work.

Q: Do you add pictures or do I have to supply those?

A: If you have pictures that you own, have the rights to, or do not infringe on copyright that you want to be included in your guest post, feel free to send them along with your submission. If you don’t have any images, no problem. We’ll take care of adding some.