Contribute to Hiking with Shawn

On this page, you can learn how to contribute to Hiking with Shawn by writing for our blog and becoming a guest blogger.

We’re Accepting Guest Blog Posts!

That’s right! You can write a blog post about hiking, especially in the Shawnee National Forest and Southern Illinois, and we may publish it under your name on this blog. However, we’re very strict about what type of content we allow on this blog. Please read the editorial guidelines below in full before contacting us with your pitch.

The type of hiking content we DO consider:

✅ Everyday hikers
✅ Hiking bloggers
✅ YouTubers/podcasters about hiking
✅ Hiking club members
✅ Hiking guides
✅ Hikers/backpackers with beginner advice
✅ Outdoor store owners (if educational, non-promotional)

The type of hiking content we DO NOT accept:

❌ SEO agencies
❌ Paid guest post requests
❌ Sponsored link insertions
❌ Commercial backlink builders
❌ Generic health/fitness writers who don’t hike
❌ Thin AI-written content
❌ Overly promotional content

If you’re looking to promote a website, insert a commercial link, or gain a backlink, then we ask that you DO NOT request to contribute to our blog because we DO NOT want your kind of content on this blog. We will reject all requests and likely report your email as spam, which can hurt your email score since we use Gmail-powered email services.

Before you pitch your article idea to us, ask yourself the following question about your article:

Would a hiker actually benefit from this?

To be considered, this question must be answered with a yes. We only accept blog posts that are meant to be about hiking without something transactional or commercial taking place.

Here are some good examples of articles we would likely consider:

• “7 Beginner Mistakes I Made on My First Hiking Trip”
• “What I Wish I Knew Before Buying My First Daypack”
• “How I Started Hiking at 60”
• “Beginner Hiking Tips: Lessons from My First Hike”
• “Hiking Recovery Tips for New Hikers”

Here are some bad examples of articles we would NOT accept:

• “Top Trends in the Hiking Industry”
• “Best Investment Opportunities in Hiking Brands”

Your article MUST truly benefit hikers because that is what this blog is all about.

Required Editorial Guidelines

1. Topic Requirements

Must be about hiking, Shawnee National Forest, or Southern Illinois.

2. Content Requirements

• 100% original content only
• Human-written
• Helpful and practical
• Must provide real value
• Clear, English language
• No keyword stuffing
• No recycled content published elsewhere

3. Writing Standards

Must follow these writing standards and be in perfect English:

• Clear headings
• Short paragraphs
• Easy readability
• Actionable advice
• Real experience encouraged

4. Link Policy

Allowed:

• 1–2 non-commercial hiking-related links in the author bio
• Personal blog
• YouTube channel
• Hiking-related social profiles
• Hiking nonprofit/club

Not allowed:

• Commercial affiliate links
• Gambling/CBD/crypto/casino/finance links
• E-commerce product pages
• Excessive links in the article body
• Keyword-rich anchor text

Editorial links within content are removed unless they genuinely improve the reader experience.

5. No AI Spam Policy

AI-assisted writing is acceptable only if the article is clearly reviewed, edited, and enhanced by a human with real hiking knowledge. Thin, generic, or low-value AI content will be rejected.

6. Editorial Rights

We reserve the right to edit submissions for grammar, readability, SEO, formatting, and clarity.

7. No Guaranteed Publishing

Submission does not guarantee publication.

8. Images

We do not accept third-party images under any circumstances, except for your bio photo. We will provide appropriate images on the blog post. This is non-negotiable.

9. Author Bio

• 50–100 words
• Real name preferred
• Hiking-related links only

10. Tone

Friendly + educational

Request Your Contribution Be Added:

Please send an email to shawn @ hiking with shawn . com (without the spaces) and put on the subject like “Hiking with Shawn Guest Contribution.” Not doing this will likely cause us to miss your request for a guest contribution.

Remember: This is about helping our readers with their challenges, not earning you a backlink.