In response to a growing interest in guest articles, these guideline establish goals for compatibility with the ClinicalReads format.
Brand Voice, Structure, Tone, and Submission Guidelines
1. ClinicalReads Mission & Philosophy
ClinicalReads bridges the gap between everyday life and medical science. Our voice is accessible, credible, and emotionally resonant. We use character-driven hooks to pull readers in, followed by accurate, medically responsible explanations, ending with practical, take-home advice.
Your article should feel like:
- A doctor explaining something clearly
- A storyteller easing readers into a complex topic
- A trustworthy guide providing next steps
Not like:
- A medical textbook
- A blog rant
- A personal essay
2. Article Structure (Required Template)
Every ClinicalReads article must follow this structure unless otherwise instructed.
A. Anecdotal Hook (150–300 words)
Introduce a short scene featuring a fictional or composite character experiencing the health issue.
This should feel like the opening paragraph of a ClinicalNovellas story—emotion, relatability, and a sense of “this could be me.”
Examples:
- Avoid Liver Cancer Lifestyle
- Hysterectomy Alternatives
- Dangerous Bowel Obstruction
- Your Water Broke, Now What?
- Distinguish Flu, Bronchitis, Pneumonia
- LSD Unfair Creative Advantage?
Requirements:
- Third-person or limited first-person; NO diary entries.
- Clear setup of the medical problem.
- Ends with a “turn” that leads into the educational section.
B. Condition Spotlight (400–800 words)
This is the authoritative, educational portion.
Requirements:
Use medically accurate terminology, but explain it plainly.
Include:
- Definition
- Causes
- Symptoms
- Complications
- Who is most at risk
- How doctors diagnose it
- Cite credible sources, using the sequential numbered citation format (no more than five).
Tone:
Professional, compassionate, and informative.
C. Practical Guidance (300–600 words)
Provide clear, actionable steps.
Examples:
- Prevention strategies
- When to see a doctor
- Lifestyle adjustments
- Home safety tips
- Mental health support
- Discussion of treatment options, without offering personal medical advice
Tone:
Encouraging, empowering, realistic.
D. Closing Vignette (Optional, 100–200 words)
- Return briefly to the character from the hook.
- Show improvement, acceptance, or a hopeful next step—but avoid Hallmark endings.
3. Required Tone & Style
Write Like This:
- Warm but not sentimental
- Clear but not clinical
- Educational but not patronizing
- Smart but not jargon-heavy
- Calm, trustworthy, composed
Avoid:
- Second-person imperatives (“You should…”) unless in the practical section
- Overly casual language
- Personal anecdotes from the writer
- Fear-based messaging
- Politicized language without necessity
- Excessive metaphor (1 per article is enough)
4. Length Guidelines
- Minimum: 600 words
- Typical: 1,000–1,500 words
- Maximum: 2,000 words (unless pre-approved)
5. Accuracy & Responsibility
Writers must:
- Verify health information through credible sources (CDC, NIH, Mayo Clinic, WHO).
- Update information if a guideline has changed in the past 18 months.
- Avoid implying a cure, guarantee, or personal medical recommendation.
- Encourage readers to consult healthcare professionals when needed.
6. Linking Guidelines
Allowed:
- Internal inline links to ClinicalReads
- Reference to relevant anatomy posters sold on ClinicalPosters
- Numbered external links to medical authorities
Not allowed:
- Affiliate links
- Commercial product promotions
- Off-topic personal blogs
- Discuss reciprocal links in advance or consider a commercial guest-post fee
7. Formatting & Voice Consistency
Headings:
- Use clear, skimmable headings (H4/H5).
- Strive for a reading level below grade 7.
- Avoid puns or jokes in section titles.
Paragraphs:
Paragraphs should be short (2–5 short sentences) for mobile readability.
Long sentences reduce the number that may be optimal on mobile devices.
Sentence Style:
- Avoid semicolons unless structurally necessary (TTS compatibility).
- Smart punctuation is welcome: em dashes, curly quotes, and ellipses when used sparingly.
Dialogue:
Dialogue may appear in the anecdotal hook only and should be minimal (1–3 lines).
FAQ:
The site has been enhanced to support a closing FAQ section that highlights 3–6 custom-crafted questions. This improves SEO and allows readers to locate relevant information with short responses to key questions.
Images:
Writers may suggest images, but the editor will likely choose ones that maintain the standards and licensing terms of existing sources.
8. Acceptable Topics
- Writers may pitch topics, but ClinicalReads primarily focuses on:
- Everyday health concerns
- Mental health
- Preventable diseases
- Lifestyle medicine
- Nutrition
- Aging
- Children’s health
- Respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, and neurological topics
- Relationships influenced by health
- Health-related behaviors that appear in ClinicalNovellas
9. Submission Checklist (Writers Must Complete)
Before submitting, confirm:
- The article follows the ClinicalReads 4-part structure
- Medical claims checked against two reputable sources
- Anecdotal intro is original and emotionally compelling
- Practical guidance is present
- No personal medical advice
- Tone matches brand voice
- All links work
- Word count meets guidelines
- No AI-sounding filler (“in today’s world…”, “the human body is complex…”)
- SEO-friendly title and meta description provided (optional but preferred)
10. Deliverables
Each submission must include:
- Article draft (Google Doc or Word)
- SEO Title (≤60 characters)
- SEO Description (≤150 characters)
- 3–5 key phrases for tagging
- Suggested internal links
- Short author bio (1–2 sentences)
