By Spear and Axe is looking for your input. While I’ve written pretty much everything on this site over the years, it’s difficult to remain a one-man operation. As such, it’s time to open up things to new voices. That’s right, By Spear and Axe is looking for your submissions.
What we’re looking for
By Spear and Axe has something of a particular direction. While the site maintains there is no One True Path, and we’re open to exploring other ways to get to the same destination, we’re not interested in anything that goes against that direction. This site is about training warriors. A post about why all warriors are dumb isn’t likely to be welcomed fondly.
Don’t take that to mean you have to “toe the line” or anything. Again, there’s no One True Path and disagreement is fine. Want to write about how you believe kettlebells are a waste of time for strength? Want to write about why conditioning should consist of running primarily? Think the idea of a modern barbarian is a bad way to approach the topic? I’m open to the discussion.
However, everything must work towards the goal of helping people be better prepared to deal with whatever life throws at them.
In particular, we’re interested in the following subject areas:
- Martial arts – particularly Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), but we’re open to any other kind of martial art. Discussions of the martial art must focus around either the self-defense aspects and/or health benefits.
- Strength and Conditioning – This is often our bread and butter here. While we’re open to any and all strength and conditioning posts, particularly about philosophies and tools we don’t normally discuss. However, again, this is about training people to become warriors, so keep that in mind as you write.
- Nutrition – Another of our core post types here, we’re especially interested in nutrition. In particular, technical discussions of various diet protocols. However, one should be prepared to discuss the matter with an eye on good health.
- Philosophy – Fancy yourself as something of a philosopher? If you have opinions on things that tie into our core mission, feel free to share them with us.
- Finance/Business – Money makes the world go round. You can train to be the baddest warrior on earth, but if you’re not prepared for something like losing your job, it won’t do you a whole lot of good.
- Other Options – Have something in mind that hasn’t been discussed here? Let me know. Maybe I haven’t thought of it. Maybe I don’t feel competent to discuss it but you are. Bring it on.
Contribution Guidelines
All submissions must be between 650-1000 words. Exceptions to the maximum can be made for particularly technical posts.
Further, posts must be original work unique to By Spear and Axe. That means you shouldn’t submit a post here and another site simultaneously.
Submissions can take any form such as long, informative posts, listicles, whatever strikes your fancy. However, they must be readable and entertaining. A conversational style is generally considered ideal for the tone of this site, but not mandatory. Understandable use of the English language, however, is.
Those wishing to make a submission should use the contact page to make a short pitch. If I like it, I’ll reply back and let you know. You can then submit the text via an attachment in a reply.
However, please bear in mind that I’m very busy as a full-time writer away from By Spear and Axe, so while I try to be prompt with my replies, sometimes things get away from me. If you haven’t heard anything within a week, please ping me again.
Be advised, though, that right now, about all we can do is provide a link to your own personal website/social media page in exchange for content. While we do hope to get to a point where we can offer some kind of compensation, right now all we have to offer is exposure and an opportunity to provide published writing samples for other publications.
Thanks for your interest!