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Writing guidelines
This is the whole editorial standard, written out. Read it once and your odds of being accepted go way up. Nothing here is a trick - it is what separates an article pros forward to each other from one that gets skimmed and closed.
800-2,000 words Reply within a week Full byline, always
Before you start
- Pick one idea and stay with it. The strongest submissions answer a single question a working pro has actually asked on a job.
- Write from something you did, not something you read. If the piece could have been written by someone who has never opened a panel, it will be declined.
- Check the site first. If we have already covered the topic, pitch the angle we missed rather than repeating it.
Our four categories
- Business LIFE - running an HVAC company: sales, finance, hiring, culture, leadership, and the decisions that keep a shop growing.
- Tech LIFE - the trade itself: diagnostics, install craft, tools, troubleshooting, and the hands-on knowledge that makes a tech better.
- Personal LIFE - the human side of the work: mindset, family, health, money, and building a career that does not burn you out.
- Homeowner LIFE - helping homeowners understand their systems, maintenance, what to expect from a pro, and how to choose the right contractor.
- A single article can touch more than one category, but it should clearly belong to at least one of them. You do not need to pick a category when you submit - we just want you to know who the piece is for.
Length and shape
- 800 to 2,000 words is the target. We accept 500 at the low end and 4,000 at the high end.
- Open with the situation, not a definition. Get to the useful part in the first two paragraphs.
- Break the body with subheadings every 300 words or so. Short paragraphs. Lists where a list genuinely helps.
- Close with what you would tell another tech to do differently on Monday.
Voice and style
- Write the way you talk on a job site, minus the parts you would not say in front of a customer.
- Use real numbers: superheat readings, static pressure, model families, hours, dollars.
- Name manufacturers and tools where it matters. Do not turn the article into a review of one brand.
- Spell out an acronym the first time you use it. Some readers are two years into the trade.
Sourcing and links
- Five links maximum, and every one has to help the reader rather than your rankings.
- Link to manufacturer literature, standards bodies, and training resources over blog posts.
- One link to your own site or business is fine, in your bio rather than the body.
- Quote other people accurately and say who they are. Ask before you quote a private conversation.
Photos and files
- Photos of your own work carry the piece. Nameplate shots, gauges, ductwork, before and after.
- Send images at least 1,200px wide. Blur anything that identifies a customer or an address.
- Only send images you took or own. No manufacturer marketing photos, no stock, no screenshots of someone else's post.
What we cannot publish
- Anything paid for, sponsored, or written on behalf of a brand.
- AI-generated drafts with no first-hand experience behind them. We can tell, and it wastes your time and ours.
- Work published elsewhere, including your own blog, a LinkedIn article, or a forum post.
- Agency link-building submissions.
- Advice that would put a tech or a homeowner at risk, or that ignores code.
Ready to send it in?
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