Information Regarding Guest Posts
Thank you for your interest in contributing to Heavenly Chant as a guest writer! May God bless you for your support of our site.
Heavenly Chant is dedicated to promoting and studying Gregorian Chant and other sacred hymns in the Catholic Church’s rich treasury. We adhere to the Catholic liturgical calendar by choosing chants and hymns relevant for the current liturgical season when appropriate.
We welcome guest posts covering a variety of topics pertaining to Gregorian Chant and traditional hymns! These topics include, but certainly are not limited to, a reflection/analysis of a piece of Gregorian Chant or a traditional hymn1, a theological study of the influence of Gregorian Chant and/or hymnody in the liturgy, a philosophical reflection on the importance of music in Catholic public worship, or a study of how Gregorian Chant and/or Catholic sacred music has shaped the way music has evolved throughout the centuries. All topics must receive prior approval from one of our editors before publication. Please feel free to dm us through Substack with any topic ideas you may have!
FAQs:
How often must I post as a guest writer?
As a guest writer, you may contribute as often or as infrequently as you would like! You may contribute just one time or more than once—the choice is entirely yours. We are grateful for anything that you are able to write, even if you are only able to contribute once.
How long should a guest post be?
While the length of each post varies, please try to keep your posts between 300-500 words, on average. However, we are flexible with the word count, so please do not feel limited by this if your post runs over the suggested maximum word count.
Are there any other technical aspects to writing a guest post that I should be aware of?
We strive to allow each writer as much creativity as possible. If you choose to write about a particular piece of Gregorian Chant or a particular sacred hymn, we encourage you to include a recording or video of the chant/hymn at the end of your post. This will enable readers to listen to the piece about which you have written, giving them a more immersive experience as they read your post. We do not have any format requirements for posts; any necessary formatting will be done by our editors after you submit your draft.
When are guest posts due?
We strive to publish one guest post a month. Please send us a Substack dm to learn when is the earliest available month for a guest post, as we may have several guest writers lined up at any given time. Once a date is mutually agreed upon between the guest writer and the editors, you will be told the date by which your draft is required. Generally, this date is one or two days before publication to allow our editors time to review your post and schedule it for publication.
Each guest post is published at the discretion of the Heavenly Chant editors. If they feel that a post violates or otherwise fails to uphold the mission and values of the site, the editors reserve the right not to publish that post.
I’m not an expert in sacred music or chant. Can I still write a guest post?
Absolutely! We are all students here, in one way or another, and we’re all learning more about Gregorian Chant and sacred music together. Extensive research goes into each article that we post, giving each of us as writers the opportunity to learn more about the topic as we write. Even if you are not an expert in sacred music or Gregorian Chant, you could likely bring a unique perspective with your knowledge in a different field. Please do not feel that your lack of knowledge or experience should keep you from contributing! If you feel called to contribute as a guest writer, please contact us via Substack dm!
May I republish my guest posts on my own website?
As a guest writer, you retain all rights to your work and may republish it anywhere that you would like. We only ask that you please credit Heavenly Chant as the place where your piece was first published.
Could I become a regular contributor to Heavenly Chant?
We are always happy to consider new members to our group of regular contributors! Please dm us through Substack for more information.
Do you have a question that wasn’t answered above? Please send us a dm via Substack, and we will be happy to assist you!
Thank you for reading, and may God bless you!
To ensure that all of our posts are in line with Heavenly Chant’s mission, each chant and hymn must receive prior approval from one of our editors before publication. Please feel free to dm me through Substack with any questions you may have. Thank you for your understanding!