Want to write for GXV?
Here’s how.
Hi there!
I’m on a mission to make Gen X Venus a prime destination representing the modern voice of Gen X women.
Toward that aim, I’m looking for diverse and fresh perspectives to enrich our collective story.
Have something to say about sex, love, beauty, and wellness for women in midlife?
Are you passionate about writing and have something original to say to support women in this transitional life stage?
If you answered, “Hellz, yes!” please review the following pitching and editorial guidelines to see if we’re a match. 💓
If everything feels right, I’d love to hear from you!
The Gen X Venus mission & audience
Gen X Venus is about empowering Gen X women, born roughly between 1965 and 1980 (currently in their mid-40s and early 60s), to live their most vibrant, beautiful, sexual, loving, and radiant selves.
This mission is critical because this cohort of ladies, even at the height of their powers, often feel marginalized in a society that idealizes youth at all costs.
This stage is also fraught with changes and transitions in body, mind, career, relationships, and life like no other time.
Toward that end, Gen X Venus provides relevant content that educates, supports, and inspires women for a magnificent midlife!
We affirm the truth about who we are and what we have to offer.
Most importantly, it provides much-needed belonging and community.
So, if you’re on the same page (literally!) and are looking for an outlet to help the GXV audience on this journey, you’d be a perfect fit. 😍
Content goals: Gen X Venus topics
Below are the main topics and subtopics covered on Gen X Venus.
Read some articles on the site to understand how the subjects are presented. What are the prevailing voices, angles, and spirit?
🌺 Sex
• Sexuality
• Sexual health
• Self-pleasure
• Partnered play
• Erotic confidence
• Pleasure products
• Opinions & essays
🌺 Love
• Self-love
• Single life
• Dating
• Relationships
• Non-monogamy
• Breakups & divorce
• Opinions & essays
🌺 Beauty
• Skin care
• Body & personal care
• Hair
• Makeup
• Aesthetic treatments
• Opinions & essays
🌺 Wellness
• Positive aging
• Health
• Exercise & fitness
• Food & nutrition
• Mind & spirit
• Menopausitivity
• Opinions & essays
Remember that your article must provide value by educating, inspiring, delighting, supporting, or offering insights or solutions to feminine midlife issues.
I’m looking for independent voices and unique takes on the above topics.
Be bold. Be honest. Take a stance. Question the status quo. Rail against a common enemy.
Let’s talk about things that have long kept women “of a certain age” silent and invisible.
The aim is to normalize “taboo” subjects related to women and aging, generate discussion, and have our stories heard!
Writing experience
Brilliant writers with a point of view are welcome regardless of experience level.
Whether you’re a seasoned scribe or simply enjoy writing, please get in touch if you’ve got relatable topics to share with the GXV audience.
Although most voices will be from fellow Gen X women writers, anyone with fresh, relevant, and compelling ideas will be warmly considered.
If your content is accepted for publication, you’ll be a GXV columnist with your byline, including a link for readers to connect with you.
How to pitch
Before pitching a story, look around the site to get a feel for the voice, tone, and angles expressed.
Also, check that your idea hasn’t already been covered. If it has, could you reimagine it through an alternative lens? Could you write an op-ed around it?
Once you’re confident that you’ve got something unique, valuable—or even gutsy—to share with our readers, you’re ready to pitch!
Please don’t send a completed article. Even if you have a completed draft, submit a pitch first.
Submit only non-fiction pitches: personal essays, opinion pieces, real-life experiences & experiments, researched stories, expert-driven features, etc.
Here’s what to include in your pitch email:
⁕ Send your pitch to: write@genxvenus.com
⁕ Subject line: Place ONLY your working headline here.
Your headline should have a strong promise or big idea that:
• Grabs attention
• Accurately summarizes your content
• Entices readers to learn more
Avoid hypey or clickbaity headlines.
⁕ Email body:
Story brief: In a few short paragraphs, describe the story, the angle, and any information you feel is timely or essential for the audience. How will this content help the reader?
Visuals: Would you like to submit original, high-quality, high-resolution photos with your article?
Bio: Tell me something about yourself. What inspired you to pitch this story? Why are you the best person to write it?
Clips: Include links (no attachments) to your writing samples or a portfolio website. This helps me get a sense of your writing skills and style.
Once you submit your pitch, you’ll hear back within 30 days. I’ll get back to you even if I decide to pass. So please submit your pitch only once.
Looking forward to your ideas!
Editorial process
Once your pitch has been green-lighted, it’s time to write your article.
Before submitting your complete draft, please make sure your content is:
• 100% original (not plagiarized)
• Not published anywhere else, whether online, digital or in print
• Free of spelling and grammatical errors
• Organized with proper heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3, etc.)
• Easy to read. It should have a Flesch-Kincaid score of a 9th-grade reading level (age 14) or lower — the lower, the better. For example, this page scores at the 8th-grade level (age 13).
From there, we’ll have a couple of revisions to get it right and hit publish!
Important: Once your article is published on GenXVenus.com, it cannot be republished anywhere else. But you’re welcome to share links to your content on GenXVenus.com wherever you’d like.
There’s also a tiny chance that your article may not be published despite our best shots. In that case, feel free to resubmit it to other publications. Hopefully, they’ll love it!
Content & style guidelines
Here are some other dos and don’ts when writing for Gen X Venus.
⁕ Voice & tone: Friendly, authentic, and conversational. Like you’re having a casual, honest one-on-one chat with your best friend or sister.
Contractions encouraged!
⁕ Refer to the AP (Associated Press) style as a general reference. But feel free to tweak it to meet your creative needs. The goal is clarity, not blindly following rules.
⁕ American English & measurements: The GXV audience is primarily American. So please use standard American English and measurements (exceptions apply).
⁕ Word usage: If there’s a simpler word, use it.
Avoid jargon, but add an explainer in simple terms if you must include it.
Swear words are acceptable if they enhance your voice and tone or add emotional emphasis. Never use them for empty shock value.
⁕ Short sentences & paragraphs: Your article should be formatted for online viewing. Keep sentences and paragraphs short with lots of white space for easy reading. Please, no “walls of text.”
⁕ Citation & attribution: Check any facts, figures, and data for accuracy and cite reputable sources. Attribute all quotes and images (images must be used with permission).
⁕ Images & videos: You don’t need to provide images or videos. But feel free to submit them for consideration if you think doing so will support or enhance your content.
An appropriate place to include your own image(s) would be for a personal story or experiment piece.
Images must be well-composed and high-resolution, in JPG or PNG format.
Keep file sizes at or below 300 KB. Optimize the image for the smallest file size you can reach without compromising image quality.
⁕ Word count: This is flexible — write as short or long as you need to produce a satisfying and complete article. That said, 1,000–2,000 words is a good range.
⁕ Non-promotional: Your article must be strictly editorial and non-promotional. Remember that you can add a link in your byline that directs readers to your website, blog, or social media to learn more about you.
Whew! That was a lot. Thanks for taking the time to read this guide.
I look forward to producing delightful content with you to celebrate women in midlife!
In appreciation,
Alice Kim
Founder & Editor, Gen X Venus