Freelance Writer's Guidelines

We appreciate your interest in submitting a story idea to Sisters From AARP for review. The topics we generally cover are:

• Health: wellness, fitness, nutrition, mental health, wellness, self care and more
• Work & Money: saving, budgeting, investing, retirement and work (including side hustles, cultural topics and career advice)
• Culture & Style: hair care, beauty, fashion, aging well, identity and entertainment (including topics related to TV, books, music and movies)
• Community: friendship, family matters, romantic relationships and caregiving
• Travel: Niche travel, specialty groups, cruises, destinations, girls trips, restaurants, travel tips, packing guides, savings and more

Additional notes on content:

• We generally cover new or forthcoming book releases for standalone coverage, so ideally these related pitches would be sent prior to the book’s release.
• We do not currently accept pitches for music playlists.
• We do not currently accept pitches for fiction or poetry.

Timing and Other Details

We typically assign freelance stories and essays weeks to months in advance and do not generally assign stories on breaking news. That means, if you’re pitching a newsletter story related to a holiday or a particular observance, pitching at least a month in advance can be ideal. Our web-exclusive stories — those that appear online but not as part of our weekly emailed newsletter — can have shorter lead times.

When assigned, our articles and essays can run between 700 and 1,000 words.

Submission Instructions for Pitches

• Please submit pitches via email, as text in the body of an email, to sistersletter@aarp.org. We are unable to review unsolicited attachments, so please do not attach any files to your pitch.
• Please label your email as a “Pitch” in the subject line, and provide details in the subject line on the nature of your pitch. (For example a subject line could read: “Pitch: 5 Ways to Feel Connected Right Now.”)
• Submit specific details about the hook and topic when pitching, including why the topic is particularly appropriate for Sisters. Please do not send one-line ideas.
• Include links to your writing clips whenever possible.
• Submit an overview of the proposed essay and a description of the arc of the story when pitching essays, including the proposed beginning, middle and end, and the takeaway. Also include information about yourself, as the proposed essay writer. Complete drafts are not required but are appreciated. If you elect to send a full draft, please paste it into the body of an email. (Remember: No attachments, please.)   

Once you’ve submitted your pitch to sistersletter@aarp.org, we will review it. In general, please allow at least two weeks for a response.

Contracts and Editing Process

If we accept your pitch, we will send you a work-for-hire contract for review and signature.  After you have signed the agreement, and submitted the assignment,  the essay or article will go through the editing process with a Sisters editor as well as our copyediting and/or fact-checking team. When writing for us, source information is required for facts. And writers should avoid unsubstantiated statements or generalizations.

We appreciate your interest in Sisters From AARP.