Write for Renal Support Network (Writer's Guidelines)

The Renal Support Network is a patient-run, patient-directed organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with chronic kidney disease. As part of that effort, we provide insight from patients who have found special ways to adjust to life on dialysis or to the demands of living with a kidney transplant.

Whenever possible, we obtain patient-authored articles that we post on this website or publish in our newsletter, Live & Give. We also provide patient-authored articles to the renal care community. As such, we are always looking for renal patients who have a knack for writing.

Please know that you have an open invitation to submit articles to RSN. These can consist of patient profiles, patient success stories, lifestyle tips (such as how to cope with dietary restrictions, or how to tell the person you’re dating that you have a PD catheter), renal-friendly recipes... basically, anything that will let your fellow patients know that loss of kidney function does not mean that you have lost the chance to live a full and productive life, nor that you have given up on your hopes and dreams.

We also encourage articles from renal healthcare providers. After all, who is better qualified than a healthcare provider to pass along tips learned from years of experience, or to tell the story of a renal patient who might have surpassed all expectations?

If you would like to submit an article to RSN, please follow the Author Guidelines listed below. Or if you have an idea for an article that you would like to discuss before you submit it, please contact us at (818) 543-0896 or kathe@rsnhope.org. Whether you are an established writer or simply someone with a story to tell but not quite sure how to tell it, we’d love to hear from you!

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Our Author Guidelines are rather simple... We’re far more interested in what you have to say than in the precise way in which you say it. With that said, here are a few general considerations:

Exclusive Submission to RSN
Articles submitted to RSN should not be under consideration for posting or publication by any other website or publication.

Article Length
Website. Articles submitted for posting on the KidneyTimes.com website should range from 900 to 1,500 words.

Live & Give newsletter
Articles submitted for publication in the Live & Give newsletter should range from 300 to 450 words.

Byline and Biography
The byline to the article must include your full name (or, if you are a healthcare provider, your full name, academic credentials, title, and affiliation). Please also include a brief biography of approximately 30 to 60 words in length (indicating your history with renal disease, occupation, etc.).

Contact Information
All article submissions must be accompanied by your mailing (postal) address, phone number, and (if available) your e-mail address.

Photos
Photos accompanying an article are accepted. Photos should be digital images submitted as jpegs, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi and minimum dimensions of 4 x 6 inches. High-quality prints are also accepted, but digital images are preferred.

Format
Articles should be submitted as Microsoft Word documents. (If you are not using Microsoft Word, save the file as an “ASCII” or “text only” file or copy it into the text of an e-mail.)

Handwritten articles, or articles written on a typewriter, also are accepted. They should be mailed to the address shown below.

Submission
Articles and photos can be submitted by e-mail or sent by post.

E-mail submissions should be sent to:
kathe@rsnhope.org

Articles and photos sent by post should be saved on an IBM-compatible computer diskette or CD and sent to:
Renal Support Network
1311 N. Maryland Ave.
Glendale, CA 91207

Notification
You will be notified that we have received your article within two weeks after its receipt. (If you do not hear from us within two weeks, please contact us.) You will be notified within four weeks as to whether your article has been accepted for posting or publication.

Editing
All articles accepted for posting or publication are subject to editing for content, clarity, and length. We also reserve the right to change the title of the article. All articles will be sent to the author after editing for the author’s approval prior to posting or publication.

Questions?
If you have any questions about submitting an article, or about an article already submitted, please contact us at (818) 543-0896, fax (818) 244-9540, info@rsnhope.org.

Thank you for your interest in writing for RSN. We look forward to hearing from you!