Write for Us

Thank you for your interest in writing for the Ability Toolbox! We offer both paid and unpaid opportunities for writers of varying experience levels.

We primarily publish work by writers who have lived experience with a disability, chronic illness, and/or mental health condition. We welcome LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and other writers from minority and marginalized communities, and strive to be a safe space for diverse perspectives. Parents, teachers, and health professionals are welcome to submit work for consideration, but most of our paid opportunities are currently reserved for individuals who live with a condition themselves.

The Ability Toolbox is a small social enterprise that is currently run by one disabled person, so please understand we have a limited budget for paying writers. We hope to increase the number of paid articles in the future.

When you submit material to us, you can choose whether you want it to be considered for paid opportunities, unpaid opportunities, or both.

Note: The Ability Toolbox is taking a summer hiatus, and will not be accepting new pitches for paid articles until September 1, 2023. This will allow our founder to focus on other aspects of the site. The shifting economy and Google algorithm changes have had a negative impact on our revenue. We are not closing, and we will still be publishing a few articles from long-term writers over the summer.

If you wish to donate an article to be published without payment during this time, you are welcome to do so. We will also still be accepting sponsored and SEO guest posts. If you are an advertiser, click here to fill out our guest post request form.

Thank you for understanding, and we look forward to receiving all your wonderful story ideas in September!

Information for Writers

Paid Writing Opportunities
Unpaid Writing Opportunities
Other Benefits
Ads & Affiliates
Sponsored Posts
Editorial Guidelines

Paid Writing Opportunities

The Ability Toolbox pays $50 to $150 per article for original content (never published elsewhere). The pay range is based on article length and the time and research required. In the case of medical articles, we also consider the expertise of the writer. In general, our website focuses on “life hacks” — practical strategies for solving problems, living well despite challenges, information sharing, shopping and how-to guides, and promoting businesses and creative ventures led by people with mental health conditions, disabilities, and chronic illnesses.

We are currently considering pitches and articles on the following topics and themes:

Expert-Backed Informational Articles: Guides to specific medical conditions, treatment modalities, medical or mobility devices, educational methods, etc. We especially welcome pitches from medical professionals, scientists, educators, and other subject matter experts who live with a health condition themselves.
How-To Guides: Practical, in-depth guides to solving a problem, obtaining support, and/or living well with a disability, chronic illness, or mental illness.
Shopping & Gift Guides: Products you love and recommend to people in the mental health, disability, and chronic illness community. Holiday and birthday gift recommendations for someone with a particular condition, need, or interest.
Favorites Lists: Collections of things you find helpful or simply enjoy. Examples: 5 Movies and TV Shows Featuring Actors With Disabilities, 11 Must-Read Novels Featuring a Character With Chronic Illness
Understanding Mental Health, Disability, and Chronic Illness: Educational articles for people who are new to the community and non-disabled people seeking to become better allies.
News & Views: Responding to hot topics in the news and political issues.
Intersectionality: Articles addressing the intersectionality of disability and race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.

Unpaid Writing Opportunities

The Ability Toolbox has a limited budget and is unable to pay for every submission or pitch we receive. We also understand that not all writers are seeking to get paid, and that sometimes rewards such as having your work published, connecting with others, and raising awareness are just as important. If you’re looking for a place to share your blog posts or other previously-published work, or just want to write about a topic we can’t offer payment for, we’d still love to work with you.

All articles must meet our editorial guidelines, so we can’t guarantee publication, but we sincerely appreciate your willingness to donate your writing for consideration. We use the word “donate” because that’s exactly how we see unpaid articles — as gifts that help us grow the website and provide information and support to people who need it. Your kindness is not taken for granted and we value your contributions.

In general, we are unable to offer payment for the following types of articles. However, we welcome them as donations:

Previously published blog posts or book excerpts: All paid articles must be original content that has never been published elsewhere.
Personal experience stories: While we value your individual story about living with a disability / chronic illness, events in your life, etc., we are generally looking for more structured articles at this time. With that being said, hosting a community space for solidarity and personal empowerment is very important to us, and we intend to uphold this sentiment as one of the core tenets of our site. We welcome donated personal experience stories, and you can also give and receive support in one of our many Groups.
Fiction and poetry

Other Benefits

All writers, paid and unpaid, will receive:

Your own profile on our site, with a link to your personal blog/project.
A link in your article to your blog. Small business links may be permitted if the company is owned by a person with a disability, but are subject to approval by our editorial team. If you are reading this hoping to get a free link out of us, that’s not happening. Go to our Advertise With Us page.
We’ll share your article on our social media pages shortly after publication, and occasionally thereafter.
Priority consideration for future paid opportunities.

Ads & Affiliates

As our site is primarily funded by affiliate commissions, we will add affiliate links to products recommended in articles. By submitting content to The Ability Toolbox, you agree that we may monetize your content using affiliate links, display ads, and other promotions.

Editorial Guidelines

Ready for the next step? Head to our Editorial Guidelines page.