CONTRIBUTE TO VERTICAL LIFE

Vertical Life Magazine – Contributor Guidelines

We publish stories, features, interviews, photography, and essays that capture the heart of climbing and the outdoors. This includes:

• Features & Profiles – Deep dives into people, places, and issues in climbing. 
• Personal Essays – First-hand accounts that are reflective, entertaining, or inspiring. 
• News & Reports – Timely coverage of events, ascents, and access issues. 
• Photo Essays – Visual storytelling that brings crags, climbers, and culture to life. 

We value original work, strong voices, and fresh perspectives.

Regular Sections

At VL we’re always keen to hear from people with gripping stories and fresh perspectives around climbing and mountaineering. We’re looking for features, profiles and photo essays, as well as contributions to our regular sections.

• Features and Profiles: 1,500–3,000 words 
• Regular Sections: 1,000–2,000 words 

Local Lore

Want to share the beta for your favourite local crag with VL readers? Tell us what you love about it and why we’ll love it too. Do you have any wild anecdotes about climbing there? Is there some colourful history about how it came to be? What are the must-do crag classics?

How I Got the Shot

Are you a photographer with a stand-out climbing photo you’d like to tell us all about? Send us the pic and let us in on the backstory—how you got it and why it’s special to you.

Getting to Know

Do you know a climbing character you can’t wait to introduce to the world? This is a Q&A-style interview, usually with one of the lesser-known legends of our climbing world. Get creative with your questions so you can reveal what makes them tick and why we need to know about them.

Tale of Whoa

Have you had an epic, a close shave, or an adventure where something went amiss? Share the story and the lessons you learned so the rest of us can become a little wiser about risk and safety. Include both a write-up of what happened and the key takeaways.

Grab a copy of the mag from your climbing gym or outdoors store—or read through our online articles—to get a feel for the VL style.

2. Pitching

• Please send a short pitch before writing a full piece. Include: 
  • A working title 
  • A short summary of the angle/story 
  • Why it’s relevant to our readers now 
  • Any access to unique voices, interviews, or photos 
• Email pitches to claire@verticallifemag.com.au. 

We can’t guarantee every pitch will be accepted, but we aim to respond within 2–3 weeks.

3. Writing Guidelines

• Word count: Most features run 1,500–2,500 words. Shorter essays are usually 800–1,200 words. 
• Tone: Engaging, intelligent, and true to climbing culture. We love a sense of humour, but avoid clichés. 
• Accuracy: Please fact-check names, grades, dates, and historical details before submitting. 
• Attribution: If you quote someone, include their full name and context. 

4. Photography & Visuals

• We prefer high-resolution images (300dpi, JPEG or TIFF). 
• Always provide photographer credit and confirm you have permission for publication. 
• If you’re submitting both writing and images, please send them separately (not embedded in a Word doc). 
• Don’t create your own design — just send the images and text, and our design team will take it from there. 

5. Payment & Rights

• We’re on a shoestring budget, and everyone gets paid the same flat rate. 
• Vertical Life retains first publication rights, after which rights revert to the contributor. We may also republish work online, in print anthologies, or for promotional purposes with credit. 

6. Editing Process

• Our editors may suggest changes for clarity, length, or style. 

7. Deadlines

• We run on a set publishing schedule. Please only commit if you can meet agreed deadlines. Late submissions may miss an issue. 

8. How to Submit

• Send drafts via Google Drive, set to “Anyone with the link can edit” (Manage Access). 
• Submit images via Dropbox, Google Drive, or WeTransfer. 

9. Author Bio

• Include a short author bio up to 30 words. 
• Social handles are optional. 

In Short

We’re looking for stories that matter, told with authenticity, creativity, and respect for the climbing community. If you’ve got a great idea — we want to hear it.

Become A Contributor