PARENTreads Writer Hub
Opportunities, Deadlines, Guidelines & Submission Links for Parenting Writers
Bookmark this page—it’s your central reference for everything related to submitting to PARENTreads: open calls, themes, deadlines, placement options, and guidelines.
View all previous PARENTreads issues HERE.
On This Page
Submissions for the following issues open Sunday, April 26:
Moms & Motherhood — publishes Thursday, May 7
Independence & Safety — publishes Thursday, May 21
Upcoming Submission Themes
Moms & Motherhood
Deadline: Monday, May 4 at Noon CT
Publishes: Thursday, May 7
A limited number of highlighted placements are available for each issue.
Submission links (open Sunday, April 26):
» Featured Writer ($65) — 1 available (top placement + newsletter feature)
» Spotlight Essay ($35) — 2 available (positions 2–3)
» General Submission (Free) — included with other community essays
This issue of PARENTreads explores the many dimensions of motherhood—identity, expectations, sacrifice, joy, resentment, change, and the often-unspoken realities that shape how we experience raising children.
Topics might include:
The identity shifts that come with becoming (and being) a mother
The tension between who we were and who we are now
Expectations—internal, cultural, and inherited
The emotional complexity of motherhood (joy, guilt, resentment, fulfillment)
How motherhood reshapes relationships—with partners, children, and ourselves
Independence & Safety
Deadline: Monday, May 18 at Noon CT
Publishes: Thursday, May 21
A limited number of highlighted placements are available for each issue.
Submission links (open Sunday, April 26):
» Featured Writer ($65) — 1 available (top placement + newsletter feature)
» Spotlight Essay ($35) — 2 available (positions 2–3)
» General Submission (Free) — included with other community essays
This issue of PARENTreads explores how parents navigate the tension between independence and safety in real time—deciding when to step back, when to step in, and how to raise kids who can move through the world with both confidence and awareness.
Topics might include:
Deciding when a child is ready for more freedom
Teaching risk awareness without overprotecting
Navigating screen, social, and real-world safety
Letting children try, fail, and recover
When safety becomes control—and how to tell the difference
Ways to Be Featured
🔸 Featured Writer — $65
The top placement in each issue. Featured Writers appear at the very beginning of the digest and receive the most visibility. This placement includes:
Link to and description of your Substack
Essay title + short description
Direct link to your piece
Expanded profile space (more room to introduce your work)
Priority placement at the top of the digest
One slot per issue
🔸 Spotlight Essays — $35
Spotlight Essays appear directly below the Featured Writer and are included prominently in the top portion of the digest. This placement includes:
Essay title + short description
Direct link to your piece
Name + Substack name and link
High visibility near the top of the issue
Limited slots available
🔸 General Submissions — Free
One essay per writer
Title + Author/Substack
Brief description
Direct link
Included based on thematic fit
Why Your Work Gets Read
Subscribers: 3,000+
Average Open Rate: 36%+
Average Views per Issue: ~2,280
Top Featured placement clicks: ~60 per issue (Short.io)
Digest CTR: ~7%
Readers engage because the digest brings thoughtful, honest writing worth their attention. Strong submissions earn clicks, new readers, and ongoing traffic.
Upcoming Calendar
PARENTreads publishes on Thursdays, with occasional bonus editions. Dates and themes confirmed so far:
Moms & Motherhood — Thursday, May 7
Independence & Safety — Thursday, May 21
Additional themes will be added as they’re finalized.
Guidelines
Writers must have an active Substack presence. Essays may be published on Substack or elsewhere, as long as the writer has a Substack publication or profile.
Submit one piece per writer per issue.
Featured Writer and Spotlight placements may include multiple links when relevant to your work.
Submissions must clearly fit the issue’s theme.
Evergreen essays are welcome. Quality and thematic fit matter more than recency.
Placement is limited. Not all submissions will be included.
General submissions are curated, not guaranteed.
Digests that include paid placements will carry this note:
PARENTreads combines editor-selected essays with a few sponsored placements to support the digest.
Questions? Reach out anytime.
