The Write Stuff, Part I: What Editors Want (and How to Get Published)

Bottom Line Up Front

The biggest misunderstanding about getting published in EMS is the belief that editors are in search of perfect grammar, elegant academic structure, or literary brilliance. They aren’t. What they are looking for is something more fundamental and far more human: a genuine idea that carries value for the profession. Editors want insight grounded in lived experience, clearly expressed, supported by evidence where needed, and presented in a professional way. Passion, relevance, and clarity will carry a piece much further than polish alone.

I recently presented this topic at the 2025 EMS World Expo and have already begun working with new writers who are preparing their first submissions. To prepare for that session, I spoke with several senior editors from across the EMS publishing landscape. While each works within a different editorial environment, their guidance was remarkably consistent.

Passion Shows, and So Does Indifference

Editor Jeff Frankel offered perhaps the most straightforward guidance of all: write what you are passionate about. When a writer chooses a subject they care about, that energy translates directly to the page. The narrative sharpens. The insight deepens. The writing feels alive. Conversely, when a writer selects a topic because they think it will “sound impressive,” but they have no real attachment to it, the result is thin and perfunctory. Readers feel that. Editors see it instantly.

In EMS, almost every one of us has lived moments that left an imprint, the patient we still think about, the call that challenged our assumptions, the program that made things better for our system or our crews. Those are the stories that matter, and those are the stories readers respond to. If the topic matters to you, it will matter on the page.

Move Beyond the Problem — Show the Solution

When I asked Editor Jon Bassett what he wishes more writers would do, he didn’t hesitate. “We receive plenty of submissions that describe what’s broken,” he told me. “What we really want are examples of what’s working.”

The best articles don’t dwell in complaint; they illuminate a way forward.

 If your agency tried something new: a documentation improvement, a training redesign, a dispatch protocol tweak, tell that story. Describe what drove the change, how you implemented it, what succeeded, what didn’t, and what others could replicate. When we share what works, we improve the profession collectively, not in isolated pockets.

Evidence Matters — Opinion Alone Isn’t Enough

Frankel’s publication requires that articles include references, and he made it clear why. EMS is, at its core, a field of applied science. When we make claims about clinical effectiveness, communication strategies, safety practices, or educational outcomes, we are not speaking into a vacuum. Others depend on our accuracy. If you’re drawing from research, cite the study. If you’re referring to a guideline, name it. If you’ve observed improvements in your agency, describe how you measured it. The point is not to sound academic. The point is to be credible.

A Strong Pitch Shows You’ve Thought It Through

For those preparing to submit for the first-time, well-known Editor-in-Chief Kerri Hatt advises writers to begin not with a full article but with a clear, concise pitch. Introduce who you are. Explain what your article will cover. Make the case for why this will matter to the audience. If you cannot articulate those things in a short paragraph, the piece may not be ready to write.

“Don’t let perfect writing get in the way of a great story,” Hatt added. If your organization has done something innovative, if you’ve gained insight through experience, or if you’ve learned something others in EMS would benefit from, share it. That is the essence of professional contribution.

Hatt also notes that new writers sometimes become anxious when an article is not published immediately. Many pieces are what editors call “evergreen” — valuable today, valuable next month, valuable next year. If your submission is not tied to breaking news, it may be scheduled when space allows. That is not rejection. It is editorial planning.

Finish What You Start

Greg Friese emphasized something many new writers underestimate — follow through. Pitching the idea is only the beginning. The writers who succeed may not be the most talented, nor the most experienced — they are the ones who finish. They draft, revise, clarify, and resubmit. They take feedback with maturity and professionalism. Writing, like EMS itself, rewards persistence.

Professionalism Is Not Optional

Editorial Director Nancy Perry described something that every editor I spoke to echoed in one form or another: professionalism counts. Contact the editor by email, not phone. Give them time to respond. Provide a short and accurate bio. Submit a clean, proofed draft. And if you disagree with an edit, remember that the editor is not your adversary — they are your partner in shaping your message. Their reputation stands behind your work once it is published.

Images Matter More Than Most Writers Realize

Every editor noted that articles with strong, properly credited images are far more likely to be published and circulated widely. Online reading is visual. Social media promotion depends on imagery. A staged but realistic photo from training, a crew in appropriate PPE, and yes, gloves! or a single powerful scene-setting image can transform how your work is received. A photo doesn’t illustrate your article, it amplifies it.

AI Is a Tool — Not an Author

All the editors I spoke with acknowledged that AI has a role in the writing process but a limited one. It is helpful for idea generation, outline shaping, or clarity and grammar review. But AI cannot substitute your voice, your lived experience, or your judgment. If AI writes your article, the editor will know. The reader will feel it. The human layer is what gives writing value. AI can help clean the glass; it cannot provide the view.

The Final Takeaway

The act of writing is an act of service. When we choose to share what we’ve learned, we are not simply documenting experience — we are shaping the evolution of our profession. The stories we write today become the playbook others learn from tomorrow.

So, write the article only you can write — the one grounded in something real, meaningful, and useful. And then finish it, polish it, send it, and trust that your voice deserves to be part of the conversation.

Finally – don’t just write for us! If you have a hobby, a passion, an area of professional interest that doesn’t revolve around EMS and care, find your outlet and press send!