Contributor Guidelines: Inform, Connect & Entertain

Welcome to the CigarNews.ca Canadian contributor community. Whether you’re covering a cigar freindly event, discussing a cigar lounge or great place to smoke, interviewing industry personalities, or sharing an opinion piece, every article should be for Canadian cigar smokers and aim to do three things:

1. Inform – Give readers useful, accurate, and relevant information.

2. Connect – Create a sense of community among Canadian cigar enthusiasts.

3. Entertain – Keep the content enjoyable, engaging, and worth reading.

What We Publish

We welcome articles about:

  • Canadian cigar culture
  • Canadian cigar industry news
  • National and internationsl lounges and places to smoke
  • National and international events and festivals
  • Interviews with Canadian cigar personalities or people of interest to the Canadian cigar industry
  • Historical or educational Canadian cigar content

The CigarNews.ca Writing Style

Our voice is:

  • Conversational, not corporate
  • Knowledgeable, not pretentious
  • Passionate, not promotional
  • Welcoming to both new and experienced smokers

Write like you’re talking to fellow cigar enthusiasts at a lounge.

CigarNews.ca will not publish articles with overly technical language, excessive jargon, sales-heavy writing, aggressive political and personal attacks

Recommended Article Structure

1. Strong Headline

Your title should be clear and interesting.

Good Examples

  • “5 Canadian Lounges Every Cigar Smoker Should Visit”
  • “What Makes Nicaraguan Tobacco So Popular?”
  • “Inside the Canadian Cigar Celebration”

Avoid

  • “My Thoughts”
  • “Cigar Review”
  • Clickbait headlines

Suggested Formatting

  • Use subheadings every few sections
  • Keep paragraphs concise
  • Use bullet points when appropriate
  • Include specific details and observations

Readers should be able to scan the article easily.

4. Conclusion

End with:

  • A takeaway
  • A recommendation
  • A question to readers
  • An invitation for discussion

Good cigar conversations rarely end after the first opinion.

Content Guidelines

INFORM

Your article should teach readers something valuable about of for the Canadian cigar community

Include:

  • Accurate information
  • If it is an opinion, say “In my opinion…”
  • If it is a fact, put the source link directly into the article
  • Relevant details
  • Context and background
  • Real experiences
  • Useful recommendations

CONNECT

Help build the Canadian cigar community.

Great ways to connect:

  • Share lounge or event experiences
    • Put in the address and link to their online presence
    • Add pictures and information so the reader can get a sense if they want to attend and if they attend what will it be like
    • Include personal perspective
    • Readers should feel like they’re part of the experience.
  • If you are going to write about a future cigar event, put in contact information and links to the event.

ENTERTAIN

Even educational articles should be enjoyable.

Use:

  • Personality
  • Humor when appropriate
  • Interesting storytelling
  • Vivid descriptions
  • Memorable experiences

Avoid writing that feels dry or robotic.

Photography & Images

If possible, include:

  • High-quality cigar photos
  • Event photos
  • Lounge shots
  • Pairing setups
  • Try not to use photos of people without their permission

Image Tips

  • Use natural lighting
  • Avoid blurry photos
  • Keep backgrounds clean
  • Horizontal images work best for headers
  • Only submit images you own or have permission to use.
  • Do not use copyrighted pictures without permission

Editorial Standards

All submissions should:

  • Be original work
  • Be fact-checked
  • Be free of plagiarism
  • Use proper spelling and grammar
  • Respect Canadian laws and regulations

CigarNews.ca may edit submissions for:

  • Clarity
  • Formatting
  • Grammar
  • Length
  • Style consistency

Article Length

Recommended:

  • Lounge or place reviews: 600 – 800 words
  • Features/interviews: 1,000–2,000+ words

Quality matters more than word count.

Things We Avoid

The editorial team at CigarNews.ca reserve the right to refuse to publish arcticles. We do not publish:

  • AI-generated spam content
  • Pure advertisements
  • Offensive or discriminatory language
  • Unsupported rumors
  • Excessively negative attacks
  • Copied content from other websites

Final Checklist Before Submitting

Before sending your article, ask:

✅ Does this inform the reader?
✅ Does this connect with the cigar community?
✅ Is it entertaining to read?
✅ Is the structure easy to follow?
✅ Are facts and names accurate?
✅ Did I proofread it carefully?

If the answer is yes, you’re ready to submit. Please submit to editor@cigarnews.ca

Join the Conversation

Great cigar writing goes beyond reviews and ratings. The best articles capture the people, stories, traditions, and experiences that make cigar culture unique.

We look forward to reading your work.