Writer Guidelines

Episodo is more than a watchlist app. We're building a publishing platform that covers anime, series, and films in Turkish and English with a voice that is warm but information-dense. These guidelines clarify the structure, tone, and discipline behind everything we publish — for myself, and for anyone who wants to contribute.

Why this discipline?

There are hundreds of sites saying the same thing. You can't rank — or earn a reader's trust — by copy-pasting descriptions from AniList, MAL, IMDb, or TMDB. Google notices. Readers notice faster. What sets us apart is this: which show did you actually watch, what did you feel while watching it, what did you notice that others didn't? Getting that value onto the page is the whole point.

Google's E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) rewards exactly this: a perspective rooted in genuine first-hand experience. Every piece published on Episodo should be concrete evidence of that. Not abstract praise — observed detail.

Reviews

The review is the heart of Episodo. Our expectations here are highest.

• Minimum 600 words. This is our gold standard for depth. Shorter pieces become overviews, not reviews. Anything under 600 words goes back for development.
• You must have actually watched it. Watch history logged in the Episodo extension unlocks the Verifiedbadge on your review. That badge tells readers “this person really watched it” — which is precisely the first-hand experience signal E-E-A-T rewards.
• Fill in the Highlights. Score all five dimensions (Story, Animation / Direction, Characters / Acting, Music / Visuals, Pacing) from 1 to 10. Instead of skipping a field, leave a note worth reading — even “the music was forgettable but the pacing was surgical” adds something real.
• Mark spoilers. The first half of every review must be spoiler-free. Critical plot turns go inside the spoiler block. That choice belongs to the reader, not the writer. Spoilers must not appear in titles or subtitles either.
• Use pull quotes. Surface your strongest sentence. It gives the piece typographic breathing room and serves as the “heart” of the piece for readers scanning before they commit.
• Content warnings. Violence, suicide, sexual content, photosensitivity triggers — flag them. In 2026 this is table stakes, not optional.

Guides (watch orders, beginner roadmaps)

A guide takes a new viewer by the hand and walks them into a universe. Write it like a conversation, not a spreadsheet.

• Minimum 400 words. Present the list alongside the answer to why this order. One or two sentences of reasoning per entry is enough — but without it, a guide becomes a catalogue.
• Use show chips. Select the show in the editor — cover art, title, and year render automatically. Instead of writing “Frieren (2023)” in plain text, use a chip so readers can jump straight to the show page without losing their place.
• Comparative framing. “MAL lists X first, but we recommend starting here because...” State explicitly where you diverge from existing resources and why. Conscious disagreement, not silent copying.
• Time estimates. Total watch time, a shorter alternative route, weekly episode breakdown. Respect for the reader's time is one of Episodo's core commitments.

Lists / News / Specials / Starter content

These formats can be shorter (300–500 words), but the “personal lens” requirement doesn't go away. Instead of “10 anime that...” we prefer a specific angle: “The year's five quietest anime scenes — why they're still with us.” Number-led titles are a last resort, not a default.

For news content, cite your source. Official announcements, interview links, studio posts. We don't publish speculation as fact. When things are uncertain, say “reportedly” and link to the origin.

Tone

Warm but information-dense. Write as yourself, but make sure every sentence carries a piece of knowledge, observation, or feeling. Compare:

“Frieren's relationship with time — using a decade-long skip as a device that creates a feeling of breath rather than loss — is something no other anime has made me feel this clearly. Watching how an elf's memory processes human lifetimes differently forced me to rethink what nostalgia actually is.”

That sentence carries weight. The reader learns something and feels something at the same time. That's the target.

Can you read what you wrote out loud and hear your own voice? If not, rewrite it. Academic distance and marketing energy are both wrong. The sweet spot: the tone you use when telling a friend about something you watched — honest, specific, and willing to say why it mattered.

What to avoid

• Clickbait headlines. “This anime did something UNBELIEVABLE.” No. The title must be an honest summary of the content.
• Listicle spam. Number-led headlines signal shallow content. If you must use a list, frame it with a real narrative.
• AI-generated tone. Transition filler (“It's important to note that...”, “In conclusion...”), abstract adjective chains (“breathtaking, unforgettable, masterful”), hollow enthusiasm (“This is a must-watch masterpiece”). All of it kills the human voice.
• Copyright risk. Don't embed full-scene video clips. Official YouTube clips are fine; pirate uploads are not. For screenshots, a single well-chosen frame is enough.
• Unmarked spoilers. If a major reveal appears outside the spoiler block — including in a headline — it's unacceptable. Protecting the reader's experience is our responsibility.
• Uncredited translations. Taking a piece from another site, translating it, and publishing it as your own is not acceptable. Draw inspiration freely; cite your sources and rewrite in your own voice.

Publication process

After submission, every piece goes through editorial review. Feedback arrives in three tiers:

• Green: Ready with minor fixes.
• Yellow: Specific sections need rewriting. Second-round review follows.
• Red: Fundamental issue (tone, accuracy, safety). The submission is withdrawn with a written explanation.

Every published piece is archived under the writer's name and approval date. Writers retain the right to update their content; any update adds a revision date and a short change note.

How to apply

If you'd like to write for Episodo: first, create an Episodo extension account and spend a few weeks logging watches and ratings. Applications without watch history won't be considered — this is both an E-E-A-T requirement and a quality guarantee.

When you're ready, reach out via Discord or at hello@episodo.app. Include: who you are, which area you want to cover (anime / series / film), and one or two example paragraphs — written in your own unpolished voice.

These guidelines may change. Last updated: May 2026.