What we publish, and how we publish it.

Artist Profiles

In-depth features on Las Vegas tattoo artists — background, style, influences, and their place in the local scene. First-person subject access preferred.

Studio Features

Profiles of Las Vegas tattoo studios — the space, the culture, the roster, and the standards the shop holds itself to.

Convention Coverage

Event previews, day-of recaps, and photo coverage of tattoo conventions in Las Vegas and across the Southwest. Includes post-event roundups.

Style Guides

Authoritative deep dives into tattoo styles — technique, lineage, identifying characteristics, and which local artists specialize in the genre.

Culture & History

The history of tattooing in Las Vegas, the cultural forces that shaped the scene, and long-form cultural analysis with primary source grounding.

Industry News

New shop openings, artist moves, studio closures, and business developments relevant to the Las Vegas tattoo industry. Minimum 300 words; source required.

How-To & Aftercare

Practical guides for clients and collectors — preparation, the appointment itself, healing, long-term care, and touch-up timing. Accuracy reviewed against current practice.

Photo Essays

Editorial photography documenting the Las Vegas tattoo scene. Requires minimum 8 edited images, captions for all, and full photo credit. Submitted as a ZIP with accompanying text brief.

Interviews

Q&A-format conversations with artists, shop owners, collectors, or other voices in the local community. Lightly edited for clarity; subject approval of quotes required.

Opinion & Commentary

Perspective pieces from those with a genuine stake in the Las Vegas tattoo scene. Clearly labeled as opinion. Author must have direct experience in the industry.

Apprentice & Career Stories

First-person accounts from artists at any career stage — apprenticeship, going independent, opening a studio, changing specialties. Personal voice accepted for this category.

Flash & Collection Spotlights

Editorial showcases of artist flash sets, seasonal design collections, and collaborative limited-run work. Image quality requirements apply; pricing optional.

Gear & Supply Reviews

Practitioner-written reviews of machines, needles, ink, and studio equipment. Must be based on firsthand use. Affiliate relationships must be disclosed upfront.

Original Content

All submissions must be original work created specifically for LVTS. We do not accept syndicated content, AI-generated text submitted as original writing, or content that has been previously published in full elsewhere. Partial excerpts from your own prior work are acceptable with full disclosure.

Word Count

Minimum 600 words for features and profiles. Minimum 300 words for news items and industry briefs. 1,200 words or more recommended for style guides, history pieces, and comprehensive how-to content. Photo essays require a minimum 200-word written brief regardless of image count.

Images

Minimum one featured image required with every submission. High-resolution JPG, PNG, or WebP preferred — minimum 1200px on the shortest side. Include photo credit for all images. Do not submit images you do not have rights to use. If the subject of an article provided images, note this in your submission notes.

Citations

Link to primary sources for all factual claims that are not firsthand observation. No unverified statistics. If a claim cannot be sourced, qualify it explicitly ("reportedly," "industry estimates suggest") or remove it. We will ask you to add citations during review if they are missing.

AI Disclosure

If AI tools assisted in drafting, outlining, or researching your submission, disclose this in your submission notes. We do not penalize the use of AI as a writing aid — but published writing must be substantially authored by the credited human contributor. We will not publish content that is primarily AI-generated.

Review Process

All submissions are reviewed within 5–7 business days. We will contact you via the email address provided in your submission. We may edit accepted articles for length, clarity, headline structure, or formatting — we will not change your meaning or tone without your input. Rejected submissions receive brief feedback when possible.

Rights

You retain copyright in your work. By submitting, you grant LVTS a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to publish, archive, and promote the content on lasvegastattoostudios.com and its associated social channels. We will not sell or license your content to third parties without your permission.

Exclusivity

We ask that submitted content not be published in substantially the same form elsewhere for 30 days following LVTS publication. After 30 days, you are free to republish with attribution back to the original LVTS article. This is an honor-system policy, not a legal restriction.

Tone

Authoritative but not academic. Engaging but not casual. We write for people who take tattooing seriously — collectors, artists, and the culturally curious — not for listicle traffic. Avoid hype language, hollow superlatives, and filler transitions.

Voice

Written for a Las Vegas tattoo community audience. Assume the reader knows what a flash sheet is, what apprenticeship means, and what a booth fee is. You do not need to over-explain the basics — but you do need to be specific about the local context that makes a Las Vegas story different from a Phoenix or LA story.

Person

Second or third person for features, guides, and news. Avoid first-person for news reporting and studio profiles. First-person is acceptable — and preferred — for opinion, commentary, apprentice stories, and career narratives. When in doubt, use third person and let the subject speak through quotes.

Headlines

Descriptive over clever. Headlines should communicate what the article is about, not require the reader to click to understand it. Subheadings within articles should be parallel in structure and consistently formatted. Avoid question headlines for anything other than FAQ-style content.