3. Understand the Publication’s Guidelines
Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2024 9:36 am
3. Understand the Publication’s Guidelines
Understanding Publication Contirbutor Guidelines and Rules (Stock Image of Checklist)
Before you can start effectively pitching yourself to a major publication, pause and first look for any clear contributor guidelines that may be available online.
Major online publications receive submission requests from many people (think literally thousands every single day). Because of the sheer volume of requests, some big publications share super clear guidelines for would-be contributors right on their sites.
Forbes doesn’t publicly display explicit contributor azerbaijan phone number library on their website, but Entrepreneur does:
Screenshot of Entrepreneur Publication Writer Guidelines Online
Some of the highlights of what an Entrepreneur is looking for in contributor-written articles include:
Something unique with a distinctive message (not something that has been covered extensively on the site already)
No interviews or quotes unless from a notable individual or household brand
Content like inspirational pieces, trend pieces, or advice pieces
Valuable advice that readers can actually use (no fluff)
Trustworthy sources and accurate attribution
New original pieces (not something you’ve previously submitted or written for your own blog first)
For example, here’s a snapshot of a piece I wrote for my Entrepreneur column a couple of years ago:
How to Become a Contributor to Publications (Like Entrepreneur) Ryan Robinson Contributor Screenshot Example
Here’s what Inc has to say about how to become a contributor on their platform:
Screenshot of Inc Magazine Online Contributor Guidelines (How to Write for Publications Like Inc Example)
Inc’s help center offers comparably little insight into the submission process for becoming a contributor on their platform. Generally though, when you send a submission to Inc, they want to know some key basic information about you and your writing, like:
Who you are
Why you’d be an excellent contributor
An idea of a main beat or topic area you’d like to focus on (and why)
A list of specific topics (including a dozen of more headlines) that you could cover
Understanding Publication Contirbutor Guidelines and Rules (Stock Image of Checklist)
Before you can start effectively pitching yourself to a major publication, pause and first look for any clear contributor guidelines that may be available online.
Major online publications receive submission requests from many people (think literally thousands every single day). Because of the sheer volume of requests, some big publications share super clear guidelines for would-be contributors right on their sites.
Forbes doesn’t publicly display explicit contributor azerbaijan phone number library on their website, but Entrepreneur does:
Screenshot of Entrepreneur Publication Writer Guidelines Online
Some of the highlights of what an Entrepreneur is looking for in contributor-written articles include:
Something unique with a distinctive message (not something that has been covered extensively on the site already)
No interviews or quotes unless from a notable individual or household brand
Content like inspirational pieces, trend pieces, or advice pieces
Valuable advice that readers can actually use (no fluff)
Trustworthy sources and accurate attribution
New original pieces (not something you’ve previously submitted or written for your own blog first)
For example, here’s a snapshot of a piece I wrote for my Entrepreneur column a couple of years ago:
How to Become a Contributor to Publications (Like Entrepreneur) Ryan Robinson Contributor Screenshot Example
Here’s what Inc has to say about how to become a contributor on their platform:
Screenshot of Inc Magazine Online Contributor Guidelines (How to Write for Publications Like Inc Example)
Inc’s help center offers comparably little insight into the submission process for becoming a contributor on their platform. Generally though, when you send a submission to Inc, they want to know some key basic information about you and your writing, like:
Who you are
Why you’d be an excellent contributor
An idea of a main beat or topic area you’d like to focus on (and why)
A list of specific topics (including a dozen of more headlines) that you could cover