OtterPR's Scott Bartnick On How To Become A Guest Contributor

Becoming a guest contributor for one or more publications or media outlets is a fantastic way for entrepreneurs, business owners, and thought leaders to establish or grow their professional credibility. After all, who doesn’t want to see their name tied to a high-traffic article or case study? If you’re able to get published in a publication that not only showcases your expertise to others in your industry, but also exemplifies your authority over a niche subject, this can prove a great way to boost your online exposure, network with other professionals in your field, and even help attract new clients to your business.

As a guest contributor, you will be able (and expected) to contribute articles to a certain outlet or media publication, be it on a regular basis or a one-time submission. It also means you’ll be pitching either completed articles or ideas for articles to that outlet’s editorial team and working alongside that team to craft a piece of written content that fits their specific style and audience of readers. This will not only give you opportunities to publish your own content, but showcase yourself as a credible expert and leader to that outlet’s readership by showing off your knowledge and understanding of an industry you can offer a unique perspective on.

Guest contributorships likewise offer value to publications as it allows them to publish content containing the expertise of others outside their own internal writing team, meaning you’ll be able to grant insight and a diverse voice to speak on matters that others may not be otherwise able to. If you’re wondering how to get started on becoming a guest contributor, look no further than this how-to guide. 

Before you look to becoming a guest contributor for a particular outlet, or series of outlets, the first step you need to cover lies in your ability to write a well-crafted pitch. This is crucial for two major reasons: firstly, some outlets won’t always advertise their programs that offer guest contributor spots, so you will need to practice writing cold emails to editors at publications you want to work with in order to introduce yourself and your writing to them as a potential contributor; secondly, possessing the ability to clearly and concisely write a pitch on a niche topic you’re interested in writing on and/or more knowledgeable in grants those editors a clearer picture of what your contributorship with them might look like, as well as establish immediate rapport as to why you’re the best candidate to become a new contributor within their media network. It’s also equally important to remember that this kind of editorial pitch is different in its style and formatting from more common PR pitches.

Now, before you can hope to land a slot as a guest contributor with some more reputable outlets, you should ensure that you have a strong portfolio that showcases your subject matter expertise and industry insight in the content you’ve written previously. Many outlets will also cross-reference your writing style and author byline with other outlets in order to better understand that your writing can be tailored to a professional and relevant audience. The writing examples you provide them should highlight your ability to adhere to the contributor guidelines of other outlets and publications and should be as easy to read as it is to edit wherever and whenever necessary.

If you believe you may need to improve the quality of your writing before you could be accepted as a guest contributor, writing articles that follow an outlet’s guest contributor guidelines is one of the easiest ways to do this. Prior to submitting any piece of written content, make sure to double-check the outlet’s website to see if they have published their contributor guidelines. In the case that a website doesn’t have these guidelines published, don’t worry—you can also read any recent articles they’ve published to match their style and tone. This is also the easiest (and best) way to make a solid first impression with an editor. 

Furthermore, you should always edit your piece by putting it through a program to check for errors in spelling and grammar such as Grammarly. Proofreading one’s own work is often difficult, so asking a colleague who knows the topic you wrote on well to edit for you is another viable alternative. Whichever route you choose, you should always get in the habit of having a second pair of eyes proof and edit your work before sending it to an outlet’s editor to avoid unnecessary delays in publication.

It can easily get financially confusing when you start searching for different contributorship programs you want to enroll in. Oftentimes, you’ll find that they consist of one of the following three payment options in which you either: 

When you pay an outlet to write guest articles for them, you are entering an agreement that essentially sees your contributed writing as a form of sponsored content to the outlet. Rather than have that outlet’s editorial team write an advertorial piece on you or your business, this option can serve to highlight you, your business, or your brand in a more personal way through an opinion piece or series of op-ed pieces.

In some — albeit more rare — circumstances, you can find contributorships in which you will be offered monetary payment to write guest pieces for an outlet. This avenue is often how most freelance journalists, reporters, and/or writers make their living. However, bear in mind that not every publication has allocated its budget to allow or offer this option. Although, on the chance that you have shown to be a valuable guest contributor with a larger portfolio of renowned written content containing different bylines and areas of expertise, this might give you greater leverage to negotiate a fee for the pieces you write as a guest contributor.

The third and last option is to write as a guest contributor for free, at no cost to either you or the outlet. Though any freelance journalist is bound to tell you that you should never write for free, the value of free contributorships is never monetary. Rather, when you are submitting guest pieces under the name of your professional business or personal brand, this gives you an opportunity to place organic spotlights of media coverage on your written work. Writing for free is also a great way to bolster your written portfolio that can lead to future opportunities to be paid for your writing, especially if you have no prior writing experience.

It should be noted that some more prestigious media outlets and publications that offer guest contributorship programs like Forbes and Entrepreneur often come with a monthly or annual fee. This fee acts as a kind of subscription that allows you to remain a part of that outlet’s guest contributor program. But if your budget allows for these kinds of fees, they can be an extraordinary way to build your credibility as a thought leader in your specific niche and can further boost your exposure within professional networks.

Not every outlet you may wish to enter a guest contributor program with will offer incentives other than exposure for your writing, which makes finding programs that align with your own budget and set goals all the more vital. If you can afford to eschew monetary payment in lieu of exposure and experience, then applying to become a guest contributor at a greater number of publications can prove a great way to improve your own writing skills with the hope of getting paid for the guest pieces you write in the future.