For my second installment for my “Ugly Truth Monday”, I wanted to delve into a topic for new fantasy football writers that I did not include in my book.
As you have probably found out, starting your own blog or website isn’t easy. Even if you wrote a great article and have promoted it to the best of your abilities, you will find that there will be days where you have zero visitors. With two or three posts and a Twitter account that isn’t getting any interactions, some writers start to look for writing positions on blogs or websites that seem more established then their own.
Writing for an established website is a great opportunity to network, hone in your writing skills and reach an audience you normally wouldn’t have access to. What newer writers do that ruins their opportunities, however, is not actually spending time learning the nuances of the site.
When I say not learning the nuances of the site, I am politely saying that some people have not even looked at my site before they applied for a writing position, and I can tell exactly who you are. I had a gentleman provide great detail on his writing credentials and he seemed professional and enthusiastic, but I unfortunately had to turn him down. It turned out that he was a soccer writer, so I don’t think he would have been a good fit for my site. That may be more of an extreme example of what I am talking about, but he obviously had not looked at my content or he would have know my site is about American football.
If you are applying to write for a site or want to submit a guest article, you need to show that you can bring some type of value to readers. If a site primarily focuses on dynasty leagues, stating your expertise is mainly in auctions probably isn’t going to get you very far. Look at websites that focus on your strengths, and take time to look around and see if you actually like the content that is being produced. If you do like what you see, tell the owners or moderators what you like and how you can help bring unique content to the site.
It is also very important to look at the requirements for guest authors or new contributors. If the requirements tell you to send a link of your work or provide three writing samples if you don’t have a blog, those are not suggestions. Provide exactly what is asked for, and not what you just feel like sending in.
As I discuss in my book, I think it is important to establish consistency by having your own blog, and it will make you a more credible source when applying to write for other websites or blogs.
Here are your two takeaways:
1. Read the content for any site or blog you want to apply to. If you like the content, tell the owner specifically what you like about the site and how you can bring your own value.
2. Read the requirements for submitting articles or becoming a new contributor thoroughly. You don’t want to waste anyone’s time.
If you aren’t getting responses to your inquiries, make sure you aren’t making these common mistakes.
Categories: Fantasy Football
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