13 tips for creating and pitching contributed content

This year, I decided to try something completely new, so I jumped face-first into the world of contributed content. In a short amount of time, I’ve been able to develop and maintain numerous relationships. I’ve learned a lot, from how best to contact websites for the first time, to guest contributor applications, down to the writing process itself.

I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way, so I’m offering up these tips for anyone looking to join me in the content mines of the Web:

1. Be genuine. Step one to a successful new writing endeavor is making sure that you genuinely care about the topic and websites you are exploring. Nothing makes your writing shine like pursuing an idea that is captivating to you.

2. It doesn’t hurt to ask. Present your ideas to relevant websites, even if they seem to be a little out of your league. The more you try to get on authoritative websites, the better your odds for landing more contributions. Have you written about this topic already? Is it a socially engaging idea? If you can envision your piece on a targeted website, just go for it. The worst response is no response. A definitive ‘no’ for one idea doesn’t forever close the door on you writing for that website.