Book Publicist Scott Lorenz Offers Tips on How to Contribute to the New York Times, Huffington Post and Success!
By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Communications
Whether you’re a new author or have been around for decades, it’s important to continually promote yourself. The more you build your brand, the more likely you are to get published, sell your works, and meet your goals.
By writing for prominent online publications, you can do just that. Do your research and find several publications that accept entries from authors. Then, follow their editorial guidelines and submit original, compelling articles.
Editorial Guidelines
Each publication has their own unique editorial guidelines so it’s important to write a piece to their target audience. If they say they want a 500-word piece don’t turn in 900-word piece. Simple right?
For example, The Huffington Post says they are “Looking for freelancers who have compelling and unique pitches about TV, film, music, celebrity and internet culture, with an eye toward how pop culture and entertainment trends reflect the world around us.”
A prominent business publication says “We inspire and educate small business owners to start and grow successful businesses. We also work with large brands that want to reach small businesses.”
Then each publication has their preferred article structure, which often includes information about word count, titles, headings and subheadings, paragraphs, and sentences. The article must conform to their linking policy. (Some allow links to websites, and some do not)
Here’s an example, “Your article length should be from 500 – 1,000 words – give or take. We want to avoid the death wall of text, especially as our posts are seen on mobile devices. Keep paragraphs between 3-5 sentences max.” “Sentences should be no longer than 19 words. Break up long sentences into shorter sentences where you see “but, that and because.”
Add a minimum of two links. Aim to place one around the 50% mark. Have at least one quality internal link that relates to the blog content as well as 1-2 external, authoritative links.”
Most editorial guidelines will also discuss what types of media (images, videos, infographics, etc.) are permitted. In addition, they’ll also mention any SEO preferences and byline submission requirements. Typically, you’ll be able to include your headshot, social media platforms, and a link to your website. This part is almost as important as the actual article so put some thought into it!
Publications Seeking Contributors
There is no shortage of online publications that accept submissions from authors like you. Here are a few options to get you started.
- Huffington Post: https://www.huffpost.com/static/how-to-pitch-huffpost
- Success Magazine: https://www.success.com/contact-us/#Editorial-Inquiries
- New York Times: https://help.nytimes.com/hc/en-us/articles/115014809107-How-to-submit-an-Op-Ed-essay
- Slice: https://slicemagazine.org/submit/
- BuzzFeed: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rachelysanders/how-to-pitch-essays-to-buzzfeed-reader#.xg4mKa5Bm
The Bottom Line: Make the effort to contribute to publications. One big hit could propel you and your book to great heights!
About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz
Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Book Marketing, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.
Learn more about Westwind Book Marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at [email protected] or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
