CRITERIA
Original articles – Original articles must be between 800-1250 words, properly cited, written in 2nd or 3rd person, and fit within NEWS or CULTURE. We encourage you to interview sources for your stories as well.
EVALUATION
- Research– How well is the piece educating the reader and citing credible sources?
- Grammar– How much editing does it require? Is it easy to read?
- Style– Does the author have a distinct voice?
- Relevancy– How relatable is the topic? And which editorial category does it apply to?
- *Solution– Does the story reflect a solution-maker or provide a solution to an issue that can influence the reader’s behavior?
WRITING FOR SEO
The essential elements here are keywords and headings.
**Listen to the following podcasts:
http://www.copyblogger.com/ingredients/ >>> (infographic that introduces the rest of the links)
http://www.copyblogger.com/lede-magnetic-headlines/
http://www.copyblogger.com/10-sure-fire-headline-formulas-that-work/
http://www.copyblogger.com/nail-your-opening/
http://www.copyblogger.com/use-persuasive-words/
http://www.copyblogger.com/writing-good-sentences/
http://www.copyblogger.com/write-killer-bullets/
http://www.copyblogger.com/exquisite-subheads/
When writing articles from this point forward, choose a keyword that represents your article (could be a phrase) that is most likely to be searched. Make sure it appears throughout the post and meets the below criteria for each article:
- Add keyword to title
- Add keyword to introduction & conclusion
- Add keyword 2-4 times throughout the post (no more than 4 times)
- Add keyword to least 1 of your subheadings
- Title length must be between 10-75 characters
**Examples of optimized articles that we’ve published:
Gentrification: How Silicon Valley is Affecting San Francisco Residents
A Multi-Cultural Guide to Curing a Hangover
STORY PROPOSALS
Please email story proposals to editor@milmagz.com before proceeding with your submission.