Choosing the right writing samples for your application

As part of your application to our Contributor Program, you’ll need to submit five previously published articles that showcase your expertise and writing ability. These samples must come from reputable sources, but what exactly does that mean?

Published by a recognized news or media outlet or a professional-quality personal brand

We accept writing samples from:

• Well-established news or media outlets with editorial oversight, fact-checking, and journalistic standards, such as:
  • Local or national newspapers
  • Regional news websites
  • Digital newsrooms and online publications
  • Niche industry publications with a reputation for editorial quality
  • Magazine websites
• Professionally produced personal blogs or brand websites, where you demonstrate expertise, consistency, and audience engagement. Examples include:
  • A food blog with original recipes, personal insights, and consistent posting
  • A travel blog with well-organized destination guides and photography
  • A wellness or lifestyle blog with high-quality, long-form content that reflects subject-matter expertise
  • A professional website showcasing published work on third-party platforms with editorial standards

In both cases, we’re looking for:

• A history of consistent, high-quality writing.
• Clear authorship (your name or brand should be associated with the content).
• A demonstrated effort toward accuracy, originality, and professional presentation.
  
  

For articles from personal blogs to qualify, the blog should demonstrate a consistent and professional approach, not casual or infrequent posting. If your blog features original content, a polished design, and reflects your expertise with an engaged audience, it may be considered eligible.

Original, written news or editorial content

We only accept written articles. Your samples should be:

• Written by you (not ghostwritten or AI-generated).
• Editorial in nature, meaning they reflect your voice, perspective, and expertise.
• Structured, clear, and reflective of professional standards.

Sources not accepted

To ensure fairness and consistency, we don’t accept writing samples from the following:

• Self-publishing platforms without editorial standards (e.g. Medium, Vocal, Substack etc.) Exceptions might be made if you're part of a curated program, a verified publication, or are a verified writer.
• Sponsored articles or content created for marketing or other advertising purposes.
  • For example, product roundups, brand partnerships, or paid placements do not count as eligible writing samples, even if they appear on a reputable site.
• Video-only content (e.g. YouTube) or podcast transcripts.
• Social media posts, even if long-form (e.g. Facebook notes, LinkedIn posts, Reddit or Quora posts).
• Unattributed or anonymous articles.