Guide for guest post submissions (proposed)
Do you want to see Pocketables succeed? Do you have something to say that we haven’t covered? Are you perhaps an artificial intelligence attempting to pass the Turing test while writing product related articles? Do you want shameless self promotion to several thousand readers daily?
Pocketables may have a spot for your post.
This is a proposed guide for submissions – as such it’s not set in stone, if readers have anything to add to this or think it is screwing with the spirit of Pocketables or I’ve completely sold out, let us know in the comments. We’ll set it on a page in a couple of weeks to direct people to.
Does it fit?
The first thing to ask yourself though is does this fit Pocketables’ audience? Currently Pocketables is Android/Google-centric, Tasker, some Windows, a scattering of iOS stuff, news, tips, deals, gadget reviews, and the like.
We cover things people listed above might be interested in, and occasionally we bring on an author with new interests who may take the site in a slightly different direction.
Does a guest post on how the Zika virus is influencing stock prices in farm wholesale work for us? No.
An IQ comparison chart between various users of phones? No. those are generally fake and just divisive.
An app that is nothing but a contact-us form for a plastic surgeon in Tijuana? No.
Have we written about it five times before? Do you have something new to add? Are you writing it better than us? Maybe. Let’s talk.
Is this a trick that will root most phones without losing data or using a paperclip? Write away.
Would someone reading it think “wow, I’m glad this is here and this is relevant to my interests without seeming spammy?” write away.
Is this game you’re writing about actually fun and interesting or are you just getting paid to promote it or a friend wrote it? Nahhh, we’ll pass.
Have you read only the front page of Pocketables and think your investment software would make a good writeup? Check about 10 pages in and see if you still think so.
Is this about how much you hate something? Once again, we attempt to focus on the positive. Occasionally an editor here will go the other way but we’re not really here to talk about what’s terrible.
Are you in love with an obsolete gadget? Has your CPR on it turned into necrophilia? Do you want others to keep it alive as well? Sounds like you fit.
What’s in it for me?
Here’s a good one. I know some content creators are hired to provide back links to a client and do so by asking if they can write for us. I know some people are trying to sell their client’s product. We’re OK with that as long as it’s disclosed and the content works for our readers and we’re not linking to sites of festering popups.
You’ve got to disclose it. “Hi, I’m soandso and I work for BS PR, and this is something in a client’s interest”. If you can’t do that with a straight face and connect it to said client and our audience I don’t think it’ll work.
Are you writing a product review? Tagged Amazon links can make you a little money, but you have to disclose that the link is making you money and that you’re not actually a paid shill for the product. There have been things out there I really promoted that I make nothing off of. There have been things I make money off of I reviewed poorly. Eh.
Do you want to help people and can? That’s a noble goal. That’s how Paul started (or perhaps it was for stroking his ego in compiling root guides,) and then the money thing sort of entered the equation a long time later (and left again).
Are you going to get yourself sued?
You need to know what fair use is. This means don’t steal an image and use it as your own. Don’t steal paragraphs from other companies and use them in an article. Don’t use something without citing a source. Don’t slander, lie, defame, etc.
Basically I don’t have a team of lawyers, I’ll point anyone with a valid complaint to the source while removing it from the site.
What is Pocketables?
A devoted group of people trying to make the site a better place. After several years circling the drain, the insanely broken site was sold to one of the authors and an attempt is being made to revive it, or at least let it find its own little niche and survive if it can’t return to the 1.8 million visitors a month it used to get.
What about paid content?
I’ve been approached by companies offering $25-50 for sponsored posts. While I would love to make the money back I’ve blown getting this site from CrowdGather, I’m not sure that I really want the site potentially linking to places that are negatively going to impact us.
Just takes linking to one company that’s a virus hole to screw us, and our readers over.
If you approach and have a client and an offer, and for some reason I accept, it will be very obvious to readers the post is sponsored. “Sponsored post: Android Cigarettes are great!”
