Bylined Article Requirements & Best Practices
Updated
Article Requirements
Please ensure your article adheres to the following criteria:
Originality: Your content must be original and not previously published elsewhere, including on your blog, LinkedIn, or newsletter.
Word Count: Articles should be between 500-2,500 words, with 600-1,500 words being the ideal length.
Headline and Author Bio: Headlines run 6-14 words. Your author bio should be 40-60 words.
Structure: Include both an introduction and a conclusion.
Source Attribution: Attribute all sources with hyperlinks, ensuring they are trustworthy (avoid Wikipedia). Note sources that are two or more years old when newer data likely exists.
Linking Policy: Only link to reputable, authoritative websites. Do not include keyword links, affiliate links, lead-gen links, or client links. A link to your own website is allowed only in your author bio, once where your company is the setting of an example, or when the linked page is the primary source for the data in your article.
Quoted Material: If you include material verbatim from a trusted source, use double quotes and hyperlink to the original. You may quote only yourself or public figures, and a public figure's quote must come from the public record with a link to the source. Named quotes from employees, clients, investors, or paid partners are not allowed.
Fact-Checking: Ensure all information is accurate before submission.
Content Type: No press releases. Publishers want advice and expert opinions in an article format..
No Self-Promotion: Avoid conflicts of interest and self-promotion. Your company may appear once in the body, and only as the setting of an example.
Authorship: Articles must have a single author. No co-authors.
Media: Do not include photos, videos, or special formatting. Just text.
Book Content: Avoid excerpts from your books, though discussing concepts from them is acceptable.
Content Standards: Do not submit offensive, partisan, or discriminatory content. We do not publish articles on religion, and inflammatory or obscene language is prohibited. On politics, explaining what a policy, bill, or regulation does is fine, as is labeled opinion on its effects within your field. Endorsing or opposing candidates, parties, or ballot measures and telling readers how to vote are not allowed.
Objective Recommendations: Avoid overly favorable mentions or listicles about vendors, products, public figures, or acquaintances. When making recommendations, explain your reasoning and provide multiple reputable alternatives. Avoid brand mentions if there’s a conflict of interest. An overly positive mention can be loosely defined as the subject matter benefiting more than the reader by not acknowledging limitations or opposing views.
Realistic Statements: Do not make statements guaranteeing success or results (e.g., “these 3 SEO tactics guarantee page one visibility”).
Balanced Insight: Just as we do not allow overly favorable mentions, claims about a named company should be balanced with what the company does well or its response. Focus on providing balanced, tactical insights.
Timing: Topical articles must be submitted within 48 hours of the news breaking. Evergreen articles have no deadline.
Content Limitations
Please note that some articles may be off-limits or scrutinized by publishers. Here’s a short list of limitations with articles and article topics.
Your Money, Your Life Topics: Articles that might be perceived as legal, financial, or health advice will be scrutinized. For these topics, editors may require additional sources or supplementary information to support claims. When necessary, editors may also add standard disclaimers to the end of the article.
Current Events: Articles about specific current events and subject matters that might be considered controversial may be declined by publishers.
Avoid specific recommendations or endorsements: If you’re a financial advisor, do not write about any currency, stock, or financial instrument that your company/subsidiary sells or trades. If you’re a qualified medical expert, do not diagnose or prescribe individuals on health matters.
Avoid guarantees and prescriptive language: Don’t use language like, “Take this medication and you will cure your condition.” Instead, use language like, “If you decide to take this medication, I have seen cases where patients experienced significant improvement.”
Link Policy
For Connectively-owned sites, Experts will receive a byline with a link to your company within the Experts’ about section. Outside publishers are encouraged to keep the company link in the byline, but they are not required to do so per our editorial guidelines. Here are a few link policies to follow within articles. Violation of a link policy will result in removal from Connectively.
Links to your company, product, services or clients: Do not link to them within the article, except in the cases described under Linking Policy above. Any links in the body of your article must either benefit the reader or support a statement of fact.
Authoritative and trusted sources: If you do link to third-party sources, they must be authoritative, trusted sources such as major trade publications, research reports, and reputable news media. Links to company websites or blog posts on company websites may be removed by publishers.
No affiliate or lead-gen links: Link schemes, affiliate links, lead-gen links, and links to service, product, or lead-capture pages are not permitted and will be removed by publishers.
Additional Guidelines
General guidelines to keep in mind.
Byline Information: Your author bio should be 40-60 words and may name and link your company. Once an article is accepted, it cannot be revised. Make sure your article and bio are final before you submit.
Editorial Discretion: The editor may trim, retitle, cut, restyle, or remove links from your article before approving it, and offensive or commercial links will be removed.
Publication Guarantees: Every article is read and approved by a human editor, and nothing publishes automatically. Approved articles run on news.featured.com under your name and go out to partner publishers, who republish them under their own mastheads. We strive to feature you and your insights, but cannot guarantee that all articles will be published. You cannot revise a submitted article. If an article is declined, you may revise it and resubmit it as a new submission.
Conflicts of Interest: Disclose any financial interests related to your content, and avoid writing about financial instruments your company deals with. Sponsored content and solicitations are prohibited.
Accuracy, Copyrights & Fact Checking: Ensure your facts are accurate and you have permission to use any copyrighted or confidential information. Editors will verify where possible, but the responsibility lies with you.
Confidentiality: Respect the privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual property of mentioned parties.
Plagiarism: Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and submissions are checked for originality. Violations result in dismissal.
AI-Generated Content: Articles must be written and edited by the named author. AI-generated or substantially AI-drafted articles are rejected, and AI-generated quotes, images, and author photos are prohibited. Spell-check and grammar tools are allowed. Every submission is screened for AI-generated text.
Attribution, Credit & Sources: Quote and reference reputable sources with clear citations, and avoid over-reliance on external sources. Readers seek your firsthand insights, not third-party quotes.
Intellectual Property, Confidentiality, Representation and Warranties: By submitting content, you agree that you have the right and consent of the author to grant Connectively and Connectively Publishers exclusive first publication rights and the perpetual right to reuse the work. Your name and likeness may be used for promotional purposes. Violation will result in removal from Connectively and may also be subject to legal action.
Best Practices
Here’s a brief summary of what publishers want from your article:
Share Your Expertise: Write about your industry and area of expertise. Publishers are looking for expert advice, how-to guides, and commentary on business topics based on your personal experiences. Publishers want to share your unique insights with their readers. Focus on a topic where you have the most knowledge.
Avoid Self-Promotion: Publishers want your best tactical advice and industry knowledge, not a sales pitch to their readers. Refrain from writing about how your product, company, service, or client is the best solution. (Publishers won’t consider such content.) Instead, aim to inform and educate an audience. Providing useful content enhances your visibility and creates new opportunities.
Provide Unique Insights: Steer clear of generic advice that readers have already encountered. Offer specific, tactical, and fresh perspectives on your favorite subjects. For example, think “4 Pro Strategies For Pricing a New Product” instead of “4 Top Pricing Tips.”
Use Accessible Language: Avoid jargon, lengthy quotes, or academic-style writing. Publishers prefer straightforward, easy-to-share, and easy-to-understand content.
Offer Actionable Takeaways: Ensure an audience can remember and apply your advice. The best way to remain top-of-mind is by offering valuable, actionable insights. Don’t leave a reader without clear, practical advice.