I remember the first time I saw one of my colleagues’ bylines on the Huffington Post. My first thought was “Wow, she’s made the big time!” And that was quickly followed by, “If she can do, then so can I.”

And it’s true. You can see your byline up on the Huffington Post. All it takes is to create compelling, original content that fits in with HuffPo’s guidelines. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

Here are a few tips for seeing your byline in the Huffington Post:

1.)  Use the Pitch Form – HuffPo’s pitch form is an innocuous looking Google Form. You may wonder if this is really how you pitch HuffPo? While there are other ways to get into HuffPo, rest assured that this form really is one of them. Like with all busy publications, you’ll hear back if they’re interested and if you don’t… you know the drill and you can live on to pitch, pitch again.

2.)  …Or Pitch an Editor – Of course, it’s always better to go straight to the source. HuffPo handily lists their editors here. HuffPo Editors are charged with cultivating the best content out there, so reach out to one on Twitter or via email if you think you have a story they can’t resist. As always, use your social media etiquette and don’t spam or pester. Of course, to pitch the right editor you must…

3.)  Know your Categories – The Huffington Post has sections on everything from the biggies like Politics, Entertainment and Business, to very specialized areas of interest, like “HuffPo Divorce.” Familiarize yourself with the HuffPo categories and be sure your piece aligns well with one of them.

4.)  Dig Deep – It isn’t enough to know which category your piece fits into. You must also make your tone, style, voice and word count fit.  HuffPo has optimized their sections down to a science, so if you notice that most posts in your section are long form narrative pieces, then maybe you should start there. That isn’t to say that a top 10 list won’t be just the shake up that section needs, but go with baby steps.

5.)  Keep it Timely and Relevant – Just like every other publication on the planet, and probably even more so, HuffPo is inundated with pitches. Time your pitch to coincide with news or current events for a better chance of seeing your byline under the familiar HuffPo banner.

6.)  Promote THEN Pitch – Remember the friend I mentioned above? When I read beneath her byline, I realized that I’d read her piece before. That’s right – she took an already-popular blog post she’d written and submitted it to HuffPo for even more exposure.  HuffPo doesn’t demand exclusivity with their evergreen content, so don’t be afraid to popularize a post on your own blog before pitching it. Editors will actually be glad to see your pieces’ track record.

Last but not least, if you have a newsworthy scoop, you are free to submit it to HuffPo as a news tip and hope that an editor picks up the story. As one of the most popular news outlets in the world these days, though, you’ll often find your pitch out in the cold unless you truly have the scoop of the week.Have you had an article in HuffPo? How’d you do it?

This article is written by Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases (http://www.ereleases.com), the online leader in affordable press release distribution. Download How to Get Your Company Covered on Top Blogs here: http://www.ereleases.com/offer/blogs.html

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