I have often found myself mystified by the achievements of others in a way that makes success seem unattainable for myself.
John opened a marketing agency? Wow. That must have taken him years.
Sarah gives talks at conferences? She must be a natural!
When really, they simply learned the formula and requisite steps for achieving the goals they’ve set for themselves. Getting articles published in mainstream sources is another example of these mystical achievements that I previously just couldn’t understand attaining. I mean, some sort of snooty journal sleuth must have scouted out these writers at an underground, invite-only keynote, right? Wrong. These writers have simply mastered the art of the Byline.
In practical terms, the byline is just an inserted attribution to the original author of a given article. However, in recent years, a “Byline” has also come to reference articles written by an author not employed by the publishing entity. Many publishers will allow freelance journalists to publish on their platform so long as the publisher receives the copyright claims and legal ownership of the article. Legalities vary from publisher to publisher, but all in all, most will publish just about anyone so long as your writing is on par with their standards.
So how does an aspiring author get their masterpiece of an article published in places like Entrepeneur.com, The Washington Post, or even a small blog in their niche that they respect? Just ask! Find the websites contact info, ask what their guidelines are, and send over a proposal and summary of the article. If someone is sending in quality and free articles that only require attribution to the author, someone’s workload is being lightened. Be sure to keep things on brand for the publication, source where it’s needed, and stay professional in your communications.
Bylines are an amazing tool for content marketers, aspiring writers, or SEOs looking to build backlinks. The articles offer value to both parties and everyone walks away having received something. Hopefully this cleared away some of the mystique in regards to becoming a published writer, and I’d be more than happy to hear from anyone who puts this method to good use.
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