Bright Hub is Looking for Writers

We welcome Kelly Walborn, who is the director of training for the website, Bright Hub. They have several new writing opportunities they would like to share with WOW! readers. Kelly explains how to apply to Bright Hub, what types of writers they are looking for, and most important of all--how writers are compensated!

WOW: Welcome, Kelly, and thanks for talking to The Muffin readers today about Bright Hub. I know several of our readers are wondering all about your company and writing opportunities. What type of writers is Bright Hub looking for?

Kelly: We look for bright (!) subject matter experts who have a penchant for writing informative and engaging articles. Previous online writing is certainly a plus, as articles must appeal to both the prospective readers and the search engines. But we do train our writers to follow our particular SEO strategy.

WOW: You mentioned you need writers who are subject matter experts. So, what is the content that Bright Hub writers write about?

Kelly: Bright Hub writers focus on solving a problem or offering valuable and sought after information for the specific audience that is targeted by the article. Our team of editors thoroughly research appealing topics, and offer a continuous selection of writing opportunities for writers to choose from. This way, writers can truly focus on their areas of expertise. We just opened a whole bunch of new Health, Mental Health and Home Schooling channels, and we’re always opening more. Writers can see which channels are looking for writers at http://www2.brighthub.com/writers/hotopportunities.html.

WOW: Sounds great! So, if writers are interested in any of these opportunities, what is the application process like?

Kelly: Writers apply to a particular channel (like Diabetes or Heart Disease in the Health hub) by completing an application and submitting a writing sample. Often, writers will submit a previously published piece, so it’s important to indicate that during the application process. They can go directly to the applications here: http://www2.brighthub.com/writers/writerswanted.html. Once approved, they are welcomed to the community by their Managing Editor and are given access to orientation and training materials.

WOW: Thanks for explaining the process. It sounds simple. You mentioned that there are training materials. So, is there training available? How intense is the training process?

Kelly: We do make a point to offer continuous training to our writers, and we have a multi-tiered model for that. Bright Hub staff deliver webinars and written training on our policies, tools, and strategies. In addition the editors, who are community members just like writers, often mentor on best practices and quality improvement. We are continuously improving our training – both the content and the efficiency of how we deliver it to writers.

WOW: How are writers compensated for their work on Bright Hub? Are they given a byline also?

Kelly: Bright Hub writers always get a byline for their individual articles and can choose their own display name and set up a profile page for interested readers. We offer two different compensation models – one is entirely based on shared revenue and the other involves an up-front fee for each article plus a group revenue share. We offer a comparison of these models here: http://www2.brighthub.com/writers/comparison.html


WOW: Thanks for all the links and information! In your opinion, what are two reasons why writers should check out Bright Hub's opportunities?

Kelly: Just two? (smiles) Bright Hub is known for providing substantial community support to our writers. Unlike other sites, writers are not working in a vacuum or lacking in accessibility to resources. Another good reason is that Bright Hub is a credible site and can really help quality writers hone their craft and get noticed.

WOW: Thank you, Kelly, for taking the time to share with us all about Bright Hub. We appreciate it immensely!

interview by Margo L. Dill; http://margodill.com/blog/