How to Make Your Sample Blogs Stand out from the Crowd

by Hava Lyon | More from this Blogger

Yesterday, I talked about the first half of the required application: The topic you want to write about, and the ideas you have for covering that topic. Today, I want to cover the most important part of your application: The three sample blogs!

Families.com hiring page specifies the following:

3. Samples - Please send three sample blog entries or articles with varying styles related to each of the proposed topics you are applying for.

I think people have more hang-up about this part than any other part. Honestly, it's just that simple: Three blogs that if you were working for Families.com right now, you would post on the site. Write a funny one, an informative one, and one that focuses on a current event. Or whatever you want to do. These are your blogs--show Lisa what kind of blogger you would be. They have to be a minimum of 300 words, of course, and there is no maximum, although if you get too long, people will lose interest before the end. Lisa told me once that if a sample blog makes her laugh, she will make room for that applicant whether there had been room for him/her before that, just because she loves to see humor in the blogs.

Some other random hints straight from Lisa:

* Don't send me an email saying "Hey, I want to blog. Here are links to my blogs." I rarely follow links when applicants don't include the information I've asked for on the Blog for Us page."

* You don't need experience but you do need to write well.

* Should I mention that samples should be relevant to the topic you are applying for? It seems like a no-brainer but so many people send me stuff that just doesn't tell me anything about how they might blog. Also, a single paragraph that starts "I'd probably write about blah, blah, blah..." doesn't get you hired. It has to be a true blog, with a length of at least 300 words.

Well, I think that about covers the sample blogs. Tomorrow, we'll tackle the question of how to write a great (but short!) biography. Don't miss it!

Learn more about Hava Lyon

Hello, my name is Hava or Havs (depending on my mood and yours!) I am a freelance writer who writes for several blogs, both paid ones such as this one, and personal blogs.

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