The Urban Twist is a special kind of platform on a game-changing mission. Without talented contributors and out-of-the-box thinkers like you, our community wouldn’t be the vibrant place it is. So welcome, make yourself at home, and let us know how we can best support you. Use the instructions here and check out our rules and guidelines.
We can’t wait for you to get started!
How do I start publishing stories on The Urban Twist?
1. Visit The Urban Twist’s website.
2. Click the “WRITE FOR US” button in the upper-right corner, in the menu bar, or by going to this linkk. Our publishing platform is open to all.
3. Follow the prompts. You must apply to become a contributor before gaining a login credential.
The reason for the application process is simple. We want to make sure you are serious about writing for The Urban Twist, and we also want to make sure you understand the requirements that need to be met before you commit to becoming a contributor, although there aren’t any formal commitments or anything of that nature.
4. Once you get your login information, you can now start your first post. On the “Add Post” screen, follow the prompts and checklist to add a title, text, and “featured” image. You can also follow our submission guide by going here.
The featured image will be the photo that pops up when you share on Facebook. It’s also the thumbnail that will be associated with that post throughout our site. The ideal title is short and declarative. The ideal length for article is 350-500 words. The topic can be anything you’d like. If you want our advice, we suggest writing stories on the topics that get you and your friends talking at a bar. Go into your browser history, or your Facebook, and make a study. See what you really click on and share. Create stories on The Urban Twist that you’ll be proud to share publicly. But also: don’t take our advice too seriously. The best stories come from the heart.
Sometimes our editors will select a different featured image from the one you chose, if we feel we can optimize your story to perform better. We may also change the headline and make substantive edits to the content.
5. Add hyperlinks and all kinds of visual multimedia to your story.
Stories don’t have to be plain text. In fact, they perform better when blocks of text are broken up into digestible bites with other types of visual media like photos, videos, gifs, vines, and more. Our eyes are built to love color and motion. Here’s how to embed media on The Urban Twist.
6. Proof-read your story, checking for grammar, spelling, style, and accuracy.
We can’t over-emphasize the importance of checking over your story before you press “submit”. The Urban Twist mostly abides by AP style. Here’s our full style guide for your reference. Yes, our editors will read over your work before we press “publish”, but we’re human too, and we won’t catch everything. Only press “submit” when you’re pleased with how your story looks and would be happy to see it published as such. Every fact you state in your story must be hyperlinked to a credible source.
7. Save article as “Pending” and sit tight. We’ll publish your story as soon as we can.
Once you submit a story, it goes into our editorial queue. All of our editors can see it, so there’s no need to send us any kind of notification that you’ve submitted. Please flag your story as breaking news if it’s time sensitive by including “Breaking News:” at the beginning of your title. If we consider your story to be breaking news, it will be published within hours; all other stories will go up within three business days.
Eventually, you’ll be able to publish your stories on your own without editor input. To get to this point, we will evaluate your progress as you post, but usually for most people it takes between 5-10 posts before we upgrade your permissions so that you can post on your own.
8. Share your post widely on social media.
When your story is ready, we’ll email you a link. That doesn’t mean your job is over – just the opposite! The next step is to start sharing your story as widely as you possible on your various social networks. This is the best way to get readers for your story. Check out these tips on how to get the most bang for your social media buck.
9. Use our analytics tool to learn and improve each time you publish.
Once you create your first story, if you look in the writer’s dashboard, there’s a link for “Article Stats”, where you can see all your published stories. Our analytics tool has helpful data on what articles are working best for you, and making you the most money.
10. Come back and publish your next story soon!
There’s no minimum or maximum number of stories you can create per week or per month. Each time gets better as you learn more about what works and develop your voice on The Urban Twist. We can’t wait to see you next time you have an idea!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. Can I submit a story on The Urban Twist that I’ve already published elsewhere, such as, on my personal blog?
A. Yes! First make sure you have the rights to the content, then feel free to re-publish it on The Urban Twist. Just be sure to share the published The Urban Twist link on social media, since that’s the one that’s edited by our team and monetized for you.
Want to learn more?
A Complete Introduction to Writing For The Urban Twist
