Write for Us

A Broad Overview on Submissions

A blog post on Simple Programmer has the opportunity to get wide exposure to over 150,000 visitors per month.

A successful writer on Simple Programmer will understand these four key concepts:

• Articles are meant to inspire and motivate programmers to find ways to improve their lives, either professionally or personally (and sometimes both!)
• Articles are written with our readers in mind. Rather than broad topics about personal development or advice, they should specifically address how to apply such ideas to a programming lifestyle. Think specifically about how what you are writing is going to be relevant and to programmers. Don't be afraid to use code, technical jargon and other analogies programmers would understand and relate to.
• Articles should be written in a narrative and personal style, while still being packed full of information. They need to be accessible to a variety of readers, from a programmer just starting out to a full-time entrepreneurial software expert. Our tagline is, after all, Making The Complex Simple.
• When in doubt, always err on the side of too long. In addition to providing the best content possible to our readers, it is always easier to delete unnecessary text than to stretch out thin text (but maybe try to keep submissions under 4K words, unless it is an epic power post?)

If you would like to know more about the content we look to create on Simple Programmer, you can check out our Style Guide for in-house writers.

What Can You Write About?

Since we are devoted to the enrichment of our audience’s lives, both personally and professionally, articles on this site cover a variety of topics.

Here are some of the categories I am looking for writers on:

• Career – All kinds of career topics that would appeal to: employees, managers, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and students. These articles should relate specifically to professional growth and decision making in the the programming and developer industry.
  • Example: Feeling Stuck in Your Career as a Programmer? Get Into Business Operations
• Marketing Yourself – Blogging, personal branding, speaking, networking, using social networks, podcasting. These articles should teach programmers how to sell themselves to others, either through their current position or as a freelancer and/or entrepreneur.
  • Example: Are Technical Skills Enough? Create a Personal Brand to Help You Succeed
• Productivity – System, hacks, learning, etc. These articles should give programmers the tools to accelerate their processes and put their best work (and selves) out to the world, especially if they lack the motivation to do so.
  • Example: Importance of Programming in Focused Time Blocks
• Motivational – Psychology, social skills, dealing with fear, failure, attitude, love, inspiration, success. These articles should harken back to the basic premise of Simple Programmer: Making The Complex Simple. Using anecdotes, studies, or other empiric evidence to break these big picture ideas into implementable action items is key.
  • Example: Speaking Up as a Woman in a Male-Dominated Tech Team
• Fitness, finance, and misc. – Other content, but strongly related to programmers. These articles should follow a similar structure to Motivational articles, focusing especially on giving Simple Programmer readers tips and tricks that they can apply in their lives for big changes and results.
  • Example: A Programmer’s Guide to Avoiding Lifestyle Inflation and Achieving Financial Independence

Many of these topics are considered soft topics, but we do not accept generic or broad topic articles. Any submissions should be specifically toward our audience. Show our readers how they could be more than just software developers and programmers, and how they could improve their lives and careers by shattering their limiting beliefs and learning important things.

For example:

• DO NOT write an article titled “How To Get Started Lifting Weights” – then write a broad personal fitness piece.
• DO write an article titled “A Programmer’s Guide to Lifting Weights” – then write a piece that specifically addresses the personal fitness regime that programmers (who often sit hunched over a keyboard at a desk for hours on end) would need to follow to bulk up.

The Submission and Editing Process

I am looking for high-quality content to share with the Simple Programmer audience. That should be the most important thing you are considering when submitting an article or guest post idea. We have a team of editors and content strategists that will work with you from your initial submission to the final publishing of your piece.

This means that we may decline submissions that are either not a good fit for the site or in need of some improvement. Our Managing Editor has written two detailed articles on how to get your article approved. I suggest you read them before submitting.

If your pitch gets denied, that does not mean you can never submit again, even if it is an updated draft. After your article is approved, the process can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks from your initial submission, and will involve your active participation in rewrites and revisions.

There is no charge to guest post with our site. We will also include an opportunity for you to promote your own site and work at the end of the piece. That means a do-follow linkback off Simple Programmer, your own bio to market your wares, an audience of 150K+ readers to your content, and potential for future posts and opportunities to contribute to the community.

We do not offer sponsored posts or link placements. Additionally, we do not work with third parties or marketing agencies for content.