Contributors @ Understandably
I'm always looking for fantastic contribtuors to join the team. Here's how to apply.
Hi. I'm Bill Murphy Jr. I write the daily newsletter at Understandably.com. (Skip to the application form? Click here.)
Understandably.com started as a one-person pandemic project with zero readers besides friends and family. Frankly, I'm not even sure my wife read it back then, but don't tell her that. Now it's a fast-growing actual thing, with nearly 150,000 daily subscribers and a super-loyal audience.
Our tagline: "No algorithms, no outrage. Just an essential daily newsletter for smart people who want to understand the entire world, one day at a time."
With all of our crazy growth comes opportunity. I'm looking for paid contributors ("paid" should go without saying, but I guess this is the world we live in), to help write specific types of content.
Each issue of Understandably has two parts: a roughly 700-word "top essay," either written by or introduced by your humble newsletter founder (me), along with the "7 other things" section, which includes links to smart and interesting news stories around the world.
The biggest need is mostly for contributors to help with some of the "top essays." Specifically, I'm looking for:
Health/science/wellness writers.
(Examples of previous stories that did well on this topic: Happiness shocks; Plenty of daylight; 7 hours; Pursuit of happiness)
Technology/productivity tips writers.
(Examples of stories that did well: Killer app; Hello, this is Lenny; What rich people do; This is the part of myself I told you I struggle against)
Money/career/retirement writers.
(Examples of stories that did well: Honestly, it's not for everyone; Pay by the day; My boss refuses to talk to subordinates; Half as likely as Alaska)
History/culture writers.
(Examples of stories that did well: Medal of honor; Really not sure what to make of this; Technically, I could get into a lot of trouble; 40 years, man)
Writers who can convince me they could do a killer job writing about other topics that our audience would love.
(Examples of stories that did well: Well, none yet. But I'm sure yours will be listed here in the next go-round.)
To be clear: These are part-time contract positions that pay competitive freelance rates. I'm most interested in people who can be consistent contributors (say 5 or 10 or even 20 or more over time). But, I'm open to other frequencies if what you have to offer is fantastic.
We'll see where it goes! My dream is to recruit people who are so good that we can eventually build other newsletters and products around them. But let's not get too far ahead of themselves.
Things that would make you ideal and leave me saying, "Take my money, write for my newsletter!"...
A true expert or authority with experience writing about your subject area.
Excellent writer, prolific, creative, responsible, and a decent person to work with.
Entrepreneurial, eager to contribute and be part of something that keeps growing.
Interest in newsletters (of course!) along with other content that lets us create direct relationships with readers.
Also: Our audience skews hard toward Generation X (like me!) and Boomer. So, an ability to understand and connect with those generations is important.
I acknowledge this ad is a bit unusual. Who writes job ads in the first person, anyway? But, the voice of the newsletter is important. Also, I want to make the application process as painless as possible for both of us — something that you can fill out quickly, I can review quickly, and we can see if it's worth having a conversation. On the next page I'll ask for ...
A 1-2 sentence introduction. Just tell me who you are.
A 1-2 sentence (or less!) explanation of what you'd like to write about.
A resume and/or LinkedIn bio, etc.
One link (just 1!) that shows me the kind of work you're capable of.
5-10 very brief "top essay" ideas—maybe a sentence on each explaining more specifically what you'd like to write about. The more you can pack into the sentence, the better.
In general, our daily newsletter is free but I put the archives behind a paywall. So, if you want a free/temporary subscription to check it out before applying, send an email to workforunderstandably@gmail.com with "applicant/account" in the subject line.
OK. I've taken enough of your time. I hope it all sounds interesting. For more info, click the link below or just go here.