This should answer any questions you might have about sharing something with our readers. Please contact me if I’ve missed anything…

Essential Information

WHO can share an article?

If you have these qualities, we welcome you with open arms!

WHO is already contributing?

This is our full list of contributors. It’s growing every day and I’d love to add your name!

WHAT are the terms of sharing?

What we’d both be agreeing to is listed here. Be sure you’re happy with this.

WHY should I share?

The benefits of sharing are listed here.

HOW do I share?

Full details about exactly HOW to share are here.

Are ALL contributions accepted?

I’m dedicated to only publishing quality content that is genuinely intended to help inspire and empower the pursuit dreams and the life that is truly wanted. Your article must do this to be accepted.

Sharing the First Article

How do I know you’ll want my story?

Most people contact me to briefly outline their story, asking if it’s suitable. If yes then I’ll respond with interview questions. You can answer them or use them as guidance for writing your own article.

What kind of article can I share?

If this is your first article, then you can only share your personal story about pursuing your dreams:

what your dream is (and what’s inspired it)
how you’ve managed to bring it to life

What’s the difference between…?

WRITTEN BY
If you write the article yourself, you’ll see ‘written by‘ at the top of your article. That means you wrote everything from start to finish and I only edited and formatted it.

CONTRIBUTED BY
If you share information and I write the article for you, it’ll say ‘contributed by‘ at the top of your article.

INTERVIEW WITH
If your story is shared Q&A style, it will say ‘interview with’ at the top of your article.

What should the focus of my article be?

There are two main goals in your article:

to show others that what you’ve done (or are doing) can actually be done
to give them helpful information and resources for getting started

What type of info should I include?

Imagine you were sitting down for drinks with a mate who’s hanging on every word, really keen to do what you’ve just done – and how they can also do it. What kind of information would you offer them? Consider:

What would you suggest they think about?
What should they start preparing / researching / doing?
How long will it likely take them to get their ducks in a row?
What cost implications will they likely face?
What cautions can you warn them about?
Are there websites they should bookmark?
Are there products they’ll want to investigate?
Are there blogs they should read?
Is there a certain about of money they should aim to save?

How should I format my article?

It would be great if you could conform your article to this format:

Write in the first person (I/we/my/our)
Keep paragraphs to a maximum of five sentences
Group paragraphs in sections by sub-headings
Sections should be a maximum of five paragraphs (two or three is best)
Include approximately one photo (original size) for every few paragraphs
It can be as short or as long as you need it to be

What about photos for my article?

All photos need to be original photos taken by you, or photos that you have the legal right to share. Just attach them in your email in their original size (I’ll resize as necessary).

Alternatively, simply input them into your article where you want them placed (original size) – or let me know where I can get them online (ie FB/Flickr).

Sharing More Articles

What if I want to share another article?

Once your first article is shared, you’re welcome to share others that will also inspire or empower others to get started pursuing the life they WANT. Some ideas include:

review of a place you’ve been that shouldn’t be missed
a product that has been indispensable for you
quotes that have inspired you
list of books that you consider essential reading
personal thoughts about the preciousness of time
about the importance of living while we’re still healthy and able
inspiring poetry you’ve written or have come across
websites or blogs that have inspired you
advice about how to save for a dream
philosophical perspective on life or living

What if I want to share LOTS of articles?

Great! Please let me know if you’re interested in contributing six or more articles. If so, then we can make a special arrangement for you.

Assuming we’re a good match for each other, I can offer you free personal advert on the front page that links to your enhanced profile page (see Akaiska‘s to the right). This arrangement is reserved for those with extensive experience / knowledge about the topic.

Guidance for Bloggers

What if I already have my own blog?

Perfect! That means you’re already an avid writer with an interesting life! Get in touch and we’ll look at what kind of story to share about what you’re doing. Better still, your article can link to helpful articles you’ve already written!

Can I promote my book / blog / product?

Of course – especially if it’s going to help. Free self-promotion is a benefit of sharing and it’s fine to do that as long as the purpose of the article is to inspire and empower.

Can I link to articles on my blog?

Certainly. In fact, it’s preferred. Your story will probably be something you’ve already posted about so it’s great to link to some of those posts, as relevant, throughout your article.

Can I just copy a post I’ve already made?

No, we need original content. You can rework a post or bring some posts together, but we can’t share something that’s already been shared on your blog.

Do you have an ‘as featured on’ logo for my site?

Yes, you can collect whichever badge / logo is most appropriate here. We would love for you to use this to help spread the word about what we’re trying to do. Simply link to your article from the badge / logo you post.

Specific Concerns

Do I need to be a good writer?

No. I don’t want lack of writing skills to stop a valuable story from being shared. This means I’ll write the article for you, for free, if you need me to! Just email me as much information as you can and I’ll take it from there.

What if I make mistakes?

I’ve spent the past decade as an English Teacher marking and editing essays for students between the ages of 11 and 18. I guarantee you that I can handle anything you can throw at me!

Can we talk instead of email?

Sure! Simply use the Contact Form to send me your phone number. Tell me briefly what your story is, and let me know when (including time zone) you’re normally able to receive calls. We’ll then agree a time for me to call you. I’ll record our conversation and write the article from that, using your exact words where possible.

Can I contribute anonymously?

Yes, certainly. We can publish without revealing your identity at all, revealing only your first name, or using an alias. There are many reasons people may choose this option so I will respect your wishes as proceed as you request.

What if my story is similar to another one?

No two stories are identical. You will have had a different experience and will have different resources and advice to share. You story can still be shared.

Receiving your Contribution

Who will receive my email?

That would be me, Krista Beauvais. Lots of info about me can be found here and my short bio is here.

What happens after I email my story?

I’ll email you back to confirm I’ve received it and to give you an approximate processing time.

Once I’ve got a final draft ready, I’ll email it to you for approval / alteration. I’ll include the date it’s schedule to go live (no sooner than 48 hours) so that you can request any changes before it’s published.

How long should I wait to hear back?

Ideally I’ll be in touch within a few days. If you’ve not heard from me within a week, something has gone wrong and you should use the Contact Form to tell me. It’s possible your email ended up in my spam folder. Anything sent via the Contact Form will reach me safely.

When will my article go live?

This depends on many factors and could be anywhere from a week, to a month, or longer. At the minute, there’s a delay of about a month from the time I receive your email due to the articles currently queued for publication.

Once Your Article is Live

How will I know my article is live?

I’ll email you the link once it’s live.

Can I share my article with others?

Yes please, this would be great! You can share it with your social networks by sending around the URL or using the sharing buttons at the bottom of your article. The more you share, the better!

Can I communicate with my readers?

Yes, absolutely! You should go to the comment section at the bottom of your article and leave a personal note to your readers so they know you’re there to respond to their messages. Click the box for receiving email updates of new comments and then enjoy interacting with your readers.