Do you want to see coverage of a certain sport, division or team that we don’t currently offer? Do you want to add your insights to the mix? Either way, a position at Slant Sports may be the opportunity you’re looking for.
We’re seeking motivated individuals with a passion for their team/sport to join our team in one of three available positions:
Contributor
An entry-level spot suitable for any schedule, a Contributor is free to submit content whenever they have something to say. Contributor content is featured the same as all others on the front page of the hub as well as on team and sport-specific pages, depending on the targeted team. Contributor content is reviewed by one of our editors prior to being published to ensure a quality reading experience.
Unlike so many other sports websites out there, Slant Sports offers paid writing positions for qualified individuals, and while qualifications may not include a degree in sports journalism, the rigors of the job do entail a fair bit of effort and skill.
Staff Writer
As a Staff Writer for Slant Sports, you will be assigned an Area of Focus and charged with producing at least 5 original articles per calendar week. The Area of Focus assigned will be based on your stated interests and may range from covering a single team to covering an entire sport. As long your content fits within the widely set boundaries of your assignment, you’re free to write what you want. We do not assign topics, meaning you will need to cultivate your own articles and see them through.
Senior Analyst
This position is a more committed version of the above. Senior Analysts are considered the big-wigs of Slant Sports and for good reason, too. Analysts are charged with producing at least 8 articles each week and are typically the guys/gals who are most widely known among our readers.
These paid positions are not hourly nor salary positions. They are commissioned. Overall pay is determined by the amount of work you do and the traffic to that work.
But What’s In It For Me?
Good question. For Contributors, the voice is enough. They aren’t looking to make this a serious thing that pays the bills or makes them famous; they just want to say their piece and revel in the comradery and debates that follow. But for Staff Writers and Senior Analysts, a drive to succeed is needed and that drive is rewarded fairly.
Slant Sports is an ad-supported network, meaning that we run advertisements on every page of the hub site and all network sites. Creating great content that permeates the lives of sports fans the world over costs money and these advertisements are how we keep the lights on. A revenue share is pooled from advertisement earnings and that is what writers are paid from.
Now, 5 and 8 articles per week is a big ask. I’ve seen some good people fall short when things get slow in the sport of choice so I know that it’s not easy. Not to mention, I’ve done it myself when I started all of this by myself.
In exchange for that requirement, we offer a variable rate commission structure to paid writers. Commission rates are based on the number of articles published (not just written or submitted) and dependent upon multiple factors:
Strength of Schedule – Writing 8 articles a week is a tall order at some points in the year, and a huge one at others, like an offseason. So Senior Analysts receive a credit of 7 points for every article they publish, while Staff Writers receive just 5 points each.
The More and The Merry – Those points for each article add up, literally. Points are totaled per group and per writer each month to define each one’s commission rate for the month, thereby rewarding each writer for the efforts they gave in a direct one-to-one ratio. Basically, A Staff Writer with 20 articles this month will have 100 points, and if the total points for the month equal 500 then that writer gets 20 percent of the revenue share. And if another wrote 25 articles this month, they’d get a bigger commission. We’ll get into the details of that during the application process, but suffice it to say that we pay commensurate with the work you produce, and a not just a flat-rate.
Dereliction of Duty – As a protection for all involved, if a writer fails to meet his/her quota for a week, and is not otherwise excused (vacation time, notified illness, etc.), their articles for that week will not be paid. As I said before, we pay in exchange for the huge ask of a weekly quota being met. If you don’t meet it, well… you get the idea.
If you’re thinking that this sounds like the job for you then that’s great!
But I offer you a word of caution. This work is not easy, nor simple. You have to produce interesting, readable content almost daily and that can be a difficult adjustment to make. Day jobs, wives, girlfriends, children, and hobbies all get in the way, so make sure that you know you can meet the burden before you apply, because it’ll be glaringly obvious soon enough. There are no stop-gaps here.
Who Will Be Considered?
Ideal candidates will possess the following skills/traits:
- Experience with or ability to learn the platform. This is currently WordPress, which you can learn about at WordPress.com and by searching Google.
- At least a high school proficiency in written English. We may offer non-English content at a later date, but for now it’s all in English, and our readers most assuredly know the differences between there, they’re and their. So should you.
- A creative mind doesn’t hurt. Coming up with ideas to write about is no easy task, especially not when you’re on a team of other writers trying just as hard to develop articles on the same subject.
- The ability to download and regularly access our communications client (DiscordApp.com).
- The ability to clearly articulate a point and to take sides.
- A willingness to monitor engagement on your articles and respond to everyone who takes the time to comment, whether on the website or on the several social media accounts where articles are regularly promoted.
- A can-do attitude and the ambition to get it done.
And that’s really just a high-level view. The nitty-gritty details are something only time and experience can reveal, but the right candidate already knows the gist of it.
For anyone considering applying at this point, I highly recommend that you go check out InsideTheStar.com (if you haven’t already) and see how things are done. Inside The Star is a fully staffed Slant Sports network site covering the Dallas Cowboys NFL franchise. Reach out to our current writers on social media, see the work that is produced day in, day out, and find out what it’s like to be a Slant Sports writer or contributor. It’s a pretty well oiled machine over there, but that may not be the case for you at Slant Sports, not at first.
Slant Sports is young and there are many positions to be filled, many subjects that need writers. Over time, the proverbial halls of SS will populate with more and more writers, while you’ll be in contact with the entire network team via Discord at all times. Whether that’s for general conversation or job-specific discussion is up to you in each moment. But we’ll be there.
How Do I Get Started?
Throwing your hat into the ring is the easy part. Just complete the form below, including all details asked, and click submit. I will review your application personally and follow up with those who I feel are potentially a good match.
Remember, Contributors are welcome.
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