PLN Media is on the search for new writers to help us continue raising our game.
Broadly speaking, there are three main areas we’d like to expand. Broadly speaking, they are ‘practical advice on living in the Philippines’, ‘personal stories/experiences’ and ‘travel/lifestyle advice/experiences’.
So, in the first case, we’d like to find people with real knowledge to share their experience with our readers. So, people like legal eagles or expert bureaucracy-busters would be particularly welcome.
But in fact, the chances are that anyone who has lived in the Philippines for a while will have something to share. Here some examples of the sorts of articles we’d like to see on our page:
Which health insurance is best for me? Ten policies compared
Man’s best friend: How to keep a healthy, happy dog in the Philippines
The long road: Registering a new car in the Philippines
Don’t panic! What to do if you are arrested on a false charge
Hiring domestic help: The perils and pitfalls
For the second sort of article, we’d love to hear your stories. Here are a couple of examples we’ve already run:
It happened to me: How I was locked up in hellhole then exiled from family
“How cheating wife plotted with lover to get me thrown into jail”
But they don’t all have to be shockers like these. We’d be happy to run any well-written tale, happy, sad, funny or odd:
Imelda and me: How I accidentally crashed a Marcos wedding
What I’ve learned teaching at a Philippine university
Taken for a ride: The traffic ticket that drove me round the bend
Wedding bow-wows: How a stray dog helped me find love
Night of terror: How I survived Hurricane Yolanda
…you get the idea…
Finally, we also want to hear your advice and experience about the fun side of life — travel and lifestyle. Again, some possible examples:
City of Pines: Ten great things to do in Baguio
Cool weekend: My trip to Baguio was a breath of fresh air
Cooking without gas: Some simple dishes, for simple kitchens
Sabah, Malaysia: The ultimate visa run for nature lovers
Ten banging bars in Metro Manila for heavy metal fans
Six of the best dive sites in the Philippines
So, hopefully, that will have given some possibilities to think about — but it’s not in anyway a complete list, we’d be keen to hear any other ideas you have.
The practicalities…
There are no set lengths for articles, but generally the longer the better. As a general guideline, probably about 500 to 1,000 words is optimum (but a good, punchy 250-word piece or a detailed 3,000-word epic wouldn’t be out of the question).
We can’t guarantee we will publish anything we receive, but we will always give everything thorough consideration (we’d be damned ungrateful if we didn’t!) We also reserve the right to edit any submissions, if necessary.
Unfortunately, we can’t offer payment, but we will always give full credit (unless you request anonymity, of course). Also, if you have a business or good cause you want to plug, then (within reason) we’re absolutely fine with that.
If you’re not sure if we’d be interested in an idea you have, send us your ‘pitch’ first — and we’ll let you know if it’s likely to be accepted.
So, please get in touch with any ideas you have. Either leave a comment on this article with your thoughts, or send us an email at philippineslifestyle@gmail.com.
Thank you for reading, and happy writing!