Entertainment Contributing Writer
Send cover letter, resume and three writing samples to Lauren Weigle at lauren@heavy.com with Entertainment Contributor in the subject line to be considered. Heavy, a leading news and information website, seeks to partner with ambitious, passionate freelance contributors to cover specific entertainment verticals.
We're looking for people whose digital journalism chops match their passion for the content. Articles will also be posted to Facebook. Opportunities are available covering The Voice, HGTV, American Idol, Hallmark, Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor.
Qualified candidates will demonstrate:
Deep knowledge of and passion for entertainment writing and reporting
Ability and desire to react rapidly to breaking news
Exceptional digging and reporting skills
Ability to watch and report on TV shows
Strong multi-tasking and communication skills
Ability to quickly navigate social media — especially Instagram and Twitter — to spot breaking news and find additional information after a story breaks
Ability to produce clean and polished copy
Work autonomously and remotely. Compensation scales with performance. Heavy is a platform where professional independent journalists can reach large audiences and earn significant revenue. But compatible candidates are rare. Successful contributors possess all of the following:
Expertise: deep authority and trustworthiness in subject matter
Independence: love being an entrepreneur
Motor: enthusiasm to create a high volume of articles
Polish: skill to publish professional work without oversight.
Contributors choose what to publish and when, innovating as they learn what catches fire with their audience. Compatible entertainment contributors are comfortable writing about the biggest stories of the day, adept at breaking news personally or spotting news, expert at reaching audiences through Facebook, and able to produce a high volume of timely content while adhering to the platform’s standards. Heavy's editors are available for support — tools, data, formats and best practices — but do not make assignments.
Contributors receive a revenue share based on the content's performance, paid monthly within five days business days of month's end. The most successful contributors on the platform have earned $10,000 or more per month by publishing a high volume of quality reporting that audiences want to read. They have also battled ebbs and flows in traffic.