Guest Column Guidelines

GUEST COLUMN GUIDELINES 

By submitting a Column for publication on The PE Hub Network (PEHN), you represent and warrant that you are the sole author of the submitted Column, that it is original and has never been published in any form, and that you have made no commitments, whether verbal or otherwise, to others with respect to its use or publication. You further represent and warrant that the submitted Column will be, to the best of your knowledge, an accurate and truthful portrayal of any events described therein.

Guest columnists should adhere to the following guidelines:

• Aim for no more than 600 words.
• Provide a head shot of the author or authors.
• Provide short bios and contact information for the author or authors (e.g. email address, Twitter handle, link to blog).
• Pick a single theme for your commentary that is of great interest to PEHN’s core audience (VCs, buyout pros, limited partners and business owners). The theme is what your article will demonstrate or prove.
• Make sure your planned organization for the piece proves out your theme. A common mistake is to start an article with background that most of our readers are already familiar with, rather than to introduce the theme. The problem: Readers bail out on articles that begin by telling them what they already know. If the author has nothing new to say at the all-important beginning of an article, what are the chances that further reading will bear fruit?
• Try to grab readers in the first sentence. Which article would you rather read? One that starts: “The M&A market has never been hotter.”? Or one that starts: “Your last deal may contain a ticking time bomb.”? If you can’t think of a strong start, you haven’t latched on to a strong theme.
• Run the theme by a PEHN editor before you begin any serious work on the piece. It’s also a good idea to get the editor’s take on how you plan to organize and structure the article. Here’s an organization that often proves effective:
  • introduce your theme with a lapel-grabbing lead;
  • spell out why the theme is of importance to readers;
  • provide background, data, statistics necessary to understand the theme and its scope;
  • roll out examples, details, anecdotes that support your theme; and
  • reinforce your theme with a strong ending.
• Expect to be edited. We reserve the right to edit for style and to make sure that a column is clear and of value to our readers. If an editor makes significant changes to a column, he/she will ask for the author’s signoff on the changes prior to publication. If the piece is not up to our standards for guest articles, we will ask for additional work. And while we appreciate all of the work put into articles, we respectfully ask that all authors understand that there are occasions when an editor may reject a piece for publication.
• Disclose if you have any connection to or have ever received any compensation from any individuals, entities or industries mentioned in the Column, of if you have ever been a board member, consultant to or served in a similar capacity for any entity referred to in the Column. (A PEHN Editor will make a determination as to whether a disclaimer or note should be annexed to the Column.)
• Avoid topics that amount to a promotion for your firm’s products or services.

COPYRIGHT

The Column will be deemed to have been specially commissioned by Buyouts Insider and shall be considered a work made for hire under the United States Copyright Act. Buyouts Insider shall be the sole owner of all rights, title and interest in and to the Column and all revenues derived therefrom, including, without limitation: the exclusive right to publish, republish and license the Column to any third party, in any form throughout the world, in all languages and in all media, whether now known or hereafter devised; and to edit, revise, abridge, translate and prepare derivative works of the Column. You hereby irrevocably assign, transfer and convey to Buyouts Insider all such right, title and interest, including any moral rights, in the Column. Your ability to republish the Column in any form is strictly prohibited.

HOW TO SUBMIT A COLUMN IDEA

Proposed guest articles may be sent to Managing Editor Rob Daniel at rdaniel@buyoutsinsider.com.

To learn about opportunities for additional distribution or reprint options contact Bob Raidt at rraidt@buyoutsinsider.com.