Want to Contribute?
In answer to the countless emails we get every day:
Yes! The Personal Trainer Development Center (PTDC) does accept guest posts.
And you’re in the right place. We direct those who inquire to this page. So if we were a little more traditional and uptight, we’d call this our Editorial Guidelines page. (But since we’re not, we won’t! But we digress.)
What are we looking for? In a phrase, really great stuff that makes a difference. Stuff that helps Personal Trainers do their jobs better. Stuff that helps clients of Personal Trainers lead better lives.
Find out what we’re all about. Then, consider our mission and values.
Still on board? Still want to contribute? Then, please take the time and trouble to submit only your very best work. Here at the Personal Training Center World Headquarters (PTDC-WHQ), we are already sitting on an article bank that could last for many months to come. So we are not desperate for so-so “filler” material of the type often found elsewhere.
PTDC-WHQ has no particular “rules” for how many guest posts are published. Minimum post length is 600 words. We have no maximum length, but may choose to split longer posts up into two or more instalments. We may even suggest you collaborate with other authors.
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What Type of Content Are We Looking For?
It’s wide open. We’d be happy to consider articles on any aspect of Personal Training except exercise prescription. Look through some recent articles to get an idea of the scope of material we publish. Examples — and these are only examples — include:
- Developing relationships with clients / co-workers / your community
- Time management and scheduling techniques
- Creating passive income
- Finding the best resources
- Marketing ideas
- Soft skills (body language, etc.)
Every article must be actionable. We are not interested in rants, put downs of particular training methodologies or unfocused ‘thought’ pieces. The PTDC is in the business of helping trainers. It’s all about getting better. And helping clients get better.
Every article must contain at least one take-away that the reader can apply immediately.
The Basic Stuff
- Unlike most blogs, we don’t insist on exclusivity. But If your article (or a version of it) has been published elsewhere, please say so in your covering email.
- Hint, hint: you can really grab our attention with submissions that identify problems and offer solutions. Bonus points for doing so in the first paragraph.
- Above all, keep in mind this is the Web. So no extended warm-up, no throat-clearing, no idle musing. Get to the point. Quickly.
- Submit a final, polished draft that is edited to the best of your ability. We do edit submissions, and are happy to work with you on revisions. But even PTDC-WHQ doesn’t have unlimited resources. We pride ourselves on going the extra mile to send personal feedback on every submission. But we can’t go back and forth through multiple drafts to whip submissions into shape. If a submission has a germ of an idea but will require extensive re-working and multiple rounds of editing, we may be forced to take a pass on it. Your best bet? Get it right the first time around…in your initial submission. So, at the risk of hectoring, please read carefully everything on this page. Several times. Pretty please.
The Advanced Stuff: How Should You Write?
- We realize you’re probably not a professional writer. Good news! Neither are we. (Frankly, some of our high school English teachers would be shocked at how far we’ve come.) Anyway, the point is: none of that fancy writin’ stuff, please. Write like you speak. Talk about what you know.
- We love graduates of the school of hard knocks. And we’re suckers for “if only I knew then, what I know now” stories.
- Tell a story that focuses on problem-solving. Connect with the reader. Don’t be afraid to use emotion. Tell the reader how you found out something you didn’t previously know — and why they should care. How will it make them become better at improving their clients’ lives?
- Be yourself. Only more so. Be the big you.
Formatting Stuff
- Feel free to send us a word file or .doc with html. If you choose to send us html, please use <h3> tags for the headers.
- As nice (and modest) as we are, we’re not mind-readers. So please include everything in your submission, including: links; images and charts; a head shot photo of you; and a two-sentence autobiographical author’s note.
- Links: a link or two within the text, or in your author’s note, that links to your own site is fine…as long as it makes editorial sense. But, please: no excessive links or affiliate links.
- We will likely edit your draft to include links to previous PTDC posts on related subjects from other authors. Our aim is to serve the reader. Thanks for understanding.
Final Note
Thanks for reading this far…and getting through all the quirky and cranky stuff. But, seriously: please know that we do appreciate your interest and would love to hear from you. Again, we’re all here to get better.
Please send all inquires to Jonathan Goodman, Founder and Head Coach of The Personal Trainer Development Center. Contact him directly at jonathan@theptdc.com
Or use our contact form
P.S. To Other Web Page Owners: We’ve come across a couple of pages where folks have copied the text from this page. That’s cool. Feel free to use it. All we ask is that you provide proper attribution.
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