Contributor Guidelines

Out of the trillions of websites out there, you’ve decided to write something for mine.

Truly, thank you.

There are two core types of posts most people write here: tips and articles. I currently have four main sections for tips posts: Mac, iOS, Web, and PC. Articles can cover just about anything tech and culture related, including everything from workplace dynamics to feminism, real-world changes and applications of tech, or a borderline rant about what’s wrong with RSS feed readers.

I am looking and can pay for posts in all sections, and I am especially interested in articles, as well as tips for PC and Web (but keep iOS and Mac stuff coming too!). By PC, I mean Windows 8 and 10, and the entire ecosystem of Microsoft devices.

Tips

Tips are meant to be as short but useful or interesting as possible. No 300 words of filler, backstory, and puns before you get to the main dish. A post could literally be a screenshot and a sentence or two to explain a useful menu option, a swipe gesture, or a shortcut.

Here is a short Mac tip about an interesting detail Apple took the time to craft into its standard hard drive icon. This one about reordering iOS 8 app extensions is only slightly longer at five sentences. Here’s one more about Feedly recommending feeds you might like.

Almost every tip is welcome, and virtually no feature is too simple or “obvious.” You will probably be surprised about what most people don’t know they can do with their tech, and that’s what this site is all about.

If people need context about a product or feature, you could include a link to its maker’s website or a fellow blog where you found something that inspired this post. Here’s a decent example.

Articles

Whether you’re in the mood for an essay or just something bigger than a tweet, you’ve come to the right place.

Check out the articles section to see what I’m looking for here. Not grand speculation about what our iPhones will turn into in five years, but real insights into how we’re using tech and how it’s changing our lives.

Recently, I realized I’m suffering from death by 1,000 clouds. Jacqui Cheng, my former boss and now Editor-in-Chief at The Wirecutter, found out that the internet actually made high school reunions better. If you do want to delve into something a little more technical, Tumblr iOS developer Bryan Irace explained the hidden problem with killing apps in iOS 7, and I laid out the differences between Photo Stream and Shared Photo Streams.

Giving Credit

I view writing and blogging as a team endeavor, so I encourage giving credit with quotes, links, and embeds.

If you found a tip somewhere and explore it further here, or got inspired by an article, or are expanding on a tweet, work in a quote or at least a link somewhere. Not only is it the right thing to do, it will raise more awareness for your post and Finer Things in Tech. You never know, someone might see traffic from your post, check out Finer Things in Tech, tweet a link to your work, and then we all win the internet.