Geegeez Needs You…

Ubiquitous ‘Needs You’ image…

It’s been a funny six months here at geegeez. A lot has happened.

A quick overview…

Last year was extremely taxing, as geegeez was essentially rebuilt from its very foundations. It started out in 2008 as a one man blog and, by the middle of last year, it had become a content hub with multiple contributors and three, four, as many as seven, new posts a day.

That was great, and we had some fantastic writers, like Malcolm Boyle, Tony Keenan, Andy Newton, and our own news hound, Ian Sutherland. It was also rather expensive.

That was, alas, unsustainable as geegeez spent the entirety of 2013 undergoing a costly ‘cyborg’ transformation programme. In case you don’t know, a cyborg is a hybrid of human (or other organism) and computer/robotic. That’s a very poor analogy to explain that I was trying to introduce automated ‘data content’: what you now know as the racecards, form tools, and reports.

Those have been brilliantly received, and I’m still working on adding masses more value, in the shape of useful tools, reports and indicators in that area.

But I’ve become conscious that the machine part of the geegeez ‘cyborg’ may be overpowering its human host. Or, to put it in plain English, that there’s not enough editorial on the site any more.

Sure, we have great tipping courtesy of Chris’ Stat of the Day and Double Dutch elements. And we have our excellent band of unbiased volunteer system reviewers. And, of course, I chime in with occasional words of wit (I did say occasional) and wisdom (extremely rare, granted!).

That’s all great, and it remains very popular. But I’d like to extend the editorial reach of geegeez once more… and I’d love for you to help, if you can.

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Here’s how you can help…

So, for the first time ever, geegeez is inviting a handful of volunteer bloggers to contribute to the community. If you’ve got some knowledge or experience that you’d like to share, and from which you think others may benefit, then I’d love to host your insights on geegeez.

What sort of things make for good posts?

In truth, the list is almost endless. But here are a few suggestions of the kind of articles I like to read, and I guess others would too:

– Reasoned tipping pieces covering a number of horses in a race, not just one

– Betting ‘how to’ advice, including the logic and some examples

– Stats-based analysis of a big race, a group of races (e.g. Southwell sprint handicaps), or a trainer’s performance

– Examples of how you use the geegeez racecards to make a profit

– Opinion pieces on the state of racing, or a part of it (e.g. the dwindling average field size)

– Insight into foreign races (to UK readers) which may be local races for you

– System angles you’ve been working on

The above are just examples of the sort of thing that would add value to geegeez, and showcase your writing/analysis talents to a wider audience.

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What you need to do…

If this sounds interesting to you, here’s what you need to do, and what you need to know.

First up, you’ll need to be a registered Geegeez Gold user. I do plan to make this facility more widely available in time, but there are a couple of issues to resolve on that score.

*Note, if you’re currently a free registered user and feel you have something awesome you’d like to share, read on as you may still be able to contribute.

Gold Subscribers will see a new option in their ‘My Geegeez‘ panel called ‘Write A Guest Post‘.

Clicking that, and then ‘Add New‘,  will bring up a box like this:

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Writing your article is as simple as 1, 2, 3 (a and b) above.

Give your article a title, write your article/post, and click the ‘Submit for Review’ button. I’ll be personally reviewing and publishing all posts in the early days, and I kindly ask you to note the following editorial guidelines:

1. Please check your spelling and grammar

2. Articles should be at least 300 words, and ideally 500-1000 words in length

3. No external links please

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‘What’s in it for me?’

So why write an article for geegeez? Well, for a number of reasons, including these…

Firstly, it’s an opportunity for you to demonstrate your knowledge of a particular area, and to share it with an appreciative community of like-minded people. You will be rewarded long before your idea of the afterlife for it. 😉

Second, this is a chance for budding writers to showcase their talents to a wider audience, which includes some fairly prominent media types.

Thirdly, you might want feedback on an idea or concept that you’ve been working on. Feel free to ask for that.

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What next?

If you’re a Gold subscriber and you’d like to write a blog, click here – or on the link in your My Geegeez area – to get started.

If you’re a free user, you might still be able to write a blog if you’d like, but you’ll need to email me at info@geegeez.co.uk and explain the intended subject matter. If I think it’s a good fit, I’ll give you the requisite access rights to put pixel pen to virtual paper.

As soon as posts are submitted for review, I’ll take a look at them. I reserve the right to ‘tidy up’, though this will almost always be merely correcting any outstanding typo’s / grammar bits and bobs, and the like. [Please note, I’m not an English teacher. If there are lots of typos/grammar bits and bobs, your article will not be published. Hope you understand!]

The first reviewed posts will appear on the site… well, who knows? It depends when you send them in!

I’d love to be able to share some of your thoughts as soon as tomorrow, so don’t be afraid to get cracking straight away and be one of the first – perhaps the first – to have a guest post published.

I’m super excited to see what you can do. Good luck!

Matt

p.s. any questions, just leave a comment below. If you’re wondering something, it’s likely others are too. (And thanks).