The summer before beginning my freshman year at college, I was on a hunt for more things to add to my resume. I knew that one day I wanted to be a journalist, so I needed to focus on something that would put me ahead of other writers on campus. Plus, let's face it, we've all seen dozens of Odyssey articles on facebook. Especially since there seems to be an article written for every situation you could be facing in your life.
I started out by reading some of the articles that came up on my feed, but still I hardly knew anything about the company itself. I decided to reach out to the Editor-In-Chief of Odyssey at Duquesne University since that is where I was going to be attending. She explained every little detail about the magazine, and from that moment on I couldn't wait to start writing.
Most people do not know how open the magazine is to new writers. I did not have any experience writing for a magazine prior to joining the Odyssey Team. Here is why I chose to write for the Odyssey:
1. You are free to write whatever you are passionate about.
There are articles written about anything you can imagine. From open letters to your best friend, Trump's new policies, animal welfare, fashion trends and even breaking news stories. There are absolutely no rules to follow in choosing a topic.
2. Your team really feels like a team.
All of the other students on your team know exactly how you are feeling. Sometimes its hard to come up with a new idea. That's when you fall back on your support system and ask for ideas. There is no shame in getting help to find creative ideas. Your teammates also support your articles, simply because you're part of the team!
3. You are now officially a published writer.
Although Odyssey is only an online publication, once you write your first article, you can consider yourself a published writer. The internet is a crazy place. Once you publish your article online, social media plays a vital role. In fact, it is counted every single time someone opens or shares your article. You can actually be paid for your article if it receives enough attention.
4. It is not a large time commitment.
One of the best parts about writing for Odyssey is there is no word count you have to meet for your article. On average, articles are between 300 and 500 words, which can take less than half an hour. Keep in mind, by publishing once a week, that is 30 out of 10,080 minutes each week.
5. Odyssey is continuously growing.
More and more writers are joining the Odyssey community. As the entire community grows the name of Odyssey also grows, which benefits each and every writer on board.
6. You are surrounded by people who support your writing, no matter what.
Who doesn't love working with other people who are compassionate about the same thing that you are? By working with each other, your writing actually gets better.
Introducing: the Odyssey Response Button