At the Freelance Coalition for Developing Countries (FCDC), our mission has always been to uplift and create opportunities for BIPOC marketers, especially those in developing countries that face systemic barriers.
In the past, we’ve published our annual Race Gap in SEO Authorship report to highlight the lack of BIPOC representation in mainstream SEO publishing.
Nothing has changed and frankly, we’re not creating another report when we already know the answer.
We want to be part of the solution and we’re excited to announce our FCDC Content Program, a new initiative designed to give writers in our community a platform to share their expertise, grow their portfolio, and get paid for their work.
What is the FCDC Content Program?
The FCDC Content Program is our new publishing program where members of our community can pitch ideas for blog posts, receive editorial feedback, and have their work published on our platform.
We want to highlight voices that are often underrepresented in digital marketing spaces while also ensuring that contributors are compensated for their work.
What you need to know:
- For now, we’ll only accept one successful pitch per month. We hope to scale this to include up to four published articles monthly.
- Accepted writers work with an editor to polish their piece.
- Once the article is published, the writer gets paid £300 for their contribution.
Who can apply to write?
We would love to hear from you if you are an FCDC member and passionate about topics like:
- SEO
- Content marketing
- Freelancing
- Social media
- Career development
What type of content are we looking to publish?
We are looking for unique, well-researched perspectives that help freelancers and marketers grow in their careers.
We want content filled with practical how-to advice that is easy to implement, relevant to a problem our audience faces and well-written in a logical flow.
Here are some examples of the type of content we’re looking for:
How the process works
- Pitch an idea using our submission form
- We’ll review your pitch and let you know if it’s accepted
- If accepted, we’ll send you a template for an outline
- A volunteer editor works with you to ensure the outline is detailed and covers the search intent for the topic
- You write the first draft and work with your volunteer editor to ensure the content is ready for publishing
- Once finalized, we’ll publish and process payment within 7 days
What we need to pay writers
If your pitch is selected, we’ll need the following to process your payment:- An invoice that includes your tax number (business or personal).
- Your full name and address. If invoicing as a business, include your business name and business address.
- Your preferred payment method. We can pay into a bank account (once given international bank details) or any payment system that accepts credit/debit card payments.
Why this initiative matters
We have spoken a lot about the race gap in SEO, publishing two reports that highlighted the disparities in opportunities for marketers of color. But talking about it is not enough. The FCDC Content Program is our way of practicing what we preach by putting money in the hands of talented BIPOC professionals and giving them a platform to shine. We also want to acknowledge and appreciate initiatives like the Women in Tech SEO Knowledge Hub, which inspired us to launch this program. It is time for more programs like this to exist and we are committed to making it happen.Call for volunteer editors
To ensure that writers receive constructive feedback and high quality editorial support, we are also opening applications for volunteer editors. If you have experience in SEO, content marketing, or professional writing and editing, this is a great way to give back to the community. Editors will work closely with writers, helping them refine their pieces and improve their writing skills.Why join as an editor?
- Support underrepresented voices in marketing and freelancing
- Give constructive feedback to help writers improve
- Be part of a meaningful initiative that uplifts the community
Jadesola Kareem
Passionate about content and diversity, Jadesola is a content writer. In her free time, with a cup of coffee in hand, she binges on reality shows.
