Interview Requirements & Best Practices

Featured Interview Requirements & Best Practices

Experts on Featured’s Business plan have the ability to complete an interview for the chance at publication.

This blog discusses the:

1. Interview Requirements
2. Interview Topic Limitations
3. Link Policy
4. Additional Guidelines
5. Best Practices

Interview Requirements

Please ensure the answers in your interview adheres to the following criteria:

• Originality: Your answers must be original and not previously published elsewhere, including on your blog, LinkedIn, or newsletter.
• Answer Length: Answers should be between 4-8 sentences in length, with at least five answers submitted in an interview.
• Fact-Checking: Ensure all information is accurate before submission.
• No Self-Promotion: Avoid conflicts of interest and self-promotion. 
• Authorship: Articles must have a single author. No co-authors.
• Media: Do not include photos, videos, or special formatting. Just text.
• Book Content: Avoid excerpts from your books, though discussing concepts from them is acceptable.
• Content Standards: Do not submit offensive, partisan, or discriminatory content. We do not publish answers on religion or politics, and inflammatory or obscene language is prohibited.
• Objective Recommendations: Avoid overly favorable mentions about vendors, products, public figures, or acquaintances. An overly positive mention can be loosely defined as the subject matter benefiting more than the reader by not acknowledging limitations or opposing views.
• Realistic Statements: Do not make statements guaranteeing success or results (e.g., “these 3 SEO tactics guarantee page one visibility”).
• Balanced Insight: Just as we do not allow overly favorable mentions, publishers also will not publish answers criticizing companies or individuals. Focus on providing balanced, tactical insights.

Interview Topic Limitations

Please note that some interview topics may be off-limits or scrutinized by publishers. Here’s a short list of limitations with interviews and interview topics.

• Your Money, Your Life Topics: Topics that might be perceived as legal, financial, or health advice will be scrutinized. For these topics, editors may require additional sources or supplementary information to support claims. When necessary, editors may also add standard disclaimers to the end of the interview.
• Off-Limit Topics: Interviews related to Religion, Politics, and Multi-level Marketing will not be submitted to publishers for consideration.
• Current Events: Interviews about specific current events and subject matters that might be considered controversial may be declined by publishers. 
• Avoid specific recommendations or endorsements: If you’re a financial advisor, do not write about any currency, stock, or financial instrument that your company/subsidiary sells or trades. If you’re a qualified medical expert, do not diagnose or prescribe individuals on health matters.
• Avoid guarantees and prescriptive language: Don’t use language like, “Take this medication and you will cure your condition.” Instead, use language like, “If you decide to take this medication, I have seen cases where patients experienced significant improvement.” 

Link Policy

Experts will receive a link to your company in interview profiles. Here are a few link policies to follow within articles. 

• Do not include links to your company, product, services or clients within an interview. Any links in your interview must either benefit the reader or support a statement of fact.
• Authoritative and trusted sources: If you do link to third-party sources, they must be authoritative, trusted sources such as major trade publications, research reports, and reputable news media. Links to company websites or blog posts on company websites may be removed by publishers.
• No affiliate or lead-gen links: Link schemes, affiliate links, lead-gen links, links to your own company or clients are not permitted and will be removed by publishers. 

Additional Guidelines

For additional questions, please contact community@featured.com. Otherwise, here are additional guidelines for interview profiles. 

• Submitted Answers: Answers submitted through an interview cannot be changed post-publication. When submitting answers to your interview, please make sure they are final and ready to be published. 
• Editorial Discretion: Publishers can edit all submitted content for grammar, clarity, and style, and will notify you of significant changes. Offensive or commercial links will be removed.
• Publication Guarantees: Final publication decisions rest with the publishers you select, and interviews may need revisions. We strive to feature you and your insights, but cannot guarantee that all interviews will be published.
• Conflicts of Interest: Disclose any financial interests related to your answers, and avoid writing about financial instruments your company deals with. 
• Accuracy, Copyrights & Fact Checking: Ensure your facts are accurate and you have permission to use any copyrighted or confidential information. Editors will verify where possible, but the responsibility lies with you.
• Confidentiality: Respect the privacy, confidentiality, and intellectual property of mentioned parties. 
• Plagiarism: Plagiarism is strictly prohibited and submissions are checked for originality. 
• AI-Generated Content: Submissions must be original and not AI-generated. Detected AI content will not be published.
• Attribution, Credit & Sources: Quote and reference reputable sources with clear citations, and avoid over-reliance on external sources. Readers seek your firsthand insights, not third-party quotes.
• Intellectual Property, Confidentiality, Representation and Warranties: By submitting content, you agree that you have the right and consent of the author to grant Featured and Featured Publishers exclusive first publication rights and the perpetual right to reuse the work. Your name and likeness may be used for promotional purposes. Violation will result in removal from Featured and may also be subject to legal action.

Best Practices

Here’s a brief summary of what publishers want from an interview:

• Share Your Expertise: Talk about your experience and area of expertise. Publishers are looking for expert advice, stories, and commentary on business topics based on your personal experiences. 
• Avoid Self-Promotion: Publishers don’t want a sales pitch. Refrain from writing about how your product, company, service, or client is the best solution. (Publishers won’t consider such content.) Instead, aim to inform and educate an audience. Providing useful answers to interview questions can enhance your visibility and create new opportunities.
• Provide Unique Insights: Steer clear of generic advice that readers have already encountered. Offer specific, tactical, and fresh perspectives, examples, and stories on your favorite subjects. 
• Use Accessible Language: Avoid jargon, lengthy quotes, or academic-style writing. Publishers prefer straightforward, easy-to-share, and easy-to-understand answers.
• Offer Actionable Takeaways: Ensure an audience can remember and apply your advice. The best way to remain top-of-mind is by offering valuable, actionable insights. Don’t leave a reader without clear, practical advice.