Now Smell This is looking for guest authors, and guest hosts for the weekend lazy polls. We'd also like to find regular contributors to cover perfume books, home fragrances and shopping reports for brick 'n mortar (i.e., not online) perfume stores. We're also open to new ideas for perfume-related subjects we don't already cover here.
A few general notes for anyone who is interested in applying:
I am very sorry to say that it is highly unlikely that I'll have time to respond to everyone who applies, although I will do my best to respond to specific questions (and if you leave your question in the comments below, I'll be sure to answer it). Apologies in advance!
If you're not comfortable with having your writing edited, this might not be the best place for you.
If you decide to apply, whatever information you send me must be in the body of your email — I will not open attachments.
If you've applied to be a contributor in the past, feel free to send a quick email telling me which position you're applying for, and asking me to take another look at your prior application.
All applications should be sent to robin at nstperfume dot com.
Lazy poll hosts
We'd like to find Now Smell This regulars — the more the merrier — who would be willing to occasionally host lazy weekend polls. Hosts would facilitate conversation, answer questions, and make sure everyone complies with the comment policy. Hosts would not need to answer all the comments, but they would need to read them.
If that sounds like fun, send me an email and tell me how often you'd be willing to host a poll.
Guest authors
If you have your own website already but would be interested in writing a one-shot or occasional article for Now Smell This, just send a quick note with a link to your site. If you already know what you'd like to write about, mention that too, but it isn't necessary.
Posts by guest authors will include a link to the author's website.
Please note that we are not interested in publishing material that has already appeared on your site (or elsewhere), and Now Smell This will hold the copyright on any material that is published here.
Contributors
Contributors are paid for their articles, but they're not paid well. If you need to earn money, this is not the right place for you. (Hint: if you have to ask how much we pay, then trust me, the pay will not be enough to make it worth your bother.)
Despite the fact that we don't pay well, we take blogging seriously. Please, don't apply if you don't really have the time or the inclination to write for us regularly. Also note that contributors (other than guest shoppers) will need to respond to comments, which can be time-consuming.
We are occasionally sent items for review, but most reviews that appear here are of items we obtained on our own accord. If you do not already acquire relevant products as a matter of course, it might be difficult for you to be a regular contributor.
Please don't apply if you are currently involved in any way with the retail perfume business, or if you are new to the subject matter.
It is fine if you already have your own blog, or contribute to a blog, so long as you don't already blog about the subject matter in question. In other words, if you already blog about home fragrance somewhere else, we would not be interested in having you cover home fragrance for Now Smell This.
Perfume books
A contributor to cover perfume books, new or old, and perhaps conduct the occasional online book club. You will need to write at least one article per month.
Update: this position has been filled!
Home fragrance
A contributor to cover home fragrance of any and all kinds: candles, diffusers, room sprays, scented cleaning products, whatever! We'd like to cover items at a wide range of prices. You could also write do-it-yourself articles on how to make scented products for the home. You will need to write at least two articles per month.
To apply, please...
Send a 2 paragraph review of any home fragrance product (it's fine if it's one we've already reviewed here).
List a few of your favorite home fragrance products, and name a few products you'd like to review for Now Smell This.
Include your full name, and tell me the city and state (or country) where you live. If you are a regular commenter here, tell me your user name, and if you already have a blog or website (or are a contributor to another site), send along a link to that as well.
Guest shoppers
We'd like to find a few new guest shoppers for major cities in the US, Canada or Europe. You would need to write at least 1 article per month, and you will need to have a digital camera so that you can take pictures of the stores you visit. You can take a look at past guest shopper articles to get some idea of what we're looking for.
To apply, send me a short (1 - 2 paragraphs) sample of your writing. Include your full name, and tell me the city and state (or country) where you live. If you are a regular commenter here, tell me your user name, and if you already have a blog or website (or are a contributor to another site), send along a link to that as well.
Or....?
If you have a great idea for a regular column on a perfume-related subject we don't already cover, and that subject is not related to your experience as someone new to perfume (sorry, but there are a multitude of blogs on that subject already) tell me about it, and send me a short (1 - 2 paragraphs) sample of your writing. Include your full name, and tell me the city and state (or country) where you live. If you are a regular commenter here, tell me your user name, and if you already have a blog or website (or are a contributor to another site), send along a link to that as well.
I’m not the person to do it, but I would love to see a science columnist — someone who could sort through all the IFRA nonsense, explain the science of smell, and poke holes in ridiculous pseudoscientific stunts such as the company that claimed to use celebrity DNA to create perfume.
Seriously, that could be a whole blog! and join you in wishing someone would do it.
I think that’ll be fun to be a guest author. But the thing is that all my posts in my blog are in Mandarin. I guess that’s a deal breaker. lol
Yeah, that’s a deal breaker
Haha, let me know if Now Smell This has an expansion plan regarding a Chinese version. lol
Hi Robin — a couple questions:
1) Deadline for submissions? (Sorry if I’m missing this–I did try to look.)
2) OK to submit for more than one position? (Not to be both, but to be considered for both.)
Thanks!
No deadline, I would think this will be open for at least a month, maybe more.
And sure, why not?
I have at least *one* qualification: fluency in French. LOL!
Hey, you are already our unofficial editor
True dat.
Hi, R ! I have a couple of questions too : In order to be a guest author, does one need to already have a blog to contribute occasional articles to NST? I’m going to get one in the near future, but haven’t set a date yet. Also, being from Europe…is that a deal breaker?
And now a question regarding regular contributors : how often would one submit new articles, more than once a week? Sorry if these are stupid questions, just want to make sure I know all the details before I decide, if I am eligible at all that is
It does not matter where you live.
For the guest authors, yes, you’d need to have a website of some sort because I’m afraid I don’t have time to read through article submissions….
For regular contributors, it says in the article above how often you’d need to submit articles…for perfume books, for instance, it says once a month.
Ooops, sorry, my mistake, I misunderstood the Contributors part of the article. So contributors are needed for perfume books, home fragrance and guest shoppers articles only? I mean no perfume reviews or any other articles?
Right. Although starting out as a home fragrance person isn’t a bad way to move eventually into perfume reviews…that’s what Kevin did.
The job is not for me b/c I am stuck here in the good old east coast, but I would love to have some EU, Latin America, or Asian NSTers volunteer to be the “foreign correspondant” to sniff out stuff that is hard to get here in the States, go to foreign lauches when it can be done, let us know what is the big deal in their region of the world, check out that No 5 cocktail, lol……
Well actually.. I don’t think there would be any major release exclusive to Asia. But for exclusive events, we did have one surprise early this year. A company,which represents L’Artisan Parfumeur, The Different Company, Etat Libre d’Orange, and Les Parfums De Rosine in Taiwan, has opened a boutique store in downtown Taipei. The company invited Marie-Helene Rogeon from Les Parfums De Rosine to the opening. That was a major event for perfumistas in Taiwan.
Ah, another thing to do on Monday…I’d love to be a contributor! Most of all, though, I love reading everything on this site. And as I’m a college professor, obviously being paid very little is something I’m already accustomed to….Sigh.
Sorry!
Can we have somebody from Australia please?
I don’t know, but why? I tend to think it doesn’t make much difference where somebody is. Or are you thinking of the guest shoppers?
I’m happy to be the Australian person – but am curious as to why? Is it because we are under-represented Down Under?
Hi, Robin. I have two questions about becoming a guest shopper.
1. If guest shoppers are required to submit at least one article a month, is it worthwhile to apply if we only have 2 or 3 decent perfume stores where we live? I rarely travel outside my region.
2. For the writing sample, would you accept a Prix Au Faux entry? Obviously, the contest is over, but I have saved my submissions and could send them to you again if they would constitute an acceptable writing sample. (If not, then I’d be happy to send something else.)
1. Sorry, no — that’s why I said “major cities”. Sorry if that wasn’t specific enough!
2. And sorry, but no again — that doesn’t really tell me that you’re able to write a review of something.
yay how exciting!!! I have exams the next couple of weeks but I’ll be sending in my application the first couple of weeks of May. (:
i have already stated before that i’d love to contribute fragrance reviews if that were ever a possibility ( i think i sent you a couple already) but i would like to try my hand perhaps at one of the openings you have, which one, i am not sure of as of yet!
We’re not looking for a regular fragrance reviewer right now…just the positions listed above.
Robin, what sort of writing example are you looking for in Guest shopper, an actual review of a brick front store, or any other example?
Any example is fine!
This is exciting!
I know the answer to this question will end up being embarrassingly obvious–but where do I send the message? I can’t seem to find a ‘contact us” and when I click on Robin I get links to articles.
It’s in the article above…robin at nstperfume dot com.
Thanks, Robin! I suspected it was right in front of me!
I really want to apply to be a Guest Shopper for Miami and I already have a blog.
But I see no e-mail address. Unless I’m blind :/
Wow. I just read the comment above me. Silly me
Sorry about that.
Hi I sent you a message a few weeks ago expressing my interest as a guest writer. Didn’t get a chance to hear back from you so I’m letting you know that I’m still serious about it
Don’t worry…I will read everything! I’m just slow.