Paid contributor guidelines
We want experienced journalists, lawyers, tax writers, fraud specialists, and freelancers who can add reporting or domain expertise. If you are pitching a package of posts for a backlink, this is not the page.
Pitch first. If we assign the piece, we agree on rate, length, and deadline before you draft. Lottery Valley keeps editorial control.
What we're looking for
A specific lottery angle, primary sources, and a point of view. Preferred length is 1,000–2,500 words unless an assignment says otherwise.
Lottery law and prize claims
Claim deadlines, anonymity rules, state-by-state procedure, and what winners actually have to do after a ticket hits.
Lottery taxes
Federal withholding, state tax treatment, lump sum versus annuity, and the limits of a calculator versus a tax professional.
Scams and consumer protection
Fake-prize fraud, impersonation patterns, and reported guidance that helps readers verify a claim before they send money.
Responsible play
Spending limits, age and eligibility notes, and practical guidance for playing within a set budget.
State eligibility and online play
Official lottery apps versus couriers versus sweepstakes-style platforms, with eligibility and disclosure handled carefully.
Odds, expected value, and scratch-off math
Analysis that stays inside Lottery Valley's existing limit: no certainty claims, no winning systems, and no guaranteed outcomes.
Style, formats, and originality
Write in the same voice as the rest of the site: formal, source-first, and scope-limiting. Official lottery, tax, and regulator sources remain the authority. Primary text must be unpublished, human-written, and exclusive to Lottery Valley during review.
- Reported features and original interviews with primary sources.
- Analysis with evidence, not recycled ranking pages.
- Practical how-tos that name official sources and remaining limits.
- Expert explainers from people with verifiable domain experience.
- Opinion only when it is argued from public records, statutes, or first-hand reporting.
Good fit
These are the pitches we actually assign.
- Journalists and experienced freelancers with published clips in lottery, consumer finance, regulation, law, taxes, or investigative reporting.
- Subject-matter experts — lawyers, CPAs, fraud specialists, and responsible-play practitioners — who can write in their own name.
- Original, unpublished pitches with a specific angle.
- Human-written primary text, exclusive to Lottery Valley during review.
- Pieces in the 1,000–2,500 word range unless an assignment says otherwise.
What we do not accept
These should assume a no.
- Promotional, advertorial, or product-launch copy.
- Previously published or syndicated pieces.
- Mass guest-post outreach and paid-link packages.
- AI-generated or AI-spun drafts.
- Low-effort listicles and lucky-number filler.
- Casino, sportsbook, poker, crypto-gambling, or off-topic SEO.
- Prediction guarantees, beating-the-lottery claims, or certainty language.
- Unreviewed in-body backlink requests.
Compensation and rights
We pay writers. Assigned, invoiced work — not exposure for a link.
- We pay
- Rates depend on experience, length, and reporting depth. We do not publish a public rate card. Assigned work is paid; unsolicited full drafts that were not assigned are not.
- Payment timing
- Payment is due on publication, typically within 14 days of the piece going live, by invoice, PayPal, or Wise.
- Rights
- Lottery Valley takes first publication rights and 30-day exclusivity after publish. After that, you may reprint with a canonical link back. We keep a perpetual non-exclusive license to keep the piece live, update it, and use excerpts. Assignments are not work-for-hire unless a specific contract says so.
How to pitch us
Email a pitch. Do not send a full draft unless we assign the piece.
- 1–3 working titles.
- A 2–4 sentence angle: what is new, who it helps, and why it belongs on Lottery Valley.
- Why you are the right person to write it.
- 2–3 relevant clips or portfolio links. Adjacent clips in law, taxes, consumer finance, or fraud are fine if the pitch itself is lottery-specific.
- A two-sentence bio and a LinkedIn or personal site.
Send the pitch
Subject: Pitch: [Working Title] — [Topic]
We aim to reply within 5–10 business days. No reply after that is a pass. No simultaneous submissions. Commercial requests go to Partner With Us.
Send a pitchEditorial process
Review, assignment and rate, draft, edit, then publication.
- 01
Review
We read pitches first. Do not send a full draft unless we ask. We aim to reply within 5–10 business days. Silence after that is a pass.
- 02
Assignment
If we take the piece, we confirm the angle, length, rate, and deadline in writing before you draft.
- 03
Edit and publish
Lottery Valley keeps final edit and headline. You get a named byline, photo, and a public author profile. Material updates after publication follow our corrections policy.
- 04
Links and promotion
A verifiable author gets one dofollow homepage or profile link in the bio. In-body links are editorial, not a package. We may share selected pieces on site surfaces or social. Newsletter placement is not guaranteed.
Cite official sources, use descriptive headings, and do not fabricate statistics. Images must be licensed or author-owned. Material changes after publication get a review note under our Corrections Policy. Accepted contributors appear on Author Profiles.
Why write for us
A named byline in front of lottery-intent readers, not a guest-post link package.
- Named byline and a public author profile on Lottery Valley.
- A lottery-intent audience, not generic gambling traffic.
- Search-led readers who arrive with a specific rules, tax, claim, or scam question.
- Ongoing assignments when the first piece holds up.
Recent audience snapshot
The same figures we share with partners. A current snapshot, not a traffic guarantee for any one article.
45K+
Monthly search clicks
Across Google and Bing from lottery-focused educational and commercial-intent search traffic.
14K+
Active users
In the last 30 days across Lottery Valley's guides, state pages, tools, and online-play content.
FAQ
Do you pay writers?
Yes. Lottery Valley pays for assigned editorial work. Rates depend on experience, length, and reporting depth. Payment is on publication, typically within 14 days of going live.
Is this a guest-post or link-building program?
No. We do not accept paid guest posts, unreviewed backlinks, or mass outreach. This page is for paid, expertise-based editorial contributions. Commercial partnership requests belong on Partner With Lottery Valley.
Can I use AI to write the article?
Not for primary text. AI for research notes or outlining is acceptable if you disclose it. AI-generated or AI-spun drafts are an automatic no.
Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
No. Pitches should be exclusive to Lottery Valley while we review them.
Do I need lottery clips specifically?
Not necessarily. Relevant adjacent clips in consumer finance, law, taxes, or fraud are fine if the pitch itself is lottery-specific and you can show why you are the right person to write it.
How many links do I get in the author bio?
One dofollow homepage or profile link if you are a verifiable person with a public record. In-body links are editorial decisions, not part of the pitch.
Who owns the piece after publication?
Lottery Valley takes first publication rights and 30-day exclusivity. After that, you may reprint with a canonical link back. We keep a perpetual non-exclusive license to keep the piece live, update it, and use excerpts.
Where should commercial partnerships go?
Affiliate, sponsorship, PR, and media-kit requests should use Partner With Lottery Valley. Journalist verification and deadline-driven press questions should use the press page.