Yesterday, March 10th, 2019, marked three years since announcing I signed on to write for Erick Erickson’s website, The Resurgent. How crazy time flies!?
Prior to finding my home there, I wrote columns at Townhall.com, Washington Times, Campus Reform, and other notable places. I was an original associate editor for TheCollegeConservative, a co-founder of the now defunct Counter Cultured blog, and other start-up conservative blogs/websites. I’ve attended my share of Blog Bashes, BlogCons, and similar center-right bloggers conferences—which have sadly disappeared in recent years.
I got my start as a staff writer for my alma mater’s conservative/alternative paper, California Review, almost a decade ago this fall. I never would have imagined 10 years later I’d be where I am but am grateful I ended up here.
How It All Went Down
I received a message from Josh Hammer, now Editor-at-Large of Daily Wire, asking me if I had an interest to write for Erick’s website. We have some mutual friends and I gather he saw some of my bylines elsewhere. He said if I was interested in writing for The Resurgent, he could connect me with Philip Swicegood, Erick’s right-hand man, to get started on writing pieces. I replied “Yes!” and the rest is history.
Three years later, I’ve made it a priority to cover the following topics:
- Conservation/wildlife/hunting/guns
- Virginia politics
- Tech/digital trends intersection with politics
- Topical conservative stuff
- Hosting Facebook Live videos on important news topics and interviews through my “Outsiders on the Inside” series
Many people have asked me over the years how I *made* it in conservative political writing. No, I didn’t rely on my looks as some have claimed. I worked very hard and had to prove a lot of people wrong. [See this Twitter thread.] I didn’t do anything special or out-of-the-ordinary; I just found my unique voice and utilized social media effectively to get my musings out there.
If you’re an aspiring conservative columnist, here are three ways to stand out:
#1—Always Write Your Own Pieces
As I wrote before here on my blog, never outsource your columns to a ghostwriter. If you want to be a writer or political commentator, especially in the conservative movement, you’ve got to put in the work to get published. It would also be helpful if your byline matches your writing abilities.
Get comfortable writing long-form (1,200 words) and short-form (300-500 words) columns and blog posts, respectively. Learn to write in both AP and opinion-editorial styles. Prepare for inevitable rejections and become familiar with editing. Expect to always improve and not have all your stories published. Plus, the best way to hone your writing skills is through reading and familiarizing yourselves with syntax and prose.
Writing punchy pieces that resonate and educate rather than stoke fear comes with acquired skills and years of experience. If you’re up to the task and can write well, you can make it.
#2—Have a Unique Bent
If you’re hoping to break out as a conservative columnist, make sure you stand out from the competition. A lot of people cover presidential and Congressional politics. A good chunk of folks have the media bias bent covered. And so on. If you’re merely parroting others, good luck getting noticed.
Don’t aspire to be the next ______ or the next _______. Be yourself! What do you plan to offer that’ll 1) inspire change, 2) get people to think, or 3) help you break out on the scene?
People have told me online and off-line they appreciate my take on politics, conservation-related news, and tech/digital since I come about it from a different perspective. I’ve also succeeded in comparative analysis in center-right politics because I’m a first-generation American with family that fled the Soviet Union. I root my musings in my family history, when appropriate, for political stories. I present my first-hand account of fishing, shooting sports, and new foray into hunting by being raw, detail-oriented, and conservation-minded. I’ve found my niches and topics people are interested in learning more about. And I’m not alone.
When you figure out your “why” in writing, success will come easier to you. Until then, figure out what your bent is and become an expert. And admit you don’t know everything. Readers appreciate honesty!
#3—Be Principled
If you’re touting conservatism in your Twitter bio or in your bylines, it helps if you demonstrate consistency in your conservative views. And it also helps if you’re not touting conservatism to “own” conservatives by adopting more leftist positions because you personally hate President Trump.
Conservatives have varying views on different topics, but usually come together under the banner of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Conservatives also vary on their views of the current administration, yes, but can objectively praise it when it advances conservatism (which has happened more than often) and when it doesn’t.
As many have said before, employ Reagan’s 11th Commandment. Use your writing to be positive and objective—all the while establishing you’re conservative. Elaborate why conservatism resonates and has winning ideas. Be nuanced. And don’t try to climb the conservative media ladder only to divorce yourself from your beginnings when you make it big at a mainstream media outlet. That’s callous, opportunistic and happens way too often these days.
I hope this blurb can help any aspiring writers out there. The future depends on good communicators presenting our political views well.
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What did you think of this piece? Am I on-target or off-mark?
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