You may have noticed that VSB underwent some changes over the weekend. Some tweaks have been made to the layout, which should help the site be more responsive and cohesive. And, most importantly, we switched servers, which, well, HOLY SHIT IT IS PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO EXPRESS HOW HAPPY I AM ABOUT THIS! No more waiting 10 seconds for VSB to load completely. Or waiting 10 seconds for it to load…and then getting an error message. Or taking 45 minutes to publish a new post. Or having to change the url on a new post 6367832 times so that the post could be shared on Facebook without it reading as an error message. Or waiting an entire freakin' day for the hosting company to reply to a support request. And having that reply be "We received your request." (Fuckers.)
Also, it finally allows us to do something we've been meaning to do for a while: a call for new contributors. We didn't want to do it before because, well, it's not the best idea to increase your contributor pool while the server water is full of shit. But, we just copped some chlorine, so jump in!
Two things:
1. If you are interested in writing for VSB…you should probably read VSB. One because it would be helpful to have an idea of the type of content we typically publish. Also, it saves both you and I some work. For instance, if Drake releases a new album, and there have already been two Drake-related pieces published on VSB in the last week, it's probably not the best idea to pitch an idea about…Drake. Obviously, there are some exceptions to this rule. Some topics (i.e.: Baltimore/police brutality) are so expansive that you can find multiple relevant angles to the same story. Aside from those instances, get in where you fit in.
2. We are not looking for Damon clones. Or Panama clones. Or clones of anyone who currently writes for VSB. We are, however, looking for people with strong voices who love to read and write. Basically, be yourself and shit. And have that self be awesome.
If I'm describing you, hit me at damon@verysmartbrothas.com with your ideas/pitches with the subject line "I want to write for VSB."
***2pm edit. We are having a minor server-related issue with our email accounts. If you sent an email and it came back undeliverable, please try again at 3pm est. Or, just email me directly at damonjyoung@gmail.com***