Interview with Sean Hyson
Co-Creator of 'How To Get Published - Writing Domination In The Fitness Industry'
Back around 2004 or so when I was training wrestlers & football players out of my garage I was also writing for Men's Fitness.
I also had a successful blog (using blogspot.com - ha ha) and various training products being sold on line. Yet here we are, it's 2012 with technology and communication advancing faster than ever before, making it easier than ever before to be successful as a fitness professional / strength coach both online and off....
Yet, there are countless strength coaches & fitness pros who only have 2 readers to their blog: their mom and their girlfriend.
To explain what being a successful writer has done for my family and I would take countless blog posts & videos. In a nut shell, it has changed our life in ways I never dreamed of..... Writing has been THE ticket.
It hurts me when I see people trying to blog and trying to spread their message yet they just don't know how. Unfortunately, some KNOW how but they don't put in the effort.
So, Underground Strength Nation is lucky enough to have my man, Sean Hyson here, answering questions on HOW to success as a writer in the fitness industry and of course, he pulls no punches and delivers the #TRUTH about what it takes to get your work into the fitness magazines, in turn, helping your overall business succeed at a greater level.
Check it.....
1) Sean - HUGE thanks for doing this!
We first met in person when Ryan Lee held his first ever business boot camp. I remember a HUGE line of Coaches lined up to pitch you their ideas for articles, each Coach had a 2 minute time slot I think. I'd say at least 90% of the attendees lined up to speak to you that day, ha ha - that musta been FUN!
For the Coaches who don't know who you are, please give them a quick bio on how long you've been a fitness editor for many of the major magazines.
Sean: I'd like to remind you that I still haven't forgiven you for that day. Despite your wrestling background, you did nothing to block, take down, or otherwise deter that crowd that descended on me like locusts. I was up to my eyeballs in bad ideas (although some were good). Sooo awkward.
I've been at Men's Fitness magazine since 2003 and fitness editor since 2004. Over the years I've also worked for Muscle & Fitness Hers, Sly, Outside's Go, T-muscle, and, most recently, Schwarzenegger.com. I'm currently the group training director for Men's Fitness and Muscle&Fitness, where I oversee most of the fitness/workout content. I also write some on nutrition, and I write cover stories as needed.
2) I was introduced to you first through Alwyn Cosgrove, who directed you to my blog & my videos which gave you a boost in your confidence in who I was and what I was about.
I remember sending you a few of my favorite training tips and clearly recall the tip you picked. Cosgrove told me (Read: threatened me!) not to make him look like an idiot for referring me to you, ha ha.
What are the key things you look for during your initial communication with a Coach that helps you determine if he / she will be a good fit for your magazine?
Above, Sean with DDP (Diamond Dallas Page) during one of his many interviews.
Sean: I always want sources who are very experienced and smart. I find that the best way to get them is by referral from other experienced and smart coaches, so it's not surprising I met you through Cosgrove. If I already know who you are, I generally don't ask to see a bio or resume-we can just start talking about ideas for articles. If I don't know you and you pitch me, I'll look at your website and ask around about you. If you can convey to me over email that you get great results for your clients, you have similar influences in common with other top coaches, and you don't have an ego about your work, we're probably going to get along fine.
You also need to have a fresh perspective on things. It's not enough to pitch articles about interval training and ab workouts anymore. You need to offer an interesting spin. Coming up with the packaging-the sales aspect of a story-is my job, but I usually rely on the writer/expert for help.
I expect you to know the science of training better than I do, so I hope you'll be able to see possibilities for presenting a workout or diet that I don't. You, Zach, along with guys like Jason Ferruggia, John Romaniello, and Jim Smith, are great at this, so it's no surprise that you've done so much writing for magazines.
Of course, if you can write effectively, that is a BIG bonus and will definitely make you stand out in my mind because I know you'll make my job easier.
3) Do you ever search the web looking for contributors for your magazines. If yes, what attracts you to their web site in particular (If NO, we skip this question)
Sean: I don't typically browse the web in search of new talent. Great sources have a way of showing up on my radar without much effort. Like I said, referrals are a big part of it. Writing for other places is too. I've found a lot of great experts by following t-muscle and elitefts.com.
These days, Youtube and other sources of video are a great way to connect. I was vaguely aware of Ben Bruno, a great coach in Boston, but when I saw some of his videos where he was demonstrating wacky lifts and using tons of weight on them, I was really impressed. Here's a guy that really thinks outside the box and proves the efficacy of his own methods. Of course, your stuff is always entertaining, too, Zach. 🙂
I like to see that a website is professional, and the more media on it that gives me a window into who you are and what you're like, the better. It needs testimonials from your clients. It should also show that you are in shape yourself. I do not believe that a trainer has to be shredded in order to help others get there, but you need to show that you live this lifestyle and have achieved success with it.
Looking the part is important since we assume that readers occasionally look up the experts they read about in the magazine. We'd like them to represent the magazine well. As we wrote in our book, How To Get Published, please don't have a cheesy bio where you talk about your experience "in the trenches". Unless you served in World War I, this isn't really necessary.
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If you'd like me to dig a lil' deeper with Sean and get more questions answered, please drop a comment below with a question and we'll try get as many of them answered as possible.
Just drop a comment below, thanks!
For more info on Sean's Course, 'How To Get Published - Writing Domination In The Fitness Industry' - Please Click HERE
