Write for TechSifted

We publish hands-on reviews of AI tools, written by people who have actually used them on real work. If that is you, we want to hear from you.

We do not pay contributors

No fee, no per-word rate, no expenses. We would rather say that in the first line than let you find out later.

What you get instead:

• Your byline on the review
• An author page on TechSifted, with a link to your own site
• Your name on tests that get cited — our work is quoted by AI assistants and other publications
• Free access to the product you review, which we arrange

If that trade does not work for you, we understand. Say so and we will part on good terms.

What we publish

We publish one kind of piece: a hands-on review of a single tool, by someone who used it to do real work.

Yes:

• A review of one product you have used on your own projects
• A verdict you are willing to defend, including an unfavourable one
• Screenshots and outputs from your own testing, not the vendor’s press kit
• The specific case where the tool fails

No:

• Guest posts. We do not accept finished copy written before we assigned it
• Link insertions, link exchanges, or paid placements. Those are refused at any price
• News, opinion columns, thought leadership, or predictions
• Round-ups and “top 10” lists. We write those in-house
• Anything about a tool you work for, are paid by, or hold equity in

How it works

1. You apply. Send us one link to something you have tested and written up yourself. That link matters more than a CV.
2. We assign the product. You do not pitch a topic. We keep a queue of tools whose makers have given us access, and we match one to your background.
3. We get you access. A free account, a trial, or a licence, arranged by us. You never pay for a tool you review, and you never ask the vendor for anything directly.
4. You test it. To the standard below. This is the part that takes real time, and it is the part readers are paying attention to.
5. You write, we edit, we publish. The editorial desk edits for clarity and fact-checks every claim. We never change your verdict.

What counts as real testing

“I tried it for an afternoon” is not a review. The bar depends on what kind of product it is, because two weeks with an image generator proves nothing and two weeks with a CRM proves very little.

Four rules apply to every category:

• Test on real work. Not toy prompts, not the vendor’s sample project.
• Record the version and the date. These products change monthly. A review without a date is worthless in six months.
• Say which tier you used. Free, trial, or paid, and what it cost.
• Try to break it. Then report what broke.

If you finish the testing period and do not have enough to say, tell us. We will kill the assignment. That is a normal outcome and it does not count against you.

How to write it

Our readers are professionals and small business owners deciding whether to spend money. Write for someone with a budget and no patience.

Lead with the verdict. Say who should buy it and who should not, in the first three sentences. Do not build to a conclusion. Readers who leave after one paragraph should still get the answer.

Show the work. Screenshots of your own sessions. The actual prompt you used. The actual output you got, including the bad ones. A review with only vendor imagery reads as a press release, and we will send it back.

Name who it is not for. Every review needs this section. It is the single most useful paragraph you will write, and it is the reason readers trust the recommendation when it is positive.

Be specific about money. Real prices, real tiers, the date you checked. If credits expire or the plan is annual-only, say so.

Do not use their words. If a phrase appears on the product’s homepage, it does not appear in your review. No “seamless”, no “game-changing”, no “powerful”.

Length follows substance. Most reviews land between 1,200 and 2,000 words. Write what the testing earned and stop.

Rules that do not bend

• No copy approval. Not for the vendor, and not for you. You see it when readers see it.
• Disclose every relationship. If you have ever worked for, consulted for, been paid by, or held equity in the company, tell us before you start. We will reassign you. Concealing it ends the arrangement permanently.
• Your links live on your author page. Never inside an article, in any form.
• We may decline to publish. If the piece does not meet the standard we will tell you exactly why, and you keep the work.
• We fact-check everything. Every price, every claim, every number. Expect questions.

Apply

Send four things in one email:

1. Your name, and the site or profile you want linked
2. One link to something you tested and wrote up yourself
3. The categories you want to work in — video, writing, meetings, developer tools, marketing, privacy
4. What you actually use day to day, so we can match you to the right product

Send it to [email protected] with Contributor in the subject line. We read every one and reply either way.