Guest Post: Writing Content for iPhone Apps

After updating, writing and contributing to several guidebooks, landing feature articles, and hiking myself weary on a few pocket guides; I contemplated my future in travel writing. How far could I take it? Would I burn myself out? When would I have more control over the content? How could I diversify?

It never occurred to me what writing content for an iPhone app even meant until a travel writer friend told me she was releasing one with Sutro Media. I tracked down the publisher and discovered they accepted pitches. Within an hour I had made contact, pitched 3 ideas, and ended up with a contract to write NYC Nature & Outdoors.

I was briefly concerned about any technical requirements involved, but the process of creating my app was as easy as blogging. In Sutro Media’s case, they developed their own content management system for its authors. This meant I could log in online, write up my content, fill in the required fields for directions, hours, and neighborhood information and they took care of the technical aspects and submitted the completed product to Apple. The publisher owns the software for the app, but I retain rights to
the content.

Like any kind of publishing, the author makes a significant investment in time in both writing the app, and market research to assess the profitability. While the publisher won’t take on anything they don’t feel is commercially viable, it’s really up to the author pitching the idea to find out what their competition is, what similar apps are selling for, and the popularity of like-minded products.

Landing an iPhone app assignment isn’t difficult if you already have writing experience under your belt. But you can also leverage your personal expertise in a given topic, or use your blog as a platform for credentials. You can also branch out far beyond travel in your quest to create an app. There’s practically an app for everything from cooking to tutorials to literature. Get started by downloading a few relevant iPhone apps to your topic and study their content, style, and format to get an idea of what a specific publisher wants.

While I found the experience to be relatively simple and
straight-forward, there is a technique to writing a compelling iPhone
app.

• Have first-hand knowledge and passion for your topic that offers value and service to your audience.

• Write short, snappy and succinct copy that captivates the reader for short bursts of time. Remember, it’s an iPhone app, not a feature to be devoured over a glass of wine.

• Find entertaining, informative, and professional looking videos from YouTube to embed in your app.

• Use engaging and imaginative photos, or use Creative Commons through Flickr to showcase in your content.

• Be intuitive. Do outdoor enthusiasts really want to read about the cute gorillas at the zoo? Or about the waterfalls, 30-ton pink granite rocking stone, and native city woods.

• Self-edit your work. It’s up to you and you alone to ensure you plugged in the correct information for maps, hours, and directions to your attraction.

• Market yourself. The publisher should do some of their own marketing, but in a sea of iPhone app competition, you’ll never stand out without putting in the leg work for press and promotions.

• Be flexible and open-minded. Technology changes fast, and an iPhone update can mean last-minute tweaks.

It took just under two months to complete my app and roughly two weeks for the publisher to submit it to Apple and go live. After working in print, I was stunned to see how fast my product was on-sale to the public. Though the sales haven’t made a significant impact on my bank account; I loved the experience of combining my passion for writing, travel, video, and technology in one place.

Now I can say, “Urban nature? There’s an app for that” and show off my own.

Susan Finch is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer living in Brooklyn, New York. She blogs about creative strategies for life at CreativeGuideToLife.com.