Guide: How to Learn Sanity & Apply to the Guest Authorship Program (Beginner → Published)

Section 1 · What Sanity is (high-level)

Sanity in one paragraph

Sanity is a developer-first content platform (“Content Operating System”) that stores structured content (the Content Lake), provides a customizable authoring environment (Sanity Studio), and exposes APIs so you can deliver content to any frontend or channel. Because content is structured JSON, Sanity fits projects where content is reused, localized, or published to multiple channels. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

The platform includes: Sanity Studio (a configurable editing interface), the Content Lake (queryable JSON storage), SDKs and a Live CDN, and official learning tracks and templates to get started quickly. If you want to teach others how to use Sanity, the Guest Authorship Program is the place to aim for. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Section 2 · Fit your idea

Is your article idea a Sanity-shaped idea?

Sanity readers are typically developers, content engineers, or product people who want practical, replicable outcomes — a working demo, a deployable starter, or a pattern they can copy. Your idea should be framed as a real problem + concrete steps to fix it (example: “How to build a multilingual blog using Sanity + Next.js”). :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Section 3 · Learn & prepare

The skill ladder — what to learn before you pitch

You don’t need to be a Sanity expert, but you should be comfortable with: basic JavaScript, a modern frontend (Next.js/React, Astro, or a static site generator), and GitHub for hosting your demo code. Sanity Learn and the Docs are the best place to start. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Section 4 · Practical workflow

Build the demo article — step-by-step (compact SOP)

This workflow produces a publishable, linkable sample you can include in your Sanity guest-author pitch. Each step below is practical — you can complete a small demo in a weekend if you focus.

// Example minimal schemas (JavaScript)
export const author = {
  name: 'author',
  title: 'Author',
  type: 'document',
  fields: [
    {name: 'name', title: 'Name', type: 'string'},
    {name: 'slug', title: 'Slug', type: 'slug', options: {source: 'name'}},
    {name: 'bio', title: 'Bio', type: 'array', of: [{type: 'block'}]},
    {name: 'image', title: 'Image', type: 'image'}
  ]
}

export const post = {
  name: 'post',
  title: 'Post',
  type: 'document',
  fields: [
    {name: 'title', title: 'Title', type: 'string'},
    {name: 'slug', title: 'Slug', type: 'slug', options: {source: 'title'}},
    {name: 'publishedAt', title: 'Published at', type: 'datetime'},
    {name: 'author', title: 'Author', type: 'reference', to: [{type: 'author'}]},
    {name: 'body', title: 'Body', type: 'array', of: [{type: 'block'}]}
  ]
}

// Example GROQ query
*[_type == "post" && slug.current == $slug][0]{
  title,
  publishedAt,
  "author": author->{
    name, slug, image, bio
  },
  body
}

Section 5 · How to structure a Sanity tutorial

Recommended structure — headings you can reuse

A repeatable structure helps both readers and editors. Use short paragraphs, code blocks, screenshots, and a final “What next?” section with links. Below is a copyable outline you can reuse for any Sanity topic.

Be explicit about environment variables, dataset names, and how to run the demo locally. Include commands and a short troubleshooting section (“If you see a CORS error…”) to reduce editorial back-and-forth.

Section 6 · Pitching to Sanity (Guest Authorship)

How Sanity’s Guest Authorship works — and how to apply

Sanity maintains a Guest Authorship Program where contributors can submit tutorials and guides. Note: as of the program page, they indicated they have temporarily paused reviewing new guest authors, but you are still welcome to apply — and they state they pay contributors and provide editorial feedback. Include a working demo and clear outline when applying. :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}

Sample pitch template — copy, edit, send

Subject: Guest article pitch — "Title of your article"

Hi Sanity team,

I'm [Your Name], a [job/role — e.g., frontend dev] who builds with [Next.js, React, etc.]. I'd like to pitch a guest article titled:

"Add Live Preview to a Next.js Blog with Sanity"

Short pitch (2 lines):
This article shows how to wire Sanity's preview mode to a Next.js blog, including schema changes, preview routes, and a small deployed demo.

Outline (bulleted):
- Why previews matter (short)
- Create minimal post + author schema (code)
- Configure preview mode on Next.js (code + route)
- Wire Studio to publish/preview
- Deploy to Vercel and test preview
Links:
- Live demo: https://your-demo.example
- Repo: https://github.com/you/sanity-next-preview
- Writing sample: https://dev.to/you/example-article

Thanks for considering — happy to revise the outline to fit Sanity's audience.

Best,
Your Name

Section 7 · Money & benefits

What you might expect if accepted

Sanity’s Guest Authorship page states they pay contributors and that editors give feedback before publication. Payment details are handled per-assignment; when accepted, confirm fee and rights with the editor. Always keep copies of original work and confirm reposting terms before syndicating to other sites. :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}

Section 8 · Ethics & AI

Write honestly, test everything, use AI carefully

Always test code samples and live demos. Editors will notice broken samples or inaccurate claims. If you use AI to draft text, ensure the final article is human-reviewed, tested, and contains accurate, verified commands and code.

Section 9 · Final checklist

Before you submit — the last-minute SOP

Section 10 · FAQ & Resources

Quick FAQ for beginners