At the start and end of Monday's blog
post, I mentioned my new online course, Successful Guest Blogging.
You might be wondering what exactly guest blogging is ... and whether it's relevant to you and your writing. This is what we're going to cover in today's newsletter.
Even if you're not interested in taking a course, or the
timing isn't right for you, you might find that guest blogging is a great way for you to market yourself, your services, or your books. Here's your introduction to what it's all about:
What Does "Guest Blogging" Mean?
You probably already know what "blogging" means – writing
regular articles (usually called "posts") on your own website, which probably runs on a blogging platform like WordPress or Blogger.
"Guest blogging" means being a guest on someone else's blog: writing an article for them to publish on their site.
Typically, you'll submit a "pitch"
(the title of your proposed article and a brief summary) to the blog's editor, or to the owner of the blog if there isn't a separate editor. If they like your idea, they'll ask to see the full article ... and chances are, they'll be happy to publish it.
Why Would You Want to be a Guest Blogger?
Some guest bloggers are paid – which is often called "freelance blogging" to distinguish it from unpaid guest blogging. This is obviously a pretty good incentive!
Most guest bloggers, though, aren't paid. Instead, they get to include a "bio" on their guest post, with a link to something they want to promote. That might be their blog itself, their novel,
their freelance writing services, or almost anything.
Guest blogging can also be a great way to get your name out there in a particular field of interest – this is very helpful for non-fiction authors looking to build up their reputation.
Do You Need a Lot of Blogging
Experience?
In a word ... no!
This often surprises new bloggers, who think that no-one will accept their guest posts unless they have a large blog of their own. But the truth is, large blogs don't care about the size of your audience: they just care how good your writing
is.
You don't even have to have a blog of your own in order to guest post. Some authors, for instance, use guest blogging as a marketing tool for their books without having an active blog of their own.
Of course, you do need to be able to write a coherent and useful blog post, on a topic
that's relevant for your target blog's audience. But you probably don't need as much experience as you might be imagining.
How Can You Get Started Guest Blogging?
Well, you could check out my course "Successful Guest Blogging", which will walk you through the whole process step by step
– with lots of detailed examples of what to do and what not to do.
But if you want some
quick tips, here's how to begin:
- Choose a blog that you already read, on a topic that you want to write about. You'll already be familiar with their style and the sorts of things they cover.
- Check if the blog uses guest posters: a good sign is if they have multiple authors and information at the start
or end of posts telling you "This is a guest post by..." or similar.
- Look for the blog's guest post guidelines: these are often linked to from the About page or the Contact page, or try the sidebar or footer.
- Come up with several potential ideas, then pick the one you think will be the best fit for the
blog.
- Give your proposed post a title, and write a few bullet points as an outline. (Unless the guest post guidelines ask for something different.)
- Send your pitch to the blog's editor, following the guidelines.
- Then ...
hopefully! ... write the full post after getting the blogger's approval, send it in, work with the blogger on any edits requested, and wait to see your work live on their blog.
I hope this has demystified guest blogging for you, and given you some ideas on how you might get started. :-)
If you
think guest blogging is something you'd enjoy doing (and many writers find it really rewarding), I'd love to help you. My course Successful Guest Blogging starts on Monday 12th November and is open for registration until Friday 9th
November.
Just head here to get all the details:
