Guest posts are life savers to many bloggers. I know I would stress out about writing five blog posts a week if it weren’t for guest writers. So for everyone who has generously submitted a post to Blogussion: thank you. You make it easier for me, and everyone else you write for.
I am usually very excited to open my admin panel and find a new guest post in queue. It actually makes me a lot more motivated to start working for the day. But upon opening a guest post and seeing what some people submit, my happiness goes just as fast as it came.
Some people just don’t really care what they submit to a blog.
Now, not every guest post I have ever received is bad. Most of them are great, and I can’t wait to publish them out onto Blogussion. Just look at a few of the great posts I have received from others in the past:
- How I Leaped from Pagerank 0 to 4 in 21 Days Without any Connections
- Capturing Readers With Creative Leads
- King’s Ultimate Guide to Design Perfection
- Refresh your blogging process in 4 simple steps
- 9 ways to treat your blog more like a brick and mortar business
The problem that I have with some of the guest posts that are submitted here, is that some people just don’t care. They don’t care about the blogger, they just want to gain traffic to their site. I don’t think some people understand rejection, so they don’t take guest blogging seriously.
But it is important, and it’s not something you can just mess around with. It’s a fundamental aspect of marketing, and some people just f**k it up with a lack of care.
I have been blogging for almost a year and a half now, so let me tell you that I have seen some horrible guest post submissions here. Things like:
- Terrible grammar and spelling.
- ZERO formatting, all one giant block of text.
- Duplicate/ripped articles.
- A giant plug for their site.
- Completely off-topic articles.
I just don’t know what it is with a guest post that makes some people stop caring. If you have any ideas, please let me know.
What you should do with EVERY guest post you write
I am trying to get more into guest posting myself as I don’t really do it. I just recently submitted an article to a high-profile blog, and I spent more time than I usually do on posts just to make sure everything sounds great. Wish me luck!
But while writing that post, I came up with a list of rules in my head to follow. I figured I would write them down here so you can refer back to them when you’re writing your own guest posts, or going through submissions on your own blog.
1. Take it Seriously
An article you submit elsewhere needs to be take more seriously than one you put on your own blog. Since you’re not calling the shots, you don’t have room for messing up (usually you get chances to make revisions, but the quicker the better).
A guest post can bring in a ton of traffic to your blog, and even bring new readers into your community. That is HUGE for all of us, and it’s worth spending the extra time getting right. Readership is step one to a successful blog. Don’t mess around!
2. Do some research
Before you even begin writing that article, do some research on the blog you want to write for. This is the #1 thing I tell people who submit those guest posts that look like they were done in ten minutes:
Look around the blog, compare your article to an article of mine, or another guest writer’s article.
If some people actually take the time to do research of the blog they want to write for and try to write in a style that matches the other articles on the blog, then there won’t be any problems for either parties.
3. Format!
I reject articles on the spot that have no spacing between paragraphs. I will not even dare to add spacing myself, and I shouldn’t have to. It should already be done for me, and I have to assume that if the writer didn’t take the time to add even this most basic type of formatting to their article, they also didn’t take the time to write quality. That’s just how I look at things.
If you don’t want to add headlines, no problem. If you don’t want lists – no problem. I don’t even ask that you use basic styling like bold or italics. All I ask is that you add spacing between paragraphs, everything else can be added by me. And I’m not the only blogger who is that lenient either, so many of you are in luck!
4. Go the extra mile
I always love when I see that a blogger has taken the time to add images into a post. Even though the way we add images to posts here at Blogussion is completely whack, I always appreciate the effort very heavily.
No one will deny your guest post if you don’t add an image into your submission, but it never hurts to make your post as beautiful and as enticing as possible.
5. Stay Professional
This is what I absolutely hate seeing when I chat with people who want to write for me. In the email they send me to tell me about their guest post, they use improper grammar. Now don’t get me wrong, everyone makes spelling mistakes. I’d be lying to say I didn’t, and even Copyblogger isn’t perfect.
But it is just unreal how some people can’t even take time to formulate proper sentences in their request to write for me.
When you go to send your proposition to another blogger, please do both of you a favor and follow these guidelines in your email:
- Use spell check, and write complete sentences.
- Address the blogger by their name. Don’t spell that wrong either.
- Get straight to the point, don’t even waste time telling your life story. Let your article do all the talking.
- Never consider writing for someone else if you can’t give it your all.
You don’t have to suck-up to anyone you want to write for. It is actually a privilege for anyone to receive an article you have written. But it’s not an obligation for anyone to actually use it, so don’t be hurt if you’re rejected.
What’s Your Experience?
Do you have any bad experiences with guest posts? What made that particular post so bad that you just couldn’t approve it? Share them all here, I’m sure you have some to tell. 
The Discussion
Leave a Comment Read Again?Thanks for the guidelines Alex! Wow, I never knew how frustrating it would be to accept guest posts. I guess the fact that you only see high quality guest posts being PUBLISHED on blogs, you don’t think about the crappy one’s that some people might submit.
But after reading your post here… I’m starting to understand why my post got approved so fast, I think I was following most of your “best practices”… fortunately
Thanks again Alex.
.-= Jonathan Beebe´s last blog ..The Simple But Effective Product Launch =-.
It can be. Sometimes formatting and editing a guest post takes longer than writing a whole new post. It’s hell sometimes, man.
You did do a great job writing Jon. Hope to see more from you!
Thanks for the guidelines. I think that I would try doing some guest posting.
.-= paul | entertainment tonight´s last blog ..Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition 3 3rd Nomination Night =-.
Proud Siddy here. (My guest post on design is listed here
!!!)
Man, I have so much to write, just need to brush up my grammar. Don’t want you to spend hours editing it.
Will be back with my evil plan of hijacking Blogussion XD haha!
.-= King Sidharth´s last blog ..Why ‘King’ Sidharth – the Secret Behind ‘King’ =-.
You’re good at writing man, really liked your guest post.
Hi Alex,
Thanks for the post great post and also for listing the guidelines. The problem I face most is the formatting and I am working on that.
Thanks a lot,
-Onibalusi
At least you know your weakness, and that’s important for improving.
Alex,
Thanks for sharing this guide. I would add one top to this. If people are going to to guest post, it should be the stuff they consider their absolute best work. It might be seem difficult to “give away” your best content. But, by doing that, not only will you encourage people to subscribe to your blog, you will actually get more exposure for your writing. One of the biggest mistakes I think I made in the early days of my blog was not giving away my best content to bigger blogs. right now I’ve reworked the balance so that I do more guest posts than I write for my own blog. I think people should really consider that strategy.
.-= Srinivas Rao´s last blog ..Leo Babauta on Mistakes He Made, Blogging as a Career and Monetizing Your Blog =-.
A guest post should definitely be your best work. When I submitted a guest post just a few days ago, I spent extra time making sure everything was as good as it possibly could. Your post doesn’t get published on your own terms, but someone else’s. So make it great!
How often do you update your blog? You have an interesting strategy, and I know you do video/audio more than actual writing. But for me, I’d have to write the 5 Blogussion articles plus even more for other blogs. It would be hard. Let me know how you do it though, really curious!
Thanks for the guidelines! I haven’t ever done a guest post but have been considering it lately. Your tips just might come in handy if I decide to do so. Doing a guest post is a great way to get your more traffic to your site.
I personally think that submitting something that hasn’t been proofread or has zero formatting (like paragraphs) is not only poor judgement but disrespectful as well. I don’t blame you for rejecting them without reading them. You shouldn’t waste your time on something when the writer couldn’t show you a little courtesy.
But great information! This will definitely come in handy.
.-= David Walker´s last blog ..My 30th Birthday Giveaway – Contributors Needed! =-.
Thanks David. I wrote this article as someone who has never really done a guest post on a high profile blog before. So, we’re pretty much on the same level here.
I think it’s irritating and disrespectful as well for someone to submit a total piece of s*** to you and wonder why you haven’t published it weeks later. Some people man…
I just read this post and boy oh boy I need to chime in here…
All great points you made, but there was one that I was continuing to look for, I never saw it. Maybe you didn’t want to hurt their feelings to bad, but oh well, I will do it.
When you submit a post that looks like shit, think about the image that puts on the blogger and how they look at you. Won’t you feel like a complete ass if a blogger you look up to looks down on you? All because you did not want to take the time to actually write.
Blog posts take usually at most 60 minutes to whip up a good one. It’s not hard, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist. I mean hell, someone could be reading the magazines that are under my desk, and still submit something well worth posting if they were up for it.
Let me stop ranting it get straight to the point of my comment. When you don’t want to take the time to write something for other people to read, don’t write it. Especially if they are really trying to get somewhere in the blogging community. Sometimes it can be one shot, one kill. Many “high profile” bloggers that everyone aims to guest post for will accept a post from a guest-poster who has been recommended by other bloggers. And trust me, us bloggers talk. So if you try and submit a guest post to a “high profile” blog, just because you decided to fuck up on someone else’s blog, if that blogger see’s your name and has herd something about your past guest posting experiences, chances are they will just delete your article.
Don’t get me wrong… I know some people submit posts that are bad, unknowingly. And there is absolutely no problem with that. I’ve worked with people who wanted to guest-post for me to help make there article worth approval.
Alex, me and you have these conversations all the time about how some posts we receive just make us want to pull our eye-balls out. And just damn… some people need to see the picture and do it right
Nicely put, Rob! I know some people submit the same guest post to all sorts of blog until they get one to post it. That’s not how it should be. Alex has a very clear process for guest posting and there’s a reason that people need to go through that process. If they don’t, it’s obvious.
.-= Nick Tart´s last blog ..Interview: Lindsay Manseau, Freelance Photographer and Beyond =-.
Totally with you Nick! I saw you had a Lawn Mowing eBook/Guide. Maybe we need to make a eBook teaching others how to write a readable guest post. That’s the next “buzz” in the market right there.
Do it, Rob! Guest posting is one of the fastest ways to grow a new blog without a social media presence. It solves a clear problem, and since people are new to blogging, they have no idea what they’re doing.
Here’s the structure:
- The Power of Guest Posting
- How to Find Blogs to Guest Post
- How to Contact the Blog Owner
- How to Write a Readable Guest Post
- How to Write Your Author Bio
- What to Include in the Final Guest Post (images, meta data, etc.)
- How to Prepare Your Blog for a Big-Time Guest Post
- Why You Need to Promote Your Guest Post
*I’d like to have a mention on the “About the Author” page
.-= Nick Tart´s last blog ..Interview: Lindsay Manseau, Freelance Photographer and Beyond =-.
Nice rant man.
I think some people just don’t always know what to expect, and even consider what we see as “crap” to be quality. When you’re new to blogging, you don’t always know what may be the “standard” in the community as you don’t have experience. But maybe I’m just making up excuses for people.
Excellent guidelines. I have never thought about guest posting before, but now you make me think Hmmmmm….
I’m in a totally different niche, so I doubt if it would work out for me, but you never know.
How many guest posts do you receive a week? Is it enough to keep the tension balanced?
I like the idea of formatting it, the more you make it look like their own content, the better. Why do you say your images are whack? Because they are long and narrow? Maybe you should add that to your Write For Us page!
I usually get about 2-3 a week. Most of them make it through, and that’s why I love my guest bloggers.
But every once in a while…ughh…
Well, the way I have the featured post image setup is it has to be input into a custom field (which there are dozens of). All of the other images are put in normal, but the featured post is something only I know how to use haha.
I’m very impressed, Alex! It takes a lot of gusto to write an article like this and I’m happy to see it. Encore!
.-= Nick Tart´s last blog ..Interview: Lindsay Manseau, Freelance Photographer and Beyond =-.
Haha, thanks. I was sort of nervous to put something like this out, and even am a little worried still. I don’t want to drive away people to write for Blogussion, but I also want to deliver the message that if you don’t spend time on your guest post, you won’t get accepted. And it’s not just here, but everywhere!
I’m really glad you wrote this, Alex… It’s something that people need to know and I’m sure Blogussion will benefit with awesome guest posts in the future.
.-= Nick Tart´s last blog ..Interview: Lindsay Manseau, Freelance Photographer and Beyond =-.
I think i never write a guest aticle, if i am not sure that I am giving my best to it. I try to make sure that i make the article scannable and easy to read. The Only thing i might not have done is adding images
.-= Gautam Hans @ Blog Godown´s last blog ..How To Deal With Blogging Failures =-.
That’s perfect man, it sounds like you know what you’re doing.
Have you ever done a guest post anywhere before?
I’m with ya brother; you hit an extra special nerve with FORMATTING.
in the beginning, many moons ago now, i was so happy to get guests, I’d spend more time on THEIR formatting then on my own posts!
Never again.
.-= Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Updated: Do You USE Aweber? I Want Your Affiliate Link. Part 2 =-.
Me too man. When i first started getting guest posts, I wouldn’t care how poorly formatted they were. I was so excited that someone actually did a post for me that I was willing to look past it.
But I’m with you. Never again….
Now I tell them all, do the post exactly how you want it in your own WP admin – switch to HTML mode – cut/paste it into a notepad doc and send it – I just do the reverse and it’s done.
.-= Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Would You Like to Read a TRUE Make Money Online Blog? Part 1 =-.
I think these people who submit bad guest posts focus on promoting themselves and getting traffic for their site.
We should all realize that guest posting should be all about helping and contributing to the online community. We can show how much we care and want to help by ensuring that what we’re writing would actually contain useful information and won’t confuse readers or selfishly promote some product.
.-= Julius´s last blog ..Rosa Parks Is Not Done Teaching Us =-.
I think that’s EXACTLY what I think it is too.
I think if you put the traffic benefits to the side while writing the post, and thought more about teaching – you could come up with a really good guest post.
Personally, I have never had to accept/reject guest posts yet.
But I do understand where you are coming from. I will put my hands up and say I have wrote some really bad guest posts, some I really regret showing to the blog author, some I am really embarrassed about. Sometimes when I look back at it I say to myself “he must of pissed his pants when he seen this”
I will definitely bookmark this for future reference.
Thanks Alex.
.-= Glen´s last blog ..MyBB Group Needs Your Help! =-.
One day you will.
It took a little while for this blog to start receiving guest posts.
At least you can admit that Glen. I doubt most people would! Hope this article does help for the future.
I stopped guest posting as I got busy. Your article acts as a reminder for me to restart guest posting.
Also I will keep in mind all the points you have mentioned.
.-= Agent Deepak | Blogging. Marketing & Success´s last blog ..Blog Launch Post Series and Giveaway =-.
I have been busy too, but finally over the weekend I got around to writing a guest post. Hope to find it a home somewhere soon.
Formatting, grammar, having nothing new to say and too many links.
They are the things that I find in the guest posts submitted to me each week.
It’s actually quite nice (and rare) when you do get one that is perfect!
Andrew
.-= Andrew @ Blogging Guide´s last blog ..Win The Latest 8G iPod Nano: Enter The Simple IncomeBloggingGuide.com Contest =-.
I hate when there are links to the persons site in each paragraph. I don’t mind links, but not if they all point to your site. I’m all for getting as much content to a reader as possible, but making an article a link barn is just wrong.
Yeah sometimes guest posting becomes like a more thought-out and personal version of comment spamming. But spam by any other name is still spam. You just have to be sure not to indulge anybody that does this, sending guest posts they wouldn’t post on their own sites.
That’s actually a really good rule of thumb to sending a guest post. “Would I post this on my blog and actively promote it?” If you can answer that with a yes, then you’re set. That doesn’t mean everybody will accept it (it can be difficult to gauge what will be effective for another person’s site), but you won’t offend anybody or be mentally blacklisted.
Unfortunately, when some people do answer that question, they go and actually put it on their blog. I know there was an article here I wanted to submit as a guest post, but I liked it so much I chose to keep it here. It was regrettable, but I didn’t really understand the power of guest posting back then.
Thanks for stopping by Matt, great thoughts!
Hi Alex, I believe this is my first time stumbling across your site. It’s great!
I really appreciate the tips, as I’ve been coming up to speed with my own blog recently and look to do some guest posting in the future.
Thanks for all the great tips. You have been added to my “reader”.
BrandonBurgh
.-= BrandonBurgh´s last blog ..1Million Visitors, Or 1000 Visitors – Which is Greater? =-.
This struck a chord with me. As someone who has guest posted here, and other places, and willingly accept them for my own blog, I can attest: some people don’t get it. I spent a lot of time write my guest post for this site, even though it wasn’t that long, and it blows my mind other people wouldn’t spell check.
A horror story: a long time reader of my site submitted a guest post to us. English wasn’t her first lang. and it was horrible/unreadable. So I worked with her, helped her out, and got something that I’m still slightly embarrassed about onto our site. The very next thing she does is submit two more guest post, more unreadable than before. Then she stopped coming to our site because we rejected her post. Sheesh.
You nailed it on the head in your post, some people don’t understand rejection. I wish more blogs took their submissions/content more seriously.
Agree with you Eric. I don’t know exactly what it is, however I believe that when you are guest posting you want to ensure that you give 100% to the post. Check spelling, read the post (and then re-read it) and ensure grammar is correct.
.-= Cemil´s last blog ..Google’s SEO Report Card – An Insight from Matt Cutts =-.
Yep, I started guest posting pretty heavily recently and I always try to go the extra mile since you are at the mercy of someone else and there is no guarantee that they will post your work.
.-= Zack´s last blog ..Zerista Raises Financing to Accelerate Bringing Mobile Communities To Market =-.
PC to phone calls very cheap via our shop.
Perfect tip to any blogger!! not only for guests. it even applies for normal bloggers!! i have read many blogs where the topic was totally different from its Title.!!! Nice tips alex
.-= Vinay´s last blog ..20 sites to create/optimize website for mobile phone users =-.
Certainly guest posts are now one on every blogger list and they are taking it quite seriously.
Its nice to get out from your own room and going to other’s room as well.
You will get more exposure.
.-= Web Marketing Tips´s last blog ..Rand Fishkin: Search Engine Landscape 2010 =-.
One more thing, seems to me that there is some problem in comments. Many irrelevant comments are also getting approval.
Please check it.
.-= Web Marketing Tips´s last blog ..Rand Fishkin: Search Engine Landscape 2010 =-.
Part of the reason that I don’t guest post more often is that I am worried that the post is not good enough and won’t measure up. With that being said, it is surprising that you would receive so many crappy submissions. I would think that with your blogs high quality posts that people would really bring their A game when trying to get their post published here.
.-= Tycoon Blogger´s last blog ..Are you considering Guest Blogging? Do NOT Do it! =-.
Hey Alex
These days we are getting less posts from you. What is the matter ?
.-= Web Marketing Tips´s last blog ..Is it worth outsourcing your business ? =-.
i’m allway accept to guest post
This inspires me to be more strict about approving. You’re right, some people don’t care and submit crap to you, and then they whine when you don’t approve it. (Of course I’m not talking about the spambots). I’m done editing people’s articles for them to remove spelling and grammar errors.
.-= Techie´s last blog ..Efficiently Building Backlinks =-.
I actually find myself often writing more in-depth for my guest posts than I do on my own blog. Not always, but a lot. I am trying to get more bloggers to guest on mine though.
.-= Brandon Connell´s last blog ..The best wordpress monetization plugin available =-.
Thanks for the guidelines Alex! dating service last blog Seks Partner
I don’t have a blog but I would be more than happy to do some guest blogging myself for a blog I visit often.
Thanks for the tips. I have submitted a guest post on two blogs before and one of them was rejected. Fortunately, I am making use of most of your tips for my posts on one of my own blogs and have some success in getting a decent traffic (Although, I am a little weak in English).
But, I want to know if it is better to allow others to make an account and profile on your blog to submit posts rather than a guest posts?
Will it result in increase in guest submissions?
Thanks,This information is very useful for me.I am also try to submit the guest post.
I do understand where you are coming from. I will put my hands up and say I have wrote some really bad guest posts, some I really regret showing to the blog author, some I am really embarrassed about. Sometimes when I look back at it I say to myself “he must of pissed his pants when he seen this.
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