Write for Us
You’re looking to have a guest post published on an up-and-coming blog that’s read by several influential folks. And I’m looking for great blog content to complement my own.
But before we go over the detailed writing guidelines and how you can pitch me a post, we need to make sure we’re on the same page. By clicking the button below, you agree…
- To be active in the comments section during the 72 hours after your guest post is published (and to periodically check in afterwards)
- To diligently promote your guest post during its first week, and to promote it periodically in the weeks and months to follow
- To thoroughly read my writing guidelines before submitting your pitch
- To acknowledge the reality all pitches aren’t accepted, and all accepted pitches aren’t published
Writing Guidelines FAQs-
What should I write about? What topics?
Hopefully – and this doesn’t just go for Be A Better Blogger, but any site for which you’re trying to write – you have a good idea of the type of content regularly published on this site. If you don’t, please browse around and get a feel for the place.
Most pitches I receive are for inspirational or “high-level” posts. Rather than really dig into a topic and give detailed insight and examples, these posts speak in general terms and merely scratch the surface.
These are not the types of guest posts I’m looking to publish.
I’m looking for in-depth tutorials. I’m looking for ultimate guides. I’m looking to publish definitive posts on a given topic.
What about length of posts?
This is a big one. While I have let a blogger or two slide in the past (I was young and foolish), guest posts should be a minimum of 1,500 words.
And this doesn’t mean write 1,000 words and add another 500 of filler. If anything, it means you should try to write 2,000 words and edit down to 1,500 words. Your post will be crisper, clearer, and far more likely to be accepted.
Will I have an author bio?
Absolutely! I want to feature you and your guest post.
Immediately after your post, your 2-to-3 sentence bio with Gravatar image will be displayed. Your bio can have up to three “dofollow” links (for your blog, your preferred social media profiles, your eBook, etc).
What about links?
Your post can contain 1-2 links to other, relevant things you have written (provided I approve of them, and provided the links make sense within the post), as well as links to other, relevant sources (blog posts of others, Be A Better Blogger links, etc.).
Note: At my discretion, any links within the body of your post will be assigned therel=”nofollow” attribute. The exceptions will be for links to sites with which I’m familiar, or links I am reasonably certain are trustworthy.
This will not prevent readers from seeing your links, clicking on them, and going to them. These links will still get the benefits of new readership discovering their material.
Should I include photos?
Yes, but only if you have permission to use them.
What about my author bio photo?
As mentioned earlier, I will use your Gravatar image for your bio. If you don’t have a photo associated with your email address, you can go do so here.
I like to curse like a sailor sometimes – is that okay?
No.
Profanity, adult subject matter, crude humor, and the like are prohibited. This is a family-friendly site, so if you want to be published on Be A Better Blogger you have to keep it clean.
What will you do after publishing?
I’ll treat your post just like those I write myself.
I will promote your post on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. I will also promote your post to my email subscribers.
What should I do after publishing?
It’s expected you will promote the post on social media and email it to your list of subscribers (if you have one). It’s also expected you will be active and timely in the comments section.
This bears repeating: It’s expected you will promote your guest post and respond to comments left to you in a timely manner. The easiest way to get on a blog owner’s bad side is to go MIA as soon as your guest post is published.
Also, while you should never republish the post, it’s perfectly okay for you to offer an excerpt of the post on your blog, and then supply a link where your readers can read the rest.
Who retains ownership of my post?
You will always be credited as the author, but once your post has been published on Be A Better Blogger it becomes the property of Be A Better Blogger.
In short: You’re the author, but you’re giving over ownership to it.
This means you shouldn’t publish it elsewhere. It also means you shouldn’t take it, tweak the title, change a few words here and there, and publish it elsewhere. Google won’t like that (and neither would I).
Do you pay for guest posts?
Guest blogging for Be A Better Blogger isn’t a paying gig. What you get is the opportunity to write for an up-and-coming blog, add to your writing portfolio, and expose your work to a growing audience.
How does the editing process work?
It’s in your best interests and mine for your post to be as awesome as it can be. So while it is possible you will knock it out of the park on your first draft, odds are at least a few tweaks will be needed.
If all that is required is a grammatical tweak here and there, I can handle those for you. Most of the time, your post will go through various drafts. I’ll respond to your submission with notes, you’ll make any necessary modifications, and you’ll re-submit. We might have to do this several times.
If it makes sense to do so, I may add links within your post to relevant content. This relevant content could be other posts here at Be A Better Blogger, or posts from elsewhere on the web.
Once your post is “there” or “close enough,” I’ll take the post and give it any final tweaks before publishing.
How can I “knock it out of the park”?
Any guest blogging, whether it’s at Be A Better Blogger or elsewhere, should be top quality.
As mentioned before, it needs to be at least 1,500 words.
It needs to be an in-depth tutorial, ultimate guide, or definitive post on a given topic.
It needs to be free of spelling and grammatical errors.
It needs to be insightful, helpful, and worthwhile.
It needs to be new and unique. By that I mean it has not been previously published in any form.
Posts should be conversational style. In other words, the fewer similarities to Russian literature the better.
Keep paragraphs short. White space is your friend.
Break up sections using H2, H3, or H4 headings (like I’m doing on this page). This helps with clarity.
Once published, be sure to actively promote the post and respond to comments. This one is huge.
Can I be a regular contributor?
If you prove to be a quality writer who actively promotes his/her guest posts and interacts with readers in the comments, I may ask you to write on a recurring basis.
How to submit a guest post idea
Got all that? Good.
