Guest blogging for authors
Nearly anytime I see a significant increase in the number of Build Book Buzz newsletter subscribers, I think, “One of my guest blog posts must be running this week.”
That’s because guest blogging is one of the best ways I have of introducing authors to the helpful material I provide in the newsletter and on this site. When I share some of that information on someone else’s site, a percentage of the host’s readers come here for more of it. Some inevitably subscribe to the newsletter so they receive more how-to information in their inbox every week.
It’s an easy — and effective — way for me to reach and help more authors with the how-to book marketing advice I offer.
“Reach More Readers Through Guest Blogging”
That’s one reason why I jumped at the chance to speak on how to “Reach More Readers Through Guest Blogging” at the Reach More Readers 9th Annual Book Marketing Conference Online taking place next month.
As part of my speaker commitment, I wrote a guest blog post, “Guest blogging for authors is alive and well,” for the public portion of the conference site. (The private section, where you can get access to bonus materials that include my guest blogging best practices and guest blogging checklist downloads, is available only to those registered for the event.)
To learn more about why guest blogging for authors is alive and well in spite of what you might have read elsewhere in the past year or so, just click on over to the Reach More Readers conference site. You’ll discover five ways guest blogging helps authors and three tips for making sure you get the power of Google behind your guest post.
I’m also talking about guest blogging on the “Reach More Readers” podcast on iTunes this week, too. As of today, it’s the first recording on the list, but later, look for the September 13, 2015 release date.
Download guest blogging cheat sheet
Most importantly, make sure you read our free “Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet” that details nine best practices that will keep you from making mistakes that undermine your guest blogging success.
This cheat sheet, which you can download as a PDF file immediately, will help you deliver the guest post your host expects. It’s your short cut to looking — and acting! — like a guest blogging pro.
Download your free copy of the Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet now. Then begin looking for topic-specific guest blogging opportunities that will help you connect with more of the right readers.
(If you like the download, please share this link with your author friends so it can help them, too:Â https://buildbookbuzz.com/guestblogging.)
Do you guest blog on other sites? Why or why not?
Like what you’re reading? Get it delivered to your inbox every week by subscribing to the free Build Book Buzz newsletter. You’ll also get my free “Top 5 Free Book Promotion Resources” cheat sheet immediately!
I have to confess that, between my newsletter, freelance articles, my own blog and my day job I do not guest blog. But I would LOVE to do this more – should I just randomly approach other contemporary romance authors and ask to talk about my book on their blog? Or can I only be that forward if I pay for a blog tour? Can I stop by the blogs of others and come right out and ask them to blog on MY blog? Or do I have to present how much traffic my blog gets first before they will consider it?
Would love to read a blog on the etiquette of guest blogging!!
These are all great questions, Carrie. Yes, you can just randomly approach other blog owners and propose a guest post — that’s actually more effective than go through a blog tour service.
And yes, you can stop by the blogs of others and ask them to guest post on your site. Most won’t ask you about your traffic so don’t worry about that.
Good luck!
Sandy
Good to know it’s not against etiquette to ask to do a guest post on someone else’s blog. So, if I can only handle one extra blog a month, that shouldn’t be too hard. Do you feel many would be insulted as I’d be outright asking for free publicity? Should I propose a blog swap in the very least?
Guest blogging is common practice — you’re doing each other a favor. It’s one less blog post the host writes and it helps you reach more of your audience. While your guest post won’t be an ad for your book, it’s definitely fine to offer to run a guest post from your host.
Sandy
Do I…just blog about the shared genre in general, then? Am I supposed to make sure I don’t talk about my own book? What if I offer to swap blog posts and their post is horrible? Now I’m stuck.
Carrie, first identify the sites that reach your audience. Then study what they use on their blogs. For each of them, propose something that fits with their format (nobody can tell you what that is).
You’ll get a sense of the quality of what they might provide for your site by what runs on their own site. If their own posts are awful, yes, they’ll send you an awful guest post. But you wouldn’t want to submit a guest post to a site with awful content anyway, right?
Sandy
Hello Sandra,
Guest Blogging sounds great! How is it different from my own word press blog?
Are there any guidelines to get started?
Thanks,
Patricia
Patricia, the biggest difference is that with guest blogging, you write blog posts for sites hosted by other people. I’m talking about how to get started doing it and how to do it right during the online “Reach More Readers” conference coming up in 10 days. You can get the details at http://reachmorereaders.com/access/aff/go/sandrabeckwith .
Sandy