How to be a Good Guest Poster from a Site Admin Who Kind of Cares

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Tough love, honey. That’s how we roll.

Here at Indies Unlimited, we literally get dozens of emails each week from people trying to “trick” us into running their guest posts to advertise products, publish links to their sites, and more. Clearly, those articles would do nothing for our readers, so, those emails are deleted. We love the delete button.

The best guest posts are a mixture of educational and entertaining. For this site, they should include tips to help authors improve their writing, sales, book publishing procedures, or other aspects of their career. This can be done through recounting personal experiences, providing a tutorial, and more. That’s what readers want.

But what do site admins want when you contact them in hopes of writing a guest post? Yes, that’s right. Site admins have feelings, too. Alas, who cares, really? Well, Ben Steele cares, and he has some great advice on how to pitch a guest post here. Ben’s guidance is polite and sensible. Today, we’re going to hop on the snark bus and go for a ride down Guest Post Lane. Continue reading “How to be a Good Guest Poster from a Site Admin Who Kind of Cares”

How to PITCH a Guest Post to a Blog

seattle mariners pitcher COPYRIGHT KS BROOKS all rights reserved 3L0A2946Guest Post
by Ben Steele

So you’ve read through all the advice about how to guest post, you’ve got a lot to write about, and you’ve even researched a little bit of search engine know-how. You’ve learned that you can help the site out by putting relevant keywords in the title of your post and in the subheadings.

You pick your most brilliant idea, and you send it out to the site editor of your favourite blog (only do this one at a time!). But no one is replying to your emails.

It’s probably because you don’t write good emails. Hold on, hold on, I know. You write for a living. You’re an author, a blogger, perhaps an academic or a savvy marketer. You write damn well … But email pitches are a different beast from any of these skills altogether for one, simple reason: Continue reading “How to PITCH a Guest Post to a Blog”

Tips to Get Your Guest Posts Featured on Blogs

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by Brenda Perlin

As an author, most of us find we also have to be bloggers in order to let the world know about our books. This sort of blurs the lines of what makes a true blogger – and why would someone who is not a writer want to spend the hours it takes to share content? Where are their rewards?

If you have your own blog, you know that it’s a lot of work. And featuring other people on your blog can sometimes turn into a nightmare. But what about getting yourself featured on other blogs? Here are some tips from bloggers to help you do it the right way. Continue reading “Tips to Get Your Guest Posts Featured on Blogs”

When Is a Guest Post Like a Sausage Factory?

sign the author blog tour guest bookOne of the things some authors do to promote their book is a “blog tour” which I’ve heard described as the modern day or indie equivalent of hitting the road for signings at book stores. The goal of such an undertaking is twofold. First, to get the word out that your new book exists (remember what Lynne Cantwell told us about effective frequency), selling some books while setting other readers up for future sales and second, to get a jump on the number of reviews on Amazon and other retailers. Some blog tours are review only, which helps with the second goal, but limits the number of bloggers willing to participate. Others offer different kinds of content for bloggers who are not willing to commit to a review. What these different kinds of content are will vary depending on who organizes the tour and the willingness of the author to create additional content. Interviews with the author, character interviews, and guest posts are examples of content frequently offered. Continue reading “When Is a Guest Post Like a Sausage Factory?”