Diving into the Guest Blogging Pool, Part II

I hope you all enjoyed Diving into the Guest Blogging Pool, Part I and I've whetted your appetite for Part II!

Last time I talked about two of four common reasons some haven't attempted guest blogging: "I don't have the time" and "I don't know what to write about."

Now let's look at the remaining two.


"I'm scared I'll be rejected."

Aren't we all! While there are no guaranteed 100% foolproof ways to prevent rejection, you can minimize the possibility. If you followed our previous discussion, you already have done a great deal towards that end. Let's recap a little.

Have you played detective? Check.

Have you read the submission guidelines? Check.

No really, have you read the submission guidelines? Double check.

Have you selected and written about a suitable topic? Check.

Have you reread the submission guidelines? Triple check.

Seriously, this is where many guest bloggers fall down. Don't make the mistake of submitting it incorrectly.

One final step before letting your guest blog post loose: spellcheck it one more time. Don't rely solely on automation here. Ask a friend to proofread it for you. Satisfied? Good. Blog owners can and do reject posts for spelling errors. It's an important step.

Okay. Now you're ready to send in your article.




"I don't know how to approach a blog owner."

Yes you do! You've read their submission guidelines. Take a deep breath and just do it.

Many blogs that accept guest blog submissions require that you email it to them. When you do so please be polite, friendly and professional. Ask the blog owner to consider your article for publication. Don't demand it or assume it will be accepted.

• Make sure you personalize your email or message.

A submission that begins "Dear Blog Owner,..." is trashcan fodder. Such a generic greeting tells the blog owner you aren't that interested in their site. "You didn't bother to look at the About Us page or dig a little to find out my name. I'm probably just one on a long list of blogs you don't really connect with. Thanks, but no thanks."

Instead, address them properly. Also mention what you like about their blog and/or an article that particularly resonated with you. This shows the webmaster you have actually read it, at least once.

• A little sincere flattery goes a long way.

Subscribing to their RSS feed or by email goes further. Take that extra small step if you want to be remembered. Include their Twitter and Facebook too.


Do not simultaneously submit the same guest blog post to numerous places. Wait until you hear back from an owner that they won't be using it before submitting it elsewhere. Blogs that accept reprints will always make that clear in their submission guidelines. To be on the safe side always assume they want a unique, original guest blog post even if that's not specified in the guidelines. The majority prefer that.

Think you'll save time by sending it out to two or more at once? Not true. You'll spend more time sorting out the mess when multiple acceptances come in! Don't do it. You're risking upsetting rather then impressing the blog owners.

Now for those of you thinking, "Just give me a cover letter example I can copy/paste!", I'm about to sorely disappoint you. I deliberately haven't. Why? Because you are unique. You want that uniqueness to come through in both your blog post and cover letter. If I were to do that, and you all sent out the same cover letter, would that make yours stand out from the crowd? Of course not. The information here will help you craft that submission. Do it as carefully as you would a job application, then sit back and await the reply.

• Please be patient.

Blog owners have lives. They will read your guest post and they will respond. Harassing them won't help. Become a pest and you risk rejection. Divert your energies instead into a new guest blog post. Just don't get frustrated.


Still scared to contact them?

Fair enough. You've done all that work though so don't let it languish in a folder! Take heart because there are other avenues.

One I would highly recommend and have used is MyBlogGuest. Submit your unique guest blog post to their Article Gallery and any interested webmasters will contact you. Easy peasy.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there, give it your best guest blogging shot and go for it!

Feel free to ask any questions or share your experiences/thoughts in the comments.