Tips for how to be the best guest blogger • Lynne Garner

Make their day and get the thumbs
up for being the best guest blogger. 

As a member of two blogs, this one and the Picture Book Den I have, on occasion supported a guest blogger by uploading their post on their behalf. Sometimes this has been a nightmare. The content I've received needed so much work that it took a long time to format correctly. However, recently a guest blogger for the Picture Book Den got everything right, and it took me less than ten minutes to put her post onto Blogger. As soon as I received the content I knew I had to use my experience as this months post. So, what follows are the things she got right plus a few things I've had other writers get right.

Tip one:
First and foremost send the post in plenty of time. Everyone I know leads a busy life and there's nothing worse than receiving content the day before it's supposed to go live. It adds to the stress of everyday life and means if there are any issues or questions about the content then there is no time to ask them.

Tip two:
Send everything in one folder giving documents and images simple names e.g. blog, picture 1, picture 2 etc.

Tip three:
Send the text as a word document. Do not include formatting. If you include formatting it can cause issues. It's therefore easier for the person uploading the post to format as they go, rather than spend time fixing the issues that were caused by the formatting in the first place. If you want formatting e.g. bullet points then add instructions in red.

Tip four:
Typically as a guest blogger you are introduced at the beginning of the post. If you want to make the life of the person uploading your post even easier then include your own introduction and make sure you write it in the third person.

Tip five:
Within the text state where you want the images to go and include any captions you want added. For example "image one here - with the following caption........."  To make it clear they are instructions make these red.

Tip six:
If you want internal links to be included then provide these either at the bottom of the main post or as a separate document with an appropriate name.

Tip seven:
Don't forget to help your post be found 'labels' can be added in the post settings. So, if you can think of any labels that will drive traffic to your post then include them. This can be at the bottom of the main post content (remember to label what they are) or as a separate document in the folder (again with a file name that makes sense).

Tip eight:
Don't write a post that just sells your latest book, give readers information, advice, share something of interest. It's fine to include an image from your book or the front cover as long as it supports the information/advice you are sharing. Or do as I do and place a plug right at the end of your post, once the reader has hopefully gained something from you post. It also gives the reader the opportunity to choose to follow the links to your books or ignore.

If you have any other tips you could offer on how to be the best guest blogger please share in the comments section.

Last but not least - Moira Butterfield - thank you for giving me the idea for this post.



Blatant plug time

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Ten Tales of Coyote  (ebook 99p/99¢ - 10 stories)

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