How to make your guest posts work hard for you is the second half of the post I used for chat on August 9th.
If you want to get the most from your guest blogging, be strategic about it.
- Select a topic that serves your host’s readers.
- Provide a top-quality blog post.
- Guest blog only for sites that are appropriate for your goals.
Do it right, and word will spread.
What does a blog host do? Do they just hang out and wait to be approached by writers? What is in it for them?
Being a blog host is a way to gain readers for you own website and your books. The Guest should be sending her fans and readers to the Host Site. If you aren’t promoting your Guest Spot, your Host will know in real time and she isn’t likely to ask you back for your next book.
If a Guest doesn’t have her own website then she probably isn’t aware of the work that goes into formatting, image placement, link checking, and the promotion the Host will be doing before your appearance.
On my site, I run a Writerly Wednesday Author Spotlight. To help a guest out, I send them to look on my website to see past Guests. I give them a basic format and then let them know what to send.
Below is an example of how I set up a Guest Interview. The Questions may change if I am interviewing a publisher or cover artist.
Writerly Wednesday
On Wednesdays new interviews go up on my website. http://sallyfranklinchristie.com/wp and Your post will be available at a permalink to make it easier for readers to find you even after time has passed. I can make your spotlight a Sticky Post for 7 days. This means people landing on my blog page see you first.
These posts will be categorized as Writerly Wednesdays and searchable from the main page. You will also get a permalink that anyone can retrieve. I also use keywords to make your post more searchable. If you can provide suggestions it will help as I begin to format the post.
Sharing the link is encouraged but flat out copy of the post is not. Sharing the permalink to your post is very important because it broadens readership. Your steadfast fans discover a new website and future guests will benefit from your fans. I will also spread the word on the day of publication and leading up to the date.
The book may be fiction or nonfiction, traditionally published or self published, but needs to be for sale somewhere. (No Porn Please and no Lewd Images)
Here is the information I need you to include. Attach graphics to your email and make sure the email says Writerly Wednesdays in the Subject Line. Word format, txt or rtf formats are easy to work with, no pdfs, please.
In the past I kept the returned interviews with the first email I received from authors but I managed to lose them in the clutter. So, please return the interview with a Subject Line that says Writerly Wednesday Interview Questions followed by your name… Example: Writerly Wednesday Interview Questions/Anne Frank. When I see this email I will reply with a date. If you need a particular date, please suggest it and I’ll see if I can get you there…
The basic format of the post begins with the Interview questions followed by a bio and blurb. I used to include an excerpt but the average blog reader prefers a shorter post. Less scrolling. I like to include a bio photo if you have one and cover art.
To see all of the Writerly Wednesday Posts try http://sallyfranklinchristie.com/wp/category/writerlywednesdays/
Thanks so much for letting me promote your work!
Interview
1. What is your favorite marketing task that has resulted in a sale?
2. What do you like about your publisher or why did you decide to Self Publish?
3. What do you have under your bed?
4. Are you a plotter or a pantser when you are writing?
5. Do you write in a bubble or do you prefer critique groups, writing buddies or other companionship during the process?
6. When do ideas come to you and how do you capture them?
7. What is your favorite word processing program and what other tools do you use, pen, notebooks, white board, index cards, finger on fogged bathroom mirrors?
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Bio
Email, FB, Twitter links or addresses here…
Include a photo if you use one. Send as an attachment.
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Blurb
Buy Link(s)
Include Cover graphic. Send as attachment.
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Include anything you wish I had asked. Other buy links to other titles. Keywords
Email this interview with photo and cover graphic attached to me at sally@sallyfranklinchristie.com and I will put you on the calendar.
You are encouraged to share the link to your interview with anyone you wish. I will promote it on my end as well.
Thank you for letting me do this for you! All I ask in return is that you will help spread the word on the day of your appearance. Together we can find new readers for you and those who follow you.
End of Interview and Promotion…
When everything is set up and I receive the interview answers, images and links, the real work for me begins.
I try to keep to the same format. Sometimes formatting doesn’t go easily, I may spend a couple of hours trying to make sure it looks nice.
I give the Guest a Permalink and again encourage them to promote their appearance. Quite a bit of emailing leads up to and away from a Guest Post.
If you decide you’d like to be a Blog Host, be sure you give the Guest an outline and guidance. You want it to be as easy as possible for both of you. Your Guest will appreciate your planning. It takes some of the pressure of having to come up with something fresh to say about their work.
Drop by on Sunday, August 16th and we’ll talk about making your guest post work for you.