By: Lori

Lori — Wed, 23 May 2018 17:20:16 +0000

Devon, thank you for including me among such great company!
Jenn is absolutely right that the marketers have hijacked guest posting tactics, and definitely not in any good way. That’s why I think we see such a proliferation of guest post requests, and you can tell when they’re getting paid to post — they start with “Hi!” or worse, they’ll try flattering you about how great your blog is, then hit you with the spiel. We’re not stupid — we can easily see who is a real contributor and who is clearly trying to make money.
Tara is right about how being unreliable looks from the receiving end. If you agree to something — more importantly, if you pitch something — follow through, even if that follow-through is to say you can’t after all. I’d much rather hear “I can’t, sorry” than sit there for days waiting for you to respond to my emails.
In fact, I had that once. I passed an assignment on to a writer acquaintance who’d begged for it practically. I gave her six weeks to complete it. It came due, then it was a day or three past due. I sent her an email. “Oh, it was harder than I thought, so I decided not to do it.”
It surprises no one that she didn’t make it long at freelancing.

By: Jenn Mattern

Jenn Mattern — Wed, 23 May 2018 16:44:27 +0000

Thanks for asking me to take part. 🙂 Bad guest posts are an ever-growing problem in all areas of blogging (to the point where I’ve stopped allowing them on most of my own sites). Being a good guest isn’t all that difficult, and it can really make you stand out. Just follow the guidelines, keep it relevant, and make it about the reader more than yourself.

Comments on: Ink-Dipped Advice: The Art of Being A Good Guest

By: Lori

By: Jenn Mattern