5 Tips for Writing a Great Guest Blog

As part of your book’s promotional efforts, you should consider contacting bloggers who write about similar interests and topics. Often, bloggers have a like-minded and dedicated audience, which means that your book will appeal to them and will, possibly, generate sales. With money in your pocket and guests of the blog receiving valued information, it’s a win-win for everyone!

When you contact a blog to be featured, they will not be interested if you simply want to scream and shout about your book, because there is no value in that. Quality bloggers know that, to maintain their audience, they always need to deliver quality content. Therefore, you may want to suggest contributing a guest blog.

Contributing a guest blog is to everyone’s advantage. For example, if I wrote a book on the history of power tools, I would want to locate blogs that covered this or similar subjects. When contacting the site, state what your expertise is, and ask if you can contribute a guest blog on a particular topic i.e. “The Evolution of the Power Drill.” As a blogger, you’re more than happy to have another “expert” contribute content, as it’s less work you need to do yourself!

If you get approved to write a guest blog, here are 5 tips for writing a great one:

1) Thank the Blogger

It’s good practice to always thank the person or website for having you at the beginning of your blog post. While it’s fine to have a great opening line, always be sure to say thanks early in your guest blog, as you’ve been given the space to contribute. Remember: they could have said no!

2) Always Give Value

When writing your guest blog, always remember the audience for which you are writing and what they are likely to find interesting. Going back to our example, if you know the website caters to older men, perhaps you’ll want to write more about drills in the 1960s and 1970s vs. where they are today. The more value you give, the more likely you’ll be welcomed back.

3) Naturally Incorporate Your Book

Nobody likes a straight sales pitch, whether you’re being sold a chocolate bar or a book. You’ll want to naturally incorporate your book into your guest blog so you are still informing readers about your book, but it’s not in their face. For example, you may write: “When I was conducting research for my new book The History of Power Tools, I actually had the privilege to use this drill through a local museum.”

4) Include Your Author Bio, Author Photo, and Book Cover

Once you complete your guest blog, in the same document, include your professional author biography and photograph, and a hi-resolution version of your book cover. This step eliminates back and forth (bloggers hate it!) and will get your guest blog published faster with your credentials included.

5) Include At Least One Social Media Channel

Near the end of your guest blog or in your author bio, include a link to at least one of your social media channels such as Twitter. Should readers be interested in learning more, they can connect with you there, where you’ll have more information on your book.