You’re a great writer. You’re writing excellent posts with nuanced arguments and sharing practical advice and personal experience on your own blog. There’s just one problem: only your sister is reading it.
Blogging on your own site helps establish your voice and authority, your little corner of the internet. But attracting readers to your blog can be a challenge — where do you find them, and how do you convince them that you’re worth listening to?
For many bloggers, guest posting is the answer. By sharing your expertise on another blog, you build relationships with other bloggers in your niche and connect with a broader audience — some of whom may be your future readers and customers.
Danny Iny shared his advice on guest posting back in the early days of TWL, and since the online world changes quickly, we’ve created a new list. Here are seven more blogs to consider pitching when planning your guest posting strategy.
1. Be a Freelance Blogger
Created by Sophie Lizard, Be a Freelance Blogger helps writers earn more money by blogging for hire. Many posts focus on finding clients, figuring out how to set your rates and developing your blogging skills. They’re informative, but also entertaining for readers.
Popular posts include:
- 7 Job Board Mistakes That Compel Clients to Reject You
- Freelancing: How I Close Deals Faster Than You
- How a Zombie Apocalypse Can Help You in Your Blogging Career
Submitting a guest post to Be a Freelance Blogger is a nine-step process, which sounds intimidating but isn’t actually that complicated. Start by getting to know the blog and its community by reading popular posts and sharing your thoughts in the comments. Brainstorm story ideas, then pitch them to Lauren, BAFB’s Community Manager (lauren@beafreelanceblogger.com). Once she gives you the green light, it’s time to write your first draft!
For more information on guest posting on BAFB, check out our Guest Blogging Spotlight.
2. Writer’s Relief
Founded in 1994, Writer’s Relief helps writers submit their work to literary agents and editors. Their blog offers tips on craft, advice on querying and interviews with successful authors, and they accept guest posts on topics ranging from marketing to conferences to writing inspiration.
Your submission must be original and unpublished, and should be a maximum of 600 words. Paste it in the body of an email to info@wrelief.com, include your bio and answer this question: “What major thing will readers learn from your article?”
For more, follow their guidelines and learn from these popular posts:
- What’s Your Poetry Personality? Find Out Which Poetry Movement Matches You!
- Your Author Bio: Query Letter And Cover Letter Tips For Your Professional Writing Bio
- Seven Ways To Build Your Reputation As A Creative Writer
3. Writing Forward
Calling all fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction writers! Writing Forward wants to share your advice on crafting great writing, and they’re open to submissions whether or not you’ve been published elsewhere.
Popular posts on Writing Forward include:
There’s no compensation for guest posts, but you’re free to include links to your own blog in your post and bio. Note that commercial or spammy backlinks will not be published.
Interested? Check out Writing Forward’s guidelines and send a query in the body of your email to founder and editor Melissa Donovan at melissa@writingforward.com.
4. Live Write Thrive
Novelist and writing coach C.S. Lakin shares advice on storytelling, writing inspiration and promoting your book. She accepts guest posts related to her “Writing for Life” category and specifically looks for posts that will “encourage, help or instruct writers” to better their craft and share their work.
Popular guest posts on LWT include:
- 20 Things That Can Help You Find Inspiration for Writing
- Public Speaking—It’s Even for Authors Who Are Sissies
- Advice I Wish I’d Been Given When I Started … Part 1
Review the guidelines and pitch your ideas through the site’s contact form before writing a post. Note that LWT only runs guest posts once a week and has a long lead time, so you’ll want to get in touch early if you have a specific time frame in mind.
5. Funds For Writers
C. Hope Clark runs Funds For Writers, a site dedicated to helping writers earn more money for their work. Each weekly newsletter features a note from Hope, news and opportunities in the writing world, and you guessed it — a guest post. FFW focuses on paying markets, grants, contests, writing jobs, publishers and agents; this is not the place to submit posts about writing craft or character development.
Guest posts should share your best advice and success stories about building a writing business, breaking into a high-paying niche or unusual ways to earn an income through writing. Recent examples of guest newsletter posts include:
Since guest posts are shared in a newsletter, Hope is looking for tight, concise submissions: 600 words, max. Review the guidelines and send your ideas to Hope at hope@fundsforwriters.com.
6. Writers Helping Writers
Run by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, Writers Helping Writers is a resource for writers interested in craft, publishing and marketing. To be accepted, guest posts need to share fresh, practical information that helps writers develop their writing, connect with audiences and improve their promotion strategies.
Guest posts that have done well include:
- What Makes a Strong Author’s Visit—a Teacher’s Perspective
- Ten Steps to Overnight Success, or, How it Only Took a Decade to Get Paid
- To MFA or Not to MFA: That is the Question
Ready to submit your ideas? Check out their guidelines and submit your suggestions through this form.
7. Pen & Muse
Pen & Muse calls itself “a writer’s haven, for writers of all ages and genres.” A team of Muses, led by Kristen Jett and Jolene Haley, shares advice on the world of writing and publishing, including advice on marketing, branding, craft, self-publishing and more.
Popular posts on the blog include:
- When You Should and Shouldn’t Use a Pen Name
- How To Outline Your Novel (Part One)
- The Secret To Getting An Agent & Getting Your Work Published
If you’re interested in submitting to Pen & Muse, make sure your work is original and unpublished. For inspiration, consider adding your voice to one of their featured series: How I Plot, What I learned from [Your Most Recently Published Book] or [Title of Your Last Manuscript], My Favorite Editing Trick, or Adding Depth To Your Characters.
Read the rest of the guidelines, then submit your idea through the contact form on the same page. They’re scheduling up to three months in advance, so be sure to send your idea in early if you have a specific run date in mind.
For more information on sites that accept guest posts, be sure to follow our series of Guest Blogging Spotlights.
Now, what are you waiting for? Get pitching!
Have you submitted a guest post on any of these sites?
AWESOME information, Heather. I actually submitted a guest-post idea to Live, Write, Thrive this week, so we’ll see. Some of these, I’ve never heard of and can’t wait to check them out. Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed the list, Marcy! Fingers crossed for your LWT pitch.
Heather
TWL Assistant Editor
Great list! I have also written similar articles in my blog, mostly websites that pay you for your guest post submissions and allow one to have a backlink or two to their own blog/website.
Thanks for sharing, Lem.
Heather
TWL Assistant Editor
I also accept guest posts from established writers and bloggers who can prove they have expertise in their topic and show me they have some writing credentials. I have two blogs, http://www.writenonfictionnow.com and http://www.howtoblogabook.com (also takes general blogging posts). Submit with bio, specific info on what makes you qualified to write the post, post title and details of what you will include in the post and how it will benefit my readers. All posts most provide value to my readers, who are either aspiring or published nonfiction writers or writers and entrepreneurs blogging and blogging books. How to posts are super even if they include personal experience. Send to Nina (at) ninaamir (dot) com.
Thanks for sharing this opportunity, Nina!
Heather
TWL Assistant Editor
Paid?
No. Sorry. Exposure. I have award-winning sites with good traffic and I’m a respected expert in the subject areas. What do you have to offer?
What a great post. Thanks! I also LOVE guest posts, especially by authors with books coming out. Guidelines here: http://www.writenowcoach.com/resources/authors.html
Thanks for sharing your site, Rochelle. Hope you see some great guest post pitches from TWL readers!
Heather
TWL Assistant Editor
This is such a great list – thank you Heather! I will check these out.
I too am looking for guest posters on any aspect of fiction, publishing, non-fiction. Writing tips and how to articles are especially welcomed. I am particularly interested in the genre of memoir writing. Please send a brief introduction and what makes you qualified to write for my site, Giving Voice to Your Story – http://www.GivingaVoicetotheVoicelessBook.com. Authentic and real experiences are especially welcomed.
Please send to sassondorit (at) gmail (dot) com.
Dorit
Thanks for sharing the opportunity, Dorit!
Heather
TWL Assistant Editor
Are you a partner with “The Barefoot Writer”? I joined them a few months ago, then promptly lost the printout among the pile of others on and around my
desk. I am a political activist and also work on several projects at a time, so I get hundreds of email a day. I received an email from you with a note that seven blogs/sites are inviting me to guest write for them, although it also looked like a form letter, and I get hacked every day for the past 22 months. If you are legit, please give me more info. Are these paid blogs; how many would be expected in a month; are these sites mainly for writers; and did you get my email from other writings of mine that you have read, Google plus, or a search for writers?
Edie Boudreau
Thanks for the list, Heather. Some valuable information. I’d like to add that my music site http://www.Riffraf.net has an ongoing series entitled, “Writers and Music.” In “Writers and Music,” writers discuss the influence music has had on their writing.
Thanks for sharing this opportunity, Richard!
Heather
TWL Assistant Editor
I just received responses from the places that were posted here and they are not accepting any more guest posts as their editorial calendar is now full. Wow!
Every site listed?? Wow.
I’ve blogged twice for Be a Freelance Blogger – Sophie and Lauren are fantastic people.
Hi Dorit,
Thanks for the heads up. Can you let me know which sites you’re referring to so I can add a note to the post?
Thanks,
Heather
TWL Assistant Editor
Hi, Heather,
I didn’t click on the “notify me of follow-up comments by email
option so I didn’t see your response. What I was referring to was for “Writer’s Relief:
Thanks so much for getting in touch to inquire about writing for our blog. We’re honored by your interest.
Alas, we’re (quite unexpectedly) inundated with submissions from guest bloggers, so our editorial calendar is quite full.
Thank you for your patience!
Dorit
Thanks for letting me know, Dorit!
Heather
TWL Assistant Editor
Hi Heather!
Thank you so much for including Pen & Muse! 🙂
Love your site.
Jolene
You’re very welcome, Jolene! Hope we can help send some great guest posts your way 🙂
Heather
TWL Assistant Editor
Dear Heather, thanks for the post i like it. My problem is that At times i write so terrific that the “keys of the board” pop out to save themselves from my atrocities. and sometimes i write great, as the people who matter. tell me. but o dont know how or when i start writing great and that too without knowing. Is there way to convert “art” into “science” how can i rate my work while doing and how i know the performance. yes, language is my limitation but with every access to everu info, it doesnt bother me much. is there any site that can teach us how to ewrite while paying for being published?
LOVE LOVE LOVE – thank you!
Kit
Hi, we also offer guest post in our tech site. requested you to add our site in your list. http://www.wikifo.com
Hi, we also post guest post requested you to add our site in your list. http://www.blogtiz.com
Excellent site you
Great list. We have a product review blog and are happy to accept guest blogs to help out writers.
http://www.reviewbay.co
Hopefully it makes your next list!
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Hello,
I am interested to write guest posts on topics relationships, women, and career. Can you please help me to write guest posts for my blogs?
Nice list. I will start guest posting Asap
Thanks thewritelife
I love to read about guest posting information! Thanks for sharing!
http://www.worldinforms.com/p/write-for-us.html
Thanks for such informative information . We need this kind of information about our web blog kindly check mine blog and suggest if anything we do for it thanks .Hello,
I am interested to write guest posts on topics relationships, women, and career. Can you please help me to write guest posts for my blogs?