Guest Blogging - How to Increase Your Chances of Getting a "Yes"

Guest blogging is an excellent way to increase traffic to your blog. As blogging is still a pretty fresh medium for many, the rules around how to go about landing guest blogging spots are, well, spotty.

There's one rule in particular that bothers many. Specifically, how long should you wait after you've submitted a guest blog post to hear a response. For freelance writers who are accustomed to querying magazines, for example, it's an age-old question.

For those who are new to freelance writing, it's can be a real "what's the etiquette on this" kind of conundrum. Before this question is addressed, let's back up and list some relatively accepted guidelines around guest blogging.

Guest Blogging Rules

1. Don't Query: As in, don't write a blog owner asking if you "can" send in a post. Just send the post in. Why should you do this? To cut down on the back and forth. Many bloggers, especially successful ones who do it full time, are very busy. They don't have time to trade emails. So send in your post with a note, which will be addressed in just a bit.

2. Read the Blog You Want to Submit To: Know something about the blog you want to submit a guest post to. This will help you craft a better post, and increase your chance of having it accepted.

3. Reference a Previous Post: This is not a must, but it helps to include a link to a previous post the blogger in question has written. It lets them know that you've read their blog -- in detail -- so much so that you referenced it in your post.

4. Submit Original Material: All guest blogging posts should be unique material that you haven't published elsewhere -- not even on your own blog.

How Long Should You Wait for a Response from a Blog You've "Queried"

There are no set standards around this. Some say never expect to hear back. Others say give it a few weeks. I propose a 90-day wait period. Why 90 days? This gives the blogger you've sent your post in to plenty of time to read and decide if they want to publish your post.

Craft a Short Email: Along with your post, send a short email to the blogger; something along the lines of:

Dear Blogger X:

I ran across your blog and find it enlightening and helpful. As I'm in a parallel niche, I wrote the following post -- which I hope you can use -- in response to your 6-26-08 post (this highlights the fact that you've read their blog).

Realizing that time is a precious resource, no immediate response is expected. I'll simply assume that if you haven't published the piece in the next 90 days, it's okay to submit elsewhere, or publish on my own blog.

Thank you in advance for the consideration.

Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Blog Link

Starting a popular, profitable blog is difficult and guest posting can dramatically shorten the road to success. Follow these guidelines and you exponentially increase your chance of getting a "yes" to your guest blogging queries.

About the Author: Yuwanda Black is a freelance copywriter and the author of 9 ebooks, including the highly successful How to Make $250+/Day Writing Simple, 500-Word Articles. Ms. Black says, "You can work from home as a freelance writer. I do it every day. All you need is a computer and an internet connection."

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