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Build Your Platform by Guest Blogging
September 2, 2010
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by Shennandoah Diaz
We’ve written a great deal about building your platform and especially about the benefits of blogging and writing articles to demonstrate your expertise to your audience. Still, you’re always looking for more ways to drive traffic back to your online presence, and ultimately to the bookstore to buy your book. Another excellent way to achieve this is by serving as a guest blogger.
A guest blogger is someone who does a single post for another individual or group’s blog. This can be a one-time deal or a recurring column, but either case allows you to tap into someone else’s audience. There are many great blogs out there for you to choose from. You can locate blogs related to your platform in a number of ways:
- Go to the top magazines or associations in your topic. Chances are the editors of the magazine or leaders of the association have at least one blog (sometimes they have several—each one for a different beat).
- Ask for referrals. Find out from your network what other blogs your audience is following.
- Check out the competition. Other authors and experts in your field already have a line in with your audience. Grease the wheels by offering to swap guest posts.
- Look at the blogroll of your favorite sites. Most times bloggers feature the blogs they follow on their tool bar. This is a great (and fast) way to locate additional blogs. You can use sites like Technorati (link) and Alexa (link) to evaluate which blogs have the most traffic so you can develop your strategy and start by focusing your time on the blogs with the largest audiences.
Once you’ve identified blogs related to your topic, you will want to craft a pitch. Before you contact the blogger, check to see if they have posted writer’s guidelines. If so, follow them to the letter. If not, send them a short pitch that includes a specific idea for a post topic and identifies exactly why that post would be of interest to their audience. Close with a short paragraph about your qualifications. Here’s an example of a typical pitch letter:
Dear blogger,
The world of publishing is changing fast. Many of your readers are trying to navigate this evolving landscape, but it can be overwhelming. I propose a post that looks at the pros and cons of each book publishing option available to authors, complete with a short checklist readers can use to identify which route is best for them.
I work at an independent publisher and write articles and white papers related to publishing. You can view samples of my work at www.bigbadbookblog.com.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Author
There are a few other things to consider when pitching a guest blog post:
- Research the outlet beforehand to make sure it’s appropriate. Bloggers don’t want to get pitched by writers who are outside of their subject area and who don’t have anything to offer their readers.
- Read some of the posts and make sure that you are providing something unique. If they’ve already done a post on the subject, craft a new angle or choose a different topic.
- Be considerate of the blogger’s brand. They are building their platform and readership too. Don’t try to hone in on their turf.
- Keep the self-promotion out of your post. Often you are allowed a short bio and a link back to your website or blog, so focus on creating value and leave the promotion out.
Above all, don’t be afraid to ask. Most bloggers work hard to fill their editorial calendar and are happy to have someone fill in (as long as the topic is relevant). Also, don’t be afraid to consider having someone guest post on your blog as well. They will bring their readers with them and will often add you to their own blogroll. In the realm of social media and blogging, paying it forward really does pay off.
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Toolkit for New Authors: How to Be an Industry Insider
October 12, 2007
by Aaron Hierholzer
Wouldn't it be nice to pen a brilliant book and have the world instantly adore your genius? It doesn't work that way, of course: "The End" means the beginning of your transformation into an industry-savvy member of the writing community. You'll take away huge benefits if you are aware of the myriad available resources for independent authors like yourself. Here's some advice to help you take advantage of them:
Become a member of guilds and other associations: Don't be a starving artist type, beleaguered with the financial repercussions of your writing profession. That's so cliché. These groups can get you discounts, health benefits, and free stuff:
- MediaBistro's AvantGuild – As if MediaBistro wasn't resourceful enough, its AvantGuild membership gives you access to a wealth of additional tools. For $49 for a year membership or $78 for two years, you get access to "Pitching an Agent" articles, discounts to writing and publishing courses and workshops, free magazine subscriptions, and even discounts on yoga and acupuncture--you know, stress relief for all of that writing, rewriting, editing, and rejection.
- Authors Guild – Established in 1912, the Authors Guild provides health insurance, legal services, and advocacy for authors of all types. Dues for the initial year of membership are $90; after that they are calculated by the member's income from writing.
- PMA, The Independent Book Publishers Association – Dues for membership to this organization start at $160 for non-publishers, and the < title="benefits" href="http://www.pma-online.org/benefits/membenefits.aspx" target="_blank">benefitsinclude (among many others) discounted shipping and ad rates, health and liability insurance, discounted access to Neilsen Bookscan, and participation in Publishing University Online, which offers interactive Web/phone seminars.
Read blogs: There’s a wealth of blogs out there offering news and more with fresh voices and uncensored opinions. By reading a sampling of these, you'll have a finger on the pulse of the book biz, catching the latest trends, news stories, and advice. Explore the book blogosphere and navigate blogrolls to find something you like. Some of our favorites:
- MediaBistro's GalleyCat – The self-described "First Word on the Book Publishing Industry," GalleyCat blogs all day about industry happenings, authors, and the scandals that occasionally arise in the industry.
- Book Slut – Interested in hearing what literary luminaries, agents, and editors have to say? Book Slut interviews some of the latest, greatest minds in literature and publishing and posts the interviews for all to read.
- Grumpy Old Book Man – Is publishing a very friendly business? That's the title of a post by the Grumpy Old Book Man, an English writer who blogs about his experiences in the industry.
- The Millions – Blogger C. Max Magee and a host of contributors have kept The Millions up-to-date for well over four years, making this site respectably middle aged in blog years. Bibliophiles will salivate over entries like "Hard to Pronounce Literary Names Redux" and "Pagination Blues."
And if you think you’re addicted to coffee, just wait until you get hooked on a morning injection of publishing news via a daily email. Sign up for Shelf Awareness and PW Daily to ensure you’re in the know.
Know how to find an agent: If you're going through an agent, you're surely tired of boilerplate responses from literary agents that "regret to inform you that unsolicited manuscripts are not reviewed." Try here:
- Litmatch – Like eHarmony for unpartnered authors, Litmatch not only provides comprehensive profiles but will list agents looking for books just like yours!
- AgentQuery – Another database, but also features a conference listing and MySpace-like author/agent networking site.
- Everyone Who's Anyone in Adult Trade Publishing – A long list of literary agents, interspersed with the compiler’s eccentric but often illuminating correspondence with them as he tries to find representation.
Become a regular at a relevant forum: Online forums are a great way to network and learn from the successes—and harrowing failures—of your fellow authors. Don’t be a lurker, flamer, or troll. Be active, make connections, and get the inside scoop on a wide range of industry topics with these communities. And don't forget to take what you read on message boards with a grain of salt. You may run into a crazy or two.
- Absolutewrite.com forum – Want some pre-submission advice from writers who have lived to tell the tale? Check out the "Bewares and Background Checks" section in AbsoluteWrite's Water Cooler discussion forum, where authors exchange advise and issue warnings about their experiences with certain literary agents. Other forum sections include "Networking: Sharing Leads," "Grammar for Grasshoppers," and "Rejection and Dejection."
- Yahoo Publishing and Promoting group – Learn how to beef up your readership with promotion and publicity tips other authors have used.
- Yahoo Self-Publishing group – Sponsored by SPAN, you can find spirited discussions here from self-published authors and small presses about how to publish and market your own books.
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