I get approached all the time by journalists, authors, freelancers, SEO specialists, copywriters and other people interested in writing guest posts for WordCount.
As a matter of fact, as WordCount heads into its fifth year, I’ve noticed a uptick in guest posting requests, some from writers I know, others from total strangers. In the past week alone I’ve probably received no fewer than four.
Writing a guest post for WordCount is a smart move if you have a book, ebook or other project about to debut that you’d like to promote, or if you’d just like to gain some more exposure for your own blog. As of this month, WordCount has more than 500 subscribers who will automatically see your guest post. In addition, I share links to everything that appears on WordCount with my Twitter followers, who now number close to 5,000.
Until now, I’ve handled guest requests on a case by case basis. Then it dawned on me that I was sharing the same information over and over again, which meant that it was high time to publish official guidelines for anyone interested in writing a guest post for this blog. This way, the next time someone inquires, I can direct them to this post, which I’ll also make a spot for somewhere on the main nav bar so it’s super easy to find.
Got an idea that you think would make a good guest post for WordCount? Here’s what you need to do:
1. Study the blog. WordCount covers writing, blogging, running a freelance business, and the media industry. Every post relates to one of those subjects in some way. If you’re not sure whether I’ve covered something before, use the search box in the far right-hand column (under the BlogHer ad) to look up a keyword related to the subject.
2. Contact me. Save yourself some time contacting me before you write a post. I’d hate for you to go to the trouble of writing something that I’ve already covered, or am planning to write about in the near future. You can reach me at wordcountfreelance@gmail.com.
3. Keep it simple. When you’re pitching, put “Guest Post” in the email subject line. In the message, explain your guest post idea in a sentence or two. That’s all I need to decide whether the idea’s a good fit. If I need more information I’ll ask for it. Also, give me an idea of how quickly you could submit a post.
4. Write the post. The best posts are 400 to 600 words long, 700 words if you really have a lot to say. Include a few relevant links. Submit it with a suggested title of no more than 60 characters and a suggested meta-description of no more than 160 characters (lengths are for SEO purposes). Use Word or your preferred writing program and include links as hypertext.
5. Include a bio. Describe yourself in a sentence or two. Add links to your website, blog and profiles on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, Tumblr – whatever is appropriate.
6. Submit art. Send a head shot of yourself. If you’re writing a guest post to promote a book, e-book, newsletter, lecture, or some other writing project, send a high-res digital image of the book jacket, or if it’s a blog or website, a screen shot.
7. Be OK with being edited. As WordCount’s editor in chief, I reserve the write to edit guest posts to conform to the blog’s style. If I make changes, I’ll send the post back to you for a final read through before it runs.
8. Promote it. Once the post is finished, I’ll finalize the date it will run and let you know. Once it’s live, I’ll share a link with you, and share it on my social networks.
Depending on my schedule and what else I’ve got lined up, your guest post could appear on WordCount within a week or two of being submitted.
I can’t wait to hear from you!
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