It’s surprisingly easy to find websites looking for content. With so much competition for readers and so little time, there are plenty of sites that would be happy to host your post. Not sure if writing guest posts is worth your time? Check out the first post in the series for 6 Reasons to be a Guest Writer.
Create a Blog Tour
A blog tour is like a PR tour for an author, but they never have to get out of their PJ’s. They are often done as part of launching a new book, though really no there’s no bad time organize one. If you already published, choosing something like the anniversary of the publication works, but you don’t need a reason besides you feel getting your name out in front of people.
Tours can last anywhere from a week to a couple of months, and can have a stop per day or a stop per week if that is more your speed. Choose your strategy based on what kinds of posts you are willing to do and the amount of lead time you have before you want the tour to begin. Several blogs could post your release announcement, for instance, and you only have to write that once. Each guest post on a different subject is going to take a couple of hours to write, so you may want to limit how many you offer to do. There are services that will organize one for you, or you can do it yourself.
Book Bloggers
The most obvious avenue to guest writing for authors will be book lovers. They tend to post news, reviews, and author interviews in order to help others find their next read. They won’t all be suitable for your genre or style, but chances are there are dozens of options no matter your favorite area. The important thing is to make sure you look at the kinds of posts they already do and check if they have preferences before you waste either of your time. They often have forms on their websites, or you may need to email them directly.
If you have a new release, sending in a press release is a great strategy. In addition to sending your book to the bloggers to review, offering to review other books people’s books on their behalf might also appeal. And even if interviews look like a one-on-one conversations between the blogger and the author, as often as not they were written by the authors themselves. It may seem a little underhanded, but in addition to saving the blogger some time, it allows the author to ensure they get to say and promote exactly what they want.
Other Writers’ Blogs
Like book bloggers, writers are also likely to host the same kinds of posts and may have genre restrictions. In addition, some authors like to post character profiles and interviews. They could also be interested in wider-reaching themes, such as how to research a certain subject or countdowns of mythological beasts. They may not know what kind of content they are willing to post until you make a suggestion.
They may have a form on their blog, or you can often find opportunities by being part of the larger writing community through social media. Bloggers sometimes come right out and ask for guest writers, or you can put it out into the web-o-sphere that you are interested in writing them and let people find you. If there are other indie writers you follow on social media, it never hurts to reach out and see if they are interested in hosting guest content. This is especially true if you offer to return the favor.
Outside of the Book-o-Sphere
That’s right. There are blogs that have nothing to do with books that could be interested in your content. I found this extensive listing, and there are certainly others out there. You never know when or where you will find potential readers, and any guest post you do helps boost your SEO.
Do you have other ideas and resources to share about places that host guest posts? Feel free to drop a comment below!
Now that you have some strategies for figuring out WHERE to get guest posting opportunities, my next post will be about WHAT you can write. Stay tuned, and as always, stay splendid!
Phoebe Darqueling 
4 comments