Welcome to Day Five of our series on guest posting. We’ve covered:
- How to Land a Guest Post Gig
- Stacking the Odds of a Yes in Your Favor
- The Attitudes and Mistakes that Blow Your Chances
- Avoiding Guest Posting Problems that Damage Your Blog
Today’s topic is one that cropped up often in the comment sections of these posts: finding the motivation to write content you’ll give away.
Finding the motivation to write a guest post isn’t easy. It’s a struggle, and guest posting can be hard work. What to do?
Writing for your own blog can often be great. Having a solid post that attracts attention and comments brings a fantastic feeling. It’s victorious. It fills you with pride. How could you possibly feel the same about content you write for someone else? You’re giving it away, after all.
So the situation becomes conflicting. It isn’t as much fun to write guest posts. It creates pressure. It can be a chore. Many writers feel they shouldn’t give away something that good, either – a truly great post should benefit their blog, not someone else’s.
These common problems can easily be resolved: Don’t write guest posts.
Write for yourself and your blog. Write freely and use all your creativity. Make your post perfect. Make it something people will want to share and discuss. Write from the heart and from your soul.
Aim for that fulfilling moment that occurs when you sit back, look at your work and realize, “Wow. This is good. Damned good.”
That’s your guest post. Give that work away.
At first, it’s heart wrenching. Each time I showed Harry a post that made me feel victorious, he nearly cried when I said, “I’m going to send this post to so-and-so.”
“Are you kidding me?” He’d be shocked. He’d protest. “This is way too good, James. This belongs here, on our blog. Come on!”
But no. Posts that good didn’t belong here. They belonged in the hands of people who could offer more. They belonged in places where they’d be seen and read.
The work I loved the most had to be shared – and it wouldn’t be shared enough here at our blog.
It hurt, but I gave some very good content away in our early days. I still do. I always will. I understand that if you give nothing, you receive nothing in return. And I understand that sometimes, you have to give just because it’s the right thing to do.
Make no mistake, though – I have a blog to populate, and every piece of content I write has a home. I write for me first. Yet each week, I hit on an idea, an angle, a tone or style that is more than good. That rocking post I wrote? It just doesn’t belong here.
I never know which posts those will be. I never write with the words “guest post” or “featured blogger post” looming my mind. I never have blog names blinking in my brain while I write. I write for me.
So my motivation is always there. I don’t have to look for it or find it. I write because I love doing so, and sometimes, I write great things. Those posts are ones that Men with Pens will never see – but someone sees them.
And that’s the point. It doesn’t matter that your work is published here or there. What matters is writing for you, putting your work out there for people to read – and reaching them.
That’s all.
Enjoying the series? Good. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post, where we explore one common guest posting issue that many people struggle over. Is that person you?
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this, and it’s the right thing to do.
I remember a Twitter chat with James. I’d written a guest post, and I forget who it was for. I said to James, “It’s a shame to give this one away. It’s really good.”
His reply?
“No! Those are the ones you WANT to give away!”
It sounded absurd at the time. But you know what? I did give that post away, and it boosted my subscribers by 20 – overnight. While It’s not terribly uncommon for me to get 20 new subscribers overnight these days without a major event like a guest post, at the time that increased my subscribers by 25%.
Heed his words, for he is full of wisdom. Today, anyways.
Bob Younce at the Writing Journey’s last blog post..Internet Writing Growing Pains
Great insight, as always!!!
Guest posting is a form of marketing for your own blog. That’s WHY you’re guest posting, right?
So it makes sense that if you’re doing to put up a display of your blogging abilities that the posts you “give” away should be your best work. So that when that blog’s regular readers read YOUR post, they say to themselves, “Wow! I want to read more!”
However, it’s positively painful the first few times you “give it away”. It’s only AFTER you’ve given it away and see how much it returns that makes it easier to give away gold the next few times.
(sniffle) But, it’s such a sad story! Sending it out into the world on its own….
Am I the only one with that cheesy “If you love someone, let them go…” cliche in her head?
–Deb’s last blog post..Blog Showing
I got my first offer for a guest post yesterday. I hope that when I send it off, it’s better than anything else I’ve written so far.
Writer Dad’s last blog post..Stop Dancing So Hard, You?re Making the Earth Shake
Deb,
Ah, yes–if you love someone and let them go, they’re supposed to come back. If you love your post and let it go, new readers come back. Perfect. Good not to be too clingy with your finest content!
James,
I *love* this idea–totally inspired me the other day when you commented about it. Some of the guest posts I’ve done were posts I’d originally planned for MCE, but… one reason I like guesting elsewhere is that I can write something from an angle that may not quite fit at my blog, but dovetails in nicely.
I can’t say that I always give away stuff that I would have put on my own blog, exactly, but I do give away the very best of my writing.
I never sweat my own blog quite like I sweat the guest posts. Though I do a happy dance once in a while for a rockin’ post at MCE, it’s not quite the same as the “YESSS! Their readers are going to love this!” when I finish one for a friend.
Looking forward to tomorrow’s post.
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..The Big Productivity Suck You Don’t Know You’re Causing
Amen to that.
You get what you give.
Dave Navarro’s last blog post..Pen To Paper: Getting Clear On What Work-Life Balance Means To You
A quote from above -
“I never know which posts those will be. I never write with the words “guest post†or “featured blogger post†looming my mind. I never have blog names blinking in my brain while I write. I write for me.”
reminded me of Rocky IV and Ivan Drago’s quote (the Soviet fighter) –
“I fight to win … for me … FOR ME ….!!”
I can’t think of a better way to perform at your best.
I’ve actually never felt conflicted about this. When I write guest posts, I have a particular person in mind up front, and I think about what kind of post will work on their blog. This usually means choosing a topic and adopting a writing style that’s a good fit for them, instead of writing how I normally would and hoping that it works (since it usually wouldn’t in my case). James, a good example of this is the post I wrote for Anywired, which was so well-disguised you didn’t notice that Skellie wasn’t the author.
My guest posts are always a good deal for the recipient, and as good as I can make them for that purpose, but they’re generally not near and dear to my heart, so I don’t mind giving them away. And because they’re well-targeted, the other person actually appreciates them more than the ones that really are near and dear to my heart!
Hunter Nuttall’s last blog post..Todoodlist: Technology Is Great, Pencils Are Better
@ Hunter – Hmm… So when you guest post, you’re mimicking someone else and losing your original voice to match their style? I see how that might help a multi-author blog, but how does that help you if you use a guest post to drive traffic back to your site?
Case in point – Anywired. If I didn’t know it wasn’t Skellie, then I wouldn’t have interest in looking at that person’s site, now would I?
@ Mark – Ohmigod. Okay, I’m going to worry about my accent all day now and make sure I’m speaking clearly. Hehehe
@ Dave – And you have to give it to get it.
@ Kelly – So stop sweating it and use this
@ Deb – I *hate* that cliche with a passion. Man, if I love something, ain’ t no way I want that thing to go!
@ Beyond – YES! YES YES YES!
@ Bob – Indeed. Tomorrow may be a different story
@ Mark, Drago pissed off Mother Russia by doing that! Rocky fought for his friend and won.
Hunter Nuttall’s last blog post..Todoodlist: Technology Is Great, Pencils Are Better
James,
It’s a good sweat.
Kelly’s last blog post..The Big Productivity Suck You Don’t Know You’re Causing
@ James, I’m not always losing my original voice, sometimes it’s just a matter of picking a topic slightly outside my usual domain. But yes, sometimes it means losing (or slightly muting) my voice, and your example shows one reason why bylines are so important.
I see that Leo Baubata gives a byline at the beginning and end of the post, and also leaves a comment saying “Guys, make sure you see that this is a guest post by _________.” And he _still_ gets comments saying “Great post, Leo!”
Maybe before people leave a comment, they should be required to check a box saying “I understand that this is a guest post!”
Hunter Nuttall’s last blog post..Todoodlist: Technology Is Great, Pencils Are Better
I can see how you can stay motivated if you’re writing for you and then decide from there that you’re going to give that one away.
But what about when others contact you and ask you to guest post? I guess if you’re not feeling motivated, uh don’t do it then. Ok, I just answered my own question. Can I thank myself?
John Hoff’s last blog post..How To Buy A House Like A Real Estate Investor: Part 9 – Becoming A Problem Solver For Sellers And Showing Them You’re Here To Help
James: I couldn’t agree more!
In fact, I had a long comment here on how much I agreed. I had lots to say. And then I deleted it. I get it. I think others get it, even the stuff you didn’t say but that’s still there.
Excellent post.
steph’s last blog post..Tagline Tag
@ John – It was my pleasure to inspire the answers to all your questions this morning. Do drop by more often
@ Steph – Okay, now you have me curious on the long comment you deleted, damn you!
@ Hunter – Hah, point taken! I mean, come on. We get people asking us all the time, “So… you’re web designers and copywriters, right?” Um, yes. That would be… um, yes.
@ Kelly – The best kind to have.
James: I reserve the right to edit.
steph’s last blog post..Tagline Tag
This is interesting. When I write, I know where it’s going. Because I need to be aware of the audience and the objective to write well. For instance, Urban Monk has somewhat different (but overlapping) audience than mine, not just bigger audience. So I adjust my writing style when I write for Albert.
I’m still putting in a lot of effort in the guest writing, just not exactly the same kind of effort. Make sense?
We definitely need to give the best — that way we maximize the chance we have.
Akemi – Yes to Me’s last blog post..Five Signs Of A Small Blog That Is Ready To Grow
Ahh, a direct hit here, Quebecois.
I will just say that it helps me to think of those works sent away, as works going out to do their job. And they SHOULD be the ones that represent well.
That’s not to say I don’t have my private collection, but most all of my work is sent away. I had to adjust to this very early on. What we get to keep is the process. And that is what we crave after all, isn’t it?
Tiger Woods pretty much as golf down. Does he stop playing? Does he keep every tournamant , every practice locked away? No, because he loves the game. He can look at the trophies he has collected, but what he gets to “have” is the pleasure of earning them.
All this giving away? Think about it.. is it really giving it away or does it lead to getting to do more of what we love?
Janice C Cartier’s last blog post..Seashells or Dalmations?
James you point out the obvious in such a poignant way, I was almost sorry you got to the heart of the matter.
Thanks for reminding me of a credo I do my best to live by, “You get back from the universe exactly what you put out into it.”
As usual, your writing is simply — beautiful!
Yuwanda
The Freelance Writer’s Blog’s last blog post..Article Marketing No No’s
Thank you, guys. I’m glowing
Nice way to guide one’s thinking. The next time someone invites me to guest post, I shall do exactly as you say and see what happens. In the meanwhile, I am waiting for Friday!
Nicole Price’s last blog post..Custom T-shirts
Totally inspiring. It almost makes me want to run the streets of my neighborhod, yelling at the top of my lungs, ” I am a writer! I love to write! I write FOR ME!”
There’s a good chance I’d get shot though. But that’s the only reason I’m not out there getting my holla’ on. ;
Thanks for another great one.
Kristen’s last blog post..Forget The Words, Write With Thought
I got proof guest posting is a good idea.
Name me 10 highly successful bloggers that didn’t do guest posts to help them get to where they are today?
Guest posting, fortunately or unfortunately, is part of the equation that leads a blogger to the promised land.
Bamboo Forest’s last blog post..11 Requirements to be a Mad Scientist
When I was in university, I would be given a list of essay topics, and I would have to pick one. I would scan the list..yep, yep, yep, no freakin’ way, yep, yep. Then I ALWAYS picked the no freakin’ way one, because I knew I would be challenged rather than complacent. This week was my first guest blog appearance. When Annie first asked me, and gave me my topic, my responses was no freakin’ way. In the end, I was proud to ‘give it away’. It’s about using the nervous energy associated with knowing it’s being ‘put out there’ and creating something awfully darn good.
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Truly it’s all about making him happy
Just like in writing fiction where sometimes to make the story work best you need to cut your favourite line, in a blog you need to give away your best post…
Alex Fayle’s last blog post..A Clean-Dishes Junkie
Hmmm… so what do you do if there’s no one to give it to? I recently wrote a post that I’m pretty darned proud of, but I can’t think of any blog that it would be appropriate for. The topic is such a niche topic, that there are really no blogs I can think of where posting it would benefit me, the blog owner, and the blog readers. So what do I do? I ended up posting it on my own blog… but I think this is the perfect example of where giving the post away would have been much more beneficial to me.
Allison’s last blog post..Emily’s Roll
*cough cough* NO one? 17 million blogs and there is NO ONE that would accept that?
My first thought would be – welcome to your new business. Fulfill demand.
My second thought would be – do more research. There are blogs out there on just about anything. And then some
@ Alex – Cut your best line? No, no, I say!
@ Panther – Yeah, it’s a little like standing naked on a stage – and then walking off with everyone cheering. That’s gotta feel good, y’know?
@ Bamboo – Even Mr. Copyblogger did guest posts. And he has 40k readers. Nicely thought of.
@ Kristen – You made me laugh. You go get that holla’ on, baby. I’ll be cheerin’.
@ Nicole – I’m still trying to figure out what questions are rattling around your brain. Enlighten me, because I know you have them.
James – Hmmm… not quite what I said, but I do get your point. But as far as I can tell, there’s nowhere that posting it would benefit me, the blog owner, and the blog readers. There are plenty of blogs on the topic, for sure, but most of them are more personal blogs, where the last post might be “Ohmygod, I can’t believe Will got kicked off SYTYCD!” Most of the blogs in the niche are not blogs I would want to be associated with (not being an arTEEst, just being honest), because they are either personal blogs, or badly written blogs.
Yes, it is a demand to be fulfilled… and I’m working on it.
Allison’s last blog post..Emily’s Roll
Allison,
Get over to FoHBoH, if you’re not there already. It’s like having a second blog, and the community is very involved (okay, except me, I’ve kinda been lazy about it for a while). It’s pretty good for traffic if you post semi-often.
Then when you want to spread out a bit you can post there, and you will find plenty of niche foodies like yourself, some perhaps with blogs you’d like to hook up with.
Go now. Really.
Later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..The Big Productivity Suck You Don’t Know You’re Causing
Uh-oh. James, please go fish my comment out of spam, will you? I thought one little link would be okay…
Kelly’s last blog post..The Big Productivity Suck You Don’t Know You’re Causing
@ Allison – Ahh, I misunderstood your comment. My apologies. But I think you sell yourself short. There is always a lesson in every experience – no matter what niche it’s in. Trust yourself.
@ Kelly – You call, I come. Now that’s service.
@James – My work here is done.
@Michael – I agree that the issue should be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, my ego has no brain at all, so I can definitely use poetic reminders like this from James to snatch me from floating in the clouds, and bring back down to reality.
Kristen’s last blog post..Forget The Words, Write With Thought
James,
Thanks. I should call more often…
Kelly’s last blog post..The Big Productivity Suck You Don’t Know You’re Causing
@James – yep, just like that, and it does feel good……..KIDDING!!!!!!
Urban Panther’s last blog post..Truly it’s all about making him happy
James, I’d never thought about this from the perspective of giving away posts, vs. writing posts targeting a specific blog or niche. I like your strategy because it forces you to keep a steady supply of posts in the pipeline. For each and every post, you can ask whether it’s good enough to give to another blog, and if yes, where’s a good fit?
Bill K.’s last blog post..Matters of mind
@ Bill – Here’s another thought to add to yours: Even if you give your post to your own blog, you never truly are giving it to yourself. Every blog post you write is written for other people.
Never you.
@ James: So blogging is all about altruism is it? In that case, I need about 50,000 subscribers in order that my mission be fulfilled.
In time, in time…
Bamboo Forest’s last blog post..11 Requirements to be a Mad Scientist
@James:
Yes, cut the best line if it no longer fits in with the rest of the story…
Nancy Willard in her book of essays Telling Time retells a story called Diamonds for Supper:
***
An attractive young magpie was standing in her kitchen, wondering what to cook for dinner. She had been married only three months and had run through the small repertoire of dishes she knew. Though her husband hadn’t complained, the magpie worried about the longterm effects of ninety successive dinners of franks and beans.
She put a pot of water on the stove, hoping a cup of instant coffee would clear her brain, when suddenly the diamond in her engagement ring dropped out and sparkled its way to the bottom of the pot.
“Diamond sou!” she exclaimed. “I’ll make diamond soup.”
Naturally there was no recipe for diamond soup in the Joy of Cooking, but the magpie thought back to soups she had enjoyed in the past and counted on instinct and memory to instruct her. She thought of garnets and added carrots, she thought of pearls and added onions, she thought of jet and added peppercorns. She longed for emeralds and rubies and added rosemary and tomatoes. Amethysts crossed her mind, and she added purple sage.
When her husband came home, he exclaimed, “Something smells divine! I hope it’s dinner.”
“Sit down,” said the magpie modestly, “and I’ll serve the soup.”
As she was about to ladle it into two bowls, the diamond called out to her, “Take me out.”
“But you’re brilliant,” said the magpie. “You’re beautiful.”
“This soup by any other name would taste as good,” said the diamond. “Take me out. Do you want your husband to break a tooth?”
Moral: The line you love the best is the hardest to cut.
…from Danny Weinstein’s Magic Book by Nancy Willard in Telling Time.
Alex Fayle’s last blog post..A Clean-Dishes Junkie
Wow James, I think you finally got me hooked enough to subscribe with this latest series on guest posting.
This idea of writing for yourself, or rather writing for your perfect customer / reader, before sending off your baby into the wild to gather yummy readers is a great one.
Always knew it was important to create your best content as guest posts, now thanks to you can understand the how and not the why. This could have just as easily been titled How To Write Guest Posts.
Matt – like the Rocky IV analogy.
Jeremy | Happily Ever After Investing’s last blog post..The Harold & Kumar Guide To Investing
@ Jeremy – What?! You weren’t hooked before?
@ Alex – Thank you for sharing that. I’ll have to think on that one today.
Kelly – Thanks so much for the link. Unfortunately, the niche I was talking about is actually dance… not sushi or food.
There’s a huge food blogger community, with many food blogs (and even other sushi-specific blogs) that I would love to do a guest post for, so if I ever have a really rockin’ sushi or food post, I have plenty of places to submit it to. 
Allison’s last blog post..Seto Japanese Cuisine
Allison,
*brushing egg off face* Did you mention that somewhere and I missed it?
FoHBoH could use you anyway.
Alex,
I love that story! It’s like Stone Soup, but I get a much nicer rock out of the deal.
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..The Big Productivity Suck You Don’t Know You’re Causing
Kelly – Nope, I didn’t mention that, so it’s understandable that that’s what you thought.
I shall certainly look into joining FoHBoH.
Allison’s last blog post..Seto Japanese Cuisine
I really wish that I could articulate my questions. There is just some vague doubts about guest posting, whether as a guest poster or as a blog owner inviting others to post on my blog. Unlike your blog, mine is goal/commerce oriented. Makes it rather difficult.
Nicole Price’s last blog post..Custom T-shirts
Glad I stumbled on this 2 years later! I want to write more guest posts, but yes, enjoy writing for my own blog more! Glad to get the advice to keep writing for myself and just see what ends up good enough to reach for a wider audience elsewhere. Thanks!