I’ve been reading a lot of posts on Joel Friedlander’s TheBookDesigner.com, which is a great site for indie authors. One recent post was “The Top 7 Strategies for Blog Marketing.” All of the tips made sense, but the two that intrigued me the most was guest posting and blog carnivals.
Guest Posts
Guest posts are exactly what they sound like: you write an article, publish it as a guest author on someone else’s site, and link it back to your own blog. It can help give a blogger more credibility and expand his/her network.
Below are a few websites that accept guest posts about writing and indie publishing. When contacting or submitting a post, make sure you follow their guidelines, which usually include sticking to a certain word count or topic.
Wise Ink: Focus is on indie writers and the future of publishing. They’re looking for guest bloggers who are authors looking for promotion.
The Colors of My Soul: Fiction, poetry, and posts on the craft of writing are welcome. All posts must be previously unpublished.
Shelf/Help: Articles must be related to self-publishing in some way, either marketing, writing, etc. Posts must be between 500-1000 words.
Writer Unboxed: Not actively seeking guest posts, but if you contact them and submit a quality article, they will consider it. The site has author interviews, as well as posts about writing and self publishing.
The Self-Publishing Review: Must be a member to submit posts. Posts can be previously published, but they are all subject to review first. See more guidelines here.
Other sites: Shari Stauch on Writers Win listed 5 additional sites where authors can guest post. They include BloggerLinkUp, GuestBlogIt, MyBlogGuest, BlogDash, and Guestr.
Blog Carnivals
Blog carnivals are somewhat similar to guest posts. A blog carnival is basically a collection of links to articles in a particular field or about a particular topic. They can help drive traffic to your blog, as well as put you on the same playing field of well known bloggers.
Below are two sites that regularly host blog carnivals.
DIY Writers Carnival: Submissions are due by the 20th of each month. Find the guidelines for what topic to write about here.
Carnival of the Indies: Posts must be helpful to self-publishers and have been recent (within the last 90 days). Use the submission form here.
Blog Carnival: Hosts carnivals for many topics but is currently looking for book marketing posts.
(As an additional tip, check out this infograph for 30 Ways to Promote Your Blog.)
