Guest Posts FAQ

Update: I am not accepting any guest posts at this time. These recommendations have not done a good job of ensuring appropriate articles are submitted, so until I can fix this process, I will not be accepting guest posts.

Hi, and welcome to the Guest Posts FAQ here at SidSavara.com

First off, thank you very much for your interest in guest posting.

I have had an increasing number of requests, as well as unsolicited submissions of guest posts.

Regular readers here know I do enjoy guest posts, though I am quite picky about what I publish. I want to feature you in your best light and get you the most bang for your buck (well, guest post). To that end, I am letting some of my secrets out – here is some insight into what I consider quality articles and posts. You’ll start to understand what I look for when I write *my* articles.

I have quite shamelessly stolen most of this from the Zen Habits Style Guide

Topic Selection. First and foremost, the topic must be good. It must be awesome. It must fill a burning hole in people’s need for personal development. It must be extremely specific and answer a question fully and completely. I want every post I write to be the best post ever written on the subject – this may not always be true, but it is the attitude I take to every article I write. All Killer, No Filler. Pillar Content Only. Go Big or Go Home. Flagship Content (Go here and get the Free EBook Killer Flagship Content and take it to heart). That sort of thing. Here are some ways I brainstorm:
1. Good post styles/beginning for a post title include:
  1. How To (Stop) <– This is my favorite type of post. Explain how to fix a real issue.
  2. 7 (Common Mistakes | Secrets | Strategies)
  3. The Most Important …
2. Good Topics Include
  1. Time Management
  2. Procrastination
  3. Personal Productivity
  4. Accomplishing Goals
  5. Reaching Your Dreams
  6. Changing Your Life
3. Within each topic, you can dig a level deeper and talk about a specific strategy or set of strategies. I love how to posts. How To Do ___ How to Write a ___ How To Stop ___ etc.
4. Posts I DO NOT WANT –
  1. Bruce Lee’s Guide to ___
  2. 5 Lessons From Fight Club
  3. Wisdom From Hemingway about ___.
  4. 20 Things I’ve learned in 20 years
  5. 5 Reasons to Love Life
  6. (I will add as I get more posts like this). These aren’t bad posts by any means. They just don’t match the style of this blog. I will occasionally post something like this, but it would have to be truly unique and really answer a reader’s burning question.
Post Content. This is almost a reiteration of #1, but it is so important I want to stress it. I want actionable tips and strategies that people can use right away in their lives. Basically, I want articles where if someone came from a search engine and read it, they would right away think to themselves “Ok! I can now fix that problem in my life!” I want them to jump out of their chair and immediately be able to take action to better themselves. If you do not pick one of the above topics or post styles, it is still possible your article might answer those questions, I just want to let you know up front if it doesn’t, then it’s probably not going to be published. Note: I violate this rule myself =), but the reason for that is I sometimes tell personal stories from my life. I put those in because I want readers to get to know me a little bit, and those shouldn’t be taken as examples of what should be followed in guest posts =)
HTML Code. Only clean HTML. Write within WordPress itself. View the source on some of my pages to see what I like. I basically want
1. <H3> tags over every major heading
2. <H4> Tags for minor subheadings (strongly, strongly, STRONGLY advised against)
3. Quotes in <blockquote>
4. Paragraphs broken up by <p>
5. Read the articles on this site, and view source to get an idea of what I like =)
Introduction. About 100 words or so, in a couple paragraphs. Make it captivating. Really *sell* the post. Make it something people can’t wait to read. Use this guide from copyblogger. In short there are 5 recommendations in that article, the ones in bold are my favorites:
1. Ask a Question
2. Share an Anecdote or Quote
3. Invoke the Mind’s Eye
4. Use an Analogy, Metaphor or Simile
5. Cite a Shocking Statistic
Conclusion. Always close with a proper conclusion. Perhaps ask the reader a question. Once again, invoke their imagination – spur some discussion, and leave people feeling like they’re leaving with something that is going to improve their life. I like to have a <H3> heading and maybe 2-3 sentences.
Length. 800-1500 words. More or less is sometimes acceptable, but err towards approximately 1000 words (not counting bio box, tweet this box, etc)
Credits. Each post must begin and end with credits. Shamelessly stolen from Zen Habits!
1. Here’s the first credit, at the very beginning of the post:
  1. <p class=”note”><h6><strong>Editor’s note</strong>: This is a guest post from Joe Blow of <a href=”http://joeblow.com”>Joe’s Guide to Blow</a>.</h6></p>
  2. You should change it to reflect your name, url and blog title, of course.
2. The final credit comes at the end of the post:
  1. <p class=”note”><strong>Read more from Joe at his blog, <a href=”http://joeblow.com”>Joe’s Guide to Blow</a>, or <a href=”http://joeblow.com/feed/”>subscribe to his feed</a>.</strong></p>
3. Instead of your RSS feed link, you could put a link to your ebook or whatever you’d like to promote. Keep promotion to this paragraph, and don’t overdo it or I’ll cut it down.
Grammar and Spelling. I am a bit of a stickler for spelling and grammar. Please spell-check and check your grammar. If your grammar and spelling are not up to par, please ask someone to proof read. Here’s the thing – I have worked so hard to earn the trust of my readers. I don’t want to even remotely risk that with grammar or spelling mistakes (even if I do occasionally make them). So if I find too many mistakes, I will just stop reading the guest post – because I am not in the business of fixing up people’s posts. Proofreading is the longest part of my job posting my own writing =)
Lists. Once again, we’ll use Leo’s recommendations . Here’s the format:
<ul>
<li><strong>Work smart<strong>. Not harder.</li>
<li><strong>Be smart<strong>. You dummy.</li>
<li><strong>Live smart<strong>. Not sure what this means.</li>
</ul>
Of course, you could use <ol> for a numbered list. Note that the <strong> tag encloses the title of each list item, but not the period. Then there’s a single space after the period, and the rest of the list item. There’s a period at the end of the list item.
Paragraph Size. Keep paragraphs to about 150 words or less. They should be between 4-7 sentences per paragraph. No long blocks of text!
Sections. Break up sections into a maximum of approximately 2-5 paragraphs, unless using lists.
Section Headings. If a reader only read the <H3> headings, would they get a good understanding of what the article is about?
Paragraph Opening Sentences. Similar to Section Headings – if someone read only the first sentence of each paragraph (or the bullet point in the list) would they get a good understanding of what the section is about?
ALL CAPS. Don’t do it. All caps should be used for acronyms only … and acronyms should be avoided as much as possible. If you use an acronym, spell it out on first reference: “I’m not sure where I stand on the tactics of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).”
Excessive bolds and italics. Don’t do it. I prefer to use bold to highlight the “subheadings” for sections within a post, or to highlight the first part of a list item (see Lists, above). I’ve used italics, but sparingly. Emphasis is best done by choice of words and sentence structure and length, not by formatting. Excessive use of bold or italics puts a strain on the reader.
Exclamation marks. Use them very, very sparingly. They should only be used to express extreme joy, excitement, anger, or the like. Not as part of regular speech. And never never use multiple exclamation marks. Or question marks combined with exclamation marks.
Tabs and spaces and tables. Don’t use tabs in your text. Don’t use a bunch of spaces to line text up exactly how you’d like. I generally avoid using html tables as well. Just write plain text and lists and avoid excessive formatting.
Images. Pick a good, visually appealing image from http://sxc.hu. Go to advanced search, selected restricted NO, and then find an image. This avoid any hassles of crediting etc. DO NOT pick sponsored images at the top row. If you want to pay for a a professional image, that’s fine by me. Crop the image to 500 (wide) x 300 (tall).
Excessive plugging and advertising. (Shamelessly copied from ZenHabits). Posts are not published to promote you, your blog, your ebook, or your product. They’re published to help readers. You may plug your blog or ebook or other product in the credit at the end of the post (see Credits, above), but not within the post. A post with excessive plugging or that reads like an ad for something will not be published.
Linking out. Acceptable once (and once only) in the post. Make it count. You’ll want to probably link to your website. You may link in the post twice if you would prefer, and have only one link in your author box at the bottom of the post.
Optiona: Linking Within. Internally link to 2-4 posts here on SidSavara.com. Check out the sitemap for help with it – sidsavara.com/sitemap. I reserve the right to add internal links if none exist, but if you save me the trouble, I’m more likely to “fast track” your guest post.
Affiliate links. No.
Sponsored posts. No.
Tweet this link. Place this below your author bio (more likely people will click your bio that way). Use the following code. I will get a nice short URL for the post later so do not delete the text where it says (shortened-url).
<p class=”tweet_this”><strong>Enjoy this article? You should <a rel=”nofollow” href=”http://twitter.com/home/?status=Reading+-+How+To+Create+Your+Personal+Development+Plan+http://j.mp/pdplan+by+@sidsavara”>Tweet This</a> and share it with your friends, or feel free to share it however you like using this shortened link: <a rel=”nofollow” href=”http://j.mp/pdplan”>http://j.mp/pdplan</a></strong></p>

(Generic version)

<p class=”tweet_this”><strong>Enjoy this article? You should <a rel=”nofollow” href=”http://twitter.com/home/?status=Reading+-+Post+Title+(shortened-url)+by+@yourusername+via+@sidsavara”>Tweet This</a> and share it with your friends, or feel free to share it however you like using this shortened link: <a rel=”nofollow” href=”(shortened-url)”>(shortened-url)</a></strong></p>
Dropped Caps. The first letter of the first real paragraph should be drop capped: <span class=”drop_cap”>T</span>he. See the template at end of page for example
Further Reading and Favorites This Week. I’ll add these sections in below the tweet this link, don’t worry about those.
Optional: Videos. Check Hulu, Youtube, Google Video, Vimeo, TED, FORA TV, etc if there is a good video or presentation that might help illustrate points. I generally prefer videos to be presented no earlier than 300 words or so in.

General Guidelines:

Your post must be original and must have never been published before on the Internet
You agree to not publish the post anywhere else (i.e., in your own blog or as a guest post in other blogs)
You can include up to two links in the byline, which will be displayed at the bottom of the post

General Writing Style Guidelines

Tight and Concise. No rambling, no excessive discussion. Make a point quickly, back it up, and move on. Dense, informative writing.
More Facts and Advice, Less Opinion. Keep focused on helping the reader. This means sticking to facts and doling out advice, but keep opinion and such discussion to a minimum (save it for replying to comments).
Flow. This is hard to judge, but read the whole piece and make sure the end of each section transitions nicely into the next. Check that the introduction and conclusion “bookend” – that is, you can tie the both together, and they neatly contain the discussion that is in the body section.
Active. Once again, this is a bit hard to quantify, but I want the piece to actively continue on. This is sort of a combination of being tight and concise, and flow. This is to keep the readers attention.
Answer Why. If you assert something as fact, or advice, answer why – why is something the way it is, or where did you get a particular fact, why should the reader care.

Post Publication Promotion:

I Will: Tweet and Facebook out the post, push it out via RSS and Email to my subscribers
You Will: Tweet and Facebook the post, and inform your blog readers about it, and ask your friends to Tweet it, etc. Future guest post opportunities will be considered on the basis of the quality of the post as well as the quality of the self promotion. I’m going to help out as much as I can, but the bottom line is I want guest posters who are willing to be a team =).
Responding to Comments. For at least 12 hours after the post goes live, you should be active in the comments (at least every few hours)

Instructions for Guest Post Submission:

First, Contact Me. sid@sidsavara.com. Contact me and please provide perhaps 5 topics you’d like to write about, as well as 3-5 writing samples (links to prior blog articles are fine)
1. Put “Guest Post for SidSavara.com” in the subject line.
Once we’ve agreed on a post, to submit:
1. In the body of the email, place the title of the post and the introduction. Really use the title and that introduction to pique my interest. This is what readers will see on the front page of the website, so make it count. Doing this step is a double check that the title and introduction are captivating
2. Take the HTML code (the HTML tab in wordpress) and paste it into a text file. Attach the text file to the email (yes, this will include the introduction again)
3. Take the cropped, 500×300 image and attach it.
4. Put “Guest Post for SidSavara.com” in the subject line.
5. Send! I’ll usually get back to you in a day or two.
6. Following all these guidelines is no guarantee your guest post will be published. It most likely will be, but some of the things I’ve put above are hard to quantify. If it is useful, well written, and matches the style of SidSavara.com, it will be published -unfortunately, I know that’s vague =(. I’ve done my best, but I will refine these guidelines as I go along to help you out.

The subject line is very important. Make sure that it is exactly as specified. The reason is I get a *lot* of email, and if you want a fast response, this is how I prioritize – I want to make sure I get back to you soon.

Since these requirements can be confusing, here’s a sample template you can paste into the HTML tab in WordPress to get you started

Sample Post Template:

<h6><strong>Editor’s note</strong>: This is a guest post from Joe Blow of <a href=”http://joeblow.com”>Joe’s Guide to Blow</a>.</h6>

<blockquote>”Writing guest posts gets you quality readers”<br/>
– Sid Savara</blockquote>

<p><span class=”drop_cap”>H</span>ave you ever wanted to guest post on a quality blog? Imagine the possibilities. Imagine your blog exploding with traffic and millions of readers. Let’s look at 5 strategies to effectively guest post.</p>

<h3>3 Strategies for Killer Success Guest Posting</h3>

<p>Everyone has their own opinion, and here’s mine</p>

<ul>
<li><strong>Write Well</strong>. Make sure your spelling and grammar is on point, and your formatting is flawless.</li>
<li><strong>Follow The Guidelines</strong>. Nothing irritates bloggers more than when they spend hours honing specific guidelines, and guest bloggers just blatantly disregard them .</li>
<li><strong>Check and Double Check</strong>. Look at the details. Make sure your guest post is up to par.</li>
</ul>

<h3>What Do You Think?</h3>

<p>Do you agree or disagree with the guidelines? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!</p>

<p class=”note”><strong>Read more from Joe at his blog, <a href=”http://joeblow.com”>Joe’s Guide to Blow</a>, or <a href=”http://joeblow.com/feed/”>subscribe to his feed</a>.</strong></p>

<p class=”tweet_this”><strong>Enjoy this article? You should <a rel=”nofollow” href=”http://twitter.com/home/?status=Reading+-+Post+Title+(shortened-url)+by+@yourusername+via+@sidsavara”>Tweet This</a> and share it with your friends, or feel free to share it however you like using this shortened link: <a rel=”nofollow” href=”(shortened-url)”>(shortened-url)</a></strong></p>

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