Guest Blogger Guidelines
Thanks for your interest in writing a guest post for Consultant Launch Pad.
As traffic grows on the site, we anticipate being pitched for guest posts – and we’ve really looking forward to that day. We will not be able to use everything that is submitted. Sometimes we’ll say no for one of the following reasons:
- Quality
- Relevance of topic
- Quantity of posts that are already in the queue
- Recency of a similar topic
That said, we’d still love to get your submissions (or topic ideas). To increase the chances we’ll be able to use your post and to help me get it ready to be published on Consultant Launch Pad, here are a few suggestions and guidelines. These are not hard and fast rules because we’re walking a line between having people write in their own voice and making sure a post fits with our community and gets the attention it deserves.
Topics
Consultant Launch Pad has a very clear and specific mission: To create a community to help people decide whether consulting is right for them and then how to be more successful. That gives you a lot of latitude, but we’re not going to try to be all things to all people. For example, there are lots of great sites dedicated to social media and blogging. We may touch on those subjects here, but we’ll leave the bulk of those postings to experts like Darren Rowse and Chris Brogan and Brian Clark.
Our bias will be toward posts with practical tips. Anything you can include that is a ‘how to’ or something that they can go back to their blog and try out immediately will be greatly appreciated. Even more theoretical posts that have something in them that readers can ‘do’ rather than just ‘know’ is good.
Increase your chances of having your post selected by checking topics with me before you start writing.
Voice
Don’t worry about trying to match your voice (writing style) to this site. We are looking for a diverse community and don’t want everything to sound like it came from the same person.
Sub Headings
Feel free to use them. Sub-heads break up the content and helps draw the eye down the post. If you have a sub heading in your post please wrap <h3> tags around it.
Images
Images are great; they add personality, break up content, and grab attention. Those who worked with me during my newspaper days may laugh at this, but I’ve learned over the years that one good image will get more attention that copy-heavy submissions. A few suggestions:
- Images can be of any size, but the maximum width is 520 pixels (the width of my content area).
- Please ensure images are able to be used in terms of copyright.
- Images can be illustrative (screenshots), descriptive (something that is more attention grabbing on the theme of the post), title images (an image with words/title that appear at the top of the post) or anything else that you’d like to include.
Don’t get too stressed if you can’t find a great image. I’m reasonably quick at finding them if we need one.
Post Length
We’re not looking for Stephen King-length novels here, but take the space you feel you need to convey your message. I write long at times, but always welcome an editor’s eye to see what can easily go without losing the message. I’m happy to post long and short posts – length isn’t a factor, but quality is.
Editing
I will edit posts that appear on Consultant Launch Pad. If the post calls for heavy editing, I’ll send it back to you first to make sure you’re OK with it (if I plan on using it), but don’t be shocked if I change a title, rework an opening or conclusion, or correct grammar/spelling. Some people are offended by this and feel it’s not my place to do it. Occasionally I’ll send a post back to you (the author) with suggested additions, omissions or changes if I feel it needs some help that goes beyond some basic editing. If I’m not respectful of your efforts when I return it, please let me know.
My goal is simple: Publish something that is good for you as the author, good for Consultant Launch Pad readers, and as a result also good for the blog as a whole.
Exclusivity
Unless we discuss otherwise, I’m assuming that the post you’re writing is exclusively for the use of Consultant Launch Pad. While you’re more than welcome to write on the same topic elsewhere, we ask that you not submit the same post to multiple sites.
Byline
Since you’re the author, I want people to know who you are and point them toward your blog or any product or service that you offer. We’ll do this in two ways. You should provide a sentence of two about who you are and what you do. You can include a link or two with that. You could also include a link to an RSS feed. We’ll put that at the bottom of your post. I’ll also write a short introductory sentence that includes your main link at the top of the post.
You can also link back to your blog within the post itself, but we ask that you keep it relevant to the topic. The best way to get people to link back to your site is with a helpful, well-written post. Be subtle.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me using the form below and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Thanks for your interest with being a part of the Consultant Launch Pad community…and thanks to Darren Rowse at Problogger for giving me a great template to use in constructing this page.
