On Guest Posts & Submitting

The longer I write in the online space, the more insecure I become. It’s seems counterintuitive to me – you would think I would have gained experience, practice, success, courage but instead the only thing I seemed to have gained is added pressure and fear of rejection.

When I write in my own space it’s a little easier. I’m comfortable with my audience and what they expect to hear from me. But I struggle to write guest posts for other sites, even though I love them, because I never know if my words are good enough. Will they encourage the reader? Will my message resonate? What if it’s a complete and total flop?

Writing guest posts, joining as a contributor on new sites, and accepting speaking engagements this year are all part of my “yes” to wild obedience with my words. On the days I’d most like to hide in my own comfortable corner of the internet where the expectations are low, I’m learning to trust that God has a purpose for every open door – and every rejection. And I’m choosing to obey, to learn, and to move forward in confidence regardless of the result.

I strongly believe that the internet can be used to spread the Gospel and used for good. It can be a place to encourage, to build community, and to share knowledge. But I also feel that this is the year God is asking me to step outside my comfort zone and share in new spaces. Maybe you’re feeling the same way and wondering how to even start submitting a guest post, or how to share your heart in a new space. I have a few tips I’d love to share with you.

1. Evaluate the spaces you already love – what is it about the blog that makes you come back every day? Is the style and theme a good fit for your niche or passion or do you love it because it’s different? Can you already think of two or three posts that would be a great fit with their current content? If the answer to that last one is “yes,” it’s likely a great place for you to guest post.

2. Look for their submission guidelines – many larger blogs and contributor sites will have a page explaining their guest post guidelines, themes they’re looking for, specific word count, and even a form you’ll need to use to submit your post. It will help you determine whether your writing style & availability meet their requirements and following their requests will help your post make it to the right person for review. If you write a 1200 word post for a site that prefers less than 700 words, they might pass on your amazing post, especially if they’re filtering through hundreds of them.

3. Write a post that you love – if you feel like you’ve found a good fit for a guest post and you have several ideas floating around in your head, write one that you love – and would be proud to feature on your own site. That way if it’s picked up by the site it will be easy for you to promote it with your readers, and if they give you a gentle “no,” you can feel confident that you have great content to share with your own readers!

4. Submit – submit the post, submit to God’s will, and submit humbly to the outcome. Whether you get a “yes” or a “no” or a “we’d like a few revisions” – take joy in knowing that you have obeyed God and shared your story. God knows where and when He’ll use your words – we just have to be willing to write them.

How will you be obedient with your words today?