Thanks for your interest in writing for VastRandom!
As a Blogger, I know the importance of guest writing. It’s difficult to get that first paying gig as a writer, for example, when you only have experience writing on your own blog. And as a blogger, I know all about the benefits guest blogging can have on promoting your own blog or website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Write About? What Topics?
My standards are high, but I’m always interested in quality guest posts from quality bloggers. Just make sure you read this page in its entirety, okay? It’ll save both you and me a lot of time and hassle.
Hopefully and this doesn’t just go for VastRandom, but any site for which you’re trying to write — you have a good idea of the type of content regularly published on this site. If you don’t, definitely browse around and get a feel for the place. VastRandom is about improving your blog and your blogging skills. Our readership is divided between beginners, advanced users, and professionals. So, the potential topics for you to write about are virtually endless.
What About Length of Posts?
This is a big one. While I have let a blogger or two slides in the past (I was young and foolish), guest posts should be a minimum of 600 words.
And this doesn’t mean write 400 words and add another 200 of filler. If anything, it means you should try to write 7,00 words and edit down to 600 words. Your post will be crisper, clearer, and far more likely to be accepted.
Do You Pay for Guest Posts?
Guest writing here isn’t a paying gig. What you get is the opportunity to write for an up-and-coming blog, add to your writing portfolio, and expose yourself to a growing audience.
Your post itself can contain 1-2 links to other, relevant things you have written (provided I approve of them, and provided the links make sense within the post).
I also share your guest post on my own social media accounts, as well as include it in my weekly newsletter.
Note:
For any links within the body of your post, I will use the rel=” nofollow” attribute (Until We Discussed it). Google explains why it is wise to publish to do so in this article. The only exceptions will be for links to sites with which I’m familiar.
This will not prevent readers from seeing your links, clicking on them, and going to them. These links will still get the benefits of new readership discovering their material.
In your bio, the link to your blog will be dofollow.
Should I Include a Title?
Of course! I may “tweak” your title for SEO purposes (and in some extreme cases change it completely), but if you have a title you like I definitely want to hear it.
How Does the Editing Process Work?
It’s in your best interests and mine for your post to as awesome as it can be. So while it is possible you will knock it out of the park on your first draft, odds are at least a few tweaks will be needed.
If all that is required is a grammatical tweak here and there, I can handle those for you. Most of the time, your post will go through various drafts. I’ll respond to your submission with notes, you’ll make any necessary modifications, and you’ll re-submit. We might have to do this several times.
If it makes sense to do so, I may add links within your post to relevant content. This relevant content could be other posts here at VastRandom or posts from elsewhere on the web.
Once your post is “there” or “close enough,” I’ll take the post and give it any final tweaks before publishing.
How Can I Knock it out of the Park?
- Any guest blogging, whether it’s at VastRandom or elsewhere, should be top quality.
- As mentioned before, it needs to be at least 6,00 words.
- It needs to be free of spelling and grammatical errors.
- It needs to be insightful, helpful, and worthwhile.
- It needs to be new and unique. By that I mean it has not been previously published in any form.
- Posts should be conversational style.
- Keep paragraphs short. White space is your friend.
- Break up sections using H2, H3, or H4 headings (like I’m doing on this page). This helps with clarity.
Should I Include Photos?
Yes, Make sure they are not copyrighted images, and that you have sufficient permission to use them on the blog.
What About My Bio Headshot?
I don’t use or include your “Bio/ Headshot” in Post.
What will you do after publishing?
I’ll treat your post just like those I write myself.
I will promote your post on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook. I will also include a link to your post in the next weekly newsletter to my email subscribers.
What should I do after publishing?
It’s expected you will also promote the post on social media. It’s also expected you will be active in the comments section and respond to any comments readers may leave for your post.
Also, while you should never republish the post, it’s perfectly okay for you to offer an excerpt of the post on your blog, and then supply a link where your readers can read the rest.
Who Retains Ownership of my Post?
You will always be credited as the author — that won’t change. And Post will be published by Admin or VastRandom Editorial Team. But once your post has been published on VastRandom, it should always be unique to VastRandom. You shouldn’t publish it elsewhere.
You’re the author, but you’re giving over ownership to it. (This is how it works for all blogs which accept guest posts unless they state differently.)
This also means you shouldn’t take your post, tweak the title, change a few words here and there, and publish it elsewhere. Google won’t like that (and neither would I).
Can I be a Regular Contributor?
A goal of this website is to have multiple contributors writing for it. So, yes, if you prove to be a quality writer, I may ask you to write again on a recurring basis.
Submission:
Got all that? Good.
Here are the two ways to proceed:
Email me your “pitch” This will include a title for your proposed post, a general summary of what you will discuss, and a brief outline.
Email me your completed guest post. This will include a title, all 500+ words of content, and your 2-to-3 sentence bio.
In either scenario, I’ll review your email and respond within 72 hours.
Ready?
Then Email me at the following Email address –
admin[at]VastRandom.com
Thank You,
VastRandom.com Team