Guest Blogging – dealing with rejection

Writing is a profession that needs a thick skin.

Ask any fiction, non-fiction writer or commercial copywriter about their journey to the top and they’ll tell you a whole raft of stories of rejection, self-doubt and the pig-headed determination they had to show to make it.

The same goes for guest blogging.

There is one thing that you must remember – just because you spent hours lovingly crafting and shaping your blog post doesn’t mean it will be instantly accepted by grateful open arms.

Common reasons for rejection

After you receive that dreaded email that says ‘thanks, but no thanks’, you have to work out why.

There are a number of common reasons for rejection, such as:

• Poor spelling and grammar
• Not sticking religiously to the submission guidelines
• Writing about a subject that’s inappropriate for that blog
• Sending an unsolicited post rather than pitching first
• Writing in a style that doesn’t suit the blog
• Your email landing in their inbox on a really, really bad day

OK, there’s nothing you can do about the last one, but the rest can be avoided easily enough.

Before you even start writing your pitch email with your ideas, make sure you research the blog well and read some of the previous guest posts that have been accepted.

Get a feel for their style and content to make sure yours will fit in.

Choose a subject that fits within the blog’s niche and make sure you proofread it within an inch of its life before you send it (assuming you’re asked to send in a post).

 Coping with rejection

When you receive that dreaded email saying ‘nope’, it’s very tempting to sulk, file the post away in a dusty folder somewhere on your desktop and crawl away licking your wounds.

Don’t.

OK, so they didn’t like it – why didn’t they?

The first thing to do is ask for feedback (assuming they didn’t give a reason in their rejection email). Of course, no everyone will respond, but if they do, take it on board and learn from it. Plus, if they allow it, review and re-write your post in line with their comments and resubmit.

Just because they didn’t want your post doesn’t mean it should be thrown away and forgotten about. Try a different a blog and ask to guest blog for them – don’t let it go to waste.

If you want to prevent the rejection emails make sure you:

• Pitch your ideas first
• Show evidence that you’ve read their blog and understand what their readers want
• Offer ideas that fit within the niche of the blog
• Follow their guidelines to the letter

Don’t forget, the blog owner has the right to say yes or no – the content on their blog affects their reputation.