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Drive-by Guest Bloggers: The Dangers of Spun and PLR Content

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The Blog Engage $500 USD Guest Blogging Contest #1
Blog Engage $500 USD Guest Blogging Qualifying Article

Beware of drive-by guest bloggers offering to write free articles for your website. You may say, “But I’m not a writer. I can’t turn down free content!” You know that you need fresh content to attract buyers, and guest posts seem like an answer to all your prayers. Free? Even better. But when a writer appears out of nowhere, offers to write you unique posts – exclusively yours – in exchange for a backlink or two; remember that “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Your rich, overseas fourth cousin, seven times removed, did not just die and leave you a database overflowing with free PANDA food.

This is not meant to be a dry, boring lesson on copyright law and the evils of plagiarism. Rather, it is a cautionary tale for bloggers. It helps to understand a little bit about U.S. copyright law, so bear with me. And before you think, “Whew! That doesn’t apply to me, since I’m not IN the U.S.,” remember that most of the popular web hosting companies are subject to U.S. law, and consider this information on International Copyright.

Ideas Cannot Be Copyrighted – Thank Goodness!

Did you know that an idea cannot be copyrighted? If they could, there might only be one poorly written blog post about the importance of commenting on others’ blogs. In fact, there might be only one blog devoted to “blogging tips”! There goes your chance to dominate the blogging tips niche. So sharing is good – in the world of ideas.

Building upon others’ works is also good – especially in non-fiction. You can quote a snippet from another work – properly citing it, of course – and add to the discussion with your own ideas, commentary, and critique. No need to reinvent the wheel.

In principle, it’s okay to use small excerpts of other works for one of three purposes: education (though maybe not in in a training module sold for a profit!); parody (think Saturday Night Live); or review and critique (otherwise there would be no book, movie, or video game reviews allowed – and that would make their creators very sad). This is what’s meant by “fair use” – the tricky thing here is figuring out just how much of the original work you can use before being accused of a copyright violation. “Fair use” is a defense, not an absolute right.

“Plagiarism” is a low-life form of “copyright violation” in which one not only uses someone else’s work, but lies and claims he created it. Even if you properly credit the original author of the work, you’ve violated copyright if you’ve used too much of it without permission. “Too much” might be interpreted as “any more than you absolutely need in order to make your point.” Scraping a whole blog post is obviously too much. Copying an excerpt – arguably designed to be shared as part of “how the Internet works” is not a copyright violation if you cite the source.

Paraphrasing & Derivative Works

But what about paraphrasing? That’s okay, surely – you’re taking the same ideas, but using different words.
Then what about changing words? That’s acceptable, certainly – you can be using the same ideas, but writing synonyms.

Does that second sentence earn points for originality? That’s a “derivative work,” based on the first, and not even an interesting one. It does nothing to add to or change the original sentence. That’s what article spinner software and “PLR content” wants to sell you – the notion that by running words through the electronic equivalent of a salad spinner equipped with a thesaurus to produce something “unique,”  your post or article is original and not a copyright violation.

It’s a lie, at least under U.S. law. Because copyright protects “derivative works” and gives the copyright owner the sole right to create them.

A “derivative work” is a work based upon one or more preexisting works, such as a translation, musical arrangement, dramatization, fictionalization, motion picture version, sound recording, art reproduction, abridgment, condensation, or any other form in which a work may be recast, transformed, or adapted. A work consisting of editorial revisions, annotations, elaborations, or other modifications, which, as a whole, represent an original work of authorship, is a “derivative work”.

What does an article spinner do? It goes out and grabs a bunch of text based on keywords in preexisting works? It lifts passages and “spins” them, arguably creating something different. In reality, there are usually recognizable  chunks that would allow a halfway diligent researcher to trace them to their origins (or at least to numerous other “spun” copies).  If you did this to your own original articles, it would be lazy, at worst – but you’d have the right to do it. That’s why article spinners aren’t, in and of themselves, illegal. You can take all your own old blog posts and recycle them into yummy PANDA food. But doing it to others’ content actually can lead to a copyright nightmare – instead of one blogger coming after you with a DMCA notice, you might have ten irate bloggers all clamoring to have your site taken down.

Note: The following examples are based on actual guest post offers. Copied content is used here for educational purposes – to warn bloggers of the sorts of things to look for. Names have been removed, because I’ve been unable to ascertain the identity of, or contact, the original author of the content, and so have attributed it to “A. Guest Writer” – a fictitious name.

The Offer: Too Good to Be True and How Can I Tell?

If your inbox is full of guest post offers from random strangers, ask yourself, “What’s in it for the writer?” Odds are, someone else is paying them to place spammy backlinks anywhere, any way, that they can. And this is pretty effective for them. For example, I get what looks like a great offer in email:

Hi,

I would like to write an article for your website and in return I would like to have two link backs to my website. Let me know how we can proceed.

regards

A. Guest Writer

My first thoughts go something like this:

  • Wow, just two backlinks – and someone’s going to write me a post for free? Cool. Nice break for me!
  • Wait a second! He hasn’t mentioned me or my website by name – I’ll bet he says this to all the bloggers!
  • Maybe it’s petty of me, but “regards” should be capitalized and followed by a comma.

Still, I know that it’s important for bloggers to exchange backlinks. I was being a little petty about the capitalization, and maybe this guy was in a hurry. Maybe English isn’t his native language. Maybe he’s a kid. I write back, “Sounds good. What do you have in mind for the article? If it’s appropriate for my blog, I’ll be happy to consider it.” I commit to nothing.

Along comes the article, and right away, I spot red flags in the author’s bio block:

A. Guest Writer loves blogging on different subjects and he is a regular writer at Webhostingdeals.org. He has written articles on the topic of host alligator

Seriously? Host alligator? (The link, in this case, went to a page of Host Gator reviews, as expected. Just for giggles, I did a search for “host alligator.” Frankly, the notion of what might be covered in an alligator hunting seminar hosted by the Department of Natural Resources sounds like a far more interesting blog post.) After I stop laughing, I fire up Google.

So How Do You Spot the Fakes?

Host alligator is an immediate red flag. Nobody uses a thesaurus to mangle the keywords they want to promote; no sane writer mangles their own bio block. That tells me that no brain power was employed here. If the individual did not care enough to make sure his own bio block looked professional, I begin to wonder if he exists at all.

A simple Google search on A. Guest Writer’s email address reveals…nothing. The name used was fairly common; several different people showed up in search, but none of them wrote like this person. If someone is a “regular writer” anywhere, odds are, a search of their name or email address will turn up other articles, other social media accounts, and maybe a blog of their own. Real writers usually have a portfolio of work to show off.

Guest Post Sleuthing Tip #1 – Do a quick search on the writer’s name and email address. Ask for, and verify, previous publishing credits.

Next, I scan the text for unique phrasing – idiomatic expressions that make sense, and could not be easily switched out by an article spinner. I choose “wind out of the sails of criticism.” I use Google search to search for exactly that phrase, in quotes. It’s fairly common, though not all instances are relevant. I only care if the basic idea, structure, and expression are so similar it could be a copyright violation. I find articles on dealing with workplace criticism, criticism in a hospital setting, criticism in general – from a psychologist…  But what’s this? I find an article from last September on this very same topic – dealing with negative feedback on your blog! Now, you be the judge:

Older post – heading structure:

Identify the Issue
Humanize Your Responses
Be Prompt
Get Your Customers Involved
Think Twice Before You Delete

Guest post – heading structure:

Identify
Humanize
Prompt and Proactive
Get Them Involved

And, in the body, right below that last heading, “… So, next time you feel tempted to delete a particular comment, you should think twice.”

A similar “wind out of the sails of criticism” passage is contained in each post. In each, the passage appears in the “Humanize” section. And yet, it passes several plagiarism checkers. It’s unique, if not “original.” The fact that I found recognizable structure, nearly identical advice on the same topic, and some similar (fairly unique) phrases in parallel sections argues that it is derivative, and there is no credit given to the older post.

Guest Post Sleuthing Tip #2 – Search for idiomatic phrases, clichés, striking metaphors. Look for similarities in structure. Consider whether differences are due to the use of synonyms and obvious paraphrasing.

Guest Post Sleuthing Tip #3 – Look for obvious, weird synonym substitutions. What would be the more natural way to say the same thing? Perform a quick Google search on that, and compare results in context.

Guest Post Sleuthing Tip #4 – Run the whole thing through http://www.grammarly.com/ – not only will it check for plagiarism, it will offer suggestions on grammar, punctuation, and style. You can use it on your own work, too – it’s free.

Unfortunately, given the prevalence of “spun” and PLR (private label rights) content, it would be hard for anyone but the copyright owner of the original work to swear to its origins. The odds of getting caught in a copyright violation or having your site taken down over something like this are low. But you know how it feels to work hard and be really proud of a blog post you’ve created, and you know how it feels when someone else steals your work.  I hope that you will at least “consider the source” and not be too quick to publish those “free” guest posts – either because you are desperate for fresh blog content, tired of writing your own, or kind-hearted enough to want to help a fellow blogger. Make sure that you know the writer or check their references carefully.

I must thank Abhi Balani of OddBlogger.com for sharing some of his recent blogging tips and experiences with me; they provided some inspiration for this post. Many of us have similar stories. It’s unfortunate that we must be wary of others when our impulse is to say, “Hey, sure, thanks!” But better safe than sorry.


February 1, 2012 | Category: Guest Blogging, writing | 347 Comments

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Author: Holly Jahangiri (3 Articles)

On a good writing day, Holly Jahangiri claims (tongue-in-cheek) to be channeling the spirits of Edgar Allan Poe, Erma Bombeck, and O. Henry. On a bad writing day, she claims to have poured every last ounce of her creative ability and energy into childbirth, and has two wonderful children to prove it. You can find her on Twitter @HollyJahangiri (http://twitter.com/hollyjahangiri), Facebook (http://facebook.com/hollyjahangiri), and It's All a Matter of Perspective (http://jahangiri.us/new) - to name just a few of the places this social media butterfly flits.

347 Responses to "Drive-by Guest Bloggers: The Dangers of Spun and PLR Content"

  1. dragonblogger
    Twitter:
    (February 1, 2012 at 7:05 pm) | Permalink

    I have a combat to this, whenever somebody offers to “guest post” on my blog, I tell them what I want an article about and they must write it and present it to me. I tell them the criteria, I never let them suggest or send me an article to publish, I send them specifically what I want.

    I also charge in many cases for what I call “sponsored guest posts” I never charge other legit bloggers, they all guest post for free, but if there are clearly advertiser links and strict SEO benefit rule then I am going to at least bring in some revenue from it.

    I do however do some free guest posts from MyBlogGuest.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 1, 2012 at 7:30 pm) | Permalink

      Thanks, Justin! Are you combatting my post, or the practice described in it? :)

      One problem with your approach is that these folks can spin up an article on anything you like, and often will. It’s one thing to charge for advertising, but even there, I don’t want content that could get me into trouble, given to me by someone who doesn’t actually exist, in some cases. These folks will often go back and forth with you in email, but will back off if you ask too much of them. So I’m guessing you never hear back from many of them if you set a price or ask for too many edits.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Joys and Pitfalls of Guest Posting

      Reply
      • dragonblogger
        Twitter:
        (February 1, 2012 at 7:45 pm) | Permalink

        Some get scared away and some I have developed working relationships with, I don’t mind accepting guest posts and granting a few links if the articles are high quality. I also don’t allow links in the post content, only in author bio in 99% of cases.

        But you are right, I found some guest posters just find another language blog, translate a non-english blog post to english then submit it. Copyscape shows it isn’t duplicated because the English version isn’t, but you can find little translation errors in the language conversion.

        It is a lot of work weeding out the crappy guest posts, I accept very few of them anymore.
        dragonblogger recently posted..January Kindle Fire Giveaway Winner Announced

        Reply
    • Hajra
      Twitter:
      (February 1, 2012 at 8:14 pm) | Permalink

      Hey Justin,

      Though your way to combat this by offering them a title to work with is understandable; don’t you worry that you might be lowering their creativity to some extent. I mean, the blogger might be doing it for links, but you never know that the topic they have in mind is much more innovative and has something new to offer than what we suggest. Also, telling them to stick to our “scheme” might be doing injustice to the content they have to offer. And you never know, that content just might do a lot more for your own blog. In a way, guest posts do bring in a lot of traffic from both sources (blog owner’s and authors)

      Or did I get you wrong; when you mention what you want – is it a range of topics to work with or just a particular area highlights?

      Just curious! :)
      Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

      Reply
      • dragonblogger
        Twitter:
        (February 1, 2012 at 9:11 pm) | Permalink

        My blog is primarily a technology news site, this is one topic I can’t cover enough of. I generally have “gaps” in what I need covered on any given day, and occasionally if a guest blogger comes in and doesn’t have an article or idea that I like, I offer options.

        Example, I have guest blogger who came to me about android security article, a good fit and I liked the topic. As long as it passes my copyscape scans and is high quality would probably be allowed.

        Another guest blogger wanted to offer me an article about picking living room furniture or something of that nature, horrible content fit. I mention to them article isn’t a good fit, if they really want to guest post write an article about X and I will review it to see if it meets criteria.

        Reply
        • Hajra
          Twitter:
          (February 1, 2012 at 9:22 pm) | Permalink

          Living room furniture choice on a tech blog…. that’s food for thought! :)

          Ok, it makes more sense now. That is why I always stress on how important it is to know the niche of the blog before guest posting there. Or at least suggesting to guest post there! Familiarization with the blog always makes more sense. Or bloggers should have a guest posting guidelines on their blog. :)
          Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

          Reply
          • Holly Jahangiri
            Twitter:
            (February 1, 2012 at 9:42 pm) | Permalink

            Now, see, if you were talking to a CREATIVE writer, they’d just take that as a challenge. “Cushiest Couches for Social Media Gaming” springs instantly to mind. “Choosing the Recliner that Won’t Leave a Dent in Your Butt While Working from Home” – come ON, doesn’t anyone have a creative bone in their body, anymore??
            Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Joys and Pitfalls of Guest Posting

            Reply
            • Hajra
              Twitter:
              (February 2, 2012 at 5:00 am) | Permalink

              Ok, that sounded like you just called me un-creative; which I must totally agree with! :)

              So, we as blog owners who are accepting guest posts should be open to more ideas pertaining to a certain topic. That does become a problem when we have the “niche” in mind. We become a little narrow minded. Topics like how blogging can effect your health is as related to blogging and is SEO and all the blogging jazz is. Though we tend to focus too much on the latter.

              A little bit or must I say a lot of creativity needs to be put it… eh ? ;)
              Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

              Reply
              • Holly Jahangiri
                Twitter:
                (February 2, 2012 at 5:16 am) | Permalink

                Blogging While Sleep Deprived: Creativity Enhancer or Gateway to Global Misunderstanding?

                Just a thought, from my sleep-deprived brain. Probably too many characters in that title to give good SEO.

                Do Online Distractions Lead to Adult-Onset ADD?
                How to Avoid Spinal Contortions While Blogging for 12 Hours Straight
                Flocath: The Obsessive Blogger’s Best Friend

                Okay, never mind. I think now I’m a little slap-happy and in need of sleep. ;) But I would NEVER call you uncreative.
                Holly Jahangiri recently posted..3 Reasons Why You Have Been Using the Law of Attraction the Wrong Way and How to Fix it

  2. James
    Twitter:
    (February 1, 2012 at 7:29 pm) | Permalink

    Hey Holly, thanks for this insightful post. Although I do use article spinning for article directory submissions, I don’t use the “blender” type spinners. THe one I use is manually operated, and I NEVER use them for guest posts. I always check any guest post submitted to me via CopyScape as well as looking it up through Google. I will also set up a few google alerts for key phrases out of the article that would be hard to spin, so that I can see if they ever publish the article elsewhere (which is of course against my guest posting guidelines, and will cost them the post being published on my blog.)
    James recently posted..5 Blog Guest Posting Tips To Ensure You Get The Most Traffic

    Reply
  3. Hajra
    Twitter:
    (February 1, 2012 at 8:06 pm) | Permalink

    Hey Holly,

    You do arrive with a bang … don’t you? :)

    Well, there are so many things I want to say so let me start off! Firstly, the more I am reading about guest blogging and the likes, the more I realize that it is important that I know the blogger before I allow him / her to have their post published on my blog. Yes, always makes more sense if they hang around, have things to say on my other posts, familiarize with me and then have something to offer. Similarly when I decide I want to guest post, I make sure I do it on a blog where I feel comfortable; have knows the host for a considerable amount of time, have known what kind of content they carry and then offer. It works well if they have guidelines mentioned right there; or maybe I drop them an email asking if they are interested in guest posts and then take it from there.

    I do get emails on the pattern you mention above, it is always best to ignore them if they aren’t from a familiar name.

    I once was having this discussion with a fellow blogger and she mentioned how it is easier for her to say no to guest posts from people she doesn’t know; because saying no to people she does know is like saying no to friends… always tougher!

    But having content from someone familiar ensures to a certain degree that they are offering content they really have thought over and written.But I do like the suggestion mentioned here. Making a spy out of me but all for good reasons!

    Holly, you rock girl! I love this post! And I am eager to see the discussions that shall follow :)

    Hope you have a lovely day!
    Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 1, 2012 at 8:35 pm) | Permalink

      Hi, Hajra! Oh, that’s just the pots and pans rattling over there – don’t be alarmed. :D

      I think you and I have a little bit different perspective on this, as well; the more “personal” the blog (and I don’t just mean in terms of content – the more it is linked to YOU, personally) the more carefully you’re apt to consider what kind of guest posts are appropriate for your blog. My niche is the “no-niche niche,” so I’m flexible (to a point) on topics – but I do have a range. I don’t need reviews for carburetors, for the most part. Well – maybe if they’re funny reviews…

      I digress (but that’s what I do). I think it’s also important, when guest posting, to try to “fit” with the overall theme and tone of your host blog. It would be pointless (well, again, unless it’s hilariously entertaining and apt to go viral) to discuss changing diapers or how to mow the lawn here on Brian’s blog.

      You KNOW how tough it is to say no to friends. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I usually have to go after them and SUGGEST they write a post for me (one of the joys of the no-niche niche – it’s so wide open it intimidates most bloggers – they want to stick to the comforts of metablogging). :) I’m having a great day – hope you are, too. Or evening. Whatever it is, wherever you are.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Joys and Pitfalls of Guest Posting

      Reply
      • Hajra
        Twitter:
        (February 1, 2012 at 9:16 pm) | Permalink

        Okay, so you mean to say that its okay if the niches differ or range over topics to a certain extent?

        Like I have a personal blog; a blog that talks about personal experiences and takes the humor solutions at the end of it or just leaves the debate open about life and the likes. A tongue in cheek approach maybe? Now, when considering posts for my blog I would have something of the same genre… maybe changing diapers is a possibility; but something about SEO and links and making money blogging might be somewhat tough for me to take in for my blog. I actually got a request from a guest blogger who wanted to blog about “the importance of a twitter hash tag” and when I asked him how it pertains to my blog; he had this argument “It is important for twitter publicity, which determines your publicity on twitter; which is going to determine the number of followers you might have, and then life will be good” . Well, I just HAD to put him onto the spam list… really! :)

        I love how you mention the no-niche niche thing! It is 2 in the morning here! I have to meet many deadlines … and I just had a mug of tea to keep me up! But your discussion here is so distracting…. :)
        Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 1, 2012 at 9:47 pm) | Permalink

          You could write about the reactions you get from your family and non-blogger friends when you TALK about SEO or making money blogging or whatever. Or relate funny misunderstandings. Or – what was it you said your family has started to say when you ask them to share a link? :) You know, give it the personal, human, anecdotal spin.

          When you’re in the theater, do you think the rest of the audience always goes to hear how the special effects were made? Sometimes, that’s appropriate. Sometimes, they just want to be entertained. And sometimes, the SAME people want both.

          Whatever you do – whatever other tips you want to follow or share – try not to bore your readers to tears. And don’t give them steak when they want an ice cream sundae.
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..How to Make Custom Ringtones for Windows 7.5 Phone

          Reply
          • Hajra
            Twitter:
            (February 1, 2012 at 10:09 pm) | Permalink

            Ok, there loads of way you could look at a topic. But what remains to be understood is why people are focusing on how it should be done rather than doing it at all!

            Lol! This is just getting better! See you around! :)
            Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

            Reply
            • Holly Jahangiri
              Twitter:
              (February 1, 2012 at 10:18 pm) | Permalink

              Or focused on telling everyone else how it should be done, rather than doing it. I have a theory about that – actually, a theory about all those books on writing that famous authors like to pump out between novels and novice writers gobble up like crack cocaine – it’s what we do when we’re stumped for something to write about. We put the brain on autopilot and just go for it. ;) As long as there’s a market, why not? I do wish the media would stop pandering to the market that craves trashy behavior, sensational crime, and stories of impending doom.
              Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Versatile? You Betcha.

              Reply
              • Hajra
                Twitter:
                (February 2, 2012 at 5:06 am) | Permalink

                That I would totally agree with. Its like everyone is talking about peace and humanity and no one is actually doing it. When we see blogging; we have so many talking about how to blog, what to do to optimize your blog and using social media to throw your blog out there and then all the top blogs are about blogging; why aren’t blogs about personal triumphs, stories, or just plain fun making it to the top. Everyone wants to how to blog, no one wants to start having a blog just for blogging and not being the “guru”.

                When I did the series “what are you blogging about” on WBB; I had loads of responses saying that they feel motivated reading the post because they are tired of blogs about blogging and feel that they are the ones all alone. All when introduced to bloggers who blog about anything but blogging; they felt that they aren’t alone!

                Kind of like a vicious circle actually!
                Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

              • Holly Jahangiri
                Twitter:
                (February 2, 2012 at 5:22 am) | Permalink

                That’s so true! I keep getting sucked into blogging about bloggers and blogging because I have more fun entering contests and tweaking noses… ;) My angry dust bunny of a Muse, Prunebutt, is gonna tweak mine, soon. Did you see the little fuzzball’s taken on a life of his own? Got himself a Twitter account, and everything. All because @Libdrone said his name out loud three times, and now @Prunebutt1 thinks he’s Beetlejuice.

                And while I’ve been playing metablogger, Marian’s posted up the first #race2hugo contender (linked below, in my CommentLuv link). *sigh* It’s good, too. You should read it – if you’re looking for something to read for FUN. ;)
                Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Til Death Us Do Part

              • Alan
                (February 15, 2012 at 2:47 am) | Permalink

                Very much enjoyed Marian’s story on RFH.
                Alan recently posted..Plus Ca Meme Chose, Plus Ca Change

            • Holly Jahangiri
              Twitter:
              (February 15, 2012 at 2:49 am) | Permalink

              I’ve got some pretty stiff competition everywhere I turn, Alan! ;) Glad you liked it – hope you told Marian, too!
              Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Terrain of Error

              Reply
    • Todd Morris
      (February 1, 2012 at 9:54 pm) | Permalink

      I always look for the silver lining in things. One of the best things about having a not very popular personal blog … I don’t get bothered by guest post requests. :-)

      Seriously though, a lot of great advice in this article, and if I ever do get to the point where people want to write post for me …

      Well, umm, yea .. might be useful someday. :-D
      Todd Morris recently posted..My Last Military “Vacation”

      Reply
      • Holly Jahangiri
        Twitter:
        (February 2, 2012 at 12:38 am) | Permalink

        OH, Todd, too funny!! They’ll find you yet. But maybe your military experience will intimidate them and they’ll back off, look for easier pickings. I was rather shocked the first time I got approached about a guest post for my personal blog. I was a bit taken aback. (Fortunately, the blogger was a bit more professional and did check out when I did my search – but I think the underlying tactic and purpose was the same – to leave the spammy back links. It was okay – nothing prurient or awful about the link destinations, there were only two, they were arguably somewhat relevant, and I got an article she and I worked out and agreed on – I’m fine with that, really, if it’s a writer who’s willing to put in time and effort to give me something my READERS would like, and not just throw crap at me.)
        Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Joys and Pitfalls of Guest Posting

        Reply
        • Hajra
          Twitter:
          (February 29, 2012 at 5:07 pm) | Permalink

          I have got absolutely no requests for guest posts on my blog! Once I ran a series called thankful fridays and some lovely people did come by and volunteer and that was it. But before that and after that; not a single inquiry to guest post!

          But yes, having said that after my latest contest post about guest posting (you know that!) there is a blogger in particular who has shown interest and I took it up at the first instance; but I know her quite well before this so it works well!

          But yes, people are afraid of personal blogs.. eh?
          Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

          Reply
  4. Larry Lourcey
    Twitter:
    (February 1, 2012 at 10:10 pm) | Permalink

    More great advice from Holly! You are truly the Miss Marple of the Blogging World aren’t you!?
    Larry Lourcey recently posted..The Shocking Truth About Sales

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 1, 2012 at 10:14 pm) | Permalink

      No, no, no – get it right – I’m the Miss Marple of the Blogging World who goes undercover as an aging swinger Roller Derby queen with biker tatts. Actually, I claimed the title “Goddess of Google” back when Google was still in its infancy. I just LOVE going down the rabbit hole of search… Much more fun than trying to trick the rabbits into nibbling bait. You just never know what you might find lurking down there. ::grins like the Cheshire Cat::

      Reply
  5. kirapermunian
    Twitter:
    (February 2, 2012 at 2:25 am) | Permalink

    I believe most bloggers and readers are looking for convenient distractions in a blog and just tend to glance at things more than read, but if we can work on our style and structure, and develop a good personality that will attract regular visitors, we will soon have the dedicated readership we need to succeed in blogging.

    As of a guest blogger with SEO and readership purposes, I think it is a must first to have a balance on the content to care for the readers.

    Thanks Holly for this wonderful post. Guest Post Sleuthing Tip #4 is necessary to me. Thank you for sharing.
    kirapermunian recently posted..Kira Permunian Named Best Guest Blogger of 2011

    Reply
  6. Wong Chendong aka The Bad Blogger
    (February 2, 2012 at 5:50 am) | Permalink

    I had quite a few emails, people asking to guest post on my blog, usually if I do not know the writer, I will always reply “Hey, can I know how many guest post you had written and where had you written?”
    Guess what, most shitty writers never reply me, so I don’t waste my time. For those that reply me, they send me a few website where they wrote their articles, and immediately, I too… never waste anytime by replying them, because those website they show me, are also shitty sites that spun articles.
    Is really hard to guest post on my blog, unless the writer have proof of their writing on some famous blog. But seriously, to be honest with you, I rather had bloggers I knew to guest post on my blog rather then someone I doesn’t know.
    Wong Chendong aka The Bad Blogger recently posted..4 Marketing Tactics You Can Learn from the Porn Industry to Improve Your Blogging Effort!

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 2, 2012 at 5:58 am) | Permalink

      Amen, Brother! (Wow, and I thought I was a bit harsh and blunt!) You bring up a good point – these folks will often reply (unlike comment spammers) and make a show of working with you on revisions, even point to other work they’ve done and had published elsewhere. Really LOOK at it. Not everyone’s onto the scheme – and there are some soft-hearted bloggers who will give benefit of the doubt (thinking to give a break to an eager newbie blogger or freelance writer) where no benefit of doubt is due.

      Seriously – er, what constitutes a famous blog? (Don’t even tempt me to take up that gauntlet, Wong – I’m so done guest posting for this month! LOL – I have a Hugo-worthy sci-fi story yet to write.)

      Thank you for following my breadcrumbs, once again. ;)
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..They Might Have Been Twins

      Reply
      • Wong Chendong aka The Bad Blogger
        (February 2, 2012 at 6:09 am) | Permalink

        Well, the answer to your question, is actually simple: You just need to “known” by average blogger, advance and professional bloggers, for example “Copyblogger” who doesn’t know him or may be “Problogger” and may be “FamousBloggers”
        Did you see the way I wrote the above sentence? “Copy” and become “Pro” and you will be “Famous” but for bad or for good is up to how you “Copy”
        And hey… I’m not gonna tempt you, but if you like you can take it up anytime :)
        Wong Chendong aka The Bad Blogger recently posted..7 Reasons Why Money is Just Like Sex!

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 2, 2012 at 1:03 pm) | Permalink

          Thank you, Wong. ;) Not this month, though! (I’m neglecting my own blogs, at this point!)
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Til Death Us Do Part

          Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 3, 2012 at 12:56 pm) | Permalink

          I “met” Problogger (Darren) in Twitter before I had half a clue who he was, Wong – funny, true story – he was looking for material for a post (I thought he was just asking a QUESTION) and I answered. Next thing I know, he’s quoting me in tips for making timeless content during a recession, and giving me backlinks I also had no clue what to do with. We agreed that the “no-niche niche” probably WAS “my niche” and I set out to dominate it in my own charmingly oblivious and careless way. (I suspect I’m losing money but having way more fun than 99% of the bloggers out there.)
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Tale Of A Tired Jogger (Part 3)

          Reply
      • Hajra
        Twitter:
        (February 4, 2012 at 5:36 pm) | Permalink

        Some bloggers do have parameters as to what the guest author has blogged before and then they will take it up from there. Well I think that is a little too harsh at times. There are so many newbies like me who are trying their best to make a mark. And some of us are just trying our best to know our way around and have learnt amazing stuff and MAYBE have better stuff to offer. What I believe is that every bloggers (I am not talking about spammy ones here) deserves a chance to guest post or at least listen to what they have to offer. Just because they haven’t had the opportunity to guest post at a brilliant site shouldn’t be a determinant of where and what they can write… Wouldn’t you agree Miss Marple? ;)
        Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 4, 2012 at 5:46 pm) | Permalink

          I think all the “rules” bloggers set up for themselves and each other take half the fun out of blogging, most days. You know me – I’m a sucker for helping the newbies. (Not as good at it, in general, as Ms. Ileane – but I’d like to be more like her when I grow up.) I’ve told you my story about being quoted, years ago, in the HindustanTimes as a “veteran blogger”? I think I’d been blogging all of a month, at most, at the time. Of course Pyra Labs and Blogger were probably only 6 months old, and I thought I’d missed the edge of the bleeding edge already. Now here I am, thinking, “Okay, done that, what’s next?” So maybe my advice to the newbies – the best advice I can give – is to stop trying SO hard to be part of the herd. The herd is old, now. Form a new herd, generate new ideas, and instead of spending all your time following the latest blogging “gurus,” or telling everyone else how they’re doing it wrong, go INSPIRE us.
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Joys and Pitfalls of Guest Posting

          Reply
          • Hajra
            Twitter:
            (February 5, 2012 at 6:36 pm) | Permalink

            But then, every newbie gets into the trap. They feel they need to “learn” and somehow that learning gets confused with plain following. When I started out my personal blog, all the message I kept getting was SEO, key word, make your post go viral, traffic and all that technical jazz.

            But then there is this particular blogger (Jack at The Jack B) he always talked about blogging your own way; doing your own thing and enjoying it. He has been here over eight years and he has landed writing jobs through his blog. That is inspiration. He always tells you that if you think money, money, money from Day 1 then you are bound to get lost in the crowd under the pressure of conformity and blending in. Every big blogger isn’t necessarily blogging about blogging; they have their own ideas and their own strategies and they are rocking at it. No way ripping off someone else’s content is getting you anywhere. Maybe in a big muddy puddle of Spam Tags!
            Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

            Reply
            • Holly Jahangiri
              Twitter:
              (February 5, 2012 at 7:12 pm) | Permalink

              That makes a lot of sense, Hajra – I’m glad you found this Jack, and I’ll have to check him out – you have a link?

              Maybe what the newbies need is a simple guide to NOT doing it WRONG – how not to look like one of the herd, or how not to drive readers away fast. But only the biggest, worst, most egregious errors ought to be addressed, so they don’t end up having to chew a foot off to get out of the bear traps. The rest? We can just call those “learning experiences” and let people learn – first hand. But I think you’re right, the fastest way to get lost in the crowd is to be a conformist.

              Ohh, celebrate with me – break out the bubbly!! I have officially filed for an ISSN for the Race2Hugo blog – it will soon be a real serial publication registered with the Library of Congress! I guess that sort of makes me a publisher, now…not quite sure how I allowed THAT to happen! LOL
              Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Per aspera ad astra!

              Reply
              • Hajra
                Twitter:
                (February 6, 2012 at 1:18 pm) | Permalink

                Just go to thejackb.com

                I loved his post titled the Best way to blog is your way!

                Congrats I am so happy for you! See, you didn’t conform and you made it your own way… “veteran blogger”! Off to check the writing there!
                Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

            • Alan
              (February 13, 2012 at 2:58 pm) | Permalink

              Hajra,

              I don’t know how new you are to blogging, in calling yourself a newbie. Early in my blogging career I hung out with some bright, creative people and we were going to make our fortunes blogging. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. There is actually a great, Great, GREAT deal to learn in becoming a successful blogger. (And hanging out with Holly is a Very smart move :)

              Reply
              • Hajra
                Twitter:
                (February 13, 2012 at 5:50 pm) | Permalink

                Hey Alan,

                I am over a year and a half old into this but I will be calling myself a newbie for about five more years to come because every time I come across a blog post; I go like “Man… I don’t know this” So, see, I am a self proclaimed newbie! And don’t ask me anything about all the techno thing they talk about in blogs, I don’t know anything!

                But yes, I like writing and that’s why I am here.
                Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

              • Holly Jahangiri
                Twitter:
                (February 13, 2012 at 7:14 pm) | Permalink

                Alan, you are too kind!

                And Hajra, by your definition, everyone’s a newbie. People will come up with new things to challenge us always – the newbies don’t even know to be on the look out for them.

                In five years, we could be hooking our brains to electrodes and thinking at our computers. Then we won’t need to learn how to type.

      • Alan
        (February 13, 2012 at 2:16 pm) | Permalink

        You know, I really feel badly for bloggers who get taken in by this con. There really is a great deal to learn about blogging, which in its way encompasses the skill sets of content creator and web publisher. So many people think you just throw up a blogspot and become an over night success. (Shhhh— don’t tell Prunebutt but I am actually in year four or five of my ten year plan to become an overnight success :)
        Alan recently posted..Take Them On?

        Reply
        • Prunebutt
          (February 13, 2012 at 7:05 pm) | Permalink

          I read that as “So many people think you just throw up on blogspot” and started to say, “Well, doesn’t that just explain EVERYTHING…”

          Alan, here’s a word for your #definethis meme: agley (as in “Gang aft agley,” if you catch my drift)
          Prunebutt recently posted..Champagne and Strawberries = Vindication!

          Reply
          • Alan
            (February 13, 2012 at 11:15 pm) | Permalink

            Actually, I don’t choose the daily word for #definethis. Someone at Merriam-Websters selects and posts the word of the day every day. My acquaintance Heather Wilson has an automated thingy set up for her handle, @definethis to tweet out a link to the word of the day each day. I HAVE been having boatloads of fun getting some of my friends into the game. But the words are a surprise to me each morning, just like everyone else ;)
            Alan recently posted..A Cacophany of Cacography on #definethis

            Reply
            • Holly Jahangiri
              Twitter:
              (February 16, 2012 at 7:37 pm) | Permalink

              I haven’t been playing this in a while – I need to get back into it! Watch out or Pruny over there will start playing – lord only knows what he’d do, turned loose to write word definitions and sentences!

              Reply
        • Hajra
          Twitter:
          (February 29, 2012 at 5:13 pm) | Permalink

          I have read “success stories” that talk about how they made thousands in the first month of blogging! Yes, I read that when I was just a week into blogging and felt so depressed when I checked my ad sense reports… Now, I know I am here for the fun and will just keep on having that! That is my success story! ;)
          Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

          Reply
  7. A. Tatum Jr
    Twitter:
    (February 2, 2012 at 6:09 am) | Permalink

    Wow I’ve been hit with a few of these from a certain “educational” website. Very annoying.
    A. Tatum Jr recently posted..Eva for Android aka the Siri killer?

    Reply
  8. Abhi Balani
    Twitter:
    (February 2, 2012 at 9:56 am) | Permalink

    Hey, Holly. Sorry, I’m late. But finally I’m here to wish you all the best. How could I forget to come, huh? I was waiting for this post to get live so that I can share it.
    Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

    Reply
    • Abhi Balani
      Twitter:
      (February 2, 2012 at 11:11 am) | Permalink

      I’m glad you shared these tips with me before writing it here. I was really going to share this on my blog. LOL
      And you mentioned that “Host alligator”? I didn’t know you’ll use it here. LOL

      You know, after you gave me these tips I have declined more than 10 guest posts in last two weeks. I just do a simple “email address search” on Google, and go back to deny them. :-)
      Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

      Reply
      • Holly Jahangiri
        Twitter:
        (February 2, 2012 at 1:08 pm) | Permalink

        THAT one was too good not to use. It made the point – and got a laugh. And hey, that’s my hometown web host. Gotta love the ‘Gator!

        Your blogs, being in the niches they’re in, and gaining in rank and popularity as they have done, lately, are great spammer-bait, too, unfortunately. You must be vigilant, young Jedi! It’s kind of disappointing to realize that you’re not really getting a ton of opportunities to help “pay it forward” and advance the writing career of some hopeful and talented young novice freelance writer, isn’t it?

        Well, hold out for better – you and your blog deserve better.
        Holly Jahangiri recently posted..How To Win A Contest

        Reply
  9. jeevanjacobjohn
    Twitter:
    (February 2, 2012 at 5:19 pm) | Permalink

    Hey Holly,

    Good to see you here participating in the contest.

    You know after seeing you here the first thought that came to my mind is where I should participate or not (since I don’t really have much “chance” here – I will still try since I like guest posting and blog contest :D ).

    Anyways, great article :D

    Your article clears up a lot of my doubts (didn’t know much about these, anyways). From my experience at Techpupil, I have had many “fake” offers like these – but, I never responded to those. The ones I responded to – usually sent the article and links to some other posts that they wrote – so I trusted them.

    But, like you said, I did get fake ones – generic emails (the first thing I do is look whether they have my name in the email – if not, I will just delete it, because most likely the email is a generic one).

    But, there were a few cases in which they did everything the smart way, and it did take some time for me to realize that they were “spammers”.

    Anyways, thanks for the awesome post,

    Jeevan Jacob John
    jeevanjacobjohn recently posted..Traffic or Community – What Do You Prefer?

    Reply
  10. Sylviane Nuccio
    (February 3, 2012 at 2:49 am) | Permalink

    What a great article, Holly!

    This is a very informative piece for anyone who doesn’t understand what copying another person work really is and what spinners really are. Also, I love how you detailed the spots to watch when one receives an email for guest posting. So obvious, it’s almost funny if it wasn’t so sad.

    But really, who int their right mind would accept a blog post from someone who has never even took the time to comment on their blog? I know I wouldn’t :)
    Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..Interview With Barry Wells

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 3, 2012 at 3:13 am) | Permalink

      Some are cleverer than others, Sylviane – a few actually will come comment and even exchange a few emails with you. They’ll make a change or three to their “article.” But the bottom line is, they didn’t actually write an original article. They tried to pass it off as one. And they tried to pass themselves off as someone they’re not – most of the identities are just throw-away email addresses and made up names. Lots of little things to look out for, but I think there are enough good bloggers in the world – and enough relationships to be made and trust to be built – that we don’t really need to accept “iffy” offers like these at all.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Til Death Us Do Part

      Reply
      • Hajra
        Twitter:
        (February 29, 2012 at 5:26 pm) | Permalink

        When I opened my first email account when in high school, my dad actually warned me against opening email from “strangers” Seems like I still cringe a little bit before doing that! Like I said, no guest post requests as yet; but never say never!

        Also, if I need to guest post, I make myself a regular at the blog before hand and see how it goes. I always feel the author would be much more comfortable in seeing how things goes. Though this isn’t a hard and fast rule you know, some times total strangers can come up with amazing content. But yes, the spammers have made it tough for the good guys I guess!
        Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (March 1, 2012 at 1:49 am) | Permalink

          My kids and I always saw right through that admonition – everyone’s a stranger until you meet them, talk to them, get to know them. So if you never talk to strangers, you’ll die alone. But it’s good to meet them in very public places. ;)
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Edupunk

          Reply
          • Abhi Balani
            Twitter:
            (March 2, 2012 at 6:08 am) | Permalink

            We all were strangers to each other, a few months back (in my case). Now, I think we are very good friends.

            But what if we didn’t add each other to friends list, or talk in comments, looking at each other as strangers?
            Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

            Reply
            • Holly Jahangiri
              Twitter:
              (March 2, 2012 at 12:03 pm) | Permalink

              We’d probably read each other’s blogs MORE often. (Just kidding, but I do find that when I talk to people daily, I read their blogs a bit LESS frequently. Unless they poke me in the ribs and say, “Did you read my latest post?” And I’m grateful for the reminder, always. I loved Blogspot’s self-updating, RSS-driven blogrolls – wordpress is way behind it on that score. I kept up MUCH better, when I used that.)

              Reply
              • Abhi Balani
                Twitter:
                (March 2, 2012 at 1:07 pm) | Permalink

                It means it’s not good to talk you daily, you’ll not read my blog if I do so. LOL!!

                Okay, now, I’ll poke you and let you know that my new post is there, waiting for your comments. :D
                Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

              • Holly Jahangiri
                Twitter:
                (March 2, 2012 at 1:20 pm) | Permalink

                That’s right! But I figured you were already well aware of my need to be led to the next post and the unreplied to comments… :)

                I think I have acquired ADD. “Oooh, pretty shiny posts!” and she’s off – rein her back in…

              • Hajra
                Twitter:
                (March 3, 2012 at 11:47 am) | Permalink

                I know, it is like the moment we become chatting and emailing friends; that is the exact moment we stop becoming blogging buddies! Eeeks… we take our friends for granted, don’t we!

                And yes, Happy Birthday! :)
                Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

  11. Deborah Anderson
    (February 3, 2012 at 3:14 am) | Permalink

    Wow, Holly – excellent!

    I have only recently started with guest posts when I realize that burn-out might be at the end of the tunnel of 7 or so blogs I handle… I performed peripheral searches for copyright infringement, but never thought of them spinning it. I guess because I am so against plagiarism, I think everyone else is! Now, I am wondering about the posts I have accepted. Fortunately, I am so new at guest bloggers, I only have about three to check. Thank you, thank you!

    -Deborah

    P.S. I have thought it was odd that guest authors did not have a bio or avatar…. Guess that should be a red flag!
    Deborah Anderson recently posted..I Can Get My Insults For Free, Thank You

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 3, 2012 at 3:48 am) | Permalink

      Thank you, Deborah! Wow – SEVEN blogs? I have three main ones – and a few that I use for sharing shorter, newsier, photoblogging, microblogging stuff (one on posterous, one on tumblr, and one on wordpress.com – but all three talk to each other so I really only have to post to one, and it flows to the others). I don’t think I could keep up with SEVEN. I don’t know where you find the energy!

      I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s easier for me to write a post than to edit one. (Confession time: I’m not the world’s greatest editor – and I appreciate editors who prefer editing to writing – and are GOOD at it. That leads to nice, healthy, symbiotic – sometimes, mutually profitable – relationships!)
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..It’s All About Perspective – or Is it?

      Reply
      • Deborah Anderson
        (February 3, 2012 at 8:49 pm) | Permalink

        Hi Holly,

        I think I am crazy! LOL Hubby calls it “adrenaline junkie.” Actually, I love editing… not sure which I love more, editing or writing… Now, the tricky part is turning *off* the editing side when reading! You know what is worse? When I am so energetic to post that I do not edit my own work! It is certainly wonderful to be human and avoid the delusions of grandeur ;)

        Great meeting you, Holly! Looking forward to more of your writing!

        -Deborah
        Deborah Anderson recently posted..Twitter : 15 Things We Don’t Want To Know : Day 3 > Thong Folding

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 6, 2012 at 3:46 pm) | Permalink

          I understand the “adrenaline junkie” part. But at some point, I can’t sustain my own interest in that many! I think I’m a serial blogamist. ;) I always edit, but you know what? This post was originally over 3000 words long. I was horrified when I realized how much OVER the contest’s UPPER limit I was.

          I had to cut out a third. And I had already edited the post about three or four times! I thought it was pretty tight, already, and tightening it further would get rid of the “conversational tone” and humor I’d tried for. (I really didn’t want to write some boring treastise on copyright law and the dangers of spun and PLR content. It’s been done.) I worried I might have to cut out all the explanation of “derivative works” and simply leave it at a link to copyright.gov that few would ever click to follow down the rabbit hole!

          I chopped a good chunk, but in the process, I also added. So I had to chop some more. Still, it was about 2200 words long. It got down to a phrase here, a word there. Finally, it was just PAINFUL, but almost like solving a puzzle. And I have to admit that it’s a MUCH better post, now, for doing that.

          You know what they say about editing your own work – “Murder your darlings.” Never get too attached, and remember that it’s usually easier to CUT words than to add them when you’ve said all you have to say on the subject.
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..To Lose Weight, Lay Off the Endocannabinoids!

          Reply
          • Hajra
            Twitter:
            (February 29, 2012 at 5:32 pm) | Permalink

            I have trouble going over 700 words! Maybe the lazy Libran in me does dominate all the time… eh?

            We are balanced but very very lazy! I think I will put the blame on self doubt. I always feel if I write something beyond 1000 words (too much for me) people will just close it and say bye- bye! So, I always have shorter versions… my mind playing number games with me? And to think we talk about number glory!
            Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

            Reply
            • Holly Jahangiri
              Twitter:
              (March 1, 2012 at 2:02 am) | Permalink

              I know for a FACT that many people won’t read long posts – no matter who writes them. It’s a wonder anyone bothers with Tolstoy, at all, any more. It’s a wonder Stephen King’s such a popular author. People will either read what I write or they won’t. I hope that they do – I DON’T just write to amuse myself, although I wouldn’t bother doing it at all if I weren’t amused – but I can’t force people to read and it’s too exhausting (sometimes boring) to try to write the perfect 400-word post. Sometimes, all I need is 140 characters. But what I write is going to be as long as it is – that’s just how I roll.
              Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Button Dance

              Reply
              • Hajra
                Twitter:
                (March 1, 2012 at 2:23 pm) | Permalink

                If you have read nitty griddy (Ingrid Abboud’s blog – though she is MIA for some time now) you will see how long her posts are and still many people come across to read it. One thing she writes in this amazing conversational tone that one can’t keep going and she breaks in into smaller paras that makes one go on and on. Some may say it the reader in me talking; but I like how some people manage good with long posts – you included!

                As for 140, I find it way too less..I think my fingers hate rules – has to be over 140 but under 1000… ;)
                Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

  12. ivin
    Twitter:
    (February 3, 2012 at 7:16 am) | Permalink

    Holly, Holly, Holly. (General Holly Jahangiri entrance), must you always come in and splash all the water out the pool? I’m just kidding. As someone said here in a comment, ‘What a way to enter!’

    I must commend you on the good use of paragraphs/headings, quotations, references and proper teaching throughout. Only a couple things missing: An image to break up the text here and there, and a thumbnail to keep the visual people on the outset. Oh, and a video. Just those elements added to your post and you’ll be among the pro and elite.

    But what do I know? YOU won STB!

    ;)

    Good luck. As I told you elsewhere, I may do a post just for fun. (Off to dance)
    ivin recently posted..Local Burger Joint, Wimpy & Virgin Active’s Viral Marketing Campaign

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 3, 2012 at 4:34 pm) | Permalink

      Yes, and strangely I won it DESPITE only doing part of one video clip and forgetting, half the time, to add an image at all (Larry and Neeraj constantly ran around behind me trying to add images to my posts, bless their hearts – just one more example of what great teammates I was blessed with, even if I was often too quick for them and published sans image, anyway). Bless all those visually oriented folks – I’m just not one of them. I even quit playing role-playing games BECAUSE they went all animated and graphical and stopped letting me make my own movies in my head!

      At least I prodded Brian to get his designer to tweak the css to add more visual distinction between headers and bullets and blockquotes! (I know, it’s sad – I’m such a geek, and such a text-based geek.)

      Hey – splashed all the water out of the pool? You callin’ me FAT, now, Ivin?? Or just saying I do a mean cannonball? :)

      Reply
  13. Shanky Sahni
    (February 3, 2012 at 9:16 am) | Permalink

    hi Holly,
    Great post.You are right.Actually most of the blog owners are tempted by free content for their blog but most of the guest bloggers are spammers.I remember when one of the post which was sent to me was copied from somewhere.Really shame on these kind of people.
    Shanky Sahni recently posted..Major change made by Google in blogspot blogs

    Reply
  14. DiTesco
    Twitter:
    (February 3, 2012 at 11:33 am) | Permalink

    Haha, I get many of these “fly by” guest bloggers once in a while and I have to admit that I may let some of them slip by. What annoys me most is that they send you an article and then once it goes live they just leave it there unattended. I let some days go by and if there is no “action” from their part, I slam the links with “nofollow”, or in some cases, take it out completely.

    Anyway, those red flags keep coming and best thing is to be cautious like you said.
    DiTesco recently posted..Is Google’s AdSense Really Worth It?

    Reply
  15. Lennart Heleander
    (February 3, 2012 at 3:24 pm) | Permalink

    Hi Holly,
    The problem with the Drive-by-guest bloggers will probably disappear this year or next. Google has beginning evaluate the link power of the returned links, because it starts to look like the old link exchange method when everybody had link pages and exchange links with each other without any value.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 4, 2012 at 5:40 pm) | Permalink

      Interesting; I wonder how they plan to implement this, and what new scheme some bloggers will come up with to combat what they see as the “adverse effect” on their businesses next? Makes me tired just thinking about it.

      Reply
      • Lennart Heleander
        (February 5, 2012 at 9:14 am) | Permalink

        Hi Holly,
        Sorry, for 5-6 years ago people said that Google can not see which link exchange with each other, they created a system for it, then people started with 3 way and 4 way link exchanges to (A to B to C to D to A). Google sees it easy today. They will find a system for guest blog links between each other and drive-by-guest links too.

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 5, 2012 at 3:39 pm) | Permalink

          On the one hand, I’m all for that – but what kind of impact (if any) do you think it’s likely to have on CommentLuv links, legitimate guest posts (I write one for you and link to my site, you write one for me and link to yours, and both are well-written, helpful posts), etc.?

          I trusted Google until they joined the pay for placement crowd. I still love Google, but would really LOVE to see pure search engine results that were “customer focused” (with the SEARCHER as the customer, not the web sites as Google’s customers). I’d also like to see Google make their search options more robust for those of us who aren’t completely baffled by Boolean.
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Joys and Pitfalls of Guest Posting

          Reply
          • Lennart Heleander
            (February 6, 2012 at 9:46 am) | Permalink

            Hi Holly,
            Now we talk the same language, I also want Google to make some changes so we can see pure search engine results instead of all cheating and manipulating web pages.

            Reply
  16. lawmacs
    Twitter:
    (February 3, 2012 at 4:56 pm) | Permalink

    You have made a point here in have received lots of offers for guest posting but never looked at it that way that they are spamming and i like the idea that dragon blogger mentioned about charging after reading your post i must review my guest blogging policies.
    lawmacs recently posted..Round Up Week 4

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 5, 2012 at 7:53 pm) | Permalink

      I know, right? I wonder if Dragonblogger gets a lot of takers? It’s an interesting idea – good to run off drive-by spammers, good to bring in a little income if the “spammers” are serious advertisers. Of course, being neither, I’d hope to be a trusted blogging friend – because I may write for free, but I don’t PAY to write. ;)
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Til Death Us Do Part

      Reply
      • Hajra
        Twitter:
        (February 16, 2012 at 5:49 pm) | Permalink

        Talking about the pay thing; do you think it makes sense for people to pay for others to guest blog. I mean, it is like I am writing for free; and if my post brings in traffic; would people be ready to pay for it?

        I mean isn’t guest posting like writing for free? Or will paying just encourage the dangers we talk about here – spam, ripped content and all? But what if we consider guest posts from someone “authentic”

        P.S. I am still doing guest posts for free; just a thought.
        Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 16, 2012 at 6:26 pm) | Permalink

          I think writers should be paid for work for hire. That means, if I run a business blog and need fresh content from good writers – and I’m not giving them advertising space (backlinks) for free – then I ought to pay them.

          That said, I’m not running a business blog and have little to offer my guest bloggers except for backlinks and “exposure.” So consider any guest post you do on my blog “advertising” of your writing skills, at the very least. I don’t offer “free exposure” (as if you should thank me for not making YOU pay to write for ME) – I just offer a place to show off your talent to an audience you wouldn’t necessarily find on your own blog. (This, to me, is the value for bloggers in guest blogging outside their usual niche – to show they’re versatile enough to write about other things, if asked.) I’ve had a few OFFER to pay me, but they’re usually spammers and scammers and I’m not interested. I turned one of them in, the other day, to the “client” they purported to work for. I wasn’t buying it.
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Button Dance

          Reply
          • Hajra
            Twitter:
            (February 29, 2012 at 6:28 pm) | Permalink

            Makes sense. Some people actually pay guest posters; but yes, the content should be good enough and worth all that money. It is something they call empowering the writers. That might be a good thing one way, getting paid to guest posts; but yes, dangers lurk just round the corner!
            Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

            Reply
            • Abhi Balani
              Twitter:
              (March 7, 2012 at 4:36 pm) | Permalink

              Would you believe? some guest pay the blog owner for publishing guest post. I got a request a long ago, but my PR was 0 at that time. So, couldn’t make it. LOL!!
              Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

              Reply
              • Holly Jahangiri
                Twitter:
                (March 7, 2012 at 5:13 pm) | Permalink

                Yes, and Dragonblogger, I think, mentioned a willingness to consider such an arrangement. To me, it’s a question of:

                - is the post an AD?
                - is the post good content?

                Who gets the most value? Free guest blogging can be a balanced exchange, if backlinks are allowed and the post is good content, or if the bloggers are friends and want to simply strengthen of expand their networks and readership. If there’s NO value to anyone in the transaction, then what’s the point? Writers should be paid for writing well and providing content for someone else’s blog. Advertisers should be paying for the exposure. Simple? Maybe – maybe not. At least everything’s open for negotiation.
                Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Blogging Break: Happy Holi to All Bloggers!

  17. Sally Brown
    Twitter:
    (February 3, 2012 at 5:38 pm) | Permalink

    Hi Holly,

    This is a great post on copyright, random guest post offers. I don’t have a lot of people who want to guest blog, but occasionally I will see something on LinkedIn about someone who will follow you if you follow them or offering to guest blog for other people’s blog. I don’t respond because I figure if you have to beg, there’s a reason.

    I have been invited to guest blog several times and like doing that. Eventually, I want to have guest bloggers on my site, but will ask bloggers I already know and respect their content.

    Thanks for the great info presented here. Sally
    Sally Brown recently posted..Another Reason To Smile!

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 4, 2012 at 6:23 pm) | Permalink

      You’re always welcome on mine, if you’d like to guest, Sally.

      I think that the very nature of our blogs makes us a little less susceptible to this ploy, Sally. Most of these drive-by guest bloggers would not have a clue, really, how to adapt and write from the heart. And what would we do with their sterile, spun content? We don’t need a bright fifth grader’s essay on SEO, which is what these sound like, for the most part. (Although if a bright fifth grader wants to write me an original guest post on SEO, he or she is more than welcome to contact me – that could be fun. And yes, I’m pretty sure I can tell the difference between a real fifth grader with a brain and a spun up article.)
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Blog Engage Goodies to Give Away!

      Reply
  18. Gerald Weber
    (February 4, 2012 at 4:06 pm) | Permalink

    I tend to get irritated by those “Free content” email because most of them come across as canned and quote spammy and typically they are someone looking for a quick link grab. The worst part of it is they don’t have the common sense to personalize the requests.
    Gerald Weber recently posted..Pinterest drives more traffic to sites than 100 million Google+ users

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 4, 2012 at 6:11 pm) | Permalink

      And as Hajra points out, below, Gerald, they make it harder for some new bloggers to catch a break and land a guest post, because those who know the scheme set up all kinds of “rules” about guest posts and limit the pool of writers they’re willing to accept them from. In a way, though, it gives me hope that the frenzy will abate some, and people will be FORCED to act like human beings with each other – you know, form real relationships and not just exchange clicks here and there.

      Thanks for your comment, “neighbor.” :)
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Yoga For Bloggers-Three Easy Yoga Poses to Ease Lower Back Pain

      Reply
  19. Hajra
    Twitter:
    (February 4, 2012 at 5:42 pm) | Permalink

    Hey Holly,

    The conversation is going fabulously amazing here! Reading all these comments just made me think about something. If the spammy bad guys out there are picking up others stuff and passing it on as their own; then we might be the victim as well? Some bad guy copying our blog posts or chunks off it and passing it on as their own for a third blog. That might be quite possible right?

    Is there any way we can find that using the techniques mentioned here? Google ourselves? ;)
    Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 4, 2012 at 6:07 pm) | Permalink

      Of course – not just “possible,” but likely. Especially if any of your posts are keyword-rich, well-written, and deal with popular blogging topics. (They don’t seem to like to steal my Prunebutt posts, but @Prunebutt1 loves to vanity surf, just the same – he lives in the hope of busting bad guys.) You can set up a Google Alert on some phrases (like the one I used in the example above) and see if any of them get a hit. Remember, though, that cliches and common idioms are not enough to bust a copyright violator – you have to kind of take the work as a whole, and see if anything distinguishes any part of it as a rip-off. Obviously, just using the phrase “wind out of the sails of criticism” is NOT enough – otherwise, copyright really would have a ridiculous chilling effect on ALL speech and writing. Even a trademarked word or phrase is only effective as a trademark in a narrow sense. “I’m lovin’ it” and “Where do you want to go today?” for example – I don’t think you need to worry that McDonald’s or Microsoft will come after you for writing those, unless you’re using them to describe competing products.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Boo! An Interview with Ms. Ileane Smith

      Reply
      • Hajra
        Twitter:
        (February 5, 2012 at 6:25 pm) | Permalink

        You know once when I was reading a post about people ripping off others content and just out of curiosity, I coped the first few point of my contest post on WBB (You remember that one! ) and did a google search; I found FIVE bloggers doing a similar article and they used the some of the same points in the exact SAME WORDS. I mean, if they want to cheat, they could at least use a little bit of their brains to modify the content. Two of them were kind enough to have linked back the post to my contest entry and mention it as an inspiration. But the other three were not so kind. I did contact them and tell them that they could have at least acknowledged the “inspiration”; few responded, others didn’t bother. So, I wouldn’t say I wrote the best post, but yes, I worked on it, I used my ideas and if someone really likes it, they should acknowledge the fact. That is enough.

        Otherwise, it is just plain stealing your content!
        Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 5, 2012 at 7:48 pm) | Permalink

          I’m no longer very nice about it, when I find my writing being used without permission. I am not “flattered,” or “honored,” or pleased to have the “free exposure.” I use a whois lookup and send a DMCA notice. Because, unfortunately, too many of these folks do know what they’re doing and are banking on not getting caught – or on you not knowing how to deal with them. plagiarismtoday.com is an excellent resource for those looking for how to deal with online copyright violations.
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Til Death Us Do Part

          Reply
          • Hajra
            Twitter:
            (February 6, 2012 at 1:14 pm) | Permalink

            Thanks for mentioning the resources. Though I would love to meet in person and fight it out; this seems more do-able!

            Do they have a Big Brother for these issues?
            Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

            Reply
            • Holly Jahangiri
              Twitter:
              (February 6, 2012 at 3:53 pm) | Permalink

              Hah! I once had a virtual slug-fest with a Ukrainian rip-off artist. After I swore at him in Russian, he replied in transliterated Ukrainian – who knew Google translate couldn’t handle that? Jerk. I thought he was sending the Russian mafia after me. It took about a week, but I finally found someone who could translate what he’d sent – it was something along the lines of “why it bother you so much? And fyi, I prefer wine to vodka.” (I’d called him a few choice names that looked far more interesting in Cyrillic, but involved donkeys’ nether regions, mushy gray matter, and vodka. His reply was shockingly civil, all things considered, but I’m sure that by sending the transliterated version, he knew he’d cause me momentary worry.) I did manage to get his sites taken down three or four times, and he now stays far from me and my writer friends. I think he’s into phishing with dynamite, these days.

              Reply
              • Hajra
                Twitter:
                (February 6, 2012 at 4:55 pm) | Permalink

                Lol! So, YOU are the Big Brother of the blogging world ;)

                And that is quite a funny incident if you look at it now. But seriously, we need a watch dog. Maybe the blogging police or we just need to make people realize the importance of being the better human being and actually have something original to talk about! :)
                Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

  20. Jamie Northrup
    Twitter:
    (February 6, 2012 at 7:33 pm) | Permalink

    Great post Holly, and good luck with the contest. I have a blog (deucegroup.com) specific for “spammy” style guest bloggers, I still read it to make sure it makes sense and isn’t too spammy, but I don’t post any guest posts on my personal blog (jamienorthrup.com). I don’t guest post much, but have started to do it more often now, but I do it for networking reasons and to get my name out there more than I do it for SEO, although I always try and work a link or two in there ;)
    Jamie Northrup recently posted..Top 10 WordPress Themes from January 2012

    Reply
  21. Ileane
    Twitter:
    (February 9, 2012 at 8:39 am) | Permalink

    Hi Holly,
    On my contact page I used to have a link to a blog post with the instructions and requirements for guest posting. That wasn’t working because too many people would bypass the link. I ruled some people out because of this, but then on second thought I decided that I would make it bigger so that there was no way a “human” could miss it. I had the perfect solution with one of my podcasting tools called MixCloud. So I recorded a podcast with full instructions including how I wasn’t interested in people who promise me guest posts “absolutely free of charge” and I embedded the MixCloud version on the contact page which is huge! So there is no way a human can miss it.

    I clearly state that I need to see writing samples before I’ll even consider accepting the post. The first thing I look for on the samples is the interaction in the comment section. Keep in mind, the link builders and non-bloggers never stick around to respond to comments, so that’s a huge clue right away.

    Since I added the podcast to the page I have seen a drastic reduction in those crazy request that only “want two links”. LOL!

    The ones that do get through, I’ll respond to them “I have a question, did you happen to notice the instructions on my contact page? If not, please take a look.”

    Guess what, I never hear from them again….:)

    Ok, now let’s move on to the next type of people that I often end up rejecting. These are really bloggers and although I never hunt around to see if they are spinning articles, I do look at the samples they send and check for comments like I mentioned earlier. For example I had one recently who sent samples from a few of my friends blog’s including a post he wrote for Hesham’s Famous Bloggers. Once again there wasn’t much interaction in the comment section. So I asked him “why don’t you respond to comments?”. His answer was that he doesn’t respond to people who don’t have Gravatars.

    In my mind, all I could think of saying of was:

    NEXT!
    Ileane recently posted..My Podcasting Gear and the Ms. Ileane Speaks Podcast is Now on iTunes

    Reply
    • Prunebutt
      (February 10, 2012 at 2:38 am) | Permalink

      What’s in a Gravatar? Be you human,
      Wordpress “monster,” grayish silhouette
      Or blob of cud within a cow’s rumen –
      Not all is as it seems upon the ‘Net!

      Take me, for instance – am I merely lint?
      Or angry, snarling, orangish bit of fuzz
      Why should I care if bloggers pay their rent?
      Take SEO and SERP, pagerank and buzz–

      Leave me hibernate until November!
      Just ask yourself, next time you see my face
      Think you hard, consider, and remember–
      That I am real, and only by my grace

      That you lay your eyes upon the writer–
      For if you see ME, you’ll rarely sight her!
      Prunebutt recently posted..100 Good Things About Me

      Reply
      • Holly Jahangiri
        Twitter:
        (February 10, 2012 at 2:42 am) | Permalink

        Cow’s rumen? Prunebutt, are you drunk, or just desperately reaching for a rhyme?

        And you posted 100 good things about ME, there, Fuzzbutt – I doubt anyone could come up with more than about 34 for you. But you do make a point about the silliness of talking back to Gravatars.

        I have a new rule, too, Ileane – I’m going to stop friending people who use celebrity photos as their profile pics. They’re either paranoid, horribly insecure, or lying to themselves and others. The least they could do is get their own cute little monster alter egos… ;)
        Holly Jahangiri recently posted..YOUR Chance to Read Little Mountain by Bob Sanchez

        Reply
      • Abhi Balani
        Twitter:
        (February 11, 2012 at 10:37 am) | Permalink

        Hey Prunebutt,

        I loved reading this poem. Thanks for your comments on my article. Would you come to my contest entry? LOL

        BTW nice to meet you.
        Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 16, 2012 at 6:29 pm) | Permalink

          You just HAD to encourage him, didn’t you? Pretty soon, his Klout score’s going to outrank us all. (It’s already 15, btw, and he’s only connected Twitter.)
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Button Dance

          Reply
      • Hajra
        Twitter:
        (February 16, 2012 at 5:51 pm) | Permalink

        You know Prunebutt, I love the way you think… actually I do!
        People may call you many things; but for me you are plain old charming! :)
        Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

        Reply
        • Prunebutt
          (February 16, 2012 at 6:32 pm) | Permalink

          What a delightful young woman you are! Such an astute judge of character!

          What do you mean, “many things”? Is my fan club making up new titles and endearments for me, again? I’d blush, if I had cheeks.
          Prunebutt recently posted..It’s All About Perspective – or Is it?

          Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 10, 2012 at 2:45 am) | Permalink

      Hmmm… looks like the little monster went back into hiding, there. That, or Brian swatted it – not realizing it’s like the Tribbles.

      If you’re wondering about that comment, Ms. Ileane, Prunebutt wrote you a SONNET. Be glad it’s gone – it was really badly written.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Joys and Pitfalls of Guest Posting

      Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 10, 2012 at 12:02 pm) | Permalink

      Anyway… sorry, I had to go – long day, yesterday. Tell you about THAT in email. I think having guidelines for guest posts is a must if you accept them regularly. I used to get frustrated with the fact that every publisher’s submissions guidelines were just a little different – couldn’t they STANDARDIZE? And then I realized that you could spam people by snail mail, too.

      I like your tip, here, Ms. Ileane – you DON’T have to check to see if they’re spinning, if you DO check to see if they’re engaging with their readers! (Well, a few will stick around a day or two and say thank you, maybe – if they’re clever enough to also be harvesting other possible backlinks. Maybe. But their comments will show whether they care enough to really talk to people, or if they’re just doing the “nice post,” and “thanks” routine.) Good point!

      Prunebutt over there was trying to make a poetic point about how Gravatar isn’t the be-all and end-all of online trust. Sure, they took the time to bother – but a lot of folks use celebrity or stock photos. It’s still hard to be 100% sure you’re talking to the person they appear to be.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..It’s All About Perspective – or Is it?

      Reply
      • Alan
        (February 13, 2012 at 2:21 pm) | Permalink

        I think I disagree about publishing guidelines for guest posts. IMHO, most if not all successful guest postings come about from relationships for other bloggers. Talking to a friend about what they could contribute that would work well on Your blog seems to me a much better use of your time than publishing guidelines.
        Alan recently posted..My Inner Blogger

        Reply
    • Abhi Balani
      Twitter:
      (February 11, 2012 at 10:34 am) | Permalink

      Ohh yes, Ileane! I remember that. It was my first time (actually, it was my second guest post on BBT :) LOL) I saw guest post instruction in audio. I couldn’t start before it was finished.
      Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

      Reply
  22. Hajra
    Twitter:
    (February 10, 2012 at 7:22 pm) | Permalink

    You know, after all I just read Adrienne’s post on Tynt. (Go to adreinnesmith[dot]net and see the latest post)

    There is this new software called Tynt. Most of the information shared online is done through email. Almost 70%! So, what most people do is when they read something interesting; they copy and paste it (this is the #1 sharing method) and send it across. And then people who get the emails, might tend to send it to others and so on. So, your post (or part of it) is actually being circulated to a much wider audience than you know.

    What Tynt does is that when someone copies and paste a post of part of it; they automatically include the link below it (something which cannot be edited) and so when the post is emailed further on, and people click on the link; they are redirected to your blog / site.

    Though spammers still might get away; this is pretty useful you know.

    Thought this might be relevant to the conversation here!
    Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

    Reply
  23. Nicolas Liu
    (February 12, 2012 at 4:20 am) | Permalink

    Great analysis. I never meet someone offer ‘drive by posts’, partly because all their emails went to the spam folders. I only accept guest posts I know or someone introduced through my friends. So, there’s enough vetting process to avoid majority of drive by bloggers. Additionally, my main blog is highly specialized and I could spot fake content immediately. Though, I’ll apply principles mentioned here when I need something for ‘leisure’ posts.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 12, 2012 at 5:38 pm) | Permalink

      Nicholas, I thought I was fairly immune since my niche is not oriented towards making money online, but it could just be good spam filtering! (Could be that word on the street is, “Don’t bother – she checks everything, so unless you’re just up for a challenge, it’s not worth the time and effort.” Since these folks are all about bang for the buck and not willing to put time or effort into anything, they put me on their own “do not email” lists! :) )

      Thank you for your support, Nicholas – I appreciate your dropping by! See you on the Avenue!
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Button Dance

      Reply
  24. Alan
    (February 12, 2012 at 4:33 am) | Permalink

    In all the years I’ve been producing the book review blog, I have received exactly one guest post. It was a well written review of a novel that was not my cup of tea and I was genuinely pleased to publish it. IMHO, most bloggers would be much better off ignoring pretty much any and all e-mails about guest posting– and talking with other bloggers they know and respect about the possibility of swapping guest posts– which can be a real win/win.
    Alan recently posted..Take Them On?

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 12, 2012 at 5:41 pm) | Permalink

      When are you writing one for me, Alan? :) Serious invitation, there.

      You’re right. What’s really unfortunate here, though, is the same thing I see reflected in traditional publishing – look how many publishers now say “Does not accept unagented submissions.” So I have to pay an agent 15% just to send them a manuscript, now? I do have more empathy, though, being on the publishing side now and then. I just think it’s a shame – these people make it harder and harder for REAL people, good people, to even get a foot in the door.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Joys and Pitfalls of Guest Posting

      Reply
      • Alan
        (February 13, 2012 at 6:04 am) | Permalink

        Well….I’ve known some agents before and I do believe that most of them work pretty darned hard for their 15%. Though at this point in time, I think any talented writer who is still working on landing a deal with a big New York publisher, rather than learning about and using the tools of self-publishing and promoting themselves and building an audience…..probably is never going to be a successful writer. About guest posting– after you are finished with this contest and have more time, give me a holler. I will see what I can write for you.
        Alan recently posted..How Much Is Enough?

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 13, 2012 at 12:39 pm) | Permalink

          Yes, I have no doubt agents hustle for their clients, Alan. Of course, it’s hard to land one of those good agents these days. Seems they rarely take unagented requests from writers, themselves. :)

          I’m just geek enough to enjoy exploring the tools of self-publishing and when I think back to just 4-5 years ago, and my absolute horror at the thought of having to promote my own work, I laugh. If I can’t or won’t, nobody else will, either – doesn’t matter where I publish. If it were my full time job, I’d do a much better job of it – and now, probably without batting an eye. Of course it’s not, so my efforts there seem haphazard at best. I’d have to take vacation time to do book signings if I lined any up!

          It’s a good thing you mentioned your guest post – never assume anything, Alan (though you can safely assume, with me, that SILENCE means “Yes, that must’ve fallen into the spam folder or got lost amidst the offers of $10000000 from Lagos – let me try again.”)
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Joys and Pitfalls of Guest Posting

          Reply
          • Alan
            (February 13, 2012 at 2:52 pm) | Permalink

            You know, I don’t believe I ever Have gotten a spam message about million dollar Legos. (I like Legos :) After an amazing private discussion this morning I am filled to my eyeballs with ideas about what I want to write, and I have huge hopes for my character Mr. Everything. I’ll let you know about a guest post.

            Reply
  25. Karen Marie Shelton
    (February 12, 2012 at 4:57 am) | Permalink

    Hi Holly,

    I read your blog and all the comments with a heavy heart. When I started my website back in the mid-1990s the landscape was virtually empty. Since that point in time I have watched as the web exploded and the content rip-off artists exploded like rabbits. Spinners, spammers, copyright infringement specialists and content thieves sprung up virtually overnight.

    When I started to see my original content, such as articles, tips, advice columns and blogs, being spun and copied illegally, I fought back. Eventually it became futile due to the massive numbers of interlopers, spinners, and word thieves.

    In the early days I would find a handful of sites that had copied all or part of my work without links, credits or references. I would contact them, demand removal and even pursue legal avenues. As the years passed, I would find hundreds, even entire websites built upon a few of my articles. It became exhausting constantly searching for violations and trying to get them removed or rightfully credited.

    Recently I found a man from China who literally copied 56 of my original articles by cutting and pasting them onto LinkedIn on a forum I participated in. I was flabbergasted to say the least. When I contacted him he told me I should be flattered that he liked my articles so much. It took months to get all the articles removed. I suspect he still has a few that he hide from me on other forums although I can’t prove it.

    My writing is not always perfect, but I do it with pure love and total dedication to my subject matter. To see it constantly being stolen is frustrating, devastating and infuriating.

    Ironically, just today I received two requests from “guest bloggers.” Maybe being so badly burned from so many years of watching my work nibbled away has made me cynical. Who knows. However, I never allow guests, no matter what. I have become paranoid to say the least.

    Thank you so much for a wonderful blog. I found it so entertaining and very helpful.

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 12, 2012 at 5:55 pm) | Permalink

      Oh, Karen – that’s a disheartening tale. Why do thieves think you should be “flattered”? If they came into your house at night and stole your your living room furniture, should you be flattered they thought you had such good interior decorating skills and taste?

      I rarely approach the rip-off artists directly, anymore. I leave that to their web hosts – it’s their clients, their business relationship, and their job to deal with such problems. I send THEM the DMCA notice and leave it. I used to try to do people the courtesy of just asking them to take down the material, but you know what? They didn’t do ME the courtesy of asking before they stole it, did they? (Ironically, in some cases, I’d have said “fine” – and let them use whatever it was they used, if only for proper credit and a link back to MY site. How hard would THAT have been? But they’d have had to ask – just giving credit and assuming fair use doesn’t make it so.)

      In the case you mentioned, 56 of your original articles CANNOT be an innocent mistake, now, can it?

      Thank you so much for reading – I do appreciate your support in the contest here, too. I checked out your site – love it, but you’re going to have to dumb down some of those how-to articles for me! LOL – I can’t even roll my hair!! And I’m not dying it pink – not even for October. Huh uh. I’ll be back, though. And let me know if/when the 40s makes a resurgence!
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Blog Engage Goodies to Give Away!

      Reply
    • Alan
      (February 13, 2012 at 6:11 am) | Permalink

      It really is a conundrum, I believe. As your sad tale illustrates, fighting them can easily become a full time job and it can be very difficult at length not to become completely discouraged. Sites like Tumblr that actively encourage users to “re-blog” posts make it oh so easy for others to steal your hard work. On the other hand, I try not to worry about it too much. I, like Holly, do send DMCA take down notices to ISPs and blog hosting companies when I notice my work has been scraped. But I don’t actually spend a lot of time looking for it. IMHO, far better to keep most of your focus on creating great content and promoting it.
      Alan recently posted..A Cacophany of Cacography on #definethis

      Reply
      • Holly Jahangiri
        Twitter:
        (February 13, 2012 at 12:46 pm) | Permalink

        I’ve never minded people sharing excerpts and a link back to my original work. If I post images, I prefer they ask and/or link to the original (a link means I’m still in control of it – if I take it down, they’re looking at a big red X or some OTHER image – so it’s always a bit of a risk, but respectful use generally gets respect in return). Scrapers and sploggers deserve no mercy.
        Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Whence Smack Talk?

        Reply
        • Alan
          (February 13, 2012 at 3:03 pm) | Permalink

          Holly, This is the first time I have EVER heard anyone speak out in favor of “hot linking”– which is to say serving up the picture on Their site from YOUR server. Bloggers who have limited bandwidth or pay for bandwidth are usually irate if someone hot links their image. Am I mis-understanding something here?

          Reply
          • Holly Jahangiri
            Twitter:
            (February 13, 2012 at 9:43 pm) | Permalink

            Nope.

            I get that they’re irate, and I understand why. HOWEVER, unless you ASK me first, and I say “Sure, no problem, Alan, download my photo, put it on your OWN server, and display it on your blog,” you’d better NOT.

            On the other hand, if you hot-link to it, and I don’t like how you’re using it (or you’re generating an obscene amount bandwidth-sucking traffic), I can replace it with a different image and/or simply delete the image altogether.

            Really, neither solution is ideal, is it?
            Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Button Dance

            Reply
          • Holly Jahangiri
            Twitter:
            (February 13, 2012 at 9:46 pm) | Permalink

            This business of paying for bandwidth you have no control over is like paying to RECEIVE cell phone calls, too. Completely unfair. It would be better, then, if my provider could simply cut YOU off (or sever your access to MY image) if you end up eating up too much bandwidth.

            Maybe. :) Honestly haven’t had this problem; my photos aren’t THAT popular! LOL Bottom line, best to ask.

            Reply
            • Alan
              (February 13, 2012 at 11:24 pm) | Permalink

              Thanks for confirming that I DID understand the hot linking thing accurately. These days, my usual procedure for my Daily blog post (I am so far keeping up with my goal of blogging every single day in 2012) is to write the title first. Then I do an image search for the exact post title and choose the most suitable image I find on the first page or two of the image results. I always download the image, upoload it to my server and link to the exact url. I know this is not entirely kosher, but I think I can get away with it. (And so far no one has contacted me to complain about scraping their images; and honestly? I believe most bloggers would not be put off to have an incoming link that shows their post image.)
              Alan recently posted..My Inner Blogger

              Reply
    • Hajra
      Twitter:
      (February 19, 2012 at 7:33 pm) | Permalink

      Karen, that is more than disheartening! That is outrageously awful! If only there was a 999 for blogging emergency! But so many! I had about 5 copies done of my contest post and only one of them actually had the audacity to link his post back to me. But not the others.

      What bloggers don’t realize is that if you “feel inspired” then why don’t you acknowledge. And for someone doing it 56 times all I need to ask is : Heard of words like “original”, “ideas” and the likes. What happened to just writing your heart out and what you feel? Where did all that go?
      Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

      Reply
  26. Mike Robinson
    (February 12, 2012 at 6:39 am) | Permalink

    Firstly, thank you for sharing this post and good luck with the competition.

    It is interesting how we have all experienced an increase in the “let me guest post” for you type of email. In general I am not against it, in fact I buy into the benefits you outline at the top of the post. The issue I have is that like most good things on the Internet, spammers work out a way to automate the approach, which ultimately ruins it for others.

    It has become too easy to hide behind email these days, personally my attention span is low now and I skim an email before quickly deciding whether it is of interest or not….. Usually resulting in lots of emails I should be reading being deleted.

    The approach I like now from guest bloggers ( and indeed when we approach other blogs) is good old human contact, perhaps a phone call, perhaps contact via Twitter or a Trackback. It’s better to build a relationship with a blog and get to know the person if you’re interesting in guest posting.

    Anyway… Really interesting article. Thank you and good luck.

    Mike

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 12, 2012 at 6:01 pm) | Permalink

      Thank YOU, Mike! Glad you didn’t just skim and toss MY email – I appreciate your support in the contest, and your comments.

      I do wonder how many important emails get deleted, unread – or read and misunderstood or poorly understood – each day? I agree that it’s much better to establish a relationship with other bloggers whose blogs interest you, and whose work you might want to see on your own blog one day, than to take chances on random strangers. But also, as I said to Alan, we’re all random strangers to start with, and these mindless, automated, spammy techniques make it harder and harder for real people to get a foot in the door or be heard over the noise. It’s a shame, in some ways. (I think I might have liked the Wild West, now that I think about it. Before all those city folk and schemers moved in to take advantage. :) )
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Button Dance

      Reply
      • Alan
        (February 13, 2012 at 6:16 am) | Permalink

        Does anyone really still use e-mail? I have at the moment about 3600 msgs in my gmail inbox. Most of them are spam and auto generated junk from sites like WP.com. (wonders if I should even mention to Holly that I actually did submit a guest blog post to her gmail awhile back…..I finally decided that the tone of it was all wrong for her blog and assumed she just didn’t want to say that; though it occurs to me now it may well have just gotten lost in all the spam.) These days….if it’s someone I know who actually wants to talk to me, chances are they will send a message on Facebook.
        Alan recently posted..Poking Straight Guys On Facebook

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 13, 2012 at 12:47 pm) | Permalink

          :: smacks you on the arm :: You should’ve assumed the latter and said something sooner. Check your email.
          Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Terrain of Error

          Reply
          • Alan
            (February 13, 2012 at 2:46 pm) | Permalink

            ah, but if I had done that, I wouldn’t have been able to talk with you about it Here :)

            Reply
            • Prunebutt
              (February 13, 2012 at 7:08 pm) | Permalink

              Holly, you have to admire the way that man thinks. Devious. I like it.

              You bloggers and your insistence on the need for “engagement.” Blather on…
              Prunebutt recently posted..The Button Dance

              Reply
            • Holly Jahangiri
              Twitter:
              (February 13, 2012 at 7:11 pm) | Permalink

              True, Alan – very true!

              Prunebutt, I–okay, maybe we should have this discussion here, why not: At what point would it be considered “tactful restraint” rather than “rudeness” to refrain from replying to a comment?

              Anybody got a Swiffer?

              Reply
              • Alan
                (February 13, 2012 at 11:28 pm) | Permalink

                A ros….err A dustbunny by any other name…..would it make you sneeze?
                Alan recently posted..Take Them On?

    • Hajra
      Twitter:
      (February 16, 2012 at 5:42 pm) | Permalink

      I would agree Mike, I always feel I should know the blogger before I suggest guest posting. Always. People have told me that they find it tougher to say no to friends and you get honest opinions when you are a little familiar; but I don’t know why I have this need to familiarize myself with the blogger and then think about guest posting. It always gives the blogger a better sense of what is expected, what kind of articles and topics are dealt with and what is the general pattern of any post.

      However, a friend once told me that he does look into guest posts from “strangers” because sometimes they have good stuff to offer and are waiting for exposure. So, I think it is a personal call after all.
      Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

      Reply
      • Prunebutt
        (February 16, 2012 at 6:39 pm) | Permalink

        OH, is that how it works? That’s why editors and angry dust bunnies must leave “friendship” to those hordes of wannabes who call themselves “writers” and “bloggers” because if we said “yes” every time someone got an urge to blather, the world would be full of–hm. I see, now, your nefarious Swiffer Plot, humans!! It seems to be working. The world IS full of it.

        My dear Hajra, doesn’t this notion of “exposure” make you think of bloggers lurking in dark alleys, wearing nothing but trenchcoats and an arm loaded up in stolen watches?

        Reply
        • Hajra
          Twitter:
          (February 16, 2012 at 6:48 pm) | Permalink

          It does! You read my mind Prunebutt! And did I say I like you?

          But for blogger exposure just means a huge chunk of followers; a comment section that runs pages long and Facebook page that has people “liking” it every now and then.

          Meaningful blogging is what I would like to talk about!
          Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

          Reply
          • Prunebutt
            (February 16, 2012 at 7:42 pm) | Permalink

            “…a huge chunk of followers; a comment section that runs pages long and Facebook page that has people “liking” it every now and then.”

            Explains why my Author’s over there snickering at me. Try as I might NOT to be popular, I seem to attract followers like a fuzzball picks up lint. And she’s over there employing reverse psychology, thinking I won’t notice.

            Reply
  27. Anne Thomas
    (February 12, 2012 at 12:56 pm) | Permalink

    Great info ! Thank you very much for sharing.
    Anne Thomas recently posted..February Recipes and Specials from Anne Thomas

    Reply
  28. Brian D. Hawkins
    Twitter:
    (February 13, 2012 at 3:20 am) | Permalink

    Very nice post Holly, and extremely helpful. I started accepting guest posts a little while ago and I’ve had pretty good luck so far. I prefer bloggers I know but I do get a ton of requests starting with, “I visited your site recently” and I have a special label on Gmail for those “rejected” before I archive them. I don’t even bother to respond because I assume that same email went out to hundreds of other bloggers that day.

    I’ve had a few “writers” I wasn’t familiar with come through my contact page and I went ahead and gave them a shot, after a couple of emails making sure they understood the terms. One did a great job, another is going to be a regular contributer and I had one that did a great job writing the post but never came back and replied to a single comment. She lost her links and will never guest post on my site again. I guess it takes trial and error and a little common sense. I run everything through Copyscape before publishing anything and look closely for anything “funny.”

    I haven’t seen grammarly.com before but it looks like a great resource. I just bookmarked it for my next post.
    Brian D. Hawkins recently posted..Blog Marketing 101 Make The Most Out Of Your Day

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 13, 2012 at 3:36 am) | Permalink

      Thank you, Brian! Hey, let me know when you post about grammarly.com – I thought that was quite a find!

      I went back and checked – the one I let post on my blog a few years ago? Fake. Got her avatar from Model Mayhem. Name/photo matched – but the woman was not a blogger. Email address was a fake – a throw-away. Live and learn. Blew it – and her account – away.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Button Dance

      Reply
  29. Mitchell Allen
    Twitter:
    (February 13, 2012 at 10:54 am) | Permalink

    And that’s why I only have two “Celebrity” posts on my blog. Thankfully, I’m no longer on that treadmill, trading links and whatnot. Instead, I just write about who I want to write about and link to them all day long :)

    Your article is very informative – I love that you don’t outright trash Spinners. I’ll do it for you: Spinners suck. I can write a better thingamabob using Excel or a Database (in fact, I have) and, guess what? Mine sucks, too! I wrote it for kicks, back when I was all wide-eyed over Internet Marketing (with capital I, capital M).

    Sadly, there are those who are very aggressive marketers with convincing, hypnotic sales pages. I fear that your post will come too late to save the sheep.

    Cheers,

    Mitch
    Mitchell Allen recently posted..Unblocked: Releasing a Torrent of Digital Diarrhea

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 13, 2012 at 12:51 pm) | Permalink

      My knight in shining armor! I was trying to be fair. After all, most – MOST – spinners advocate editing and common sense, at least on their publicly facing adverts. You know, I have spam filters set up to trash any email with $27, $47, $87, or $97 in it? :) What I really need now is an autoresponder with a “sales page” of its own. Would that throw GMail into an endless looping death spiral, do you think?
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Terrain of Error

      Reply
      • Mitchell Allen
        Twitter:
        (February 15, 2012 at 2:12 am) | Permalink

        Heh-heh. Google is synonymous with “Do as I say, not as I do.” The engineers have a 25th century Infinite Improbability Drive that has already filtered out your nefarious intentions!

        I would give you a hint but then I’d have to change the plan. I’ll get the Crypt togglers to send you a message. ;)

        Cheers,

        Mitch
        Mitchell Allen recently posted..Terrain of Error

        Reply
  30. bbrian017
    Twitter:
    (February 14, 2012 at 12:30 am) | Permalink

    HI Holly, great piece of advice. I’m surprised this is such a big issue but I guess for new bloggers looking for guest bloggers something that’s great new can in fact be bad news. You share a lot of great ways to avoid these types of guest bloggers, one I use is taking a little piece of two or three paragraph and searching for it in Google to see what comes up. Also I find myself also searching the author’s name to see where else they blog.
    bbrian017 recently posted..Become a Blog Engage Affiliate Today $10 USD Sign Up Bonus

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 14, 2012 at 2:52 am) | Permalink

      That last is probably the most effective, Brian, unless you really know what to look for – used to be, running a paragraph through Google was enough, but with savvy spinners avoiding an outright act of scraping, it’s harder to piece together.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Terrain of Error

      Reply
    • Hajra
      Twitter:
      (February 16, 2012 at 5:59 pm) | Permalink

      You know Brian, I would love your view on this. For example you do search for the blogger on Google and all that jazz and then you come up with results that don’t impress you much; let’s says he / she writes regular stuff nothing out of the box, amazingly interesting. But then the suggested article or post he / she submits is appreciable enough. Now, there is a little catch right? I mean who wouldn’t want amazing stuff; but then you wonder… why hasn’t this been published on his / her own blog?

      Believe me, sounds weird; but people actually do that! Get’s a little tough that way!
      Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

      Reply
      • Holly Jahangiri
        Twitter:
        (February 16, 2012 at 6:48 pm) | Permalink

        I’ll be honest – I’d rather post something that’s not written flawlessly than to post something by someone I can’t trust. So I do tend to want to know the bloggers who write for me. There are so few of them, it’s not at all hard! :)
        Holly Jahangiri recently posted..A Little Bit of SOPA Will Wash Away the Internet as We Know It

        Reply
      • bbrian017
        Twitter:
        (February 17, 2012 at 12:59 am) | Permalink

        I don’t really get many guest article really… unless I have a guest blogging contest no one really blogs here but me… I don’t know what I would do, but when I did it, it would be the right thing to do lol… I hope.
        bbrian017 recently posted..#Leadership by example with @clintabutler

        Reply
        • Holly Jahangiri
          Twitter:
          (February 18, 2012 at 1:22 pm) | Permalink

          That surprises me, Brian – I’d have thought you were inundated with requests. A guest post here offers lots of visibility and surprisingly few restrictions. Restrictions on links – such as “must be relevant; if self-promoting, must be in the bio block; nothing advocating violence or illegal activities” – is sensible. Imposing a limit of some arbitrary NUMBER of links isn’t, in my opinion. When I see restrictions based primarily on the number of links, I wonder if that means the blogger’s just offering up ad space without exercising any editorial discretion at all.

          Reply
          • Abhi Balani
            Twitter:
            (February 22, 2012 at 5:10 pm) | Permalink

            May be, I have these on mine, too. But I’m agree with your point here. And I do allow links which are necessary to provide supplementary information.
            I feel bad when I see all these restrictions, too. Is this a business of back links? I’ve seen writers who offer guest post have restrictions like, blog should be PR3 or more. huh? I’m glad you aren’t one of them
            Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

            Reply
            • Holly Jahangiri
              Twitter:
              (February 22, 2012 at 6:12 pm) | Permalink

              Well, you know why I’m not, Abhi. To me, it’s much more important that the post be well-written and useful and/or entertaining. If links enrich it, I don’t really care how many there are. If links are backlinks and commercial in nature, I’ll limit them so as not to mislead readers, and I’ll only allow them if I’ve verified that they’re not going to a site that is inappropriate, looks at all scammy or spammy, etc. Yes, I check all the links. If I like the links’ destinations, and have used or would use them myself, then I also don’t care how many links they gets from my site – especially if I’d have placed them there myself! It’s all about quality over quantity.
              Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Yoga For The Lazy

              Reply
              • Abhi Balani
                Twitter:
                (February 23, 2012 at 3:28 am) | Permalink

                Holly, you have changed my thoughts as well, about contests and guest posting. Especially, about the “word limit”. LOL!!

                Now, there is no limit for maximum words for guest post on my blog. There are writers out there who writes posts with 7000+ words. And it’s not a big deal for them.:)

                I’m waking up the writer inside me. :D
                Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

              • Holly Jahangiri
                Twitter:
                (February 23, 2012 at 3:33 am) | Permalink

                Hah! I only did that ONCE, Abhi. And I think it was just over 7100 words…

                But I can SEE that writer in you – not just waking up, but coming out to play! I love it. Concentrate on a well-written and grammatically correct 400-500 before attempting 7100, though – that’s a marathon, that is. I don’t think I’d ever written ANYTHING longer than 6000 words before I wrote Dealing with the Demon, and that was when I was in my twenties. Never try to force it just for the sake of word count – either it’s meant to be that long, or it isn’t. Use the words you need to use – no more, no less.
                Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Versatile? You Betcha.

              • Abhi Balani
                Twitter:
                (February 24, 2012 at 10:44 am) | Permalink

                That’s right! We should not limit our writing because of the word count. Actually, it’s difficult to finish an article just because of word count restriction when you have still lot more to say.

                “….. I can SEE that writer in you..” – It’s really good to hear, Holly. But I’m far away. :D
                Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

  31. Tom Laing (
    (February 15, 2012 at 4:34 am) | Permalink

    Great article Holly. I like the order of your tips and hints.

    Reply
  32. Sally K Witt, Social Media and Ministry
    (February 15, 2012 at 4:48 am) | Permalink

    Very good post, Holly. There are wonderful things on the internet, and certainly icky things as well!!!!
    Sally K Witt, Social Media and Ministry recently posted..My 54th Valentine’s Day!

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 16, 2012 at 7:39 pm) | Permalink

      Isn’t that the truth, Sally! Some days, I have this weird urge to keep a little lighter fluid near my keyboard to get the tar off…

      Wouldn’t that make a fun photo? No one would get it – they’d think it was just fuel for flamewars.

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Sally!

      Reply
  33. Nimsrules
    (February 16, 2012 at 6:47 pm) | Permalink

    Verdict about this post: Neat, clearly explained, well styled, exhaustive. I’ll have to ponder over the thought to guest post in future and read this post again :)

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 16, 2012 at 7:08 pm) | Permalink

      Thank you so much for ruling in my favor, Nimsrules!
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Versatile? You Betcha.

      Reply
    • Hajra
      Twitter:
      (February 17, 2012 at 8:45 pm) | Permalink

      As long as you are not sending ripped content and have fresh ideas and are reading to respond to comments and actually do; you are good to go. Holly does deliver it simple and straight! :)
      Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a bloggers party?

      Reply
      • Holly Jahangiri
        Twitter:
        (February 17, 2012 at 9:04 pm) | Permalink

        Publishing or sharing ripped content is like saying, “I don’t have an original idea in my head. Or, if I do, it’s no good. Nobody would want to read it. In fact, it’s so bad that it’s actually WORSE than a mish-mash of stuff other people have already said 100 times before on the topic. But I have this uncontrollable urge to BLATHER, so I’m going to pull some bits of their stuff together in a way that doesn’t get me in trouble with automated plagiarism checkers and might actually pass for something that was scribbled by an organism slightly higher up the food chain than a trained monkey – but not much – and hope that you, my readers, are just too stupid to notice.”

        That, or it’s like saying, “My time’s more important than everyone else’s. And I’m lazy.”
        Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Button Dance

        Reply
        • Abhi Balani
          Twitter:
          (February 22, 2012 at 5:02 pm) | Permalink

          lol!! I think, this comment should be read by all plagiarizers out there. I said same in my post on BBT that I’ve read 100 times, how to make a Facebook fanpage? But still people are sharing. It’s really easy to make already published content fresh, by adding our voice, opinions, perspective on the same topic. Isn’t it?
          Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

          Reply
          • Holly Jahangiri
            Twitter:
            (February 22, 2012 at 6:08 pm) | Permalink

            Abhi, this is something all writers struggle with – or don’t struggle with – depending on how well they understand the principle of “it’s all been said or done before.” Because it has – and there’s nothing really NEW under the sun, in terms of human nature or plot. And the reason we can tolerate 100 articles on how to make a facebook page is that (a) we don’t all read the same blogs; and (b) we don’t all learn the same way; and (c) we don’t all understand and follow instructions the same way. But we don’t need 100 copies of the exact same article – maybe 99 pointers TO it! Or 100 articles that attempt to explain it from the writer’s personal experience, with the writer’s own style, in the writer’s own voice. If that feels too much like work, pick a different topic! :)
            Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

            Reply
            • Abhi Balani
              Twitter:
              (February 23, 2012 at 3:24 am) | Permalink

              Yeah, we all don’t follow same or all blogs. But I guess, we have GOOGLE. Facebook fanpage was just an example to explain my thought.

              A single keyword “Facebook” on Google can lead us to all the regarding information.
              Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

              Reply
              • Holly Jahangiri
                Twitter:
                (February 23, 2012 at 3:28 am) | Permalink

                Give me an example of an “overdone” blog topic, Abhi, and I’ll see if I can’t put a new spin on it. ;)
                Holly Jahangiri recently posted..The Button Dance

              • Abhi Balani
                Twitter:
                (February 23, 2012 at 4:33 am) | Permalink

                For example:
                I can see bloggers sharing many articles everyday about SEO. SEOing your blog or your post and related. What I see in almost all article?

                First point is: Quality content or content is king. (Yes, I know that. I’ve read this many time before, already)

                Next is: Add Keywords – huh… I know this one as well.

                And almost all points are almost same.

                NOTE: I’m not talking about all bloggers. It’s about most of the bloggers writing on same topic.
                Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

              • Holly Jahangiri
                Twitter:
                (February 23, 2012 at 4:44 am) | Permalink

                Okay, Abhi – I’m going to cheat and give you one I already wrote:

                http://weblogbetter.com/2011/05/09/search-engine-optimization-seo-what/

                That kills two birds with one stone – talks about SEO and quality content being king. ;)

                And I haven’t read all of these, but I’ll bet you could find some really useful and practical info on keywords here, beyond just “add keywords.”

                Posts on keywords from iBlogZone.com

                Your point, though, is well taken – why DO so many bloggers stick to the “safe” (but mind-numbingly BORING) route of regurgitating and paraphrasing the SAME things that have been said repeatedly, already? Why not just do a “round-up” of your favorite posts and link back to something you liked, if you can’t do a BETTER job of it? That way, not only do you have a fresh post on your blog, you earn some good will among bloggers by linking to THEIR content and acknowledging they’ve done it well.
                Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Making True Connections Online Could Make a Difference in your Life

            • Abhi Balani
              Twitter:
              (February 24, 2012 at 10:48 am) | Permalink

              Like I did on my blog, links to awesome articles. Right? :D

              Moving to your post over BBT. :D
              Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

              Reply
              • Abhi Balani
                Twitter:
                (February 24, 2012 at 11:18 am) | Permalink

                Yeah, Holly! It was a different article from so many other out there, about SEO. But one I loved the most was -”Instead of looking for clever tricks to make money online, wouldn’t it be easier and better to concentrate on developing clear writing and communications skills?”

                Completely agree with you.
                Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

  34. Larry Lourcey
    Twitter:
    (February 19, 2012 at 4:19 pm) | Permalink

    It is such a shame that we even have to deal with stuff like that. You almost can’t afford to take a chance on someone new and unknown. Kinda sad really…

    @larryphoto
    Larry Lourcey recently posted..Think You Know Ana Hoffman?

    Reply
  35. Kevin Martin
    (February 21, 2012 at 3:59 am) | Permalink

    I don’t have to worry about this because I’m creative enough to write my own unique content. People value unique content with personality injected into it. Good post, Holly. It’s very informative. :)
    Kevin Martin recently posted..Five Most Annoying Foods

    Reply
  36. Nimsrules
    (February 25, 2012 at 8:14 am) | Permalink

    Wow, look at the number of comments you’ve got on this post. Great going Holly!
    Nimsrules recently posted..SEO Terminology Part 2

    Reply
    • Abhi Balani
      Twitter:
      (February 26, 2012 at 12:01 pm) | Permalink

      Yeah, she’s trying to pull me down. Isn’t it, Holly?
      Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

      Reply
      • Holly Jahangiri
        Twitter:
        (February 26, 2012 at 5:43 pm) | Permalink

        Only to see how strong you’ve become, Abhi – CAN I pull you down? :) Shall we have a friendly side competition here? LOL

        No, I think it’s more fun to comment-bomb each other. Maybe see who can leave more “value added” comments on each other’s posts?

        Which brings up a good point – even if you’re competing against each other, it’s always best to do it in a fun and friendly way. I cannot imagine running TheNextGoal.com alone, without the team that helped to build it. Given that it was a “winner take all” style contest, it seems it would’ve been very easy – especially if we hadn’t gotten along so well throughout the ten week contest – for them to just walk away and abandon it and me altogether. The blog will last longer than any contest – the relationships you make along the way will, too – so it’s good to keep them good ones.

        Speaking of my team over at TheNextGoal.com, Be sure to read Larry’s yoga post linked here – cracks me up every time I look at it. That’s exercise at MY speed!
        Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Yoga For The Lazy

        Reply
        • Hajra
          Twitter:
          (February 29, 2012 at 1:36 pm) | Permalink

          I would agree about being together in the competition. Stop treating them like someone who is pulling you down. Why not give each other the extra push. Go comment bomb and share each other’s post; what is wrong with that. It is always fun to see other people in the competition appreciating what you have to say about their posts.

          For me, it just brings back good old memories! :)
          Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

          Reply
        • Abhi Balani
          Twitter:
          (March 1, 2012 at 4:51 pm) | Permalink

          Holly, I just read that post you mentioned, before coming here. Yeah, it’s really fun to comment bomb. But yes the point is who leave most valuable comments, who can talk about the best point.

          I’m really enjoying my contest, my competitor friends and this commenting. :D
          Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

          Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (February 26, 2012 at 5:37 pm) | Permalink

      Just trying to put the “sociable” back into “social media,” Nimsrules! I realized, the other day, that I treat blogs like forums – or like what forums USED to be, before blogs existed and spammers took over forums. (Makes your head spin just to think about it, doesn’t it?)

      For example, the blogger kicks off the conversation with a post – but half the fun is in the comments. That’s where the real conversation happens (or could – and should – if only more bloggers would view it as a conversation instead of a metric).

      Thanks for the encouragement – and for joining in the conversation, Nimsrules. :)
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Scavenger Hunt!

      Reply
      • Hajra
        Twitter:
        (February 29, 2012 at 3:03 pm) | Permalink

        That is one of the reason many people actually allow spam comments you know… to have a higher number in terms of comment count. I actually read a suggestion on a blog where they said we should allow spam comments just to increase the comment count.

        Well, spammers will find their way across; the only we can try to overcome that is like you said, making fun of them. Or deleting their links!
        Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

        Reply
      • Abhi Balani
        Twitter:
        (March 7, 2012 at 6:29 am) | Permalink

        I think, the comment section is the most interesting part of any post. There we can find many stories, facts related to that post.

        For example, in this post there are many relevant links shared for blogging, guest posting and more.
        Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

        Reply
    • Hajra
      Twitter:
      (February 29, 2012 at 4:43 pm) | Permalink

      Ah yes, Holly has glorified numbers in a good way! That is why we are crowning her queen of conversations; and the superwoman against spammers! ;)
      Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

      Reply
  37. Karen Marie Shelton
    (February 29, 2012 at 6:21 pm) | Permalink

    Hi Holly,
    I am glad to see you that you are alive and breathing here. I have been afraid to mention your glaring absence on Twitter or that or your dustbin buddy who shall remain nameless. I have to tread lightly since I don’t want to be wrongly accused of being co-dependent or “needy” even though I did name the little rascal as one of our influencers on Klout just a day or so agon.

    Glad to see you get so many responses to your blog from real people.

    Hope you have an amazing week,
    Karen

    Reply
    • Hajra
      Twitter:
      (February 29, 2012 at 6:37 pm) | Permalink

      Oh she has done some amazing work here! You should see her responses.. and yes I miss Prunebutt too! :)
      Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

      Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (March 1, 2012 at 2:09 am) | Permalink

      LOL!! Don’t tell the fuzzball where I am. I think he’s busy trying to find the perfect tangerine orange hair dye. He’s pouting, because he was really hoping for a feature with Tina. But I’m glad YOU found me. It’s true – I really haven’t got the energy to be everywhere at once. I can give the illusion for a while, but eventually… the truth will out.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Edupunk

      Reply
  38. Hajra
    Twitter:
    (February 29, 2012 at 6:34 pm) | Permalink

    All this talk about spam and when I tweet this I get a reply to my tweet which says this “I just saw you mentioned PLR; you must check this out..weird link”. Thankfully I have the sense to check out profiles before clicking link suggestions. And as suspected about 50 similar tweets to other people. Why a spam tweet account. What can you possible get?
    Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

    Reply
  39. shenoyjoseph
    (March 1, 2012 at 2:15 pm) | Permalink

    thanks for providing the structure of new guest posting on blogs. :)
    shenoyjoseph recently posted..How to Recover Data from a Crashed Hard Drive

    Reply
  40. Karen Marie Shelton
    (March 10, 2012 at 3:59 pm) | Permalink

    Oh my, the mention of Ms. Marple brings back so many wonderful memories. You should know Holly that visiting your blog and reading the long string of comments triggers visions of a crackling fire with a few good friends sitting around in long velvet smoking jackets drinking an excellent hot tody and discussing a great book.

    And yes, PB laying coiled peacefully at your feet.

    If I close my eyes I can also visualize you, Harjra, Alan and Abhi sitting in big leather wing back chairs in a book filled, wood paneled, library room with a cracking fire and the aroma of brandy.

    Ahhhh. All that from Ms. Marple.

    Reply
    • Hajra
      Twitter:
      (March 11, 2012 at 1:07 pm) | Permalink

      After a certain point of time (like say two days) it is difficult to read every comment on Holly’s post! There are just so many of them! PB is missing these days; and we just say how much we miss him!

      I like the visualization! Make it iced tea for me..summer is here! :)
      Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

      Reply
      • Holly Jahangiri
        Twitter:
        (March 14, 2012 at 9:00 am) | Permalink

        I told you, PB is making t-shirts. Only now, he’s changed the design (thank you, Hajra, you KNOW better than to encourage narcissistic little megalomaniacs, surely??) and it says, “Prunebutt for President – 2012″
        Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Yoga For The Lazy

        Reply
        • Hajra
          Twitter:
          (March 14, 2012 at 9:03 am) | Permalink

          And I already ordered 5! Maybe I would do even more…

          2012 is too close;Prunebutt should get serious about campaigning! :)
          Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

          Reply
          • Holly Jahangiri
            Twitter:
            (March 14, 2012 at 9:13 am) | Permalink

            You clearly don’t understand his campaign strategy. Voters will have to buy the t-shirts and do all the campaigning while Prunebutt, himself, remains aloof and disdainful (it’s apparently part of his charm). When he wins, he’ll probably snark about what fools the American voters are, but will proceed to roll himself under the bed of any Congresscritter who doesn’t have our best interests at heart and prick at his conscience and disturb his sleep until he does the right thing and takes all the credit for it. At that point, Prunebutt’s supporters will be both happily vindicated and righteously indignant, and he’ll have things all sewn up for re-election in 2016. It’s a mish-mash of political strategies he’s picked up from monsters under the closet and bed, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and the Pirate Party (it’s true, you know – politics does make strange bedfellows). You’ll have to write him in to vote for him, by the way – he won’t deign to spend a dime (or even try to raise one) to actually RUN a campaign. He says “Grassroots” is trending, and it’s got his name written all over it.
            Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Pinterest Too Complicated? Try This!

            Reply
          • Prunebutt
            (March 14, 2012 at 9:43 am) | Permalink

            You and Karen Marie (she of the GLORIOUS hair) can be my campaign managers.
            Prunebutt recently posted..Pinterest Too Complicated? Try This!

            Reply
            • Hajra
              Twitter:
              (March 14, 2012 at 9:49 am) | Permalink

              Hey Prunebutt… you are back! I am sure you must be busy with all that campaigning and all! I have black hair; do I qualify to manage with the glorious hair girl?
              Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

              Reply
              • Prunebutt
                (March 14, 2012 at 6:34 pm) | Permalink

                Hajra, love, Karen Marie knows I’m partial to a shaggy brown with tangerine tips, or a flaming ginger, since all the world seems to pick on them and I hate to be left out of the fun…

                But for the looks on my Author’s face every time you express your admiration for me, I would roll myself to your tootsies and quote Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130 – you could have algae green hair and I would still adore you.
                Prunebutt recently posted..Pinterest Too Complicated? Try This!

    • Prunebutt
      (March 14, 2012 at 9:03 am) | Permalink

      Surely you jest. What am I, a dog? A cute little puppy? Do you have any idea what it smells like, down here? And now you want me to curl up next to my Author’s stinky toes? Eeew.

      Tina hasn’t called you back, has she?
      Prunebutt recently posted..My Favorite Scavengers (and the Winner is…)

      Reply
  41. Nimsrules
    (March 14, 2012 at 4:56 am) | Permalink

    An enjoyable and informative article. You should be careful on selecting your guest bloggers. They can make or mar your reputation.
    Nimsrules recently posted..How to fight plagiarism

    Reply
  42. Janine
    (March 14, 2012 at 6:54 am) | Permalink

    Holly, Thanks for posting about this topic. I feel very naive / gullible, but I recently learn’t about this via someone pulling the wool over my eyes, and your post helped me realise what was going on. I seriously hadn’t really heard of this before. I don’t know where I’ve been living. Under a rock?

    Reply
  43. Holly Jahangiri
    Twitter:
    (March 14, 2012 at 8:58 am) | Permalink

    Thanks, Nimsrules! You picked out that CommentLuv link there just for me, didn’t you? A subject near and dear to my heart…
    Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Don’t Manage Stress, Beat it!

    Reply
  44. Karen Marie Shelton
    (March 14, 2012 at 9:22 am) | Permalink

    Hi Holly….

    Did you see this?
    Babble Blogger Kristin Ruiz Outed for Plagiarizing Amalah’s Posts
    http://sheposts.com/content/babble-blogger-kristin-ruiz-outed-for-plagiarizing-amalahs-posts

    Thoughts? It seems the plagiarizing was uncovered during a blog contest?

    It seems that the allegations are that Ms. Ruiz not only blatantly swiped Amalah’s posts, but even photos of her pregnant belly?

    This makes all the years of my work being stolen seem mild by comparison (no one ever stole my belly – and why would they?) although at one point a website featuring long hair did try to use photos of my long hair from the back and claim it was someone else.

    It was so sad it was funny. And yes, I did spring some of my hard earned cash for a lawyer to go after that site because I felt that not only swiped my writing, but my hair. LOL.

    The offensive hair stealing website is now gone. Apparently the entire content and images on the site (including 10 of my long hair) was swiped and many angry writers went after the site.

    As a side note….I will address the little monster’s post later. Running off to order t-shirts……………………

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (March 14, 2012 at 9:34 am) | Permalink

      I hadn’t actually seen that one – good gravy!! Yes, I’ve had instances where a personal post was scraped, mangled, spun – it does feel like more of a violation than mere plagiarism. My Ukrainian rip-off artist kept coming back for more, but after he figured out he’d better steer clear of my stuff, he was still ripping off other writers (primarily stuff posted at ezinearticles). When I found one, one day, with the author’s NAME still attached, and the story of the DEATH of her young son, I vowed to help others go after him – I hunted down every author I could find, that he’d stolen from, and sent them emails with step by step instructions to file a DMCA. As far as I can tell, he’s now so far underground even his own mother wouldn’t recognize anything he posted. ;) The real mistake some plagiarists make is not even bothering to think – “Is this going to make someone so crazy mad they’d be willing to hunt me down and PROSECUTE, never mind sue, three continents away?” Some topics are just riskier than others.
      Holly Jahangiri recently posted..Pinterest Too Complicated? Try This!

      Reply
  45. Bishwajeet
    (March 14, 2012 at 9:48 am) | Permalink

    This is one of the biggest problem that blogging is facing. There are many guest bloggers who just post random crap on your site. We have enabled registration on our site but made them subscribers and only those who are really worthy of writing will be allowed to write .
    Bishwajeet recently posted..Top 10 daily deals websites in India in 2012

    Reply
    • Holly Jahangiri
      Twitter:
      (March 14, 2012 at 10:53 am) | Permalink

      Well, registration’s not even open on my blog. I have to manually register all guest posters. ;) They must pass the challenge of the Sphinx Akismet, GASP!, then be known to me, personally, and I will admit them to the hallowed halls. I think maybe I have 5 people higher than subscriber.

      Reply
      • Abhi Balani
        Twitter:
        (March 15, 2012 at 9:45 am) | Permalink

        That’s right! Registration is not the solution. I don’t about the plugin you are talking about. But it’d be good to have a little email chit chat with the guest. You know once I did that; I asked one of my guest to share his/her social links with me. And he/she didn’t responded. LOL!!

        And once a guest didn’t wrote for me just because I declined to add links in the body, but only in author bio. huh… Silly spammers.
        Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

        Reply
    • Abhi Balani
      Twitter:
      (March 15, 2012 at 9:36 am) | Permalink

      Hey Bishwajeet,

      You know, I’ve seen many good website who’s blog owners are publishing that crap regularly. Just for content, another new article. I don’t think they even read the article before publishing. I don’t have a very BIG blog but I’ve declined MANY guest posts after I read this post.
      Abhi Balani recently posted..Good Blogger And A Good Blog: What Are The Signs?

      Reply
  46. Karen Marie Shelton
    (March 14, 2012 at 11:18 am) | Permalink

    Hi Holly,

    Kudos to you for helping people learn how to file a DMCA. You are correct, people don’t think of the long term consequences of their actions.

    It’s bad enough when people screen scrape topics that are not personal, but the DEATH of a young son, a pregnancy or even someone’s hair? Horrible. Heinous. Disgusting. Revolting.

    When my own beloved husband died a shockingly sudden death seven years ago, I kept a daily journal of everything that happened and how I dealt with the constant grief. Many of my friends wanted me to publish this journal because I utilized some unusual tools to get through the unrelenting grief and recover the majority of my sanity.

    I say majority of my sanity because a part of me died with him and will never recover. But we were together 25 years and he was so completely integrated into my heart and soul that I will never be the same.

    To be honest I never did publish anything about that time in my life because I was very worried it would be stolen, screen scraped or spun.

    While it annoys me when my original articles about how to grow healthy hair from 1997 have been spun probably 5,000 times by now, if someone took the experience of suddenly losing my husband and stole it, I know I would go completely crazy and do anything to hunt them down and use every means.

    Ditto with my sister. Her husband is currently battling a very viral form of cancer and she is terrified on a constant basis of what’s around every corner. I know she is keeping a journal, but I doubt she will ever publish it for the same reason.

    All of this triggers this question. Do you think that ultimately the spinners and content thieves will be responsible for destroying the creation of great new original content because writers will be unwilling to put their words at risk?

    Thank you again Holly for helping put down your Ukrainian rip-off artist. My respect for you has grown by leaps and bounds.

    If you ever make it to Dallas and need a temporary respite from PB, I will be only too happy to ply you with coffee, tea, hot toddies.

    Reply
    • Prunebutt
      (March 14, 2012 at 6:38 pm) | Permalink

      And if they’re beyond the long arm of the law, there’s always mockery and ridicule: http://jahangiri.us/new/2008/11/25/ten-secrets-to-hugely-successful-article-writing-humor/

      I like to think I helped inspire my Author’s pen, on this one. Hot toddies sound DIVINE, by the way.

      Wait, what’s a “toddy”?
      Prunebutt recently posted..How to Get Two Backlinks for the Price of One with CommentLuv

      Reply
      • Karen Marie Shelton
        (March 15, 2012 at 7:08 pm) | Permalink

        My dear Prunebutt, I have no doubt that you have been the key inspiration behind your Author’s pen. Absolutely no doubt in my brain.

        As for the hot toddy…I am sure you would enjoy as would your author.

        A hot toddy involves the mixture of whisky, boiling water or warm milk, and sugar or honey. Additional ingredients such as cloves, a lemon slice or cinnamon (in stick or ground form) may be added.

        A common version in the Midwest uses Vernors Ginger Ale, lemon, honey and Bourbon whiskey. In Wisconsin, brandy is often used instead of bourbon.

        Yes, they are truly divine. But for those opposed to the whiskey, a nice hot chocolate or salted caramel from Starbucks would do the trick. Of course in hot weather an iced mint julep might be more appropriate or an iced lemon tea from the Bucks.

        Thank you for wisdom PB. Nice to see you hanging around and throwing your weight around.

        Reply
  47. Hajra
    Twitter:
    (March 15, 2012 at 6:15 pm) | Permalink

    Celebration time; the fight against spammy guest bloggers just got the top spot! :)
    Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

    Reply
  48. Hajra
    Twitter:
    (March 15, 2012 at 6:41 pm) | Permalink

    Not a problem! It was fun to be a part of this conversation! I am glad I was here!
    Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?

    Reply
  49. Larry Lourcey
    Twitter:
    (April 7, 2012 at 6:13 pm) | Permalink

    Its true. When you work with guest bloggers you are essentially taking on a part-time partner. You need to make sure the person is legit before you let them become a part of your brand.
    Larry Lourcey recently posted..Are you pushing your photography far enough?

    Reply

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