write-for-us

How to Write for Boost Blog Traffic

On the surface, it sounds silly. How could something so mundane as editorial guidelines shock and amaze anyone?
Because we do things differently at Manu Forest. Very differently.
Most blogs have an easy-going publishing model for guest posters. You submit a post, and it’s either accepted or rejected. Maybe they do a little tweaking, and then it’s published.
Overall, it’s rather easy. You can get published on most popular blogs far easier than you could get published in a major magazine or newspaper, for example.
But there are exceptions.
A small number of blogs become so big and influential that everyone wants to write for them. As a result, they get picky. Very picky.
Instead of just writing a post and sending it in, you have to get your ideas approved first. There’s an entire team of editors who work with you on your post. You might go through five or six revisions before the post is finally accepted.
We’re one of those blogs.
On average, writing a post for us takes 10-20 hours from start to finish. And because we only publish 3-4 guest posts per month, your chances of getting accepted are slim.
Of course, you might wonder, why on earth would anyone go through that for a measly guest post?
Well, let’s talk about that next…

7 reasons you should want to write for us

The reason we can be so picky is there are a lot of benefits to writing for us.
For example:

1. Money. No, we don’t pay, but a lot of our writers nevertheless make several thousand dollars per guest post by linking to product and service sales funnels in their bylines. We have no problem with it. In fact, we’re proud of them for being so clever.
2. Exposure. Manu Forest is quickly becoming one of the most popular blogs on the web. At a bare minimum, tens of thousands of people will read your post. If your post goes viral, as they sometimes do here, you could reach hundreds of thousands or even millions.
3. Connections. If you’d like to get to know our founder and CEO, getting a guest post published here is one of the best ways to do it. He takes an interest in all of our writers. Lots of popular bloggers also read Manu forest, and if they like your post, it’ll put you on their radar.
4. Social sharing. Writing awesome content for other blogs too? Tell us about it, and if it’s relevant to our readers, we’ll share it on Twitter and Google+. Over time, this can be worth thousands of visitors to your own blog and other guest posts.
5. Introductions. If there’s someone you’d like to get to know, but you’re not quite sure how to contact them, just ask us for an introduction. If we know them, and we think it’s a good fit, we’ll introduce you.
6. Affiliate promotions. About to launch your own product and wondering how to get the word out? Well, just send us a copy of it, and we will take a look. No promises about promoting it, but being a writer for us at least guarantees you’ll be considered. And if we do promote you, you’ll make tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
7. Training. Our editors are some of the best in the world, and their job isn’t just to check for quality. It’s also to help you become a better writer. Yes, going through all the revisions is annoying, but you’ll learn about how to write in the process. And you won’t have paid us a dime to teach you.

Put all of those benefits together, and each guest post you publish for us is potentially worth tens of thousands of dollars to you. In return, we expect your very best.
And let’s be clear…
Not every post you pitch us will be accepted. At any given time, we are considering posts from more than 100 different top writers across the web, and only the best of the best will be published.
So, what does it take?
Glad you asked.

What does it take to write for Manu forest?

It’s not for the faint hearted or the thin-skinned, that’s for sure.
During our rigorous editing process your post may go through five or six drafts before we feel it is ready to publish. After you have delivered your final draft it will be given a polish by our in-house copy editor. This applies to all writers
If you prefer to deliver one draft and have it published pretty much as-is, Manu forest is not the blog for you. If you prefer not to have your ideas tested or your writing scrutinized, then again, Manu forest is not the blog for you. If you like to jot down a few short clever ideas and then ask the readers if you missed something, this is not the blog for you.
However if you see writing as a collaborative process where the goal is to make the post as valuable (and popular) as possible, you should find this a very rewarding experience with beneficial exposure in front of a large audience.

What topics should I write about?

Manu forest core topics are traffic techniques, writing tips and blogging how-tos. These break down as follows.
Traffic techniques:

• Getting more traffic from social media, i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.
• Getting more traffic from organic search using SEO techniques
• Converting more traffic into subscribers, email marketing, etc.

Writing tips:

• How to become a better writer, i.e. more engaging, more popular, etc.
• How to be more creative and come up with killer ideas
• How to write highly effective blog posts, eBooks, etc.

Blogging how-tos:

• How to use other tools such as Google Analytics to be a smarter blogger
• How to optimize your blog design for conversion

What type of post should I write?

While many writers who pitch us want to write inspirational, essay-style posts, we are more  interested in highly practical posts packed with genuinely useful content and backed up with insight, detail and concrete, well-explained examples.
In particular, we like list posts and ultimate guides.

What makes a good list post?

The web loves big list posts and so do we. The hallmarks of a great list post include:

• It addresses a topic of genuine interest or concern to our readers
• It offers a large number of points (e.g. 57 rather than 5 or 7)
• It makes points that are surprising or unexpected – but nonetheless deliver on the promise of the headline
• Each point is backed up with detailed research and helpful examples that allow the reader to take action
• The points are organized in a logical way that enhances their impact on the reader

Imagine that the first stage of writing a great list post is to think of all the obvious points to be made on the topic – and then discard them. You might even have to eliminate the next most obvious ideas before you get to something of genuine interest and value. Expect to be pushed to take your ideas to the next level, and then the next.
The same applies to other aspects of the post. When looking for references to include to support a point (e.g. external links or resources), don’t give one fairly obvious reference, give three or four more unexpected ones.
When creating examples to back up a point, make sure they are not generic and bland but are novel and interesting – even entertaining.
Most importantly, make sure you’re making points that readers won’t have heard elsewhere. The best kind of advice to give is something the reader would never expect (in fact it might even be the opposite of what they would expect) but that works like gangbusters.
In other words, if we haven’t made the point clear, don’t go for the obvious or usual suspects. Go beyond.

What makes a good ultimate guide?

We also love to have the final word on a topic and that’s why we’re also very keen on “ultimate” guides .
The hallmarks of a great ultimate guide are:

• It covers a topic of interest to our readers that has not yet received a detailed or definitive treatment elsewhere on the web.
• It is written from the perspective of someone with a deep understanding of the subject matter. There is a sense that the author’s knowledge extends even further than the scope of the guide.
• The content goes beyond the typical advice given on the topic and shares expert insights, little-known or insider details, or experience earned “in the trenches”. Even if the basics are covered for the benefit of beginners the guide quickly gets into detail that is valuable to readers of all levels.
• Key points are backed up by detailed examples and, where necessary, with links to other essential resources elsewhere on the web. Supporting examples might include actual screenshots, helpful diagrams or a step-by-step walk through of a typical scenario.
• Where practical advice is given it should be clear to the reader exactly where to start and what steps to take to get the desired result. If there are exceptions to the process these should be highlighted and alternative steps given.

Here are three possible ways to approach an ultimate guide:

1. Pick a new or emerging topic where information is relatively scarce, or where it is simply too early for much quality content to have yet been written.
2. Take a narrow view on a popular topic and explore that one aspect in much more detail than has been covered elsewhere.
3. Pick a popular topic which has been covered widely elsewhere and simply go further with it than others have. Provide extra detail, better examples, more up-to-date information, etc.

Who exactly am I writing for?

Manu forest readers fall into three main groups: bloggers, freelance writers and small business owners.
The bloggers either don’t have a blog but are thinking of starting one, or have a blog but would like more traffic and subscribers.
The freelance writers are either considering a career as a freelance writer or have already taken the plunge but would like more clients and to charge higher fees.
The small business owners are interested in using blogging to promote their existing business but don’t know where to start or are having limited success.
Of the three groups, small business owners are in the minority. Most of our readers are either bloggers or freelance writers.

Post length

We like longer posts on Manu forest in the 2,000 – 3,000 word range.
Don’t think of a 1,500 word post padded out. Think of a 5,000 post trimmed down to its essence.
The reason we want posts this long is that we are looking for authoritative, definitive posts that deliver the final word on a topic. Posts that remain valuable over time. Posts that people feel compelled to share and link to because bringing them to the attention of other people makes them look good.
Of course writing a post this long has a number of challenges:

• Exploring and developing complex ideas in an engaging way
• Staying focused on the post’s core topic and purpose
• Sustaining the reader’s interest to the end of the post
• Motivating them to take action at the end of the post
• Compelling them to leave a comment without asking directly for comments

If you are more comfortable writing 500 – 750 word posts that skim the surface of a topic, then BBT is probably not for you.

How to structure a great post

Broadly speaking, the elements of a great guest post are:

• An interesting, attention-grabbing headline that makes a strong, relevant promise
• An engaging, empathetic opening that builds momentum and anticipation for the main body of the post
• A well-structured body full of strong points that give an interesting and distinctive take on the topic
• A motivational closing that makes the reader want to take action

Study existing posts on the blog, particularly those written by Jon, to see how this is done in practice.
Also, look for opportunities to link to existing posts on Manu Forest within your post. This helps drive traffic to those posts and is good for SEO. Again, look at how this is done within existing posts – most have 5 – 10 links to other posts on the blog. Notice how they are worked into the context of the content so as to not break the reader’s flow.

What’s the process for pitching a post?

Send us your proposed post headline (plus at least two alternatives) and a couple of paragraphs about what the post will cover. If you’re pitching a list post (remember – we love list posts) please include a few example bullet points.
Also please send us one or two examples of your writing – preferably a link to something online.

If my pitch is accepted, how long do I have to write the post?

Depending on your experience, we will probably ask you to submit an outline of the post first, following the structure outlined above. Even if you’re not accustomed to working this way, an outline benefits us both: We can easily spot weaknesses in your idea, logic flow or examples, and you have a chance to focus and clarify your idea.
After we receive and accept the outline, we would like to have your first draft in 7-10 days. Then it might take another week or two of revisions to get the post publication ready.

Will I be able to link to my own blog within the post?

We allow a couple of links in the post byline and sometimes also a relevant link or two in the body of the post.

Anything I need to do after my post is published?

Yes, we would expect you to:

• Promote the post to your email list and/or social media followers
• Engage fully with readers by responding to  comments as soon as the post goes live in the morning and as often as possible throughout the day and in the following few days
• Respond to comments or questions on Twitter and the Manu forest Facebook page as your schedule allows immediately after publication

What next?

If you think you have what it takes to write for Manu Forest shoot an email to Manu Forest Editorial manuforest16@gmail.com following the format in these guidelines. You can expect a reply within three days, not including weekends.
Good luck!