No, I Am Not Accepting Guest Posts
This blog is for real riders and written by a real rider.
For many years after I built this website I solicited paid advertising and was also open to having specific blog posts “sponsored” by some business wishing to drive traffic their way. In later years I have done away with all that so now when I get emails asking to sponsor posts–easy money to be sure–I just delete them.
A different thing I tried several times was to accept guest posts. I figured that if someone could write a good piece that I felt my readers would find interesting and relevant, sure, I’m open.
That really did not work out. I would receive a contact, I would reply specifying what I was looking for, I would receive assurances that yes, the piece I would be sent would be highly professional and very much of interest to my readers. And then I would receive dreck. Absolute garbage.
If you read this blog you know the kinds of things I write. I write very specifically about rides I’ve done, issues I’ve encountered, gear I’ve tried out, trips planned, and a lot more. What do these so-called professional writers send me? The kind of stuff that would be common knowledge even amongst the newest beginning riders. I wish I could think of a specific example–I’m drawing a blank right now.
But the point is, I write for people who have themselves ridden for a long time. They (you) are not interested in how to pick a helmet that fits, why you should always carry rain gear, how to check out your bike before a long trip. You already know those things. And if you don’t, there are a thousand sites across the internet where they have articles that go into those things in great detail. I don’t get into that stuff.
And those are only somewhat relevant topics. If I could remember some of the things I’ve been sent I could give you examples of some truly irrelevant topics these people pitch me.
OK, great! I love it! After I wrote this I checked my email and found this request for a guest post. Here’s part of it:
I’ve been writing about Fashion, Style for 5 years and I’m confident that I can write a high-quality, informative, and engaging guest post that would be of interest to your readers. As you can see I have a few ideas for guest posts that I think would be a good fit for your blog.
Yeah, right, that’s exactly what this blog is about.
Of course, these pieces come larded up with links to various products or websites where the writer would get a payment for any traffic that followed the link.
Now I do have to say, over the years I actually have published, I think, three guest posts. But isolating those three good pieces from the mountain of dreck is just not worth the effort.
So I just started marking everything that comes in asking to do a guest post as Spam. I don’t even open them. I know I get some follow-up emails saying “hey, at least do me the courtesy of replying and saying no thanks,” but while that would be courteous, if you knew how many such requests I get you would understand why I’m just not going to give of my time for that. Am I discourteous? Fine, I’m discourteous.
And that’s the point of this post. I want it up there so maybe some of these people who are planning to approach me will see it and reconsider. Let me make things absolutely clear:
I DO NOT ACCEPT GUEST POSTS.
Can I make that any clearer?
Biker Quote for Today
100 reasons not to date a biker: 15. We are depressed from November to March.
Tags: guest posts
