Please note: 99% of the guest posts requests I receive are actually pitches for a link back to a commercial website. That is not a guest post! If you are a commercial, for profit business I have great news to share with you. You may sponsor a post on The Creative Cottage blog and I will be more than happy to link to your website, product or service. Please do not pitch a guest post if all you are looking for is a link to your product, business website or service. Thank you!
Are you a freelance writer or blogger and have an article or information you want to share with my readers? Then you’re in luck! I do accept the occasional unpaid guest post from other writers, authors and bloggers for both of my blogs (The Creative Cottage and Sloth Athletica).
The posts must be of a non-commercial nature and not contain any mention of a company, brand or commercial business. If you are trying to get a promotional post published for your company or client, please head on over to my sponsored post page!
Topics Covered on The Creative Cottage Blog
I accept guest posts on a wide variety of subjects. However, I won’t accept posts that cover anything to do with alcohol, smoking, vaping, CBD, gambling, diets, supplements, bitcoin or adult entertainment.
The main topics covered on The Creative Cottage include:
- DIY & Crafts
- Home & Garden
- Food & Drink
- Beauty & Fashion
- Health & Wellness
- Marketing & Communications
- Blogging & Writing
- Finance & Investments
- Dating & Relationships
Guest Post Guidelines
Here are a few general guidelines for submitting guest posts for possible publication on The Creative Cottage:
Headline: Be sure to include a headline / post title.
Length: I don’t impose a minimum length for your post, the story is more important than length. Just make sure your story is relevant to readers and contains enough and useful information, so the best thing is to add as many pieces of information and points of view as possible in your article. I really want my readers to benefit from reading the articles published here.
Content: Write with the reader in mind. Assume the reader is busy and has a short attention span. Start with a brief set-up that hooks the reader. Then organize the rest in segments. Short paragraphs and eventually headings within the article make it easier to read.
Previously published: I don’t accept content that has been previously published or submitted elsewhere. Please only submit original content for The Creative Cottage.
Authorship: Be sure to include an author bio, two to three sentences.
Credit: I respect individual work and if your story is derivative of someone else’s work, feel free to give them credit.
Images: It’s great to include images to illustrate the points in your story. But please only include your own images, photography that you have rights to use or that are available under creative commons license such as from sites like Pexels.com or Pixabay.com. Make sure to include image credits and links (for me to double check). Do not include images to which you have not secured the rights. If you are using your own images, make a note of that.
Editing: I reserve the right to edit the article to a greater or lesser extent, including changes in the text, subheads and headline, to improve readability and maximize the web traffic for the articles published on the blog. My policy is to give guest post authors a chance to review my edits before posting when possible, but I retain final editorial control. Relevant/related links might be added at the time of publishing or later at my own discretion.
Payment: We don’t pay for guest posts.
Self-promotion: Authors have the chance of a link back to their own personal blogs. So you are free to add the URL of your personal blog or website. Also provide links to your social media profile pages. Any other backlinks within the post are subject to our consideration. Please see the next section for more details on Sponsored Posts and Advertising opportunities if you are looking for promotional content for your brand or client.
Advertising/Sponsored Posts/Product Reviews
If you’re a business, corporation or brand looking to write about a problem for which your company offers a solution or about any area in which you have a vested interest; or you have a website that sells or recommends products or services; or you represent and contact me on behalf of a company / business website, your story will qualify as a sponsored post rather than a guest post. Please head on over to my Sponsored Post page for complete details on the type of promotional opportunities I can offer your brand, product, services or client.
Accepting Guest Posts
I try to respond as quickly as I can to your blog post submission, but please note, due to time constraints and sometimes time zone difference, I’m not always able to provide feedback on your story immediately. For accepted stories, I usually publish the accepted articles within three business days.
I look forward to working with you!
If you feel I missed anything in the above presentation and have more questions or you want to work with me on a collaborative post or to submit a guest post, don’t hesitate to email me: lynn@thecreativecottage.net
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Founder and Chief Blogger
The Creative Cottage
Sloth Athletica
