Do you have a favorite blog or e-newsletter that you read every week. Are you aware that many blogs feature guest bloggers? And that many e-newsletters feature guest writers? Have you ever thought about being one of those writers?

It’s not too difficult to snag one of these spots. All you have to do is simply tell an interesting story about your business experiences or insights with respect to the publication’s topic. And, assuming you’re good at your business, that should be easy.

Another key to getting published is to deliver a piece that’s grammatically correct, spellchecked, and doesn’t have to be heavily edited. Online bloggers and publishers are dying for fresh material, so if you give them a piece that’s “publishable” most editors will grab it.

I have been published in copywriting trade blogs and also in Jeffrey Gitomer’s e-newsletter (over 800,000 subscribers). Although I haven’t gotten assignments from these efforts, I did get numerous signups to my e-newsletter, which is a sales funnel for my business.

Besides getting leads and customers, another benefit is that you get valuable links back to your own website via your bio. Google and other search engines evaluate links coming in to your website and, if it’s a quality link from a quality online publication, your site will be judged as a quality site as well. This will help secure your website to get higher search rankings.

Usually bloggers will state if they are open to guest bloggers. They may even give you some guidelines. One that I write for only wants very short pieces, about 200-300 words. So there’s no need to be intimidated.

E-newsletters sometimes want more meaty pieces. If you notice that a newsletter you read has various contributors, then that means they are probably open to material.

I do not recommend querying the editor. They are just too busy to respond to a “maybe” article. Write a darn good piece. Have it read by several colleagues to make sure your points are clear, accurate, entertaining, and error-free. Let it rest a few days. Then read it again, out loud. Make final corrections and ship it.

If the editor is listed on the newsletter, send it to the editor. If it’s just the name of the blogger or e-newsletter owner, send it to him or her. It will get read.

Don’t be afraid to follow up in a few days with an email to see if 1) they received it and 2) they are interested. If they pass, send it to a few other publications. If your article is consistently passed over, don’t give up. Get some editorial assistance. A professional polish may just turn your article into a gem.

Being a guest blogger or writer is an excellent way to establish yourself as an authority, and, who knows, maybe you’ll now start your own blog.