Every so often, I have been invited to write guest posts for other people’s blogs. I am always extremely flattered to be asked and happy to do it if I can. Our blogs are very personal, and we put a lot of time and thought into their proper care and feeding. To be asked to contribute our words to another blogger’s site requires a leap of faith on their part. Even though the blog owner always has the right to edit, it’s important to have an initial confidence in the person writing the guest post. The expectation is that the post will be one that they are happy to share with their followers.
One of the positive benefits of guest posting is the exposure you get to a whole new audience. Even though you might share a few – or many – followers, chances are pretty good someone new will read what you’ve written and click on over to your blog. Each time I’ve been a guest on someone else’s blog, I’ve been pleased to gain several new followers. In addition, I’ve discovered a few bloggers whose comments on my guest post have led me to their blog.
For the next seven Tuesdays, I am sharing my space with bloggers that I have followed for a while. I have met two of them in person, but the others feel like friends too, because that’s what blogging does: it brings people together, builds a community, and creates relationships with people you probably would never have met in the non-blogging world.
I am grateful that these seven bloggers said “yes” to me when I asked them to contribute a GratiTuesday post. I am also grateful for all their time and effort (they have their own blogs to manage, after all). I hope you enjoy reading what they’ve written and, if they are new to you, I’d be grateful if you checked out their blog too.
Retirementally Challenged 
That’s really generous of you Janis. In fact, thanks to your guest spot on Donna’s blog, I became a fan of her too. It is a good way to introduce others. Look forward to reading them all.
I have enjoyed posting on the blogs of others and have met some great people by doing that. It will be fun to introduce some new voices on mine.
Even though I’m not a blogger, I am so excited about your having guests post some of your blogs. What a neat idea. I can tell you Janis, as a follower, I am very ‘choosy’ about who I follow. This is a perfect opportunity for me to check someone out based on more than reading their comments.
What a great way to introduce new talent to all of us who follow you. And believe me, all of you that I follow are so talented and gifted in your ability to express yourselves, make me laugh out loud, make me think, sometimes even cry.
Reading these blogs are like reading great letters from a friend. Even as a non-blogger, I feel like I’m part of this great community. Looking forward to meeting your friends.
🔹 Ginger 🔹
Let me take a moment to thank you for your great comments, Ginger. I imagine that most of the people who follow my blog are other bloggers (it just seems to work that way) so having a non-blogger like yourself not only regularly read my blog but comment often, is really nice. I think that you are very definitely part of the community and I hope that, through the guest posts, you are able to meet a few other bloggers you’d like to follow.
I’ll look forward to this, Janis!
Thank you! It’s fun to read what other bloggers are grateful for.
I hope you have a good time travelling, Janis, and I’m sure you’ve left your blog in good hands 🙂
Thank you, Joanne. I look forward to reading about the big event on your blog!
Thanks Janis 🙂
It’s always fun to connect fellow bloggers. 🙂
I know I found your blog through another one (not sure whose) so I hope that these guest posts will help others connect.
Yes, I think we connected through Donna’s blog. 🙂
Hi, Janis – As a long time fan of ‘Retirementally Challenged,’ I am honoured to be invited to guest host on your site. I agree that guest posts are a great way to make new connections, and to strengthen existing ones. I look forward to hosting on June 5. Enjoy your holidays!
I look forward to sharing your guest post with others! Thank you for agreeing to participate.
Janis, I know what you mean about the care and feeding of your blog. Having just entered into year two with my retirement lifestyle blog, I am still finding my voice, and feel very protective of my content. It takes a lot of trust to do what you are doing. You obviously have a lot of faith in your fellow bloggers.
On the other side, I was recently asked to guest post and I have to admit that acceptance comes with a certain amount of responsibility. I want to do a good job, be consistent with her standards and entertain her readers. Having new readers check out my space is an added bonus. This sort of sharing sounds like a win-win for everyone.
Guest posting can be a real win-win and it’s always nice to be asked to participate. This is the first time I’ve opened up my blog to others but hopefully, it all will run smoothly (fingers crossed 🙂 ).
Statistically speaking, there’s bound to be at least one blogger who will muck-up the smooth machine you’ve got running here, Janis. A proper vetting process is vital. Please remember this during the post-mortem period afterwards! 😉 – Marty
Haha! Well, if something doesn’t run smoothly at this point, I think everyone can point their fingers at me.
I’m looking forward to your guest posts, Janis! Bloggers who become friends are truly something to be grateful for!
You are right about that, Terri!
This is a great idea. Love the idea of building a community of bloggers and inviting guest writers. Thank you.
It’s nice to be able meet new people with different points of view. I hope you enjoy reading the guest posts!
Thanks for featuring us on your fantastic blog, Janis. I’m looking forward to reading all the guest posts, and connecting with new and “old” readers. I think it’s a great idea to keep the GratiTuesday theme going, while you are away.
Thank you for participating, Liesbet!
I will look forward to meeting each guest blogger, Janis. I really value the blogging community and think that in our varied interests and experiences we are enlarging our individual spheres by visiting with each other, and I enjoy the possibility of expanding to include new-t0-me voices. Great idea!
Beautifully put! I love this community too.
I love having guests write posts for my blog Janis and I know I will enjoy reading yours. It certainly keeps things interesting and there are so many wonderful women out there with a voice to be heard. Donna is one of my favourites so I’m looking forward to the series. Have a great week!
Wonderful women and men too! Each of the guest posts is so different… and reflective of the individual writer. I have a feeling this won’t be that last time I share my space with others!
Look forward to reading this…I started a guest series on my blog and it has been wonderful hearing others views and stories and as you said, has opened up to a whole new audience.
I’ve enjoyed your guest series. It’s nice to “cross-pollinate” between blogs… it makes all of us better.
Janis, You summed up guest blogging so well. Being asked to put my words on someone’s site feels like both an honor & responsibility for me. I do worry about being respectful to the site and the host (content, tone).
Yet, the benefits I get as a guest blogger far outweigh the worry. I’ve loved reading guest posts on other’s sites and have found new people I’ve since become friends with…and I am hoping the same might happen when I guest post with you.
I’m not sure you’re aware…but you were one of the first people I started to follow when I started blogging! So to be asked to be on your site is truly an honor to me. Enjoy your travels!!
I’m not sure why I waited so long (4 years) to have guest posts on my site. I have very much enjoyed writing for other blogs so why not invite others on to mine? Anyway, I’m very excited to see how it all turns out. Thanks so much for agreeing to participate!
Great idea!
I’m excited to see how it all turns out!
What a lovely idea! We have occasionally had friends contribute a blog post after a stay with us but have not had other bloggers~ I think it’s a great idea though!
As soon as our lives “settle” down a bit .. we have been “on the road” for about 6 weeks now, I look very forward to reading your guest posts!
Peta
I’ve enjoyed reading about the experience your friends have had staying with you and participating in your day-to-day lives. Being on the road for six weeks is a lot! I know what you mean about settling in again.
What a great idea! I look forward to reading your guest posts!
My fingers are crossed that I set everything up ok. If I mess up one of my posts… oh well. I don’t want to mess up someone else’s.
Blogging friendships are the best! I’ve never had guests on my own site (yet), and yours is only my second time guest posting. The others are right – guest posting is such an honor and an awesome responsibility. But just like with friends in real life, I would hope that I could have the backs of my blogger friends. So enjoy your vacation. We’ve got this – maybe not as well as you do it, but we’ve got this!!! ~ Lynn
I think it’s nice to introduce different voices. I was so interested to see how each of you approached GratiTuesday. If everything works out (as I’m sure it will) I expect that I’ll do it again in the future. Thanks again for participating!
I’m looking forward to reading your guests’ posts. I have found several new blogs through guest posts and insightful comments on those guest posts. Thank you for trusting me with one of your spots. I don’t know why I haven’t invited guests on my own blog yet. You’ve inspired me to at least consider how I could make that happen. I hope you enjoy your travels!
It took me a while to invite other bloggers on to my site, but I’m glad I did now. If it all works out (meaning that I did everything right on my side), I’m sure I’ll do it again. Thank you for participating!
What a wonderful idea. I have come to view my blogging world as my truest socializing. After all, it is the place where so many like minded people meet to share interest, stories and ideas. I hope this event goes well for everyone!
I have had fun playing guest host on the blogs of others and I was interested to see what others would do with my GratiTuesday theme. So far, so good… I’m sure I’ll do it again. It’s nice hearing other voices.
Janis, I am looking forward to your guest post series. It is a great way to make connections. I originally found your blog through Donna’s blog.
Jude
I love how we makes new friends through other blogs. Sometimes I lose track of how I “met” a new blogger, but the relationships I’ve developed along the way are very meaningful to me.