I'm a blogger and an author. I've spent a lot of time formatting posts. I've learned what needs to be done for a post to be easy to get ready for the 'net' but if you aren't a regular blog poster, you may not be aware of what it takes to make a good looking post.

Here are a few pointers to authors...or anyone who is a guest on another blog. I've reformatted what I send to others, hoping to make it easier for them to post my information. Formatting a post can be time consuming and those online sites aren't always easy to post to. If you’re a blogger, you know what I mean. I hope some of these suggestions help you change what you're sending out:

1 - Delete All Formatting: Highlight your post and information and then in the tool bar of Word - 'delete all formatting' (I'm sure your word processor has a tool button that removes formatting) - this allows your host to format your post easier, and they won't have to remove formatting before they post your information. You can then go back to BOLD what you want to.

2 - Format Your Links First: Your links appear more sophisticated in a post if the link is clickable rather than showing the entire link in the post. I'm sure you've seen blog posts that show the entire link while others show the name of the link with it embedded. Doing that type of post formatting is time-consuming. Be a kind guest and save your host time. To do this, copy your link, then type the name of your link (Deanna Jewel). Now highlight your name/website/FaceBook/etc and then click the Hyperlink button in your word processor and paste in your copied link, giving you the embedded link as shown in Deanna Jewel below. If you've sent you links to your host, they must take the time to format each of your links before they can post it so the links themselves are not visible to the readers. Save your host a lot of formatting time and format your links before sending to the host. I hope this has helped you understand how this done.

Deanna Jewel

vs

Deanna Jewel: https://deannajewel.com

3 - Giveaways: These are NEVER required but if you're able to do a giveaway, readers love them! (right, readers?) Whether it's a gift card, print book or e-book, book thong, mouse pad, readers love contests! Let your host know if you're doing a giveaway or not. They aren't required but makes the post a little more interactive for site visitors.

I certainly don't intend for these hints to offend anyone but to help you become a better guests and I LOVE my guest authors. I always reformat the posts and links sent to me so that they appear neater on the blog. Good luck with all your postings in 2014!