Hi, SEers! Mae here today with a topic I hope will be beneficial to a number of readers. Many of you may already know this trick, but I hope you’ll indulge me for those who don’t.
Recently, I did a cover reveal, single day blitz of my upcoming release, Cusp of Night. I had sixteen blog stops in a single day. When the book releases, I’ll prepare individual posts for the wonderful bloggers gracious enough host me, but in this case, I was splashing the same content everywhere.
To make it easier on my hosts—and okay, me too—I sent everyone a pre-formatted HTML post. All sixteen blogs were sharing the same content, so I was able to create a template that everyone received. Basically, “look at my sparkly new cover!” Afterward, several bloggers emailed me to inquire how I had created the post.
It’s amazingly easy. Although the steps below are for WordPress users, Blogger may have something similar if you poke around.
Steps to creating an HTML blog post:
Open the VISUAL editor of your WordPress blog and format the post exactly as you want it to appear. This includes spacing, inserting book covers, photos, graphics, links, etc. When including links, remember to set them to open in a new window.
Switch to the TEXT editor of your blog and copy your entire document. This will retrieve all the HTML code.
Paste the document into MS Word (or your word processor) and SAVE.
It’s that simple.
When you send the post to your blog hosts, instruct them to paste it into their TEXT editor. Presto—they have a pre-formatted post without having to do any layout work, insert photos, links, etc. This makes things easy-peasy for your hosts. And who doesn’t like easy-peasy?
Even when I do this, I still make it a practice to send everything separately (post, photos and graphics, links). Some hosts prefer formatting their own posts to maintain continuity with their blog. For those who want a quick hosting solution this saves a lot of time. I now do this for every blog post I submit to another blogger.
So let’s chat….were you already aware of this trick? Have you used it before? If not, do you see yourself giving it a try in the future? Do you have any special tricks you employ to save yourself and/your blog hosts time? Time is the enemy of all writers. What steps do you take to circumvent it?
Mae, this is a great tip and time saver for anyone that does a blog blitz or for someone hosting a blog.
Even if the host wishes to change some of the layout, they have all your links ready to go.
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Absolutely! I’m glad you found value in it, Michele. Thanks for dropping by and commenting!
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I can’t believe it’s that easy! I’ll have to remember that. Sure beats trying to tweak things for each blogger. Great tips, Mae!
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It’s so simple, Julie. And I know you’re going to be launching on blog tours when your debut comes out, so it may come in handy for you! 🙂
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Thank you. I must try it. I will try it. I’ll do it today – ah, it’s teatime – I’ll do it tomorrow. But I will try it!
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LOL! I hope the tea was enjoyable. Tomorrow is just as good when there are more important things demanding your time–like tea
Earl Grey, please 🙂
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Pingback: Bloggers – A time saving tip | GRACIE BRADFORD: Grandma Midnight Book Reviews - Sassy and Outspoken
Reblogged this on Viv Drewa – The Owl Lady.
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Thank you for sharing, Viv!
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Great information. Thank you. I’ll be giving it a try. 🙂
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Fantastic! It’s super easy Norah. I’m glad the information will be useful to you! 🙂
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It’s funny. I switch between visual and text for other purposes, for example inserting videos and a few other things. I hadn’t thought about saving in that format before.
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I always did the same too, Norah. Now I find myself using the text editor more—especially when preparing blog posts 🙂
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Great info here. I don’t tend to do guest posts or blog hops, but if I ever do, this is great to know. Thank you.
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Glad it may prove useful at some point, Carrie! 🙂
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Oh sweet God…I had no idea! This is awesome, Mae. Thanks so much for sharing another gem! 🙂
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I’m so glad it was helpful to you, Natalie. It makes life so much easier—for blogger and host! 🙂
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Nice job, Mae. don’t know why more author’s on tour don’t use this technique. so easy for the host.
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I agree, John. When I first discovered it I felt like I had fallen into a gold mine! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Archer's Aim and commented:
Here’s a nice, easy how-to by Mae Clair on Story Empire today.
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Thanks for the reblog, P.H.!
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You’re welcome.
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How incredibly simple, Mae, and no, I did not know this. So, thank you for sharing!
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I’m glad it will be of use to you, Jan, and it’s super easy. Once you try it, I think you’ll be hooked 🙂
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I figured this one out not long after I started hosting other people on my site. Once I realised I had to post the provided html into the text editor (how many times did I forget to do that before it stuck in my brain? Way too many) I experimented with reverse-engineering the idea and, presto! An html post to share 😀
The only issue is when your recipient uses Blogger instead of WordPress. That one I haven’t resolved yet.
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The Blogger/WordPress compatibility is a problem.I guess in that case we still have to go about things the old fashioned way until someone figures it out.
I was pretty much the same way, pasting in from others, and then had that light bulb moment of why don’t I do it in reverse, LOL!
Thanks for sharing!
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I’ve received ready made html posts for Blogger, so there must be a way to do it, but I assume you have to have a Blogger account to figure that one out!
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I knew how to use the text editor, but never considered doing a copy/paste for a guest post. Great idea!
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It makes it so much easier on your hosts, Sue. We’re all so crazy busy that little bit of time saved can be monumental in the scheme of things.
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Pingback: Creating an HTML Blog Post – The Militant Negro™
Thanks for the reminder, Mae. I have used it myself before and it makes things easier, although I don’t think it always works if people use another platform rather than WordPress, but sending the standard format should help with that. It is also a possibility to leave the actual post as a draft on WordPress for future reference, although I tend to keep a copy on Word as well.
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I’m like you and keep my copies stored in Word, but a draft copy on WP is certainly another way to go. And you’re right about other platforms outside of WP—I haven’t figured that one out yet, but at least being able to share across platform on WordPress is a plus! 🙂
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Reblogged this on The Write Stuff and commented:
Mae Clair has a very useful post today on how to create an HTML blog post to share on blog tours, etc. Check it out. It’s much easier than you might think. Thanks, Mae!
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Thanks for sharing this, Marcia. I hope The Write Stuff readers find it helpful!
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Thanks for sharing this, Mae. I’ve saved it for future reference, though I’ve never done a blog tour. Still, if it makes it easier to do a guest post now and then, I’m willing to give it a go. Seems pretty straightforward. Sharing! 😀
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Like I said in the post, Marcia it’s easy-peasy. I think once you do it the first time, you’ll be hooked! 🙂
I’m glad you found it usual, and thanks again for reblogging to The Write Stuff!
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Thanks, Mae! 🙂 Sharing… xo
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Awesome. Thanks, Bette! 🙂
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Hugs! 🙂
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Thanks for sharing.
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My pleasure. Thanks for visiting, Gracie!
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Yes-love blog pours that domthos! I’ve had trouble on my need creating them- but Inlove to recieive them
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Thanks for dropping by and sharing your thoughts, Jena!
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I learned to do this long ago when I wrote a guest post for another blogger and he requested it in that format. If you are sending the same content to a lot of people, or want your post to look a certain way, it’s definitely the way to go. Sending individual posts takes a smidge longer (because you’re doing individual formatting for each person), but these people are doing you a favor, so it’s worth it if that’s what they want.
Even when I receive HTML posts, I do a little finessing on my side, so I don’t request or require code from my posters. It does speed things up a bit, but it’s not a deal breaker for me. It is nice when people send the code, though. (And you’re right; providing both HTML and regular text plus graphics is a definite courtesy.)
Great post, Mae.
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Thanks, Staci. It seems we’re all so busy today that anything we can do to help out others who host is is a plus.I take posts either way, too–with or without code–and I always want to leave it up to the host blogger whether they want to use the pre-formatted post or fiddle with content on their end. It’s great to have that flexibility and be able to give bloggers a choice.
Thanks for sharing!
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Reblogged this on Anna Dobritt — Author.
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Thank for sharing!
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I’ve done this a couple of times. My guest appearances are all unique, so I haven’t done it often. What do you do with the leftovers you created in WordPress? Delete it?
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Yes, I just delete it, Craig. Once I’e copied the post to Word and save it there, I have the post if I ever need it again. While I’m working in WP, I sometimes save th e post as a draft, then go back and delete it when I’m done.
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Sounds about right. I like to keep the clutter down.
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I had used the text editor for a few things but before I hosted you that day, had never used the feature. It was super easy and I’ll be using this format in the future. Good info to have, Mae!
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Thanks, Joan. I’m glad it was a help. It is super easy and it’s such a time-saver for the bloggers who host you. 🙂
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The day I figured this out was the day guest posts and blog tours became infinitely easier. 😁
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I couldn’t agree more, Charles. And I always appreciate when I get your posts in HTML. What a time-saver!
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Happy to make things easier for people. 😀
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😀
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I use Blogger. I’m sure there is a way to do it. I just need to play around a bit to figure it out, I guess. 🙂
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I wish I knew how to do it in Blogger, Yvette, but it’s been years since I’ve used that platform. Maybe you can Google it???
I’m sure if it’s doable in WordPress, it has to be doable in Blogger, too! 🙂
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Great post, Mae! I have used this before, and as you say, it is great when you want to send multiple copies of the same info out. As a blogger, I always love it when I can do a simple copy and paste. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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I find it super handy, too! And I love it when all I have to do is copy and paste a guest post.
Thanks, Harmony! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Here is a very helpful post from the Story Empire blog on the topic of creating an HTML blog post
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Thank you, Don!
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My pleasure
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