There are different types of Blog Tips. Some are simply how to tag your posts better, or how to advertise, so to speak. But one Blog Tip takes a bit more effort, time, and really a gamble on your part to make work.

They Can Work

They Can Stall

And

They

Can

Epically

FAIL

Collaborating with another writer on their blog or your blog can be beneficial to both of you for many reasons.

• For some they might do it for a sharing of each others audience.
• Others might do it to experiment with style.
• Still others might just do it to work with a friend.

It’s not something to jump into without a lot of thought. Are you protective of your work, your words? Do you get hurt when things are changed or another person doesn’t agree with your ideas?

If you answered yes, then do you think you should collaborate with a blogger you consider a friend?

I  have collaborated a few times, unbeknowst to all but a very few, I asked my name not be mentioned. Why?

• There are people out there that want to collaborate simply to use another blogger for increasing their Followers/Views.
• I didn’t want to open the flood gates to their having to possibly say no to others asking for a collaboration, when a collaboration just happens for myself and another. Intentional collaborations for me don’t seem to flow well. Those that are inspired by a conversation are the best.
• And to be honest, I just don’t like the attention that much. Which sounds odd because I like to have Followers for my site and Twitter and the ‘likes’ of my work and everything. It is a fantastic feeling, it really is. I won’t lie about that. But for some reason I prefer to stay in the background a bit and just do my little thing. I like to see the success of something I had a hand in. That’s been enough for me.Some might say it’s the Gemini in me and the intellectual and emotional aspects at war.

The Pros of Collaborations

1. You get to work with a good friend and learn from one another about what and how we do things differently
2. Your work is shared with a different viewing audience and you can see how it works
3. (I get to take credit for another person’s talent.)

The Cons of Collaborations

1. Hurt feelings might happen over creative differences
2. One person seems to think their opinion is more important the others and changes work without thinking how it makes one feel
3. (You end up wanting to kick the other persons butt because you find out they are really the biggest lame jerk that every graced the page tabs of a blog site.) Your friendship suffers because your differences over each others work that you normally love are just too different together.

How to Make a Collaboration Work

1. You should PERSONALLY keep in mind what you like about the other persons work and try to make sure that is included in the piece you are collaborating on
2. Chose a battle. Not every single point is worth a fight in an article. Unless it is just a matter of your personal beliefs or something, look at it for what is best for the piece over all and the message.
3. And seriously, be honest and recognize that the site you will be posting on expects THEIR blogger’s work. We know what our readers like to see. Just make sure your ideas get included and some of your writing as well. It really depends on the piece being written. Whose style does the piece fit best?

How to Determine Who to Collaborate With

1. Do you click-This means do you have a rapport and an underlying sense of respect for one another
2. Do you agree-If you are writing certain pieces and you don’t agree, like politics or religion and its about a sensitive topic, you may wan to stay away. You can like a persons work and respect their views but once you delve into the behind the scenes and deeper into their thoughts you may not really enjoy things as much.
3. Frankly, do you like the work of the other person-That sound simple but you might have a friend but it’s the person you like and your two styles just won’t click. Stay away. Friends are more important forcing something.

The Cautions of Collaborating

1. Friendships end over unimportant things
2. You end up having the other persons reputation be associated with yours. This is a caution in case you don’t overly agree with their views or really their style
3. You might end up getting asked by friends for collaborations and you have to say no and hurt their feelings, or you say yes and neglect your own work

There are a lot of benefits from a collaboration from expanding your blog reach.

1. Two or more people can end up sharing some of each others followers and find new viewers because of it. You get that new audience.
2. It allows you to learn some tricks you may not have known before about blogging.
3. You earn a reputation as a person that works with others which to some means being nice and sacrificing.

I can collaborate with anyone, but I choose not to jump into that pool much. It does take time from my own work. I did one recently that I enjoyed and was not something I felt took away from my work at all. Why? Because we click, we shared ideas, and we recognized who could do what. I know my strengths and weaknesses and had no problem expressing that. I also felt I could express my opinions without any problems. Why? Because we click and respect each other. Neither of us really benefits in regards to followers from the work. We share a lot of the same people.

The main reason I even allowed my name mentioned was the subject really required both of our names to be included for there to be a balance. Not specifically our names, but our genders.

Finding a collaboration partner that really works well is difficult. I don’t seek them out, they just happen. I don’t ask, they just happen. Do I get asked? Yes, I have.

Do I encourage you to collaborate? That is up to you. To me it is not something I go out and look for unless the idea pops to mind, I am already clicking with the person, I know we agree on things and we can mesh well. You need to know that first.

Much Respect

Ronovan

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