Dear Spammers, My Blog Isn’t Free Marketing for You

I receive guest post requests almost daily, but most feel like cold, careless spam. I’ve lost count of how many emails I’ve received that start with flattery and end with a request to use my blog to sell someone else’s product. They don’t care who I am. They haven’t read a single post. But they want a piece of my platform—for free or cheap—because they think I don’t know my value.

Table of Contents

• They Don’t Even Try to Personalize It
• Guest Blogging Isn’t Free Labor
• Freelance Post Requests That Waste My Time
• Link Begging Doesn’t Work Here
• What I Do Now
• Like it. Pin it.

They Don’t Even Try to Personalize It

“Hi Admin…”
“Dear Blog Team…”
Or my favorite: “I loved your post on Cancun.” I’ve never written or been to Mexico.

These pitches fill my inbox every week, sometimes daily. It’s clear they’re copying and pasting the same message to hundreds of bloggers, hoping someone bites. Many guest post requests show no interest in my blog, audience, or work.

After 15+ years of travel and blogging, Duffel Bag Spouse is not a side hobby. It’s my voice, my story, and a space I’ve built from scratch. Every post, every photo, every SEO tweak took time. So when someone asks to add their “relevant link” or pitch their “high-quality guest post,” I see it for what it usually is: a shortcut. Not a partnership. Not a collaboration. Just a shortcut to boost their numbers at my expense.

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Guest Blogging Isn’t Free Labor

Guest blogging should be about sharing useful, original content with a clear purpose. But most of the pitches I get are sloppy, generic, and full of keywords. They want me to give up space on my site for something that brings no value to my readers. I write for women over 40, military families, and travelers who care about depth—not fluff.

If you’re going to pitch me a guest post, know who I am. Know who I write for. And come with something that fits that—not recycled blog filler I could have written better myself.

Freelance Post Requests That Waste My Time

I’ve accepted a few guest post requests in good faith. One storage company seemed legit. We had a clear outline. I wrote the piece. Then… silence. No follow-up. No payment. Just gone.

Another time, I negotiated a multi-link collaboration with a travel brand. We agreed on links, dates, and payment. But once the posts were live, they created their own payment schedule and told me to wait.

I won’t do that again.

I treat every piece of content as an investment. My words are not freebies. If you can’t respect the process, you don’t get to benefit from the platform I’ve built.

Link Begging Doesn’t Work Here

I can’t count how many emails ask to “insert one small link” into a blog post I wrote years ago. They claim it will be helpful to readers—but it’s usually unrelated and purely for SEO. They want me to alter my voice, my values, and my content for a backlink and $25.

I think my readers trust me to tell the truth. They expect integrity. I only share links to services I’ve used, believe in, or think will actually help someone. If your link doesn’t meet that bar, don’t ask.

What I Do Now

I used to feel bad saying no. Every time one of these emails landed in my inbox, I second-guessed myself. Maybe I was being too strict. Maybe I was turning down something that could help my blog grow. But over time, I’ve learned better.

I still open the emails. Once in a while, someone reaches out with a real offer. The message is clear, personal, and shows they’ve actually read my blog. They know who my audience is. They’re offering something that fits my voice and my readers. When that happens, I’m open to having a conversation.

But most of the time, the requests follow the same tired script. After so many years blogging, I’ve learned to spot the red flags quickly:

• The email doesn’t use my name. It starts with “Dear Blogger,” “Hi Admin,” or no greeting at all.
• They reference articles I’ve never written or suggest topics that don’t belong on my blog.
• The offer brings nothing useful to my readers. It’s all about getting their link or content published.
• They expect free space on my site without offering any payment or fair compensation for my work.
• They don’t include any real information—no company name, no website, no work samples to review.

At this point, I don’t waste time on emails like that. I delete them and move on.

It took me years to get comfortable protecting my blog this way. But this is my work, my space, and my voice. I built it from the ground up. And I won’t hand it over to someone looking for a shortcut, free advertising, or a favor disguised as “collaboration.”

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_{Stop Wasting My Time: How to Recognize Spammy Guest Post Requests is sponsored and/or contains affiliate links, from which I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! All opinions are mine.}

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