The Challenges of Multi-Author Blogs

There are a growing number of multi-author blogs being launched, and many blogs that once featured only a single author are changing to include more writers. Many of you probably read a number of multi-author blogs, including Daily Blog Tips, Freelance Switch, Performancing, and others. Some of you probably own or write for a multi-author blog as well.

If you are considering starting your own, or changing a single-author blog to include other writers, there are some challenges that you should be aware of. While I do not own any multi-author blogs, I do write for a few on a regular basis, and I’ve written for even more on a one-time basis. Here are some of the challenges that are evident from my experience.

1. Quality - The quality of a multi-author blog can be more difficult to maintain due to the different skill levels of writers, as well as varying levels of experience and reputation. When you are maintaining a blog for yourself in which you are the only writer, you are in complete control of the quality. When other writers are added to the mix the quality can either increase or decrease. While quality can be a challenge, it also presents a great opportunity for blogs that can meet the challenge head on. Adding top-notch writers is a surefire way to improve the quality of any blog.

2. Identity and Branding - Blog readers choose to subscribe or come back to the favorite blogs on a regular basis in large part because of the identity that a particular blog has established. In many cases this involves the personality and approach to blogging of an individual. This can be more difficult with multiple writers. Readers will not get the same consistent approach that they would get from a single blogger, and it can make it more difficult for readers to connect with the writers.

3. Possible Duplication of Topics - When you are writing for your own blog it’s much easier to remember what you have written about in past blog posts and what topics are yet to be adequately covered. Of course blog readers do not want to see the same information presented over and over again, and this can be a challenge when several writers are contributing. The more writers there are, the harder it is to keep track of what has already been published. This can be helped if there is an editor or one person in charge of what gets published and what doesn’t, but this isn’t always possible or optimal.

4. Coordination of Schedules - Multi-author blogs rely on receiving contributions from a number of different people who all have different schedules and different times that work best for them to write. It can sometimes be a challenge to coordinate this so that there are not 10 posts on one day and none the next. Some blogs choose to set up a consistent schedule that assigns each writer a specific day (or days) to publish. One of the blogs that I regularly write for uses this type of arrangement and it really works well.

5. Lack of Ownership - When you are running your own blog it is much easier, in my opinion, to stay motivated. No one else is ultimately responsible for your success and no one else will reap the rewards like you will. When there are multiple writers involved there is sometimes a lack of ownership in the responsibility to grow the blog and achieve goals. By this I mean that many writers may not give 100% effort like they would if they owned the blog themselves.

From my experience the best way to overcome this challenge is to pay writers. Each time I write an article that I’m being paid for I have a certain quality standard for my work. In addition, I’m more motivated to promote the article, if possible, so that the blog owner who is paying me will be satisfied with the results and keep me on staff. When you are not being paid you should still be motivated to give your best, but there is a certain level of ownership and accountability that comes along with being paid.

6. Maintaining Focus - With several different writers publishing articles on a different basis, it’s easy for each writer to head in a different direction. In order to keep the blog tightly focused, there will probably need to be some effort to point writers in a particular direction. While it is good to be able to present different opinions and different points of view, each writer needs to be aware of what direction the blog is heading and how it is going to get there.

7. Finding Good Writers - Another challenge to consider is finding the writers in the first place. This is especially a big hurdle if you do not plan to pay writers, or if the pay is very low. Those opportunities that pay well are obviously much easier to fill. In order to find writers you may need to publish the opportunity on the blog, reach out to your existing contacts, approach potential writers directly, or post opportunities in forums and job boards.

8. Internal Linking - This is one that many people don’t think about, but from my experience it is one of the hardest parts about writing for a multi-author blog. When you are writing for your own blog it is pretty easy to make an effort to link to older posts throughout your new articles. However, this becomes very difficult when you are not as familiar with the existing content of the blog you are writing for. Internal links are important for making the posts more user-friendly as well as for SEO purposes, so it is a good idea to include internal links whenever possible.

9. Handling Payments - If you are the blog owner and you are paying writers you will need a good method of keeping track of who is owed and what has been paid. Different bloggers handle this differently, but regardless of how you accomplish the task you will need good organization.

10. Not Overpaying - Of course you do not want to pay writers more than they are worth. If you are paying out more than the blog is bringing in you will need to look at the situation and determine what needs to be changed. Some bloggers are willing to do this in the short-term in order to build a more valuable asset and increase long-term profits. Others aim to always cover their costs and hopefully still be able to turn a profit.

Why Use Multiple Authors?

If you are considering owning or writing for a multi-author blog you should be aware of the potential challenges and have a plan to overcome them. Despite the challenges that we have looked at here, multi-author blogs still bring great opportunities. In fact, many of the challenges above can be turned into strengths if they are properly handled. Having a variety of different writers can help to give the blog a more balanced presentation. Additionally, each writer will have their own strengths and weaknesses. If the team is able to come together to emphasize the strengths of each, the result will be much better than any one person could accomplish individually. And there is always the obvious benefit that multiple authors produce much more content than one person is capable of.

What is Your Experience?

Have you ever owned or written for a multi-author blog? If so, what were you experiences? If not, would you consider doing so, why or why not?