Creating a guest posting platform on WordPress can be a fantastic way to invite guest authors to contribute to your website, enhance your content, and expand your audience. To help you build a successful guest posting platform, here is a list of some of the best WordPress plugins for managing guest posts, along with their pros and cons:

1. User Role Editor Pro:
   • Pros: Allows you to create custom user roles and permissions, making it easy to designate guest authors. You can control access to specific parts of your site and maintain security.
   • Cons: Requires some configuration and may not be as user-friendly for beginners.
2. Co-Authors Plus:
   • Pros: Enables multiple authors to be credited for a single post, making it ideal for collaborative or guest-authored content. Provides a seamless way to showcase guest authors.
   • Cons: Doesn’t offer advanced guest posting features, such as submission forms or content moderation.
3. Frontend Publishing Pro:
   • Pros: Lets guest authors submit and manage their posts directly from the frontend of your site. Offers customizable submission forms and easy content management.
   • Cons: May require some customization to fit your specific design and layout.
4. Edit Flow:
   • Pros: Provides a collaborative editorial workflow, making it easier to manage guest submissions, assign roles, and communicate with guest authors.
   • Cons: Primarily focuses on editorial management and lacks features specific to guest posting, such as submission forms.
5. User Submitted Posts:
   • Pros: Offers a simple way for guest authors to submit posts through a dedicated submission form. Provides options to customize the form fields and includes anti-spam features.
   • Cons: May not offer advanced editing and moderation features, and the design might require customization to match your site’s aesthetics.
6. WP User Frontend Pro:
   • Pros: Enables frontend posting with customizable submission forms. Integrates with popular page builders for easy design customization.
   • Cons: Advanced features might require some technical knowledge to set up and configure.
7. Content Control:
   • Pros: Allows you to control where and how guest posts are displayed on your site. Helps maintain a consistent layout and design.
   • Cons: Doesn’t offer submission forms or advanced content management features.
8. WPForms (with Post Submissions Addon):
   • Pros: A versatile form builder that, when paired with the Post Submissions addon, enables you to create custom submission forms for guest posts.
   • Cons: The submission process might not be as streamlined as other dedicated guest posting plugins.
9. PublishPress:
   • Pros: Offers advanced editorial calendar and content management features. Provides customizable statuses, notifications, and permissions for guest authors.
   • Cons: Primarily focuses on editorial workflow and management, so guest-specific features might be limited.
10. Guest Author:
    • Pros: Specifically designed to manage guest authors, allowing you to create guest author profiles and associate them with posts. Offers a straightforward way to showcase guest contributions.
    • Cons: Might lack some of the advanced submission and management features of other plugins.

Before selecting a plugin, consider your specific needs and the level of control and customization you require for your guest posting platform. Test a few options to see which one aligns best with your workflow and site’s design. Additionally, regularly update your chosen plugins to ensure compatibility and security.