WordPress is the perfect platform for running a multi author blog or website. By default you can allow users to leave comments with the Subscriber role or allow them to contribute to your website using the Contributor, Author, Editor or Administrator roles. Many themes also come packaged with an author template so that dedicated author information pages can be created.

As you would expect, there are lots of great plugins which let you extend the functionality of WordPress for multi author blogs and websites. Today I will be looking at 10 of the best. I hope you enjoy the list

10 Useful WordPress Plugins for Multi-Author Blogs

1. Admin Message Board

The admin message board is kind of like a private Twitter network for you and your authors. You can leave messages up to 140 characters long to all staff or just users you specify. A useful way of keeping your staff informed.

Link: Admin Message Board

2. Capability Manager

A useful plugin for changing the permissions of any group or user. Capability Manager allows you to set exactly what users can and cannot do. It’s an essential plugin for any multi author blog owner.

Link: Capability Manager

* For the last few years i have used the Role Manager Plugin but unfortunately it is no longer updated or supported therefore I could not include it in the list. However it’s worth checking out if you don’t like Capability Manager.

3. Pre-Publish Reminders

Pre-Publish Reminders is a WordPress plugin which adds reminders in your post area. You can add numerous reminders in the tools section and control how the text is displayed.

Your reminders will then be displayed at the bottom of posts in the admin area though I recommend moving the box to underneath the post area to give it more exposure.

If you check a reminder it will be dimmed to remind the author that the task has been completed. A useful plugin for those who have guidelines for their authors.

Link: Pre-Publish Reminders

4. Co-Authors Plus

A basic plugin which allows you to attach more than one author to posts and articles. A good option for those who collaborate with other authors on long articles.

Link: Co-Authors Plus

5. Adsense Revenue Sharing

A simple way of sharing adsense revenue with your authors. It works well though in my opinion it needs more advanced features to make it a ‘must have’ plugin.

Link: Adsense Revenue Sharing

6. Private Messages For WordPress

A good alternative to the admin message board is ‘Private Messages For WordPress’. The plugin allows any user to send messages to one another via your blog (when logged in). You can determine how many messages each user group gets and even switch the feature off altogether (which is advisable for the subscriber role as they are more likely to abuse the option with spam etc).

To integrate the plugin with your design you need to upload a template to your theme folder and then create a page using the template.

A great way to keep your authors informed as they will see their messages whenever they view your blog when logged in.

Link: Private Messages For WordPress

7. Posts by Author

A simple yet effective plugin which lists recent posts underneath their last article. The number of listed posts can be changed and posts can be excluded from certain categories.

By default the list is placed at the bottom of the authors post however the list can also be generated within the article by inserting a small piece of code.

The plugin hasn’t been updated in a while however it still works perfectly so is still a big favourite with multi author blog owners.

Link: Posts by Author

8. Author Exposed

Author Exposed gives an alternative to adding an author page to your theme. When a visitor clicks on your authors name their information appears via a pop up box.

Link: Author Exposed

9. Edit Flow

Edit Flow is a plugin which was created to improve the editorial approval process. It’s a fantastic script which will really help those with a lot of staff.

In addition to draft, the plugin also adds more post statuses such as assigned, pending review, pitch and waiting for feedback. You can also add your own custom statuses.

The plugin also adds a range of new user groups such as reporters and copy editors.

If you have a lot of authors then you should check out Edit Flow as it will make your editorial process much smoother.

Link: Edit Flow

10. Future Posts Calendar

A basic plugin which adds a calendar to the top of the edit post page so that future and past articles are highlighted.

This would be particularly useful for blogs who only have one post per day as authors can see all scheduled posts and avoid posting on the same day.

Link: Future Posts Calendar

There are lots of great plugins available for WordPress which will help you run your multi-author blog. Everyone runs their blog and their staff differently so it’s up to you to find a solution which meets your own needs.

Good luck,
Kevin

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