Author Blogs: What Should They Say?

Just what should your author blog say?

Whatever you think will interest people so that they are inspired to buy your book or see you as a brand or authority. Whatever helps others. Whatever you feel passionate about and qualified to write about.  Whatever helps you net more readers, social media connections or hits on your web site.  Whatever positively impacts or changes someone’s life. Whatever entertains you and unburdens your mind or soul.

The answer could be any of those things, all of the above, some combination of two or more items, or none of the above. But the key is that you blog and that you write something that will be of interest to others. 

Your blog could:

·         Debate an issue

·         Analyze an event coming up or recently occurring

·         Discuss what’s in the news

·         Review a book

·         Praise someone or something

·         Criticize someone or something

·         Provide the how-to steps to become or avoid something

·         Identify 3,5,7 or however many mistakes people make

·         Show x amount of myths people falsely operate under

·         List x amount of rules one must follow in order to accomplish something

·         Make us aware of a problem

·         Share humorous or witty stories

·         Present 10 things to be aware of or on the lookout for

·         State top 10 this or 10 worst that

·         Share words of wisdom or advice

·         Present guest posts

·         Showcase a Q&A with a related expert

·         Present your solution to a problem

·         Call to everyone’s attention a cause that needs help

·         Share or expose secrets

·         Raise questions

·         Instill values and beliefs

·         Discuss technology as it relates to your area of expertise

·         Share fantasies and dreams

·         Identify trends, past and present

·         Provide predictions or a wish-list

·         Present interesting facts and stats

·         Warn us of scary issues and threats

·         Be a beautiful statement of your passion/love/pride for a topic

·         State pros-cons to an issue

·         Tell us what to do or not to do

·         Present an analogy or metaphor that relates to your expertise

·         Introduce a contrarian viewpoint and show the other sides of things

·         Share something deeply personal

·         Be a tirade filled with cursing, accusations, and demands

·         Highlight a major accomplishment

·         List goals and lofty aspirations

·         Honor the anniversary of a key event

What you write will depend on your:

·         Needs or goals

·         Abilities

·         Time

·         Reward

Are you writing the blog out of guilt or desire?  Are you writing for profit or pleasure?  Do you have certain restrictions, even if self-imposed, about what you write or how your write about something?

Authors who blog could be blogging because they want to:

·         Launch a business/book

·         Establish credibility

·         Build a platform for social media

·         Generate media coverage

·         Be positioned as a true thought leader

·         Make a difference with their message

·         Leave a legacy

·         Simply voice an opinion

·         Counter the views or actions of others

·         Establish your value proposition and to show what differentiates

·         Showcase/brag/share you many accomplishments

·         Craft something that gets buzz or goes viral

·         Relieve yourself of ideas, experiences, or concerns that need a home

·         Be seen as a viable candidate for a promotion or new position

·         Grow your fan base

·         Challenge others or the status quo

·         Develop some kind of revenue stream, whether via ads to sell products/services/books, or to direct traffic to web sites that produce income

I have blogged well over 2,300 times and just when I think there’s nothing left to say, I find I have so much to share.  In fact, I recently went on a tear where I saved up 22 blog posts, written and ready to go.  That was over a three week supply.

Sometimes I find that I revisit the topics of past blogs, simply because these issues are recurrent or because they are truly so significant that they warrant more attention. Whatever you write should come naturally.  Forced blog writing always shows.  You want the words to sing off of your lips to come out of you with ease and conviction.  Live, think, write, observe, think, write.  Read, write.

Blog away and enjoy it. You can write about anything or anyone. There’s no rule here on what you write about.  Just write.

All-New 2017 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit 

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/2017-all-new-book-marketing-book-pr.html

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs