Blogging 101 For Authors

 

 

“I thought about blogging, but not sure I have enough to say.”  

“I would blog, but don’t know that I can commit to doing it often.”  

“I know I need a blog but I am not sure how it will actually help me sell my book.”  

These are some of the things I hear from authors on a regular basis. Friends, let me help you be less anxious, confused, or uncertain about blogging.  

You should do it – but don’t have to.

You can do it – and it won’t kill you.

It can help you get book sales – but it is a process that takes time.  

Blogging helps you build your brand. You will end up promoting your blog posts just as much as more than your book – but as a result, you will see more clicks to your web site and more requests to buy your book.  

The core things that you need to know about blogging are these:  

1.      Determine what you will write about, thematically.

2.      Get on a schedule – first try twice a month, then get it down to weekly. 

3.      Come up with a list of specific blog post ideas. Start to write them and save them up. You will try to pen a new post once a week but you may be busy, tired, sick, traveling, or brain dead and some weeks could go by with no fresh blogs. This is when you delve into your blog bank and take your prepared posts and publish them until you get bank on your blog mojo and write more original pieces. 

4.      Think about the voice/style format/persona these posts will be written in.

5.      Determine your length range. Blogs can be 500-700 words typically, but sometimes 350 words does it and other times 1,000 words are necessary. Be consistent – with some variety.

6.      Always use images with every post. They attract attention and engage the reader.

7.      Always conclude your blog post with a two-line summary of who you are, state your book title, and share your web site link.

8.      Consider having guest-posters and interviews on your blog. They can help you pull more traffic to your blog.

9.      Title your posts in a way that is brief., targeted, and interesting, similar to the way a newspaper headline would read. A good headline lures you in to read the post. Keep it short – typically no more than 8-10 words. It should not be clickbait or a lie, but feel free to tease the readers in a way that is irresistible.

10.  Sprinkle in the right key words for your blog, the ones that relate to your book’s subject matter and your author brand.

11.  Use your social media to promote your blog posts.

12.  Use short paragraphs, a readable font and typeface, and bullet points to create an easy-flowing, easy-to-read blog.

13.  Before you post a blog, ask yourself if this particular post meets your goals and needs: Is it unique and interesting? Is it consistent with your brand and messaging? Will it be understood and appreciated? Does it have the potential to go viral?

14.  Does your blog focus on big, popular topics that are universal, such as: art/writing, sex, entertainment, business, health, family, politics, crime, power, technology, lifestyle/fashion, education, parenting, or pets/nature? If not, rethink this.

15.  Don’t feel you need special training or credentials to be qualified to write your blog. Become the expert by virtue of being a blogger!

16.  Don’t waste time saying what’s been said. Find your niche and own way of sharing what you write.

17.  Make sure your blog is scannable. Consider using numbered lists, subheadings, and breaking up text with images, emojis, or icons.

18.  Have people sign up for your blog and automatically send them each new posts.

19.  Lastly, the recipe for blogging success also includes editing your writing. You may think that what you wrote is brilliant and rush off to post it. However, re-read your work and check for the obvious: spelling, grammar, capitalizations, commas, italics, etc. No reason to be sloppy there. Next, edit for content. Watch your use of jargon if people won’t know what you are saying. Avoid fluff and don’t be repetitive. Make sure things are clear and cohesive. Assume nothing. Spell it all out so even a fifth-grader can understand your message.

20.  Use these sites to obtain free images: pexels, unslash, pixabay, pixistock, and haute stock.

21.  Remember the reader. Writers should write passionately about what they know, feel, think, and have experienced, but they can’t write without the reader in mind. Make sure what you focus on is of real interest to what the reader needs or desires.

22.  Think about who your reader is. What are your reader demographics? Age, race, intellect, sex/gender, education, religion, wealth, and other census-like statistics will help you profile whom you write for. Your content should appeal to that demographic profile. Each post should consider doing at least one of these:

·         Ask a question 

·         Make a declaration

·         Share a story

·         Present facts and supportive stats

·         Connect with something in the news

·         Tap into an honorary day/month/week/holiday, or anniversary of something that relates to your book or blog themes.

Are you ready to blog without whining, making excuses, or struggling? Just try it and see where you can take it. Blogging is too useful of a marketing tool to just dismiss it without at least giving it a real chance.

 

Please Contact Me For Book PR Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This blog, with over 4,000 posts over the past decade, was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.