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I am super excited to welcome Nina Amir, Inspiration to Creation Coach, who inspires people to combine their purpose and passion so they Achieve More Inspired Results. She motivates both writers and non-writers to create publishable and published products, careers as authors and to achieve their goals and fulfill their purpose.
Do you ever wonder if all that great content you write about each week can and should be converted into a book? If so, this is a very good resource to check out--Nina knows her stuff!
How a Blog Allows You to Promote as You Write
By Nina Amir
Writers write. That’s what we do. That’s what we are good at. And that’s why we balk at promoting ourselves and our books.
We don’t do promotion. It’s not our job. It’s not what we are good at.
Here’s the rub. If we don’t promote ourselves and our books we:
- Don’t get book publishing contracts.
- Don’t sell many self-published or traditionally published books.
- Don’t get many freelance writing jobs.
- Don’t make as much money.
That leaves you and me with a few options. If we are stubborn, we can maintain our position: I don’t do promotion. I’m a writer. Period.
Fine. Then ask yourself: Do I want to become a successful writer? If so, define what success means to you. If success means selling more than the average 250-500 books per year or earning more than a four-figure income per year from writing, you must change your attitude and embrace promotion.
Don’t fret! You can do so simply by writing. You can promote yourself and your forthcoming or published book with a blog.
What to Blog About
Yes, a blog involves a different type of writing in addition to your other writing, but it’s writing! You simply need to commit to writing a short blog post—250-500 words—a few times—2-5—a week. That’s not so bad.
And there are so many things you can write about. I came up with 20 things aspiring and published authors could blog about. Book marketing expert John Kremer came up with 101. Look at the topics you feel passionate about or your forthcoming and published books and come up with a list of possible topics. Make a content plan for each month, if that is easier for you.
Or pick a theme and stick to it. In the process, you’ll become an authority. You can even do this on many topics. This will help you land more book contracts and writing assignments—and added bonus of blogging.
The Blog as an Author Website and Branding Tool
Still having trouble wrapping your busy writing fingers around this concept? Consider this: Do you write morning pages? Keep a journal? Spend time emailing friends? Blogs began as online journals. Take on blogging as an author website where you can brand yourself by revealing the many aspects of who you are as a writer. Connect with potential readers, let them know more about your through your posts, and show off your awesome writing talent for potential book, newspaper and magazine publishers. (And, of course, feature your published works.)
Simply start your daily writing period with 30-45 minutes of blog writing. Compose a short post about whatever is on your mind that day. You can even add in your own photos and videos easily created on your iPhone or other android phone. Have fun with your blog. Make it a creative statement.
The Blog as a Writing Machine
If this still seems like a superfluous activity, then get down and dirty with your tactics. Use your blog as a way to write a book. Indeed, blogging a book is the quickest and easiest way to write your book and promote it at the same time. You’ll hardly know you are promoting your work at all!
When you blog a book, you publish your writing regularly and consistently on the internet as you create your first draft. This allows you to garner a loyal following of readers—fans—for your book as you write it. These fans then purchase the finished product. They also help promote your blog and the book when it is published. Plus, if your blog becomes popular, you might land a publishing deal in the process.
Here are the basic steps for blogging a book:
- Pick a topic. Choose a topic you are passionate about and can blog about for a long time
- Determine if your book is viable. Your book idea should have a large enough market and be unique among existing blogs and books.
- Map out your book’s content. Brainstorm all the content that could be in included in your book and organize it a table of contents.
- Come up with a content plan. Determine what content that will appear in the published book but not on the blog.
- Break the contents down into posts-sized pieces (250-500 words). Each post should have a title.
- Write and publish posts on a schedule. Write and publish 2-7 times per week for the first 6-12 months; then you can reduce the number of times you post.
- Create a manuscript. Write your posts in a word processing program, and then copy and paste them into your blog.
Go ahead. Write. And blog. In the process, promote yourself and your work by doing what you do best.
It’s drilled into us by the
Publishing Powers That Be: platform, platform, platform.
Embrace Social Media. Blog. Get on twitter. Engage. Network. Connect. Start early, think ahead, get a platform in place
before the deal.
And because we want to give ourselves the best chance of being noticed, we do it. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Tumblr and more. We participate in blog hops, help promo new books, run contests, join writing list-serves and organizations, post on forums, interact through writing support circles and groups. We host giveaways, we retweet, we #FF & #MM, we review books and we critique. We learn about SEO and back-linking and stress about Klout scores. We Follow. We Like. We+1. After all, this is what we were told to do, right?
For writers, putting time and energy into an online presence is the new norm. Time, hard work and luck all factor in on how successful a platform becomes. And some writers are very successful at building their platform. That's good...right? Yes, absolutely.
Well, you know, except for the but.Hold it...there's a BUT in this scenario? Yes, and here it is:
Sometimes instead driving your platform, your platform drives you.
A great platform is every writer’s end game...but the cold, hard fact is that it comes at a price: TIME. It takes a lot of time to manage a successful online presence.
When it starts to chew up too much, we get hit with a fish-slap of reality: there's no time to read. The research we need to do for our WIP is always on the back burner. Our family rarely sees us without a laptop or wireless device in our hand. And, the death blow? We're spending all our time blogging and networking
instead of writing.Eventually, a writer in this situation will become fed up, especially if they aren't seeing dividends as a result of platform building (an agent's attention, the editor's interest, the deal to celebrate). They begin to resent their blogs, or twitter, or whatever else is murdering their writing time. They also may resent those who preach that writers ‘must have’ a platform.
Social Media Fatigue sets in, and as the pressure to keep everything going builds, a writer flirts with the idea of just...walking...away. Running yourself ragged is
not the solution. Quitting a platform you worked so hard to build is
not the solution.
Change is. So if you are finding all your time is spent trying to gain online visibility instead of writing,
you need a SOCIAL MEDIA INTERVENTION.
Consider this your therapy session.
Experiencing
Social Media Fatigue? Look at what you’re doing for platform and what is draining your passion and time. What avenues can you cut back on? What can you do more efficiently?
Here are some common TIME EATERS and POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: SYMPTOM: Blogging Burn Out
Blogging can be a big chore if you aren't into it. Do you struggle to come up with topics? Are you always writing posts? Do you like blogging but it takes up too much of your time?
CURE:
--Blog less. Cut back on your blogging schedule.
--J
Hi guys--just a quick post to let you know I'm Guest posting over at
The Incessant Droning of a Bored Writer today on
how to build a blog following.I know
finding an audience for a blog can be a difficult, and it's especially daunting if you're new to blogging. When Becca and I started The Bookshelf Muse, we didn't know a lick about blogs but over the years we've learned quite a bit through trial and error.
Blogging has grown to be a passion of mine, so, if you blog and could use
a few tips on creating a successful following, please check it out. And you can find all my other blogging tips right
HERE.
Hope everyone is having a lovely week!
A lot of people wonder how they can create a Breakout Blog that will help build platform and connect them to their audience. This series on Blogging Tips looks at ways to maximize blog performance to reach these goals.
We've talked about how good titles and the use of pictures can really help your blog post draw interest, and how short, effective posts can keep readers reading. But what about writing the text itself...are there any do's and don'ts?
Here's a few things that might be worth keeping in mind:
DO:
 |
| DO |
Use BOLD to highlight key thoughts. This makes the
main ideas stand out and can convert 'skimmers' into readers by
showing the value inside a post! Less is more, however...if every other line is bolded, the effect is lost.
Short Paragraphs. Tighter paragraphs means
more white space. Reading feels 'quicker', which is attractive to people who have only so much time to read blogs. It also indicates to new visitors that the poster can
get to the point rather than ramble.
Use headings or bullets. Adding a little structure to a blog entry with several points to consider will break the text up into bite-sized pieces AND show that the poster is
organized and succinct.
Make links stand out. When linking to other websites or older posts, make sure the
hyperlinks are visible. People like links...they add value and provide a direction if a reader needs more information. Pick a link color that is easily spotted within the text.
DON'T:
 |
| Ugh, please DON'T |
Choose a background that's hard on the eyes. Some blogs set their text boxes to 'invisible', allowing the
design to bleed through. This can make posts harder to read. Ditto with
poor color contrasts. If squinting readers have to practically make out with their monitor to read a blog's acid green text
A lot of people wonder how they can create a Breakout Blog that will help build platform and connect them to their audience. This series on Blogging Tips looks at ways to maximize blog performance to reach these goals.
WHAT TO BLOG ABOUT?It can be a hollow, soul-sucking question for bloggers. Creativity is in the crapper and yet a post is due. Or maybe it feels like the well of ideas is dry and all possible topics have been blogged to death. At this point, many of us regret starting our stupid blog in the first place.
But here's the deal: this isn't the question that needs to be asked.
During a point like this, our focus should be simple:
WHO is my audience? Who am I targeting when I post and why? Knowing the answer to this (especially when you start a blog) will save a lot of headaches later, I promise.
Most writer-bloggers have an audience that fits into one or more of 3 categories:- People who share the same interests and hobbies
- Other writers passionate about writing, books & the writing path
- The audience they hope will buy their book one day.
So
why is knowing who our audience is
SO IMPORTANT?Because the sturdiest path to a successful blog is content that MEETS YOUR AUDIENCE'S NEEDS. If you don't know
who your audience really is, then you can't have a full grasp on
what they want and how you the blogger can
give it to them.
Blogging is all about adding value. People come to your blog for something--it's your job to know what and
provide it. Put yourself in your audience's shoes and ask what you would like to see. What type of content gives the most value & insight? What will keep you coming back for more?
Once you start thinking about
what your audience needs most, ideas will begin to form,
filling that well we talked about earlier. Think creatively--what serves their need that is not being done by other blogs? How can you offer insightful content to them in a fresh way?
Some people think there is nothing new to write about. That there's no way to bring about engaging content that someone else hasn't already done or who can do better.
This is simply not true! Your viewpoint is unique, and therefore valuable. Don't be afraid to try something new, or approach topics from a different angle.
Bloggers are only limited by their imagination, and as writers, that means you have no limits at all. :)Like this tip? Click on the 'Blogging Tip' label below for more thoughts on blogging!
Thought I'd chime in with another very simple blog tip...using your Labels (in blogger) and Topics (in Word Press). These are the little content tags you can attach to posts and display in your sidebar.
Some people have theirs show up as a
word cloud, where the most blogged about topics have a larger font. Others use a
list format (like us), where each blog label has a number next to it, showing how often the topic is mentioned.
Other blogs do not use tags for their posts. This is a shame,
because using labels is a great way to keep visitors at your blog!Let's look at an example: a new visitor comes to your blog. They read your current post, maybe comment, and now want to see what other topics you like to explore. Sure, they can see the last few posts, but are these representative of the best your blog has to offer? Will a user have time to search for a keyword, hoping something they need pops up?
Now, take this same visitor, only this time they can view topic labels in your sidebar. Right away, the tags tell them exactly what you blog about. If a label catches their eye, you can bet they're going to click on it and read a few more posts.
Labels showcase your CONTENT, acting as a GATEWAY to your blog's older entries.
Some people assume a
post archive works as a way to find those older posts. The truth is, knowing you posted 12 times in January doesn't help me much. If I'm in a time crunch, I won't have time to search your blog. I'll simply move on.
So, bottom line? Use Labels. They are easy enough to add to your posts, and you should see an option to do so in your
blog settings. In Blogger, you go to
Design, then
Blog Posts, edit and then, tick off '
add labels'. I'm sure it's something very similar for Word Press blogs. Or add a widget that displays your most popular posts. Either way, visitors will have a
road map to your best content!The second bottom line is this: Use Labels Effectively. Try to create labels that are specific and allow you to group several posts together. Using bizarre or random labels might seem like a fun way to categorize posts, but they can make it hard to search your blog for specific content. As well, you end up with way too many tags, which bloats your sidebar and makes it harder to search. Fun tags are fine, in moderation.
Don't be afraid to give a post several labels. Maybe your post is about description, drafting and voice. Great! These are all concrete labels that will help your readers find exactly what they need, and may also give them more ideas on how your advice can help them. :)
People who know me know that I am big into
sharing great writing content, helping to
raise the profile of fellow bloggers/writers and
utilizing social media to do both.
Why?
Lots of people have helped me get to where I am, and I want to pay it forward. If I can do something to help another, I do my best to make it happen. (
There isn't anything special or amazing about this by the way--most people do this.) However, this type of community attitude IS what makes me feel privileged to call myself a writer!
But here's the thing...sometimes sharing your content is DIFFICULT.
Rather than a
single click to post your brilliant blog post to twitter and send more readers your way, I have to go through
multiple steps.
What that looks like:
1) I read your blog post. I decide to share it. I look for a share button to twitter on your post....but there isn't one.
2) I open a new window. I sign into Twitter.
3) I open another window to Bit.ly so I can shrink your URL into something Twitter friendly, leaving me room to describe what your blog post is about & title it.
4) I cut your URL, paste it to Bit.ly.
5) I copy the newly shortened URL.
6) I return to Twitter, paste the URL, add the title, commentary & a #hashtag and hit publish.
Compare that with having a share button on your post:
1) I read your blog post. I decide to share it. I find the share button and a window pops up with all the deets auto filled for me: URL, blog post title, etc.
2) I type in a #hashtag and hit publish.
I've talked before about
making your blog easy to love. This is another one of
those small ways you can really
maximize opportunities to have your content shared. People are busy, and if it takes them too much time to try and share your content, they will move on to another blog.
Oh, did I mention adding a share button is incredibly EASY?
If you have a blogger blog, go to
Design, then
Blog Posts. Hit '
edit'. Click the '
Show Share Buttons' and
save.
If for some reason
this doesn't work or you don't have a Blogger Blog, then go
here.
If you want
a full range of share buttons, not just to Twitter, go
here.
Twitter is an amazing tool to network with other writers, and find great content to help you improve as a writer.
If you have a blog, you should always be looking for ways to make it as user friendly as possible. This definitely means making your posts easy to share on Tw
Great post! I know I'll eventually gave to add a different theme to my blog when it comes time for promotion. A theme that is relevant to the stories I write. But for now, I am glad that I'm not trying to sell anything. I'm just blogging for fun.
This is a very good tip especially to those new to blogosphere, brief and accurate information… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read article.
Grammar Lesson
Thank you for sharing this information, Nina. When Ange and I started our blog, we had no intention of turning the content into a book; it's interesting to see how the process would work from start to finish with that end in mind.
I agree with Becca--Had we known from the start what our end goal was, I think we would have gotten here much quicker.
Lately I have read several blog-to-book ventures, and I have to say the content has been strong and book worthy. Blogging is great, but articles get lost over time, and so having it packaged as a book makes for handy resourcing. There is clearly a need and market for this!
Angela
Setting up my blog was overwhelming when I started. I knew nothing and I didn't want to. Blogging did not interest me in the least. No choice, my publisher said. Promote or else. I've learned a lot by trial and error. It would have been lovely if I'd had some of this book's guidance from the start.
Good to be back from vacation and reading great posts again! Thanks for this one.
Love this advice! I never thought of blogging this way before.
Most bloggers don't start out with a book in mind; that's okay. The problem come when they don't create a content plan before "booking" their blog. The content plan provides for the best book possible. I just suggest you start with that before beginning to blog!
And yes...if only we knew what we know now when we started. I've had to go back and redo my way-too-many categories, find a way to pull together my two websites with a third umbrella website (and lots of branding and logos--all still happening as I write this) and way too many blogs. Authors need counseling and coaching if they want long careers, like the author coaching I provide. They need to see how everything they do pulls together into a career--and how to make that a successful career.
Pity we all just can't write and have it magically happen.
Highly inspiring! A whole new look on doing what we like and gaining so much from it. Am greatly impress by this.
More of this benefiting write ups. Amir! Keep it posted.
The reason publishers ask you to set up a blog, cleemckenzie, is because it's such a great promotional tool. Mine could see how presales were tied into my actual posts! It was awesome.