Some authors may think blogs are not relevant to publishing a book, but that may actually cost them a good opportunity.  There are many benefits to writing content for your own personal blog.  The larger umbrella of those benefits relate to marketing yourself.  After writing your book or series, the next big challenge is marketing YOUR BOOK and YOURSELF.  There are many different ways for authors to market their work such as social media, editorial reviews, and book signings, but a personal blog has benefits that other forms of marketing do not have.

For those who do not know what a blog is, a blog is a website that is updated on a consistent basis by an individual or a group.  The content in a blog is typically written in a casual or informal style with a spectrum of topics.

AUTHORS SHOULD BLOG

No Website. No Problem.

Websites are a good place to send fans or people that are intrigued in your work.  A blog is a good alternative for authors that do not have a website to keep people informed on your progress.  When writing a blog you can update your fans on the progress of your book. Blogs are also a good way to get involved with your fans to create an open channel of communication between the two parties.

Blog.com, Blogger.com and WordPress.com are good web sites for free spaces to write your own personal blog.  Keep in mind that these websites have their own policies so they can take down your blog at any time if you violate any of their terms.  This risk is the cost of using a free blog.  If you want full creative freedom with the content on your blog, your own domain with a simple WordPress Blog Template may be the better choice.  These domains will typically cost you around $15 a year.

Trial and Error for Authors

A personal blog can be a good place for authors to test out new content.  Since blogs are written in bite sized pieces, authors can try out different writing styles that either resonates well or poorly with their audience.  Blogs are a good place to see which writing style has good potential for a book an author is currently writing or for potential future titles.

What Should I Write?

One of the biggest hurdles when initially writing a blog is trying to figure out what you want to write about.  Some authors may think that they are not interesting enough to have enough content to write a blog, but this is where they are wrong.   The most successful blogs usually have a sense of teaching behind them.  A good blog is usually very informative, and helps the audience improve themselves, along the lines of self-help.  As an author you can write about the publishing world, being an author, or anything that you have a vast knowledge about.  The best way to start a blog is to start with a topic and just start writing.  Don’t be afraid to write on your blog, it’s a good place to try new things so that you can see what works and what doesn’t work.  Just write.  It will make you a better writer anyway.