Why you should blog as an author!
Blogging is an important marketing tool for an indie author and I wanted to share with you the top 3 reasons why I feel every author who is committed to making a living with their writing should have a blog.
I know not every writer out there will agree with me on the subject of blogging, but that’s ok. That’s the cool thing about opinions. Everyone has one.
I just know from personal experience that blogging has helped me tremendously in my writing career. It’s helped me grow an audience and become better at both marketing and writing.
Non-fiction authors have it much easier in my opinion when it comes to blogging. You already have a platform for whatever topic your book is centered around and you can easily expand on that through blogging.
For fiction authors, it’s not as clear-cut, but I feel it IS just as important if not more.
If you just have a book or two hanging out there blowing in the wind, there is nothing to anchor those books to YOU, the author. You want to connect with your readers.
Reason #1: Blog to Increase Your Following
All writers have a following. That’s how small potatoes grow into big potatoes. That following needs to grow so you keep gaining more and more people who want to read your work. If you grow your readership as you continue to write and publish books, the selling process gets easier. Think about it. If you have a mailing list of 100 people who are interested in your books, that’s 100 opportunities to directly entice people to buy. If you work over the next year to grow that to 1000, that’s 900 more chances. Wouldn’t you like to have 900 more chances to sell? Wouldn’t that make selling easier??
The answer is a big fat YES!
You can do that by blogging.
Download The Top 4 Things You Need to Know to Make a Living as an Author
Reason #2: Connect with Your Readers
With a blog – your home – people can stop by (and not even call first), check out what you’ve been up to, and tell their friends to come over for a visit. A blog is a conversation, the cocktail party, the summer bar-be-que. Virtual happenings that allow you to invite people in have fun and see what you’re all about. If they like what they see, you might all become fast friends.
In the day of reality TV, we all have a little voyeur in all of us. If there is someone we like most of us want to learn more about them. Blogging is a great way to let your fans get a glimpse of your personal life. That creates a connection and loyalty between you and them. And don’t try to say you don’t have fans. We all have them. I have 6. And 3 aren’t even related to me.
Stephen King has a Facebook page where he posts like a REAL PERSON imagine that!
Reason #3: Create a Platform
Having a platform just takes the blogging up a notch. Going a step further than giving the glimpse into your everyday life. As glamorous as that might (ha! – if you count being tired all the time glamorous)
I love Jane Friedman’s definition on the author platform in her post (you can read the full post here where she said: “by far the easiest explanation is: an ability to sell books because of who you are or who you can reach.”
Think of all the reality stars over the last 10 years who now can promote and market just about anything and people just eat it up. I’m not saying all these products aren’t fabulous, but that’s not why they’re selling. They’re selling because of the fame the person has. Musicians and actors don’t just play music and act anymore. They have huge social media followings and endorse products. It’s a package deal.
That’s why besides just writing blog posts on my latest fashion or cocktail I also write on writing, blogging, and the business of both. It gives me another edge, another aspect to write about and gain a following. Personally, I love working on different types of things and for me having a diverse selection of products keeps my creative juices going. That might not work for everyone, which is fine.
DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!
If you only take one thing from this post, take that!
It’s always a mistake to try and do what someone else is doing. Be yourself. Be the original you! That’s the best one!
Having a loyal following is what can move you from non-existence to best-seller-dom. Marketing yourself IS as important as what you write. You can’t have one without the other and reach the success you want (obviously, it’s not true in every case but for most of us normal folk it is).
I blog because I want to connect with readers, potential readers, and just plain ole’ fun people even if they never read any of my books I still want them to stop by.
And don’t just take my word for it. Read a few posts by women I admire and follow, Jane Friedman and Kristen Lamb.
Should You Focus On Your Writing Or Your Platform
The Art and Business of Reader Engagement and Author Platform
When Is It Time to Start Building an Author Platform?
I will say that if you hate the idea of blogging don’t do it. It will be obvious to your readers. You need to love what you do. Enjoy life. There is no one way to become a profitable author.
Join the Writing Warriors Collective community to work on your writing goals!
Get your free author resources! Get the tips, motivation, and support you need to follow the path to publishing your book!
Get the tips, motivation, and support you need to follow the path to publishing your book!
I can only AGREE with your philosophy. I have done ghost blog posts for am author who didn’t want to mess with the ‘little writing’ or the website. That person still was never converted to the idea that blog posts were a good marketing tool. As of the first of the year, the blog will be dropped from the website. Time will tell if it made a difference.
Marketing your books HAS to be a constant. Writing isn’t enough. I wish it were.