Blogging for Book Authors
As part of my LitWave marketing services, I help authors create and launch good blogs. ("Good" here means low-cost, easy, efficient, market-savvy.)
A common initial question: what sort of things should I blog about as an author (in some cases, already published, but for others, not yet in print but with a good manuscript in progress or making the rounds)?
The core issue: what would actually help my marketing results . . . as opposed to being a bottomless sink-hole for my time and writing energy?
Here's my short list:
1. Blog posts related to the topic of the work. If the book is nonfiction, say, how-to advice for writers (my own book, The New Writer's Handbook), then I post more of that on The Writer’s Handbook Blog: bonus or expanded advice, brief excerpts from the book, interesting tangents. If your work is fiction, there are still topical connections. One client, Stephanie Lowden, wrote a children's chapter book called Time of the Eagle, set in the fur-trade era, a story of a winter survival trip by a young Ojibwe brother-and-sister pair. Those are the topics she can write about on her Time of the Eagle blog: fur-trade history, winter survival, Native heritage, first contact between Native peoples and European traders, the northwoods setting, for a start. She can review, comment on, connect readers to regional museums, books, magazines, websites, events, influential people, contemporary or historical stories, all relating in some way to those topics.
2. Blog to present your positive nature as a likable author and person. What kind of person is the author of a book? Funny, wry, sarcastic, thoughtful, kitchen-table friendly . . . ? People enjoy getting to know someone, and learning more about an author gives them a behind-the-scenes, in-group knowledge, which readers tend to value. This will help everyone connect. And knowing a bit about a writer's personality probably gives an insight into the nature of their writing.
3. Blog to tell the story of writing the work. Tell a bit about the story behind the book. What was the initial idea, how did the idea get fleshed out, what was the break-through to develop some aspect that made the book special or unique, what big problem was overcome and how, why might the book fill a specific need. . . ? No, we don't want a blow-by-blow account, but the "good parts" of the story of the writing process. What was appealing, unique to your book (be specific), yet useful to another writer, a reader, an interviewer?
4. Blog about your own story as a writer. This is similar to #2 above, but is more about your history (dare I say myth?) than current attitude. What writers or teachers inspired you (and how?) What were your early writing activities? How did you get to this point, build your career? Again, this is a story, not a biography. It should be brief. A good story of a moment your teacher inspired you or what you remember about writing your first story as a child . . . is good grist for the mill. It's not surprising that childhood or adolescent or early-career memories can connect deeply with readers.
5. Where do you live? First, location might involve a unique slant on writing. An author from the American Midwest, I'd suggest, might be different in outlook from one from the East Coast, West Coast, Deep South, Scotland, etc. Not in all ways, but in some ways. And author location has some practical application in the publishing world, affecting ability to attend conferences, book speaking engagements, inclusion on lists of regional or state literature, etc. And it is a basic search tool: searching the web for Philip Martin in Wisconsin gets you closer to me than a generic search for that very common name.
6. Blog about technical information about your book or manuscript. A good blog will include some method to contact the author or his/her agent, how to get the book or see excerpts, how to pitch or request something to or from the author. Certainly, you want to post best reviews, testimonials from friends (when insightful and informative), awards, appearances, programs offered, and so on.
7. Blog to provide engaging samples of your actual writing. This should be obvious! Not only should a blog offer some samples of published work, the blog itself is a good indication of a writer's ability to entertain and educate. Can you write succinctly, in a way to that's enjoyable to read, that makes a reader smile, nod, want to forward something to a friend?
8. Blog to connect with related topics of current interest. That might be sharing news and opinions, noting breaking trends, or just using contemporary phrases, slang, or conversational language. Why? Marketing you and your work involves connecting you and your topic with what people are interested in, reading about, enjoying today. Even if only through the language, or offering a sense of sharing some similar interests, your blog writing is a chance to connect.
The great thing: a blog lets you work these out over time, to grow your thoughts and expressions about your own work, organically, unlike a website that tends to be more organized. A blog is clearly (to readers) a work-in-progress. It lets a writer try out and practice pieces of his or her "stump speech" – parts that might become part of the standard patter of the accomplished writer, as seen on jacket flaps or in interviews.
Of course, there are ways to do all the above list with skill and aplomb, with a fresh twist, with a way that shows you off in a positive light, that pumps up the search engines, that develops a growing audience, that shows you off to influentials (agents, editors, reviewers, interviewers) in the best ways.
I tend to feel that having an experienced coach (hey, that's me!) offer a bit of guidance is like the role of an editor in publishing. A blog- and brand-development consultant has solid knowledge of the industry and what might influence the right person in the right way. That consultant can help you negotiate the waters, can keep the blog focused on good marketing techniques, can help you look a little bit better than others with whom you are competing for attention.
But in general, you can't go too wrong with a do-it-yourself blog if you keep a civil tongue, consider the needs of your reader (not your own cathartic urges), and see it as a marketing tool, not a chance to add a few pitchforks of blog blather to the big pile.
And as always, drop me a line if you want some help!