The Art of the Blog

As bookstores dwindle and the cost of advertising rises, online promotion becomes more and more important. But when I mention it I see many writers’ eyes glaze over. There are two reasons. First, it can be very time consuming. Second, there are so many things a writer could do it can be overwhelming. I recommend writers keep it simple… like I’m doing right now.

Blogging is easy, it can be fast, and it gives you something you can share online to keep your writing in peoples’ minds. It also helps to keep you at the top of Google search results, as long as you do it regularly. Higher search ranking is well worth blogging once a week, like I do.

But, you ask, what should I blog about? Well, your writing is a good place to start. You can blog as one of your characters to give readers an inside view. My fictional detective Hannibal Jones blogged every week for a couple of years.

What else are you interested in? You can blog about what’s happening in publishing today. You can write reviews about other writers’ books in your genre.

How about posting short stories? I taught myself how to write flash fiction by posting 1200 word mysteries. Or post snippets of your next book (what a great way to get reader feedback AND pique reader interest.)  Or you could interview other writers, editors, anybody you know in the publishing industry.

And if you run out of ideas, you can get some from the idea generator. Go to http://www.hubspot.com/blog-topic-generator and type in any three nouns. The software will spit out five related blog ideas.

Once you’re on a regular schedule posting items of interest on your blog you need to let everyone know. So share it on all your social media outlets: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, whichever you’re comfortable with. And don’t just post the same thing. Posts on each site need to be a bit different. For example, Tweets need to be very short, and Facebook posts work best if you ask questions. But they should have one thing in common – attach a picture. Most recent research indicates that photos are very important on social media.

And remember that social media is about having a conversation, and that conversation is a two-way activity. So follow other writer’s blogs, and comment on their posts. Answer questions. Send invites to grow your social media following. Offer your opinions. Above all, support other writers. This is how you build your credibility and gain followers.  

And aren’t those good reasons for maintaining a blog?

Why Should You Blog?

Recently I posted a link to my blog on a LinkedIn group called Writers and Author’s Circle.  It was the post about how to have a successful agent pitch session.  I quickly received this comment: “This is not the place to self advertise your commercially- motivated blog. If you want to join a conversation you are very welcome but remove this spam; stuff like this is driving the proper members away.”

I just as quickly left this group (so the proper members wouldn’t be driven away) but the incident did get me thinking about this process.  Is my blog commercially motivated?  I will admit that I first started blogging years ago because all the marketing experts at the time were saying that an author HAD to have a blog.  Without one, no one would ever know about your books and you would never have any sales.

Did it work?  Does my blog give me greater visibility?  I think so.  Has it led to book sales? I highly doubt it.  If that ever was a path to book sales, I don’t think it is now.  Facebook and Twitter are much more efficient for that purpose.  Besides, I believe I have a lot more writers than readers here, and other authors are not the best market for my novels.

Of course there ARE more commercial blogs.  Fiction writers who blog about their characters every week, and nonfiction writers who blog about their topic of expertise probably do boost their sales.  Bloggers that feature author interviews or sample chapters certainly aim to boost their guests’ sales.  And there is still a strong belief among authors that going on a blog tour will generate book sales.

I launched this blog based on the idea that readers would want to know what’s involved in being a novelist, to see the writer’s life from the inside.  Over time it has evolved into a place where I share what I’ve learned about this passion and this business called writing.  I get to express my opinions, and other writers enter into dialog here. Sometimes I just report recent events that have affected my work.  Sometimes I use this space to explore my own thoughts and attitudes.  Ultimately I have to say that I find blogging very rewarding, but not financially so.

So why should an author blog?  Maybe we should be asking why people read blogs.  Probably not to find new books to read, but maybe to be entertained.  Maybe to learn more about what it’s like to be a writer.  Maybe to learn more about the writing business, or the writing process.  And maybe just to get to know a writer better.  If you want to fulfill any of those needs then you definitely should try posting something every few days.  You might find it rewarding too, even if it’s not commercially motivated.

How to Work the Web

Recently I've been trying to respond to some of the most frequently asked questions, on the theory that if one new author asked, a dozen more want to know the same thing. Here’s a question that addresses the busy writer’s need to have a strong internet presence:


I noticed that you had many blog mentions. What is the secret? What makes a good blog that gets attention? I remember MJ Rose saying she hated her blog, and that's how I feel. It's a mix of author interviews/tours, publishing/promoting tips, inspirational quotes, and tidbits on what I am doing, but I don't feel I've ever found my voice. I try to blog 5-6 times a week, but it's become a drain. I'm linked to many other blogs, but unfortunately do not have time to visit many of them. Is that what I lack - commenting often enough on other's blogs? Between blogs, websites & communities, I've got over a dozen sites, so it's already a lot to keep up with!


There are a number of related questions here and I’ll try to address them all. First, I do get mentioned on other people’s blogs. That’s mostly because I mention people on mine. I’ve made a lot of friends in the writing community. I talk up their activities on my blog and people often reciprocate. I also get mentions because I attend a lot of conferences and appear on panels. People comment on those events and my name comes up.

My blog gets mentioned or picked up on other blogs because I give advice or make comments others want to pass on. I think you have to have a theme and stick to it, so people know what to expect. If I read your blog and you’re talking about something that interests me, I’ll return. But if it’s hit or miss on the subject I want to read about I probably won’t. I started my blog thinking the average reader would be interested in the life of a writer. My content hasn’t really changed, but the blog has evolved to target other writers. I don’t know if it’s selling books, but it has helped to solidify my friendships in the business.

I’d love to blog five or six times a week, but honestly, I just don’t have that much to say. I write a newsletter most weeks, and post to my main blog (this one) ONCE a week. That appears to be enough to hold an audience.

I’m also linked to a lot of other sites – the ones I like – but rarely visit them. I don’t think those folks visit my blog very often either, but I think people who read mine click to theirs and vice versa. And I don’t spend much time posting on other blogs… with one exception. I have a Google Alert set for my name, as every author should. This means Google sends me an e-mail every time my name appears on the internet. I ALWAYS comment on a blog that mentions me. Comments are a small reward for making their audience aware of me, but it’s also my way of saying thank you. I’m always a little bummed when I talk somebody up on my blog and I hear nothing from them. I assume they didn’t even know I gave them some props. I don’t want anyone else to feel that way.

This question inspired me to do an internet inventory of sorts. I counted 20 web sites I’m on, counting this blog I post to once a week, but the others aren’t as much to keep up with as you might think.

For one thing, my lovely wife Denise updates my main web site. There’s a Hannibal Jones Yahoo Group but that’s run entirely by fans so no work for me.

I am a member of three different teams of writers who take turns posting to web sites, so there’s something new every day on Acme Authors, Criminal Minds at Work and Make Mine Mystery, but I only supply the content two or three times a month on each.

There are half a dozen sites I almost never visit. Red room, Black Author Showcase , Maverick Marketers , Linkedin, Shelfari and Goodreads are more like standing billboards for me. They are filled with content that promotes my writing, but are pretty much static displays.

That leaves the sites I actively communicate through: MySpace, Gather, Friendster, Crimespace, Book Place, Bebo, and the current hot tickets, Facebook and Twitter. Those I feed four or five times every week. But again they don’t take much time because I generally reuse content already written for my newsletter. Or, if I get an unexpected mention on line I whip up a one sentence note pointing to that site and post it in all 8 places. 10 well spent minutes to get my stuff all over the web.

So there’s a long, drawn out view of my approach to on line promotion. It’s all based on my own experience and someone else may have a better plan. In fact, I’d be happy to hear some other approaches.