Pubslush Blog

Author Education Series #10c

Why Every Aspiring (and Published) Author Needs a Blog

By Nina Amir

Many aspiring authors don’t want to blog. They just want to write their books. They don’t realize blogs involve writing. Not only that, as they blog they promote themselves and the books they plan on publishing. That writing activity might be the most important one they ever take on.

A blog supports aspiring, as well as published authors’ efforts to produce successful books—those that sell to publishers and to lots of readers. Why? Because it builds author platform—a fan base of potential readers ready and waiting to purchase a book when it is, indeed, published.

In addition to helping you promote yourself and your work and build author platform, a blog offers you:

1. A creative outlet.
2. A way to get their work read.
3. A way to connect with readers.
4. A targeted critique group.
5. A way to write a book.
6. A way to attract a publisher.
7. A way to gain buyers for your book.
8. A way to become a published author.
   

These days, writers—published writers—don’t just write, they blog. Why? Because a blog is, indeed, you best promotional tool. And it’s the easiest one to use because it allows you to do what you do best: write. Let me explain how you can use your blog to gain these benefits I’ve mentioned.

How to Build Author Platform with a Blog

To build author platform with a blog, simply blog often and consistently. Once a week is okay, but if you publish a short post (250-300 words) 2-5 times a week, you will begin to see traffic (readers) at your blog fairly quickly.

How a Blog Promotes Your Work and You

Write about what you know—the subject of your book and every subject related to the subject of your book. Write about writing your book. Write about what interests you. In this way, you promote yourself and your work.

How to Use Your Blog as a Creative Outlet

Forget morning pages that no one reads but you. If you’ve got something to write about, write about it on your blog. You’ll get more creative knowing someone is actually reading your writing.

How a Blog Gets Your Work Read

While you wait a year and a half or two years for a publisher to publish your book or a month or two (or more with editing and design) for your self-published book to be released, start blogging and have your work read immediately. The average book today garners 300 or so readers a year or 3,000 readers in its lifetime. You can have 300 readers to your blog daily or weekly—3,000 monthly or more.

How a Blog Helps You Connect With Readers

When readers comment on your blog, you reply. You have a conversation with your readers. Install a forum on your blog or survey your readers, and engage with them. Ask readers to subscribe to your newsletter; then email them. These activities equate to connecting with your blog readers.

How a Blog Provides You With a Targeted Critique Group

Let your blog readers serve as your critique group. Publish pieces of your book on your blog (or blog the entire book). You’ll get feedback from the actual people who might read your printed book each time they comment on your blog. Publish posts on the topic of your book. See if these posts get read or receive comments. Survey readers about specific content.

How a Blog Helps You Write Your Book

Map out your book’s content in post sized pieces. Then compose the manuscript by writing 250-500 words a day 5 days a week. You’ll compose approximately 1,250-2,500 words a week. Publish you manuscript one post at a time on your blog. Do this for 7 months; you’ll produce a 35,000-70,000-word manuscript—the first draft of a book. Write 7 posts per week and you’ll write your book faster.

How Your Blog Attracts a Publisher

Publish blog posts regularly and consistently so you develop a popular and successful blog—one with a faithful and large readership. This fan base equates to an author platform. With a large enough platform, a publisher may discover you and your blog and offer you a book deal. Or you can send a book proposal to a publisher and provide your blog stats as proof of your author platform.

How Your Blog Creates Buyers for Your Book

The more blog readers you have, the more potential buyers you gain for your book. Create a successful blog, and you create a successful book—one that sells.

How Your Blog Helps You Go from Aspiring to Published Author

Every time you finish a blog post, you hit the “publish” button. You become a published an author and a publisher. Viola! (Also, your successful blog attracts agents and publishers.)

Every day when you sit down to write, compose a blog post first. Publish it. Then write your book. You won’t be sorry.

                                              About the Author

Nina Amir, Inspiration-to-Creation Coach, 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.

The author of How to Blog a Book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time (Writer’s Digest Books), Nina has also self-published 10 short books, including the How to Evaluate Your Book for Success and 10 Days and 10 Ways to Your Best Self. A sought after editor, proposal consultant, book and author coach, and blog-to-book coach, Nina’s clients’ books have sold upwards of 230,000 copies and landed deals with top publishers. The founder of Write Nonfiction in November, she writes four blogs, including Write Nonfiction NOW!, How to Blog a Book and As the Spirit Moves Me, and appears regularly on the Dresser After Dark radio show.

Sign up for a free book, author or blog-to-book coaching session with Nina or receive her FREE 5-Day Published Author Training Series by visiting www.copywrightcommunications.com.

For more information on Nina, visit www.ninaamir.com.

Follower her on:

Twitter:www.twitter.com/#!/ninaamir

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