7 Reasons Every Author Should Publish a Blog

Perhaps you've been hearing advice about starting a blog but haven't gotten around to it yet. Maybe you started one a while back but have let it sit idle for months.

Or perhaps you're a semi-active blogger who has lost steam and is wondering why you should bother anymore.

Whatever category you fall into, heed these words of advice. I've been blogging pretty consistently on my Music Promotion Blog since 2004 and on this Book Promotion Blog since 2007. I'm here to tell you, blogging does an author good.

Especially if you consider yourself a "writer" (in addition to being an author or book publisher) then I highly recommend you create a blog and add new content to it on a weekly basis.

Why? Here are seven important things a blog can help you accomplish:

1. Develop a following. When you create new content on a regular basis, you give readers a reason to reconnect with you and your topic time and time again. A static web site gives no incentives for repeat exposures, and short tweets or Facebook updates are too fleeting. Good blog posts help you connect with readers and build a fan base.
   
   
2. Expand your online presence. You may know by now that my Internet book marketing philosophy is all about outreach and creating a trail of topic-specific breadcrumbs that leads readers to your website. Every time you publish a new post to your blog, you create yet another trail that your ideal fans can find. Blogging (and sharing links to your posts via social media) helps you build your web presence.
   
   
3. Earn better search result positions. Google and other search engines love blogs because it gives them more content to categorize, and it demonstrates which sites are active and growing. The more active and relevant your blog is, the greater your chances of ranking higher in search results.
   
   
4. Hone your craft. Despite your work ethic or best intentions, you never "arrive" at being a great writer. It's a lifelong process that requires constant practice. What better way to motivate yourself to ply your craft than to commit to writing something new every week on your blog?
   
   
5. Produce material for future books. I love this aspect of blogs in particular! While you're honing your craft every week, you are also stockpiling a small library of content. And that content can some day be repurposed into articles, reports, white papers, and even new books. Creating new content (via your blog) should be an ongoing activity.
   
   
6. Know your industry. This is especially true for non-fiction authors. If you position your blog as a resource on your topic (which you should), that forces you to always be on the lookout for news, trends, and fresh ideas related to your subject matter. That makes you even more of an expert and the go-to man or woman in your field.
   
   
7. Create interaction and community with your readers. Most bloggers allow readers to leave comments. That's another thing that sets blogs apart from static web pages: people can interact with them. You should encourage and ask your readers to leave comments. That will make your blog a place readers want to visit often and express themselves at while there.

No doubt, I'm convinced that blogging should be an essential part of every author's routine. What do you think? I welcome your comments.

A great resource on this topic is 31 Days to Build a Better Blog by Darren Rouse of ProBlogger fame. I recently purchased it myself and love the way it's put together. It's not only a very helpful, step-by-step resource (even for a more a seasoned blogger like me), it's also a prime example of an excellent how-to report format. Take a look at Darren's sales page for it here - which is another great marketing model to emulate.

* Note: I do make a small commission on any sales of Darren's ebook via the links above.

You'll also find more advice about blogging, podcasting, social media, author website design, and lots more in my book, 55 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Book on the Internet.

P.S. Did you enjoy this blog post? Get more tips like these when you subscribe to my Full-Time Author ezine -- filled with even more book promotion tips and author career-building advice. Go grab your free subscription now.

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