Writing 21 books now and 7 books in my Chronicles of a hero series is great for kids, yeah—but blogging didn’t get to them. “Write once : Post Everywhere”. Fiction writers can have successful blogs as well, especially if they’re able to focus on a specific topic, theme, or subgenre. Thanks for your comment. Thank you so much for this post. Although it’s sometimes geared toward fiction writers, there’s plenty of stuff for online content writers too. Feedback should be a vital part of any writer’s process, and this is exactly what Critique Circle offers. If you write romance from a particular era, write exciting facts about courtship and marriage from that era. Both of these things I know would help us a lot. Dee, those are great tips for other fiction writers, too. This also gives an author a way to put to productive use some of the research that goes into her books. I’m a fiction writer and wanted to get some of my work “out there” for the public to read, so I started blogging. Thank you for voice, I’m learning a lot. I don’t believe blogging takes away from his/her fiction writer credibility. How right you are, Joel. Hi Joel, great topic and one I do indeed talk about a lot It’s pretty easy to make the case that almost all authors should have a writer blog. Solution? I’ve felt squirrely about it ever since. Here’s why blogging is a no-brainer: And the rewards can be profound, especially considering bloggers are gaining them all by themselves. It’s necessary but won’t drive traffic/sales on its own (so get a site that is nice but don’t over spend on it, look up wordpress .org and .com both). Honest to goodness, though, these ten stories are better than most adult books. But I suspect that blogging, as part of a comprehensive, multi-prong program to publish a work of fiction (or, indeed, any book) and market it successfully, has it’s place. Readers do seem to enjoy the stories. I will probably still blog, but it won’t be such a demanding part of my schedule anymore. For small-press published authors, we must make our presence known, and a land spot for fans — and all those potential readers/future fans — is not harmful. I don’t look at traffic very much. I just need to write. I do a lot of Googling that takes me to blogs, but I haven’t read a novel in over 40 years. Lately my posts have been fewer and far between as I concentrated on the final stages of my fiction book, “March to November” which just got published last week. Middle Grade kids aren’t out there surfing blogs like I thought. . I read at least 100 books per year, but no fiction. I really call it “my home site” to make it clear vis-a-vis webmrktg. Jaime, thanks so much for checking back in and letting us know about the terrific results you’re getting. I have blogs for each of my two main franchises — one for science fiction and one for fantasy. Authors must not be afraid to talk about controversial issues. If you do those two things well, I believe the rest will take care of itself. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Don’t wait until pub date to think about marketing! Smaller bites. #3) Use the blog to expand the story’s universe: Dictionary/Pronunciation Guide, answer fan emails as posts, share lost/deleted/extra content for free (even if it’s posted for readers to find in the future). As 2013 approaches and decisions weigh heavily, this is the permission I’ve needed, and I’m grateful. You asked me to share more of what’s working for us. First, who is your audience? I’d be interested in your thoughts about A Writer of History. Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds blog Robb (Nor Roberts) back in the 90’s, years later, I still find myself looking at the back of the book as I read. I’ve had this conversation with numerous novelists, and some, like Joanna Penn, who is both a novelist and a very successful blogger, have suggested there are other things that might be better for fiction writers (until they become mega-famous, of course) to focus on when it comes to marketing your books. My blog isn’t just on fiction, but I feel what I write is purposeful and interesting enough to read, at least I think so. Oh, BTW I’m wondering if there is an added benefit to doing installments and having all their own ISBN#’s assigned to them…the number of “works” that appear under your name and in searches for you? As the questions came, I realized that I can’t think of a single one of my favorite authors who blog. Not your friends, not your family, not other writers. Critique Circle. It seems like there are more than enough of those already! Building a successful blog with a following is no easy task and definitely not one that authors should take on “just because”. Many an emerging author has been instructed that starting a blog will improve their writing skills and will begin building their coveted author … Wattpad. And fan you. I have come to rescue you. Whether you're a multi-published author or just taking the first steps in your writing career, ACFW is the place for you to learn more about the craft and expand your knowledge of the traditional publishing industry. thanks for that. Until then, you probably don’t need the second one. -Jaime. Is the blog topic a good fit for them AND readers? It’s a casual site, as you have suggested writers invest their time, but still has a writing slant, with lots of “book culture” mini-blogs attached to it. I don’t want people to visit my blog. Not even close. James that’s an interesting setup and sounds like it has lots of possibilities for synergy between the two sides of your writing and thinking life, thanks for the input. I don’t know how many other people don’t read fiction, but there must be at least a few. I’ve decided to put that creativity where it belongs … into writing my next book. This is the most fun, writing as the actual personalities of gnomes, wizards, and even having arguments between them. For a while now I’ve realized self-published fiction writers are just spinning their wheels whenever they pour their hearts into their blogs. Most of them are bloggers, some of them are seniors who don’t blog, but stalk my site, some of them are publishers and authors, and others are people who don’t want to be novelists or writers, but blog for the fun of it or have a specific niche that they blog. 3. Larry Brooks’ Storyfix blog Oh, golly. And it might become popular, but it’s a different, more personal and less commercial approach to blogging. I think it’s very difficult to predict whether readers of novels about an “uncommon veterinarian” will also be interested in “unique opportunities for vets and vet students.” Offhand, it doesn’t sound like the same readership. Maybe someone here has experience with that. Hi Cyd! It is a waste of time BUT I practice CONFLICT & SUSPENSION jibs…just for the hell of it! .hide-if-no-js { 4. Posting poetry on a day when I feel like writing a poem. Sharing interesting photos. I write about parenting, I teach youth, it’s what I do–why am I not blogging to the parents of the kids I’m trying to reach? I love the idea of maintaining a site where people can get more information and background on subjects in your books, I think that’s brilliant. Hi, I agree with the advice that fiction writers are better off not blogging, at least until their reader base can accommodate the time investment; however, I wish someone could expand on the suggestion to maintain a static page. I’m a veterinarian currently serving in the Army, and my website and blog are focusing on sharing about unique opportunities for vets and vet students outside of traditional clinical practice. Charlotte's Web by E.B. Your blog audience will fall in love with your writing, and when you have a published book in your hand, they will be more than happy to purchase it and read more. She said that in her opinion–which was confirmed by several other authors I know–that installments are for those who just cannot wait for the whole book. While I know not all of my blog readers also read science fiction, some do, and some of those will be willing to take a chance on a first novel. There are more and more sites where you can link up your blog feed and benefit from spreading your work without more writing involved. Write small 500-word chapters that go together to become a book, but not your book. Opportunities for this type of blog are significant. Now granted, maybe this won’t help me initially, but it should over time. I have a steady following of gardeners and people who like to travel since my blog is about life as an Irish gal living and gardening in California. Although my conclusion differs from yours. The information draws in people who should become buyers. Mr. Mr. Stephen King has an oft-quoted opinion on this matter, as expressed in “Everything You Need to Know About Writing Successfully—in Ten Minutes.” You can also find storyboarding tools, writing prompts, workshops, name generators, games like hangman, and much more. That is a non-negotiable and that builds a list of fans who you can notify when the next book is out. Here’s my main knock on blogging if one is a beginning writer of fiction: the ROI is stupidly small. I’ve not had much time to do very necessary marketing (David is a prolific author and keeps me too busy editing, website, etc! Over the years, I've heard so many theories about what writers of different genres should do with their blog, and it's great to consider different perspectives. I agree with Joel – I think new authors should have a website but not a blog, at least, not at first. Thank you for another great blog post, Joel. My last post was on “sex and killing” (pretty hectic topic) NOT ONE comment. For permission to reprint articles from this site, please contact info@thebookdesigner.com, Marin Bookworks 369-B Third Street #572 San Rafael, CA 94901. And I do, leaving no time for the actual writing. Required fields are marked *, Notify me of followup comments via e-mail, ×  It’s a handy place to park an email subscription signup link so you can email the hard-core fans when a new work comes out and they can be the first on the block to find out. No clue how far this will go, but I have to say that blogging HAS been the hub of my success after making sure I wrote enough books as a foundation. Being who I am, I can’t confine myself to one topic, however. Obviously, they can’t hurt, but it seems to me that people read novels for different reasons than they read informational articles. Create excitement about your forthcoming books, enlisting “. Time does fly. Readers would do well to click through to see Nathan’s site for an example of a mature and fully-worked out author site. Practical advice to help build better books, by Joel Friedlander on December 21, 2012 85 Comments. I don’t write to other writers. And now I’m a fan not only of this writer and her books, but also her genre. That way your readers (whose numbers will grow slowly over time) can find you and your next book when they want to, but you won’t waste valuable fiction-writing time and energy blogging. Three? I write fiction because I need to tell stories. Both approaches work, of course, and the static site you are recommending for fiction writers is a completely different enterprise than the health-oriented educational articles that could form the basis for a popular blog. I’m struggling with just these questions. You are a sc-fi writer; then your audience are sci-fi readers. So where’s the problem? But blogs are also increasingly being used as a new format for fiction, ranging from an imagined account of the life of a favorite character from books or television (fan fiction), to a completely original storyline created within the conventional format of the blog. If I write a how-to book or history book about bicycles or electric trains, I probably know a lot about the topics and can churn out regular blog posts day after day, year after year. At first my Great Stuff on the Writers’ Blogs and Critique Technique posts didn’t get much attention, but now the readership is building, enough that soon they’ll be moving to my own web site (you read it here first!). Results? I think that’s more problematic. Another approach that seems to work better is used by authors whose work is centered around a specific historical period, a particular place or occupation, or some other theme that ties their work together. I think the main value of an author’s blog is to ‘accidentally’ sell books. I’m hoping that this will be the case for my future novel! Hello, Joel, and thanks for your comments on blogging authors. You still want to minimize your posts on writing (most readers don’t want to see how the sausage is made) – easiest to do by creating a separate author-to-author page on your site or a completely separate site for such discussion. Many an emerging author has been instructed that starting a blog will improve their writing skills and will begin building their coveted author platform. If you do not feel like you would like to write a compelling, 500-word short chapter each week, perhaps you could blog about an interesting aspect of your genre. Especially when readers discover a wealth of unique and quirky material waiting for them. Blogs on Editing and the Art of Writing … This frees him up to continue writing posts, novels, and short stories for the blog. Does a serious fiction writer have time to blog? If I were a fan of this writer I am sure I would follow. It’s more of an intellectual exercise (can I describe scenes and write dialog?) Allow blog readers to follow a character through your blog, looking forward to a new adventure with your character each week. So I was delighted to come across your post. A pretty good picture, don’t you agree? How RIGHT you are. The comment thread is good too. When I have the chapters/installments done, I make the books–both ebooks and print. Thank’s for all you do. This allows the author to blog about the subject of her books instead of the writing or publishing process, which are mostly of interest to other writers. Happy Holidays. If I am a novelist who specializes in gay teenage albino vampire sex, how many blog posts about my novel could I come up with over the years? I’m going to ramp up the Dyingwords.net site over the next month – custom banner, sidebar linkages, etc. THANK YOU! That’s all I got at this hour. If you are a romance writer; then your audience is looking for romance. We’ve all got to start somewhere; this is the somewhere I’ve chosen. There’s lots of validation here in the comments on why authors should be blogging but it really comes down to what Bill Thompson says, “No, give me interesting, engaging content and I’ll read you and follow you. Fiction and nonfiction: not always the same solutions. 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