These days, it seems like everyone has a blog! Most of the book bloggers (like me!) read and review books and like to promote “Indie” authors by spreading the word about their books through interviews, guest posts and giveaways. But is it enough for an author to market his/her book to the readers? Maybe not! That is why, more and more authors are plunging into the realm of blogging and love to interact with their customers/readers directly through daily blog posts, building fan base much quicker than before!
So, should writers blog? Is it important for authors to have a blog if they want to be “noticed” and survive in this harsh competitive publishing industry where a new writer is born every minute? This is the question I asked Terra Harmony, a debut “Indie” author who blogs about her self-publishing experience. Read what she has to say on this topic. You can always be a part of the discussion by adding comments! Authors: To Blog or Not to Blog?
By Author: Terra Harmony
That is not the question. The question should be more like: Do I start now or five minutes from now? Do I use Wordpress or Blogspot? Do I take the time to put on pants before I set up my blog? Of all the social media tools available to authors, blogging:
- is free
- is easy
- keeps you writing
- gets you networking
- gets you feedback
The first step is to establish your blog's purpose. Does it exist solely to promote your work? Do you plan to join the writing community by blogging the 'how-to's'? Do you intend to share your experiences with writing? Of course, you can do some cross-over, but sticking to the purpose of the blog will result in a steady base of subscribers.
I blog about the self-publishing process. Spawned by the realization that I have a bad memory, I use it to keep track of each step so when I repeat the process, I refer to the blog. As I became aware of the incredibly supportive indie author community, I wanted to contribute. My blog now consists of formatting manuals for Smashwords, Kindle, and Nook, a list of fantasy book review blogger sites, sample contracts for cover artwork, helpful twitter links, instructions on sending out review requests, how to garner attention on reader sites and other creative marketing ideas. When I published my second ebook and what will soon to be my third, I find myself constantly referring back to my blog for information, and hope others do too.
Of course, it would be a wasted opportunity not to at least mention my books, so I keep the cover art and links in a conspicuous place. I have also found keeping links to blog hops toward the top of the site increases subscribers on my blog as well as my book sales.
List of things writers "must" take care of while blogging:
- Be engaging. Give your readers a reason to participate, respond, and react.
- Be responsive. If readers take the time to make a comment; take the time to acknowledge them. Even a quick, 'hey – thanks for the comment' will go a long way.
- Be available. Include information on how to get in touch with you. Give them a way to contact you via e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
- Be helpful. Readers (unless they are completely infatuated with you), don't want to constantly hear about how much coffee you drank to stay awake to finish that chapter or how cute your cat is. They want information they can use – like links to great giveaways, news about the industry or how to resolve all those pesky e-pub error codes (a planned future blog post of mine by the way).
- Be entertaining. Visiting your blog shouldn't be a chore, even if your readers are all business. Make it fun for them!
So, have you signed up for a blog yet? Remember, pants are not a requirement.
About the Author: Terra is a debut author with one novel, 'Water', a contemporary eco-fantasy, self-published as an e-book. Its sequel, 'Air', will be published at the beginning of 2012, followed by three more novels to complete the Akasha Series. Terra also currently has one short story, Gleaming White, a vampire paranormal romance, self-published as an e-book. The prequel, Streaks of Red, will be published in November 2011, followed by three more short stories to complete the Kindred Curse Anthology.
Terra was born and raised in Colorado but has since lived in California, Texas, Utah, North Carolina, and Virginia. Terra has served more than 5 years enlistment in the Marine Corp. She presently runs the language services division of a small business.
Connect with Terra: E-mail:
terra.harmony11@gmail.com Facebook:
http://facebook.com/terraharmony Blog:
http://harmonylit.wordpress.com/ Twitter:
http://twitter.com/harmonygirlit
About the Book: WATER: Elemental powers in the palm of her hand…and it won't be enough to save her. When Kaitlyn Alder is involuntarily introduced to a life of magic, she becomes part of an organization hell-bent on saving the Earth. Just as her newfound life holds promises of purpose, romance and friendship, the organization divides and a rogue member holds Kaitlyn hostage. Now one of the most terrifying men the human race has to offer stands between her and Earth's survival.
