Blogging Advice for Writers
January 30th 2010 23:27
I first started writing online when websites where still static. I had my own website and had to change the HTML for the site every time I posted a new entry. Back then, I called it my online column. So I've been around for a while, even if my performance here in the last two year and four months was rather on and off. I'm qualified to give blogging advice, even if I say so myself.*
So here's the best blogging advice I have (in no particular order):
It doesn't matter if you are a non-fiction or a fiction writer. If you want to make money with your writing, start a blog. It may take a while for your blog to gain traction and attract many responses, yet a blog is an easy and inexpensive way to get your words out there. Be careful when it comes to posting material that you want to publish with a traditional publisher, though, as online publication might count against you.
Choose a theme for your blog and keep your blog post relevant to that. The occasional off-topic post is okay, but if you post too many random things people will find it hard to figure out what your focus is. This doesn't mean that you have to write the same blog post over and over again - there are many creative ways to link current events to your blog theme.
Be passionate about your chosen blog theme. If you don't care about it, your readers won't care about what you have to say about it. To turn your blog into a success, you need to be committed to it. Commitment is easier when it's fun, so blog about something that excites you.
Post regularly. Ideally set up a posting schedule and stick to it. You don't have to churn out a new blog post every day if that's too much for you. Twice a week is fine, be sure to post on the same weekdays, though. If you're up for a monthly daily blogging challenge, check out NaBloPoMo.
Do your research before you write. Check for mistakes and clumsy wording after you've written. Reread your post when it's published on your blog to make sure you got rid off every typo. Be professional even if it seems nobody reads your blog.
Don't be discouraged if you don't get any comments in the beginning. They say the first six months are going to be though. I say you can speed up the process by leaving comments on other blogs you like and which have a similar theme to your blog. Take part in discussions elsewhere to raise your profile as a knowledgeable blogger. Never put your blog URL in the comments themselves, though. Use the URL field instead.
Know your SEO but don't sacrifice the quality of your writing. Remember that even though search engine optimised copy is likely to increase your traffic, you want your readers to enjoy reading your posts. You want to engage your readers, not scare them away with a post full of keywords but devoid of meaning. If people like what they read on your blog, they are likely to bookmark it, come back to read new posts and even recommend it to their friends.
What is your best blogging advice?
*I'm pleased to report that Writing Words was recently listed as one of the 30 finest creative writing blogs of 2009. So somebody else seems to think I know a thing or two about blogging (and writing about writing).
So here's the best blogging advice I have (in no particular order):
It doesn't matter if you are a non-fiction or a fiction writer. If you want to make money with your writing, start a blog. It may take a while for your blog to gain traction and attract many responses, yet a blog is an easy and inexpensive way to get your words out there. Be careful when it comes to posting material that you want to publish with a traditional publisher, though, as online publication might count against you.
Choose a theme for your blog and keep your blog post relevant to that. The occasional off-topic post is okay, but if you post too many random things people will find it hard to figure out what your focus is. This doesn't mean that you have to write the same blog post over and over again - there are many creative ways to link current events to your blog theme.
Be passionate about your chosen blog theme. If you don't care about it, your readers won't care about what you have to say about it. To turn your blog into a success, you need to be committed to it. Commitment is easier when it's fun, so blog about something that excites you.
Post regularly. Ideally set up a posting schedule and stick to it. You don't have to churn out a new blog post every day if that's too much for you. Twice a week is fine, be sure to post on the same weekdays, though. If you're up for a monthly daily blogging challenge, check out NaBloPoMo.
Do your research before you write. Check for mistakes and clumsy wording after you've written. Reread your post when it's published on your blog to make sure you got rid off every typo. Be professional even if it seems nobody reads your blog.
Don't be discouraged if you don't get any comments in the beginning. They say the first six months are going to be though. I say you can speed up the process by leaving comments on other blogs you like and which have a similar theme to your blog. Take part in discussions elsewhere to raise your profile as a knowledgeable blogger. Never put your blog URL in the comments themselves, though. Use the URL field instead.
Know your SEO but don't sacrifice the quality of your writing. Remember that even though search engine optimised copy is likely to increase your traffic, you want your readers to enjoy reading your posts. You want to engage your readers, not scare them away with a post full of keywords but devoid of meaning. If people like what they read on your blog, they are likely to bookmark it, come back to read new posts and even recommend it to their friends.
What is your best blogging advice?
*I'm pleased to report that Writing Words was recently listed as one of the 30 finest creative writing blogs of 2009. So somebody else seems to think I know a thing or two about blogging (and writing about writing).
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