8 Reasons All Authors Need a Blog in Their Book Promotion Tool Kit

Blogging for Authors—Lesson #8

I can think of many reasons authors also should become bloggers. When it comes to promoting books, however, every aspiring or published author needs a blog in his or her tool kit. Here are 8 reasons why:

1. A blog provides an essential promotional tool. Your blog provides the centerpiece for your pre-release (platform building) and post-release book promotion efforts as well as for your social media activities. You can promote yourself and your book from your blog and engage with (potential) readers.
2. A blog gives you an author website. A blog is a dynamic, rather than static, author website—your home in cyberspace. It makes you and your work discoverable. You can update it yourself.
3. A blog helps you create an author brand. You can use your blog to differentiate yourself from other authors and bloggers. Let visitors know who you are, what you do, what you stand for. Here you determine how you want to be perceived and for what you want to be known.
4. A blog helps you promote your book. You can plan to use your blog before and after release to build awareness of your book. You can feature your book in the banner or sidebar and write posts related to your book. Blog about the book release. Plan ahead, and determine what you will blog about for 6-12 months post release so your posts support your brand or book.
5. A blog helps you build a mailing list. Have a mailing list sign up on your website. Entice readers to join by offering a free gift, like an ebook. Write blog posts that compel readers to want to subscribe. Then, use your list to communicate with potential book readers—subscribers—to providing great information, inform them of the release of your book, discounts on pricing, etc.
6. Your blog lets you write, promote & publish a book. The easiest way to write your book and to build your author platform — at the same time — is to blog your book. When you blog a book, you write, publish and promote it at the same time on the internet using blog technology…one post at a time. This is an effective way to test market your book and to build author platform—built-in readership—for your book (or even attract a publisher). Use your time effectively!
7. A blog makes it easier to interact on social networks. Your blog posts give you something to share in status updates on your networks. The posts also give other people something to share—directly from your blog or to reshare. People like to share great content and to follow those with great content. Content is king.
8. A blog makes it possible to have a virtual book tour. As you blog and connect on social networks, you “make friends” with other bloggers in your “market” or “book category.” You then can call on these bloggers to host a stop on your virtual book tour. These can be guest blog posts, interviews, reviews, podcasts, or internet radio show appearances, all of which occur upon your book’s release. The bloggers may also offer cover blurbs or Amazon reviews. You need these connections for a successful blog tour, especially since these colleagues also will spread the word about your book release and your virtual book tour.

Put a blog in your author toolkit so you successfully promote yourself and your book.

Hear me speak on this topic at the San Francisco Writing for Change Conference on October 12, 2013. Register now! Only 100 seats…claim yours, and author change today.