Author Blogs: Should Authors Blog? How?

To blog or not to blog. That is the question.

Well, at least for some it is. According to The Internet Writing Journal’s article called “The Authors Dilemma – To Blog or Not to Blog”, that is the question for many authors.

The business of being an author has changed considerably over the last ten years. No longer is it sufficient to write a brilliant manuscript and manage to get it published. Authors now need to be excellent promoters of their own work. And for the intrinsically shy, that can be problematic. But an Internet trend has the potential to revolutionize author marketing, even for those who despise public speaking: blogging.

If you’re considering taking the plunge and starting an author blog, there are several considerations: the type of blog, what makes a great author blog, the pros and cons of blogging, the level of interactivity of the blog, and how blogging can energize your book publicity plan.

With the introduction of author blogs on Amazon.com, many authors who didn’t blog before are now being challenged to blog in order to help promote their books, events, and future projects.

The article looks at the different types of blogs authors can have, from the day-to-day dairy trials and tribulations of writing to a simple informational blog.

It also looks at what makes a good author blog, a topic I found interesting since it could apply to just about any blog.

It is a combination of factors which create a “perfect storm” of blogging. Great author blogs are frequently updated. They are interesting. And they are well-written. Many authors complain that they don’t have anything to say, that their lives aren’t that interesting on a day to day basis. But that’s entirely the point: it’s not your life that has to be interesting. But how you write about it must be interesting. And the way to do that is to let you personality shine through. Are you a grump in the morning or most of the time? Then rant and rave about subjects in the news. If you can make it funny, so much the better. But if you’re not comfortable writing humor, then don’t. If you feel strongly about a serious issue such as the environment, for example, then by all means share that passion with your readers. Before you get too worried about alienating your readers, remember this: You can’t please everyone, so don’t try. People are attracted to passion in writing. Write with passion and your readership will grow.

Of course, you need to use a little common sense here. If your passion is some activity that Gallup polls show that 90% of Americans find objectionable, perhaps you should keep that passion to yourself — in the interest of book sales.

I’ve written about the differences and similarities of bloggers versus writers, but this is a different take on the differences between bloggers, writers, and authors.

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Copyright Lorelle VanFossen