Why would an author need a blog? Shouldn’t the author information on Amazon and/or other online bookstores, as well perhaps as a few posts on social media like Facebook or TikTok, be enough? And maybe a one- or two-page static author website to share the basics of the author and the book(s)? And, you could, of course, send emails to some friends, take a copy to show off to your writing group if you belong to one, perhaps host a little “book launch” … and, if you’re lucky, get your book on the “local authors” shelf at the local bookstore and in the local library? That should “sell” your book successfully, right? Well, maybe… or more likely, maybe not… So how can author blogs help?

Actually, there are a lot of good reasons for author websites WITH blogs! And those reasons should start well before you actually get to the point where you want to publish your book(s). Let’s take a look at some of those reasons … and also what you should consider including in your website and blog.

The following are the topics I’ll be covering more indepth in separate posts in this series; I’ll add links as I post them:

1. Is Author Blogging Dead?
2. Blog or Website or Both?
3. Social Media
4. Author Blogs
5. Connections and Audience
6. Content Tips
7. Goals
8. Layout
9. Types of Posts
10. Specific Pages
11. Promoting Your Blog
12. SEO
13. Ideas for Posts
14. E-Mail Newsletters
15. Author Blogs: My personal conclusions – and series resource list

BLOGS AS PART OF YOUR AUTHOR WEBSITE:

BUILDING YOUR TRIBE/COMMUNITY:

Long before you publish, you should start building a strong community: your enthusiastic followers who will want to purchase your books and who will tell others about them. An author site is an important part of your marketing and publishing strategy. And blogging—as part of a basic author website—can be an excellent way to increase the strength of your author site.

USEFUL TIPS FOR BUILDING YOUR SITE:

• Choose a domain name—the name you use for your URL/site address—that people will remember and do searches for. Ideally, for an author site, use your author name, as in: yourname.com. If you have a common name, especially if it is the same name as another author, be sure to use your middle initial or some other way to stand out (perhaps: yourname_romanceauthor.com). If your name is already used with a .com site, consider using a different domain: yourname.org or yourname.net or yourname.ca (or .ca or whatever country you are from). Since .com domains are especially popular, other .com possibilities might include: yournameauthor.com or yournamebooks.com or yournamewriter.com. (It is best to use a domain with your author name rather than the name of your book, especially if you’re going to write more than one book!).
• When creating your “banner” at the top of your site, choose an illustration that features your genre in some way. In the “menu” (usually right under the banner illustration), include the main topics/pages of your site (for example, “About Me,” “My books,” “Contact,” “Blog,” “Testimonials,” “Welcome” and so on. Your main menu topics should be limited to no more than 6 to 8 topics. Then, under those topics, you can add “drop-down” sub-menus; for example, under “My Books” you could have a drop-down sub-menu that links your readers to each book page.
• You can decide to have the “front page” or “landing page” (where your readers will “land” if they use just your main URL) be a static page with an overall introduction to you and your book(s). Or you can choose to have your “front page” be your blog. It depends on what your goals for your site are: Mainly just to market your book(s) OR to reach out to your readers and create a community/tribe of followers who love your writing and want to learn more and to share with others.
• Learn about the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and how to use keywords, online layouts, and so on. (There will be a post about SEO later in this series).
• Along with your e-newsletter button, consider creating a free product (short e-book, video, course, etc.) that readers will receive if they sign up for your e-newsletter (there will be a post about e-newsletters later in this series).

ON THE “STATIC” PAGES OF YOUR WEBSITE:

• This is where you showcase your book(s). Create a page for each of your books (or each of your series), with links to where your readers can find out more about each book/series and decide to purchase it—with links to online bookstores, as well as information on traditional bookstores where it is available. If you wish, you can even learn to sell your books directly from your site, using e-commerce. On each book page, include information about the book (genre, content description, what formats it is available in—paperback, e-book, hardcover, workbook, etc.). You may also include an excerpt that will grab your readers’ attention, and which showcases your writing style. You may even want to include a reading guide for the use of book clubs, or, in the case of educational books, sets of classroom questions and activities/lesson plans, as well as useful links to sources of further research on the topic. Be sure to create an “about me” page on which you include your author bio and a professional photo of yourself.
• Set up your site so that on every page you include your “follow” button, “mailing list/e-newsletter” button (if you plan to have an e-newsletter), a “comments” button, and of course, links to the social media you use.
• Consider setting up a “media page” with a list of newspaper, radio, TV, podcasts and other media you’ve been interviewed for, as well as information that media will find useful if they wish to contact you: a short bio, your contact information, and so on.
• If you take part in events—conferences, workshops, writers’ groups, book launches, classes/courses, and so on—create a page that details events you’ve already been involved in … as well as listing upcoming events at the top of the page. Include photos, videos, testimonials from the people who’ve attended your past events.
• Include a page of testimonials and reviews from your readers—or include them on each of your book pages.
• Make your site multi-media. Use not only photos and art, but also videos, audio recordings, podcasts, and so on. If you already have other online media, such as YouTube videos or podcasts, create a page that describes them and provides a link to each of them.
• Create a “contact” page so people can email you personally; you may also want to include a business phone number and address.
• If you do other kinds of writing—magazine articles, newspaper columns, etc.–and other kinds of media—create a page describing and linking to those as well.

ON THE “BLOG” PART OF YOUR WEBSITE:

• Aim for a minimum of 1 to 2 posts a month—or perhaps even 1 or 2 a week. Post on a regular basis so readers will know when you post and will check to see what’s new. And provide a sign-up button so readers can “follow” you and be notified by email when you make new posts. Note that while non-fiction writers may seem to have the most to gain from blogging, fiction writers can also benefit from it.
• Communicate with your readers through your blog, encouraging them to comment (and be sure to reply to their comments. Get conversation happening; make your readers feel important and cared for). Also provide links to your social media, and perhaps even to a mailing list (e-mail newsletter) in which you keep your readers up-to-date with your writing activities, as well as providing extra useful information beyond what’s on your site.
• Practice “literary citizenship.” Don’t make your blog just about you. Support your fellow authors. Talk about the books you’re reading (write reviews and summaries), and the influences they have had on your own writing. Don’t just write about them; reach out to them, too. Build relationships in the writing community.
• Be a helpful resource for your readers. Write on genre-specific topics and tropes related to your books. Your blog readers are interested in your genre—they might even be potential writers in your genre. Either way, they’ll be interested in the information you provide. Fiction writers can provide lots of interesting information about their characters (how they invented them, what real-life people inspired them, etc.), book settings (time and place—share photos and illustrations), historical facts related to the story, nonfiction books or other materials that are related to your story, and so on.
• List your favorite podcasts, videos, and other author blogs related to not only your books’ genre, but to writing in general.
• Talk about your daily routine; readers like to know about the authors of the books they read. Sharing information about your lifestyle makes you seem human and approachable.
• Share favorite quotes from your own books—and from books by other authors in your genre, as well as other authors whose writing you’ve enjoyed. Share useful advice and examples of good writing.
• Talk about your writing process: How did you come up with the idea for your book? How did you research? How long did it take to write your book? How many edits did you do? What kind of help did you get from your editor, illustrator, designer, etc.? What did you learn about writing along the way?
• Share about your publishing adventures. Did you use an agent or not? If you did, what was that relationship like? How did it help you? What type of publishing did you choose: traditional? Self-publishing? Hybrid? How did that work out? How long did it take? Based on your experience, what advice would you give potential writers?
• Share book covers and blurbs you love—and tell why you found them so attractive. How did they help you come up with your own covers? If you’re still in the process of designing your cover, consider asking advice: show 3 or 4 different kinds of cover art you’re considering, and ask your readers which they like better, and why. Consider holding contests related to your book(s), with a free copy of your book for the winner. Host a poll. What else can you think of? Be sure to link these kinds of events to all your social media.
• Are you going to be part of an upcoming event: conference, workshop, book launch, podcast or other interview, online webinar, etc.? If so, tell about how you’ll be involved, and how people can attend—and once it has happened, post photos and other information.

WHAT NEXT?

Take a look at author websites from your favourite authors. What do they include? What attracts your attention? Take a look at some of their blog posts. What ideas could you use on your own author blog? If you really like an author’s blog, sign up to follow them: you’ll get an email when they post, so you can find out what’s new with them. And of course, comment on posts that especially interest you!

Share Your Thoughts in the Comments! Do you already have an author website? Does it include a blog? If so, what has been your experience with it? What do you find difficult? Could you use any of the above ideas to improve your site? If you haven’t yet started an author blog–and especially an author blog–has this post helped you decide to give it a try? What more would you like to know? Be sure to post your thoughts and questions in the comments section of this post (you’ll find it by clicking on “Comments” in the topic left corner). Let’s converse 🙂