Why Every Author Should Have A Blog

We get this question a lot: why should authors care about blogging? The answer: there are literally too many reasons to list in one article.

If you are an author, blogging is your friend. In fact, you should make it your best friend. I cannot stress enough how helpful it is for building your audience and your platform, and these days, it’s so easy to start a blog! Want more info? We’ll be following up with two more articles about blogging (be sure to subscribe at the top right corner of this page to get the articles straight to your inbox), but to start, I present the top ten reasons why every author should also be a blogger.

1. It helps you find your people. You need to identify the target audience for your book. If you’re blogging on your subject matter, you don’t have to look any further than your blog audience. Who are they? Men, women, millennials? They’re the ones who will buy your book.
2. It opens the lines of communication. If someone buys your book, they’ll take it home and read it…once. That’s where your opportunity to inspire and influence them stops. If, however, they take home your book, read it, and then follow your blog,  you have an open line of communication to keep talking to them.
3. It helps you hone your craft. The only way to get better at writing is by doing more of it. Plain and simple.
4. It provides legitimacy. These days, it’s so easy to set up a professional-looking blog—and its mere existence already makes you look established and professional to media outlets and potential readers. If that thought scares you, but the idea of being a blogger still appeals, then you’re in luck. We offer services that can set up your author website with a blog included for you.
5. A blog can serve as your PR Agent. Landed an interview with a local media outlet? Got an upcoming event? Share it there. Your blog can also house a “contact me” form so that people can reach you easily.
6. It provides a place to collaborate. Wanting to expand your audience? Interview other influencers on your blog, or invite them to guest-post. They will then share that post with their audience, leading to…more subscribers on your blog, and hopefully more readers of your book.
7. It’s introvert-friendly. Don’t love public speaking? As a blogger, you still have a platform to reach people from. It’s just from the safety of your living room instead of live.
8. It’s the perfect testing ground. Whether it’s your first book, or you’re testing a second book on your already established audience, a blog is a great place to see how they respond to your topic before you go through the process of setting up a publishing deal.
9. It’s your own personal online bookstore. Have physical copies of your book at your house that you need to sell? Add an online shop component to your blog, and let readers purchase books directly from you!
10. It’s doable. Most blog posts are between 300-1000 words. Far less daunting than writing a book. You can do this!