Why should you create a book related blog for your newly released title?

My purpose in writing the story you're currently reading is to try and impress upon new authors the importance of creating a book related blog.

In case you think this is something not really in your skill set to do, you couldn't be more wrong. In 2021, there are scores of options, when it comes to quick and user-friendly platforms to create your blog on.

How much time and effort should you put into your book related blog?

The advice and tips I provide in this story are purely my own opinions, based on past experiences. So believe me when I tell you that a blog can evolve into becoming the best promotional resource you have.

I won't tell you the amount of time or effort you should put into it, I can only suggest that you monitor your progress. This will help you determine whether you should do more or less. But be sure to pay close attention to what the results are telling you.

Here's an important point you should know, and that I didn't discover until waaaaay too late:

My Skipping Childhood novel actually got off to a good start, thanks to the blog I created to help promote it. I FAILED TO SEE THE PROMISING SIGNS. I ended up underestimating the importance of the blog at the time.

I was a fairly new author back then (even though I actually self published an earlier novel also, but that's another long story).

I didn't have anyone behind me, or beside me, to support my writing dream, and practically everything I did or learned about online writing and self publishing was self taught.

That automatically meant doing things by trial and error, and trust me, I made a lot of errors. That's why, if you're a budding author, I don't want you to make some of the same ones that I did.

Although ambition and self motivation have been my strong suits for a long time, patience never was, and still isn't. I've written about the numerous bridges I burned in the past, as a result of impatience and not seeing things through to the end.

Creating a book related blog was a great idea, but failing to maintain it turned out to be a fatal flaw. Although I continued trying to promote my novel in other places online, my efforts were all over the place.

Years later, I can now look at things objectively and see where I could have and should have directed more time.

Since the blog was a direct link to the book, I should have focused my attention in one place; thus helping to create and build a brand in the place where it would do me the most good, my own backyard (so to speak).

Even when I look at the blog today, which is just as inactive as I left it years ago, I see the potential in what it could mean to my book. I notice that I actually put some significant time and content in building the initial foundation.

In fact, I might just decide to reinvest a little more of both, beginning in 2022.

Why bother creating a book blog if you already have a website?

One of the things that many new authors are encouraged to do, is to immediately have a website created, to help promote and brand yourself.

Of course, this makes sense and I agree that a website is an important part of the equation, when establishing yourself as a new author.

However, in my opinion, if given a choice between which has the potential to be more useful to an author, I'd say the blog.

Here's why I answer like I do:

• A website is static (for the most part), which is great for providing a base of operation and the specifics about you and your writing.
• A blog tends to be more fluid, when it comes to sharing what's going on with you as an author, and any pending, newly released, or future projects.

When I released Skipping Childhood, I had an existing author website (under the same pen name that authored the book), so it was simple to include the book there.

The problem was, while my blog certainly felt invisible at the time, even though my website wasn't new, it actually felt non-existent! Yet, this is where I continued to promote my book, even after I stopped writing on the blog.

Clearly, I see the blog's benefit today, in 2021. For instance, here is how a book related blog can help you promote your book:

Your book's blogging platform is perfect for writing and sharing book related information about: Characters, plot details, scenes, settings and so forth.

Take advantage of it.

Final Thoughts

The opportunities to earn revenue on your personal blog are endless, once you actually build up a following. Which leads us to all you writers on Medium, who aspire to become authors, or those who are already there.

Do the smart thing, and start thinking about how you plan to effectively promote your book.

DEAR READER: The advice and opinions I share are not always taken from a book or based on professional statements. I merely share accounts I've experienced -personally and I tell you how I handled a situation when this happened to me, OR my suggestions, if it were to ever happen.

😄 More than 450 stories published 😄 Follow on TWITTER: @GoodeWriter Read my: short form stories in the DAILY JUSTISS publication 😄

Not a Medium Member yet? Join now with my referral link: https://justissgoode.medium.com/membership and I'll earn a small monetary reward plus I can also HELP YOU GET STARTED EARNING! 😄