This is part three of a series we are sharing about how authors can best promote their book. Today’s post is a guest post by Mel Lockcuff
5 Reasons Every Author Should Have a Blog or Website
Mel Lockcuff
Six years ago I was at home with my two very young boys. While I was extremely happy to be home with them…at the same time, I ached to connect with other women, and I knew I wanted to write. Writing was, in some ways, a release of sorts.
And then it happened. A friend suggested I start a blog. At first, I had no idea what a blog was, and I wasn’t so sure about writing for the world to see. It didn’t take me long to dive right in, and before I knew it, I’d fallen in love with blogging.
Here I am six years down the road, making an income from my blog, having published my first eBook with plans to write more, including the one book I’ve been longing to write for years. How has a blog helped me and other authors? Why is it so important for authors to have their own blog or website?
Here are just a few ways a blog/website can be a definite game changer for any author…
1) When the blog/website comes before the book, it can help an author build relationships.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying it has to come before the book, but it does help. For me, blogging has led to many connections and friendships I wouldn’t otherwise have. Those friends and connections are invaluable both as friends and as a support system. The key, and this is so important, is that support has to go both ways. You have to be willing to build relationships and to give and support your fellow bloggers. They, in turn, will support you. And that, my friends, is one of the biggest keys to success…collaboration and support.
2) A blog/website serves as an anchored place to tell your story.
It gives you the ability to share with your readers who you are and what you’re all about. It’s a place to share your experience and accomplishments. It’s also the one place you can truly be you, sharing your personality and creativity with your readers.
3) A blog/website is an avenue to connect with your readers and they with you.
Whether you write daily, weekly, or otherwise, it’s a way for readers to connect with the person behind the book. They can connect with you through post comments or social media. Depending on what you choose to blog about, good storytelling can lead to both relevancy and connection in a way that wouldn’t otherwise exist. Readers identify with certain things you write about, especially when it’s relevant to their own lives. That’s one of the most special things about blogging, and that type of relevancy definitely lends to integrity with your readers. Integrity is so important.
4) A blog/website provides a place for you to promote and sell your own books, as well as promote fellow authors. It’s a platform you can use to promote your work; when a trusted relationship is built with your readers, that platform is a catalyst for success. Not only that, but as mentioned above, collaboration leads to success. Promoting other authors is a way to collaborate and build your reputation as a cheerleader and supporter of the written word and less of a competitor.
5) A blog can be a place for you to let loose, be creative, and relax. It gives you a chance to write about a variety of topics within your niche. It can be a form of release for you. It also allows you to be even more creative, tapping into all of your hidden talents. Tapping into your creative side can help you become a better writer because you’ve taken time away from the “job” of writing and gotten back to the “creativity” of it all.
So, what does it take to start a blog or website?
In my eBook, Blog Design Elements of Success: How to Make Your Blog Stand Out, I share a few of the basics that any blogger should think about when starting a blog or if re-evaluating their blog. You’ll find information on choosing a theme for your blog, creating a header and color scheme, forming and organizing your pages and categories, creating amazing content, photography, engagement, and more.
My ultimate hope is that this eBook will provide you with the education and motivation you need to either start a blog or to begin making a few simple changes that will ultimately help your blog to stand out in a sea of amazing bloggers. Your blog is simply that…your blog. It should have you written all over it, which is what it’s really all about. Your voice, your passion, your heart.
You can purchase Blog Design Elements of Success for $4.99. Find out more, including how to purchase!
About Mel Lockcuff
Mel Lockcuff is a wife and homeschool mom to 2 boys and a cat named Harold. She and her family are transfers to Arkansas and are loving life in Northwest Arkansas. They have a few chickens and a lovely little garden in their budding back yard homestead.
Mel is a lifestyle and travel blogger at MamaBuzz, where her goal is to inspire life every day with creative inspiration related to food and recipes, travel and local places of interest, home and garden, crafts, DIY projects, back yard homesteading, awareness, and more. Mel is also a freelance writer, the founder of MamaBuzz Media, and has extensive experience as a community manager. Her work has been published on VisitRogersArkansas.com, OnlyinArk.com, and 66TheMotherRoad Magazine. She’s also the author of the eBook, Blog Design Elements of Success: How to Make Your Blog Stand Out. You can find Mel on Twitter @MamaBuzz, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.