Tips for Writers Who Blog

The following tips will help writers tweak blog posts to increase their chances of selling books. Which tips will help you attract more potential readers? Are there any additional tips that you would like to share with us? Feel free to post your comments.

• Keep your posts “on topic”. Promote your book and website, so you need to keep your posts and blog on topic.
• Make your posts informative and interesting. You aren’t doing this just to entertain your visitors. The idea is to give them more information so they can make an informed decision to buy your book.
• Do not recycle old information. Your readers already know about things that happened months ago. They want you to share new information. The only exception is to relate some past event to a present situation.
• Have a realistic and consistent schedule. Once you establish your blog, post fresh content on a regular basis. Your readers come to expect that from you and will lose confidence if you lag behind.
• Keep your message clear and easy to understand. It doesn’t need to be elaborate and technical. Use a conversational and easy tone.
• Maintain a certain level of quality. You also need to use keywords in your posts. Search engines love blogs and will give additional references to you and your product. But, don’t post mediocre content just to attract search engines. Keep up the quality and weave keywords into your posts.
• Proofread your work. The old adage is to: edit, edit, edit and edit again. If your post is full of errors and typos, the visitor will not be motivated to buy a book with your name on the cover.
• Be passionate about your topic. If you are excited about your subject, that should carry over to your visitors. Pass that excitement to your readers and they will rush to buy your work.
• Figure out who your target market includes. It’s critical that you identify who needs your book. These are the people you need to attract with your promotional efforts. I cannot express how critical it is to identify your target market.
• Finally, when you post comments on other blogs, include your blog URL under your name. Don’t post an elaborate message or blurb about your blog. All you need to do is post a relevant comment to attract attention and list your name and blog address. Another person’s blog is not the place for blatant self promotion.
• Include pictures on your blog. Do you have pictures of yourself and/or your books? What about pictures of your promotional activities? When you meet your readers in public, take pictures and post them on your blog. This free software that will help you. One can be found at: http://hello.com/
• If you want to add audio clips – use: http://www.audioblogger.com/. If you would like to add streaming video – use: http://instantvideogenerator.com/. None of these things are necessary, but these are the links in case you want to explore the possibilities.

Nikki Leigh - Fiction and Non Fiction AuthorAuthor of the Book Promo 101 - Serieshttp://www.nikkileigh.com/book_promo_101.htm


Additional Articles About Using Blogs to Promote

Author Promotion From Your Easy Chair - Is It Possible
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/04/author-book-tours-from-your-easy-chair.html

Can You Blog to Sell Books
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/04/can-you-blog-to-sell-books.html

Tips For Authors Who Blog
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/04/tips-for-writers-who-blog.htmlCommunicate

With Blog Readers
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/04/communicate-with-blog-readers.html

Why Aren't You Blogging
http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-arent-you-blogging.html