If you’re an author, you need a blog.

You write books not articles. You want to entertain with 100,000 word stories not quick two sentence paragraph quickies.

That’s fine.

You still need a blog.

If you want to find readers, build a platform and sell books, you need to be online and the best way to do that is to have a blog or a website.

Without an online presence it’s difficult, if not impossible, to get noticed. Yes, it’s hard online too, there are hundreds of thousands of blogs popping up left, right and centre. But that’s no excuse for you as an author to ignore the blogosphere.

8 Reasons Why As An Author You Need A Blog!

1 – Build an online platform for your fiction.

You can write about your writing process and how you research – readers love to learn more info about their favourite authors. That’s why I started a Piece of Me section on my website. It’s nothing major, just a little bit of space where I can share the trials and tribulations (and joys) of being an author-entrepreneur in the making without the pressure of putting together a blog post.

2- Build an online platform for your non-fiction.

It’s much easier to make money with non-fiction than fiction – apparently anyway. There are authors making a decent buck from both. You might be a fiction writer who wants to teach newbies how to get published and live their dreams. Having an online presence will make it easier for you. I’ve always wanted to write a How To book. Now’s my chance!

Related: HOW TO START AN AUTHOR BLOG!

3 – Grow an email list.

An email list is an asset. One that authors cannot be without. You don’t want to rely just on the platforms like Amazon and Kobo for your sales. You just don’t know when they’ll wake up one morning and decide to change the rules. An email list is potential buyers at your fingertips. Invest in them. Nurture them. And they will in turn reward you buy buying and loving your books. I’m still working on my email list. I was giving away one of my books for free and I’ll continue to do that but I’m also working on a free ebook for the business side of things.

4 – Improve your writing.

Blogging is a different type of writing than fiction. It’s conversational. It’s short and long, snappy and laboured. It’s what you want it to be. A blog can allow you to practice your craft and get instant feedback through comments. You can write articles related to your niche or even short stories or extracts from your books. If you like you can even publish an entire book online.

5 – Attract potential readers.

The more time you spend online publishing quality posts the more likely you are to attract readers who are going to love what you’re offering whether that’s fiction or non-fiction. As a writer I assume you want readers, right?

6 – Attract contacts.

It’s not just about readers. It’s also about being part of a community. Working with your peers. Supporting one another. Helping each other. Having an online presence with a blog will increase your chances of being sought by editors or publications, it will help you meet likeminded people (much harder to do in the real world!).

7 – Sell your books direct.

Whether that’s through your blog or website, you can sell your books without the middleman which means more profits to you and you make the rules and set the prices.

8 – Diversify your income stream.

Let’s be honest, writing books isn’t going to make most of us rich, nor is it going to let us quit our jobs and do the gig full time. If we win the lotto maybe, or if you find other income streams to support your book writing. A blog and a website can do just that. With it you can make money through Adsense, Affiliates, and Sponsored Posts, among other things.

What if you hate the idea of blogging?

I love to blog. I have so many ideas that I don’t have the time to execute so it’s hard for me to fathom that some people just don’t like blogging or don’t blog. There are a lot. Like 99% of the people in my circle of family and friends.

If you hate the idea of blogging don’t do it. But you at least need to have a website. A piece of internet real estate that will help potential readers find you. It’s like having a business and not listing it in the yellow pages or not having a Facebook page. It’s a no-no.

Have a website at the very least. You can then just include the bare necessities – about you, about your books, and how can readers contact you. Easy.

What can fiction authors blog about?

• Research
• Interview with other authors in their niche
• About themselves
• They’re favourite writing spaces
• Interesting facts about their life/characters/settings
• Plans for future books
• Upcoming events
• Short stories related to their novels or completely separate (don’t you hate when a book ends? You can do a short story spin off and publish it on your blog?

What can non-fiction authors blog about?

• Research
• Interviews with experts in your niche
• Expand on topics in your non-fiction books
• Facts and figures related to your niche
• How to articles related to your field

What are some of the different types of blog posts you can write?

• List posts – probably the most popular
• Tutorial or how to
• Essay types
• Reviews
• Stories
• Profiles
• Interviews
• And much more!

Are you ready to start an author blog? You can check out my post on How To Start An Author Blog here!

Do you have an author blog? What do you write about? Have you found benefits in having a blog? Share your experience in the comments below!

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