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Blogging for Authors - How to Grow Your Own Traffic Goldmine (Even if You Write Fiction)

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Blogging – especially for authors – is a contentious subject.

My thoughts on the matter are much the same as any other kind of content production – if nobody’s going to read it, why bother?

Which is exactly the rub.

So many authors “start a blog” because it’s easy and because they think it’s something they “should do”. Only to get frustrated when nobody comes to visit.

The truth is, for a lot of authors, it’s far more effective to spend your time working on either (a) writing your next books, or (b) growing your audience (so you can sell those books to someone).

But what if building an author blog could help you do both?

Let’s face it – if you’re a non-fiction author, it’s pretty easy to know what you’re going to write about (hint: the same thing you write about in your books).

But it’s trickier for fiction authors. And people ask me all the time, “Should I start a blog if I write fiction?”

Usually, the answer isn’t simple. There’s a lot for you to consider: what are you going to write about? Who is your target audience? How will your blog grow your audience or sales? How does it fit into your overall business plan?

Those questions usually elicit a stony silence, and occasionally sobs of despair. 

So now’s the time to answer that question properly – should you start a blog if you’re an author?

If you get it right, your blog can become a steady source of reliable and engaged readers – who will, guess what, be more likely to buy from you than pretty much any other source of traffic.

You have the added bonus of not having to worry about putting all your eggs into Facebook’s or Amazon’s basket – and build yourself a source of readers that you control.

But, of course, it takes time to establish yourself. But once you do, the results can be impressive.

So, if you’re wondering how to get started with blogging for authors, this article will get you set up the right way (including how to pick the right topic if you write fiction).

Enjoy!

BUILDING AN AUTHOR BRAND is easier with a blog

By Icy Sedgwick

If you heard a clang on 12 January 2018, it was the sound of collective jaws hitting the ground around the world. Mark Zuckerberg announced changes to the Facebook news feed. He wanted it to return to an endless parade of baby photos, cat memes and arguing over Doctor Who. Content from brands and businesses would scale back significantly.

No more ‘get your beach body in just 46 seconds a day!’ fitness ads in my news feed? Wherever will I get my daily dose of self-loathing now?

Anyway. Marketers and authors panicked about how to reach audiences without ramping up their ad spend in Facebook’s news feed.

The problem here is not down to the whims of Zuckerberg. The problem comes from relying too much on a single traffic source.

It’s like building your house on someone else’s land.

What happens when the owner changes the rules? You have to demolish your house. Or, in our case, your traffic dries up.

Let’s bring this down to the level of the author. Why are some of us panicking so badly about it? We’ve always had plenty of ways to reach readers. Look at speaking gigs or podcast appearances. Use other social media platforms. Or entice new readers onto our mailing list with a permafree book.

I’m not going to slate any of those options because they’re all awesome.

But I do want to point to the marketing method that’s done the most for my outreach. It’s one that’s predicted as being dead, or dying, for years. It also plays to the strengths of writers.

 

 

Enter Blogging.

I can already hear some of you groaning. You tried blogging before but you got tired of hearing crickets every time you hit ‘publish’. Some of you don’t feel you have time in your schedule.

Or you’ve read blogs about how to blog and taken fright.

I’m not surprised. Gurus insist that blogs must educate readers. Teach someone how to do something and then sell them an online course. Or share your inspirational ‘journey’ (how I loathe that word) and become a coach.

If you read traditional blogging advice, it looks like blogging for fiction is a dead end. How can you teach someone how to do something and relate it to a novel?

And if you ask these gurus how to blog as a FICTION writer (and I have), they’ll all say the same thing: write about your characters. Blog about how your book is going. Talk about where you got the idea. They all say they’d read it.

And they’re all lying.

 

 

No one Cares about your Book before you Publish it.

Blogging about your book when no one knows who you are is pointless. Unless you’re publishing your book in serial format, it’s unlikely anyone cares about your story.

You can’t blame them. How could they care, if they haven’t read anything by you? It’s the same reason blogging about your characters, or your world-building, is a total waste of time.

Only other writers want to read about the writing process.

Posting about the writing process is equally pointless. True, it’ll net you visitors. But those visitors will most likely to be other writers. There’s no guarantee they even read your genre. They won’t want to add your book (when it’s published) to their gargantuan ‘to read’ pile.

Blogging about writing can be valuable for building a network of fellow writers. That’s helpful when you want to cross-promote. Or you need support because you’ve had writer’s block for three weeks. Let’s face it; you can only re-arrange your sock drawer so many times.

But now we’ve looked at what not to do, let’s look at what can work.

Creating a relevant blog is pretty easy if you’re a non-fiction writer (just write about your topic). But it’s a little trickier for fiction authors like me.

Blogging as a fiction author works when you remember your readers. They’re your target audience. Not your friends, not your family, not other writers.

Figure out exactly what your readers want to read about that’s related to your genre. They’re the ones you need to get onto your website. Provide that content. Then drive traffic.

Simple? Let’s look at how you can do that.

 

 

Nailing The Blogging Part

Say you write science fiction. Your readers are also interested in science and technology.

You’ve got a built-in blog topic right there. Blog about the latest scientific developments and what they might mean for society. Or talk about classic science fiction films. Dig out weird inventions that never took off (people love failures).

In other words, talk about the type of stuff your readers would love that’s related to your genre.

You can mention your books where they’re relevant, but remember to provide value first. Entertain or educate your reader within the genre, since that’s what you have in common.

I write dark fantasy, Gothic horror and weird Westerns. So I started blogging about the supernatural and horror films. The #FolkloreThursday hashtag on Twitter prompted me to share folklore and ghost stories. Those topics resonate with the type of people who read the genres I write. (And I love talking about them with like-minded people)

Say you write comedy. Choose your topic and write about it in a funny way. Write romance novels? Post about classic romance films or romantic heroes.

If you’re not sure what to write about, survey your existing readers. Find out what they’re interested in.

Don’t feel you need to post every single day. Or even every week. Try a couple of posts a month and see how you get on.

But now we need a way to make your blog work for you.

 

 

Building Your List

Provide a way to get readers off your blog and onto your mailing list. I include a Convertkit sign up form at the end of every post. I also use a discreet scroll box popup that slides in from the side when a reader has scrolled through 70% of the post.

Why 70%?

If you’ve made it through 70% of an 1100-word post? You’ve built up a degree of goodwill towards me and interest in my writing. You’re more likely to go “Ooh this person has a free book of fiction related to this topic. Go on then”. And you’ll sign up. (You also won’t see that scroll box again for a month because I don’t want to annoy you).

Sign-ups aren’t at the same rampant flow as they are with paid ads or free books. But they’re free to earn. Posting good quality content costs time. But if you get your SEO right for each post, people can discover your content weeks, months, and even years later and still find you. It’s a more passive form of list building but it’s still effective.

[Edit from Nick – we use a free WP plugin called Yoast for our SEO. It’s pretty easy.]

I average 40 sign ups a month, which is around 450 extra subscribers a year. The only financial cost is my web hosting, pop up software (I use Popup Ally Pro for $79 a year) and Convertkit costs. You could save money using a cheaper host and an email provider like Mailchimp.

 


Figure 1: My monthly newlsetter signups

 

Sure, I might have a smaller list than some. But my open rate is between 30-35% and my click rate is between 4-10%. Both of those are pretty good based on sector averages and they haven’t gone down as my list has grown. I believe it’s due to the way I earn signups. And subscribers respond to my emails and engage with me. Bonus!

Some blogging gurus say a bad idea to start a blog without knowing what you’ll blog about. There’s no guarantee you’ll find success.

Authors are a different case. You hopefully already have a website, so adding a blog doesn’t cost extra money. Your topic relates to your genre, which you’d be writing anyway.

You know there’s an audience because they’re reading books in that genre. You just need to reach them. Which brings me to…

 

 

Getting Traffic

Users of WordPress.com alone publish around 86.4 million new posts a month. That doesn’t include the self-hosted WordPress posts, or new content on Tumblr, Blogspot, and Squarespace.

With so much competition, how do you stand out?

The cornerstone of blogging has always been ‘community’. When I first started, it was the Friday Flash community of writers. Now I’m part of the Folklore Thursday community. (It’s where people post snippets and blog posts about folklore on Thursday). I’ve guest-hosted for the hashtag and contributed to their website.

That means there’s a place on the internet where like-minded folks share their interests on a regular basis.

I guarantee there will be something for whatever you’re interested in.

And you can end up with some surprises taking part in something like a regular hashtag chat. Guillermo del Toro, the director behind Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth, retweeted my blog post about the ghosts at the Bank of England.

 


Figure 2: Retweeted by Guillermo del Toro himself!!

 

Yep. Guillermo del Toro himself. Did that have any impact on my traffic? You’re damn right it did.

 


Figure 3: Guess which day the spike refers to.

 

True, if Twitter went away I’d lose a strong traffic source. But look at my acquisitions data from Google Analytics.

 


Figure 4: Traffic Channels

 

Social traffic is only the third most popular source for my traffic. I’ve got enough content to show up in organic searches. I’m not doing this to brag. I want you to see it’s possible to create content about something related to your fiction that brings people to your site.

Once they get there, it’s up to you to make your reader magnet look as appealing as possible.

Blogging beats paid advertising for authority hands down

Before we wrap things up, I want to talk about the final benefit blogging has for fiction authors.

You’ll hear the gurus talk about ‘authority’. It applies to novelists too. Those articles about ghosts or folklore netted me invitations to appear on podcasts. I had a guest appearance on Durham’s Palace Green Library website for an exhibition they’ve been running.

They’ve even landed me copywriting clients.

Putting effort into well-written, informative (or entertaining) blog posts cements your author brand. Readers will know what your write based on what you blog about.

The moment you start getting “Hey, saw this and thought of you” comments? You know you’ve created a brand that sticks in the mind.

 

 

Final Thoughts

Treat your readers like human beings, not just numbers in your KDP dashboard. Use your blog to make connections and build a community based on sharing common interests. Delve into that innate writing ability of yours and put your words out into the world.

And see what happens.

 

Icy Sedgwick writes weird and whimsical fiction in the Gothic horror and dark fantasy genres. Based in Newcastle, she also blogs about folklore and the supernatural when she’s not knitting, writing, or exploring graveyards.

You can get a copy of her short story collection, Harbingers: Dark Tales of Speculative Fictionhere. Or connect on Twitter @IcySedgwick.

 

And now we want to hear from you: What topics can you blog about in your genre or niche? How have you found traffic sources outside of social media? Leave a comment!

93 Comments
  1. Simone Leigh says:

    A nice set of thoughts there. Thank you. You’ve got me thinking 🙂

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      Excellent! Let me know what you come up with 🙂

  2. Simone Leigh says:

    A nice set of thoughts there. Thank you. You’ve got me thinking 🙂

  3. Louisa says:

    I write HF and sometimes while researching I come across interesting stuff that doesn’t fit my books. But IF I wrote a blog, that might be what I’d write about. Maybe even some quizzes to test people’s history IQ.

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      Exactly – people who read historical fiction have an interest in history and it’s a great way to share your research with people who would like the novels you write!

  4. Louisa says:

    I write HF and sometimes while researching I come across interesting stuff that doesn’t fit my books. But IF I wrote a blog, that might be what I’d write about. Maybe even some quizzes to test people’s history IQ.

  5. Shari says:

    I write historical fiction and blog about all the fascinating bits of reasearch I come across. It’s been a great source for email sign ups.

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      Great to hear that!

  6. Shari says:

    I write historical fiction and blog about all the fascinating bits of reasearch I come across. It’s been a great source for email sign ups.

  7. Daina says:

    I write sword and sorcery fantasy, and I have no idea what I’d blog about. There’s no relevant research, nothing that really translates from fantasy to real world… I might blog about different magic systems in fantasy, but that would get old fast.

    1. Jeff says:

      Hey Daina, why not write blog posts about your fav Sword and sorcery authors and books. Especially ones that may be similar to your own work. Go old school and talk about Robert E. Howard, or Fritz Leiber. Maybe speculate upon Amazons upcoming Conan the Barbarian series. Those would all make cool blog posts, and fans of Sword and sorcery would be drawn to it, and thus, your own work (hopefully).

    2. Icy Sedgwick says:

      Daina, I write dark fantasy and it’s amazing what you can come up with – that’s how I found the crossover point between folklore and fantasy. You can also blog about movies, favourite characters (try pitting them against each other so who would win in a magical battle between Gandalf and one of Terry Pratchett’s characters?) And like Jeff says, talk about the books in your genre. Or, you can even blog short serials set in your world to whet people’s appetites. 1000 words is maybe 5-10 minutes of someone’s day – could be great lunchbreak reading! If you’re still stuck, fling me an email and I can try to help your brainstorm some topics 🙂

  8. Daina says:

    I write sword and sorcery fantasy, and I have no idea what I’d blog about. There’s no relevant research, nothing that really translates from fantasy to real world… I might blog about different magic systems in fantasy, but that would get old fast.

  9. Ken says:

    I post on my blog every Sunday. I started last August and haven’t missed a single week, not even the week a close friend of mine died. Sometimes that seems reason enough to blog. Every week I have a deadline to meet. But my posts are pretty random. I just write whatever takes my fancy that week. Maybe I need to focus more.

    1. Danie Botha says:

      Ken,
      I sit with a similar dilemma—Been blogging regularly again since October, but the topics are too wide—not focussed enough. I’ll have to address that. Apply some of Icy’s suggestions.

    2. Icy Sedgwick says:

      Ken, it’s great that you’re giving yourself deadlines! Being random at first can be a good way to find out what you actually like writing about, but if you want people to keep coming back, they have to know what it is you offer. You can keep it wide as long as it relates to your fiction in some way!

  10. Ken says:

    I post on my blog every Sunday. I started last August and haven’t missed a single week, not even the week a close friend of mine died. Sometimes that seems reason enough to blog. Every week I have a deadline to meet. But my posts are pretty random. I just write whatever takes my fancy that week. Maybe I need to focus more.

  11. Tracey Pedersen says:

    What an excellent article, Icy! I loved blogging when I was a travel blogger but I’ve definitely struggled as a romance author knowing what to write about. All my ideas seem to go into my books! I promised myself this year that I’d really try harder to blog regularly and you’ve given me an excellent place to start. Thanks a bunch for writing this!

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      My pleasure, Tracey! And is there any way you can combine travel and romance?

  12. Tracey Pedersen says:

    What an excellent article, Icy! I loved blogging when I was a travel blogger but I’ve definitely struggled as a romance author knowing what to write about. All my ideas seem to go into my books! I promised myself this year that I’d really try harder to blog regularly and you’ve given me an excellent place to start. Thanks a bunch for writing this!

  13. Sharon says:

    Finally, somebody is talking about what’s behind curtain number 2—blogging for fiction writers! Spent 10 minutes brainstorming post ideas and have 3 pages worth! Setting alone seems a prolific place to start. Followed closely by unsolved crimes, and classic noir films Thanks for moving me forward!!!

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      BRILLIANT!!!! Glad I could help 😀 Post your web address because that sounds like the kind of stuff I’d read 🙂

  14. Sharon says:

    Finally, somebody is talking about what’s behind curtain number 2—blogging for fiction writers! Spent 10 minutes brainstorming post ideas and have 3 pages worth! Setting alone seems a prolific place to start. Followed closely by unsolved crimes, and classic noir films Thanks for moving me forward!!!

  15. Danie Botha says:

    Icy,
    Neat!
    I’ve been blogging regularly, but my conversion and signups are dismal.
    Narrow my focus is one thing I have to do.
    I have added a signup with a free gift at the end of each post, and yet, with little traction.
    Will add more tweaks.
    Thanks!

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      How are you promoting your blog posts?

  16. Danie Botha says:

    Icy,
    Neat!
    I’ve been blogging regularly, but my conversion and signups are dismal.
    Narrow my focus is one thing I have to do.
    I have added a signup with a free gift at the end of each post, and yet, with little traction.
    Will add more tweaks.
    Thanks!

  17. Dave P says:

    Thanks – very comprehensive post. I agree it’s hard for fiction bloggers (I do nonfiction) – for my wife’s fiction books, I ended up doing the blogging for her. The posts are related to the minutiae of her books, such as how the writing is going, how promotion worked out, etc, always with a view to the readers, not fellow writers. Thanks!

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      No problem – hope it helps!

  18. Dave P says:

    Thanks – very comprehensive post. I agree it’s hard for fiction bloggers (I do nonfiction) – for my wife’s fiction books, I ended up doing the blogging for her. The posts are related to the minutiae of her books, such as how the writing is going, how promotion worked out, etc, always with a view to the readers, not fellow writers. Thanks!

  19. Simply Linda says:

    Human interest stories are my ‘thing’. For example -‘A Streetkid Called Steven : from abandoned toddler to CEO’, is the true story of a young man in Uganda who was abandoned age 3; survived the traumas inflicted by the Street Kings (other older streetkids who rule; and raised himself from the streets before setting up a charity to rescue orphaned or abandoned children.
    I can see how I might blog about, say, how kids come to be abandoned, or what differentiates the Street Kings, but the stories are very different and I’m struggling to think what hook would draw people to my blog. For the same reason, I haven’t yet set up a website. What would I call it?
    Stories covered so far – in addition to ‘Streetkid’ stories – include that of a Tsunami survivor; living with a pet with a life limiting disease; a recently celebrated WW I hero; the pitfalls of setting up in business with others; and an incest victim’s story.
    I’d appreciate any suggestions.

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      Your hook is partly the fact that they’re true stories, but it’s also going to lie in the way that you tell them. What thread links the stories? Is it a particular location? Age group? Overcoming adversity? The triumph of the underdog? Once you figure out that thread it should also make coming up with a website title easier!

  20. Simply Linda says:

    Human interest stories are my ‘thing’. For example -‘A Streetkid Called Steven : from abandoned toddler to CEO’, is the true story of a young man in Uganda who was abandoned age 3; survived the traumas inflicted by the Street Kings (other older streetkids who rule; and raised himself from the streets before setting up a charity to rescue orphaned or abandoned children.
    I can see how I might blog about, say, how kids come to be abandoned, or what differentiates the Street Kings, but the stories are very different and I’m struggling to think what hook would draw people to my blog. For the same reason, I haven’t yet set up a website. What would I call it?
    Stories covered so far – in addition to ‘Streetkid’ stories – include that of a Tsunami survivor; living with a pet with a life limiting disease; a recently celebrated WW I hero; the pitfalls of setting up in business with others; and an incest victim’s story.
    I’d appreciate any suggestions.

  21. Brad Swift says:

    Darn, Icy, you’ve got me thinking about the blog area of my author’s website again. 🙂 Actually, it’s perfect timing since my website (www.wbradfordswift.com) just went through a major facelift as I finally started using the Avada theme I purchased a year ago. Much of my writing has a ‘genetic engineering gone bad theme,’ and as a former veterinarian I’ve seen and studied plenty about the pros and cons of GE, so that can certainly become a major topic for my blog. I also find the research I’m doing for my next book often provides interesting content as well. Quiet visitation by aliens has become another significant focus of my Saga of the Dandelion Expansion series. So, in short, I have plenty to blog about that I think my readers will enjoy. Thanks for the article.

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      You’re welcome, Brad!

  22. Brad Swift says:

    Darn, Icy, you’ve got me thinking about the blog area of my author’s website again. 🙂 Actually, it’s perfect timing since my website (www.wbradfordswift.com) just went through a major facelift as I finally started using the Avada theme I purchased a year ago. Much of my writing has a ‘genetic engineering gone bad theme,’ and as a former veterinarian I’ve seen and studied plenty about the pros and cons of GE, so that can certainly become a major topic for my blog. I also find the research I’m doing for my next book often provides interesting content as well. Quiet visitation by aliens has become another significant focus of my Saga of the Dandelion Expansion series. So, in short, I have plenty to blog about that I think my readers will enjoy. Thanks for the article.

  23. Jaiger Dave says:

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    How to increase sales.

  24. Jaiger Dave says:

    I have made a blog about movies. https://somethingtotalkaboutmovies.blogspot.in
    How to increase sales.

  25. Jessica says:

    I have actually spent a lot of time brainstorming on this because I write primarily high fantasy. Then the brainstorming took off, and I came up with over 100 distinct possibilities. So now I’m going to write a book about that because I know I’m not the only fiction author out there who struggles with this.

    What I am getting ready to do on my own blog is to have set themes. Two days will be dedicated to snippet posts of stories I am working on or free writes. We’ll see how it works out.

    Thank you so much for sharing!

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      Glad it helped, Jessica!

  26. Jessica says:

    I have actually spent a lot of time brainstorming on this because I write primarily high fantasy. Then the brainstorming took off, and I came up with over 100 distinct possibilities. So now I’m going to write a book about that because I know I’m not the only fiction author out there who struggles with this.

    What I am getting ready to do on my own blog is to have set themes. Two days will be dedicated to snippet posts of stories I am working on or free writes. We’ll see how it works out.

    Thank you so much for sharing!

  27. Joe says:

    Great post. I write mysteries set in 1990s Tokyo. I’ve been writing blogs offering a slice of life, but stopped. Now I’m inspired to add more variety in topics. The folklore idea is a good on: lots of intriguing tales in Japan. Thanks again!

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      And you could throw in real life mysteries, weird occurrences, strange news stories from Japan – the possibilities are endless!

  28. Joe says:

    Great post. I write mysteries set in 1990s Tokyo. I’ve been writing blogs offering a slice of life, but stopped. Now I’m inspired to add more variety in topics. The folklore idea is a good on: lots of intriguing tales in Japan. Thanks again!

  29. Kimberley says:

    Hi Icy,
    A great advice, thanks. You have said you write across genres. I write crime and urban fantasy (crime based). Have you chosen a theme that covers both genres and speaks to more than one audience rather than focusing on one genre?
    Not sure what to blog about so as not to alienate a specific audience.

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      Hi Kimberley! It sounds like you have a common theme across yours, in terms of crime, but I understand that not everyone who reads urban fantasy might want to read about true crime! You’ve got two ways of doing it, really. You can always blog about things for each genre and use categories to organise the content on your blog. Then share the posts to the two specific audiences. I do that on my blog by have a writing tips category for fiction writers, which I share in the places where writers hang out, and a folklore category which contains all the weird folklore, mythology, occult stuff etc. for the readers, Alternatively, see what you can pick out that would appeal to readers of both genres – you never know, the crime readers might like the odd urban fantasy, and vice versa! (speaking as a fantasy fan who loves cosy mysteries and historical thrillers). Hope that helps!

  30. Kimberley says:

    Hi Icy,
    A great advice, thanks. You have said you write across genres. I write crime and urban fantasy (crime based). Have you chosen a theme that covers both genres and speaks to more than one audience rather than focusing on one genre?
    Not sure what to blog about so as not to alienate a specific audience.

  31. Jo Moon says:

    Love this. I write Dark Fantasy and have been researching British Folk Lore (I’m in UK) for my latest werewolf series. I always do loads of research and now my website is up am planning to blog weekly. I love dark/ urban fantasy, I write it, read it, watch it👻 I’ll definitely take part in folklore Thursday. Thank you for the advice and I’ll definitely check out your blog & books 💀🐺🦇

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      Hooray! Come and join the Folklore Thursday fun!

  32. Jo Moon says:

    Love this. I write Dark Fantasy and have been researching British Folk Lore (I’m in UK) for my latest werewolf series. I always do loads of research and now my website is up am planning to blog weekly. I love dark/ urban fantasy, I write it, read it, watch it👻 I’ll definitely take part in folklore Thursday. Thank you for the advice and I’ll definitely check out your blog & books 💀🐺🦇

  33. Jim says:

    Always enjoy your blogs, Icy. And @folkloreThursday. And always appreciate Nick’s advice. After 15 years listening to the wrong people and their crap advice, finally we’re gathering pace. Cheers! J.W. Webb, Fantasy Writer.

    1. Icy Sedgwick says:

      It’s my absolute pleasure, Jim!

  34. Jim says:

    Always enjoy your blogs, Icy. And @folkloreThursday. And always appreciate Nick’s advice. After 15 years listening to the wrong people and their crap advice, finally we’re gathering pace. Cheers! J.W. Webb, Fantasy Writer.

  35. Caenys says:

    Hi Icy, This was a great post. Thank you. I write contemporary (sometimes rural) romance. Been wondering how to keep my blog alive. Your post has helped. I can talk about the research that I’m doing towards my story: How vets check for shock after a dog is hit by a car; how to apply a pressure bandage for snake bite; the peculiarities of a ’63 Merc etc etc. What do you think?

  36. Caenys says:

    Hi Icy, This was a great post. Thank you. I write contemporary (sometimes rural) romance. Been wondering how to keep my blog alive. Your post has helped. I can talk about the research that I’m doing towards my story: How vets check for shock after a dog is hit by a car; how to apply a pressure bandage for snake bite; the peculiarities of a ’63 Merc etc etc. What do you think?

  37. Joy Lennick says:

    Hi Nick, Thanks for the post. All true. I’m a technical nightmare to start with, so have my eldest son to thank …I write monthly posts and he puts them on my wordpress site. I’m an addicted writer not looking for a cure, and not particularly ambitious (just as well!). OK I’m a masochist in love with words. But I’ve won a few prizes along the way and WAS paid handsomely in 1984/5. Those were the days…

  38. Joy Lennick says:

    Hi Nick, Thanks for the post. All true. I’m a technical nightmare to start with, so have my eldest son to thank …I write monthly posts and he puts them on my wordpress site. I’m an addicted writer not looking for a cure, and not particularly ambitious (just as well!). OK I’m a masochist in love with words. But I’ve won a few prizes along the way and WAS paid handsomely in 1984/5. Those were the days…

  39. Kagan Hall Love says:

    Great advice! I’ve been attempting to blog for about 4 months now with mixed success. I am embarrassed to admit I’m still excited when only a small handful of folks read what I wrote haha.

    I have been writing both about the importance of writing in my life as well as math education topics as I am a math teacher. While my first book is a young adult fiction novel, I’m currently working on a second that will be non-fiction along the math lines.

    I suppose I’m taking the long route to asking if it is wise to tackle two paths at once like this or to stick with only one. I have already divided my blog into math and writing sections and even linked my math tutoring business to the website so my pupils can begin utilizing resources once available.

    Should I continue or fully separate the two? Thanks!

  40. Kagan Hall Love says:

    Great advice! I’ve been attempting to blog for about 4 months now with mixed success. I am embarrassed to admit I’m still excited when only a small handful of folks read what I wrote haha.

    I have been writing both about the importance of writing in my life as well as math education topics as I am a math teacher. While my first book is a young adult fiction novel, I’m currently working on a second that will be non-fiction along the math lines.

    I suppose I’m taking the long route to asking if it is wise to tackle two paths at once like this or to stick with only one. I have already divided my blog into math and writing sections and even linked my math tutoring business to the website so my pupils can begin utilizing resources once available.

    Should I continue or fully separate the two? Thanks!

  41. Karen Hugg says:

    Gosh, thanks so much for this post. I write suspense novels that feature a speculative plant, usually in France, but only recently got my SEO in order. I’ve written about writing, I’ve written about the origins of my books, but I love the idea of writing about things *related to* my genre.

    Currently I’m working on a book about a photographer in Provence. Do you think I should write about lavender or the foods of Provence or? I imagine what those readers want are posts about life in France, which I can speak to somewhat. Your thoughts are welcome. By the way, your site’s great!

    1. Kieran says:

      Absolutely fabulous!

      I was starting to think along these lines, so it’s great to get more details and (of course) ideas.

      Thank you!

  42. Karen Hugg says:

    Gosh, thanks so much for this post. I write suspense novels that feature a speculative plant, usually in France, but only recently got my SEO in order. I’ve written about writing, I’ve written about the origins of my books, but I love the idea of writing about things *related to* my genre.

    Currently I’m working on a book about a photographer in Provence. Do you think I should write about lavender or the foods of Provence or? I imagine what those readers want are posts about life in France, which I can speak to somewhat. Your thoughts are welcome. By the way, your site’s great!

  43. Baroness illia says:

    I write erotic fantasy. Velvet Allure and was hoping to broaden my fan base and get buyers. Still working on it

  44. Baroness illia says:

    I write erotic fantasy. Velvet Allure and was hoping to broaden my fan base and get buyers. Still working on it

  45. Kimberley Louise says:

    This blog post has been so helpful. I’ve been wanting to start a blog, but my book (when it’s finished) is a psychological thriller / domestic noir novel. I’ve been wondering what type of subjects I could blog about but I have no idea. Could you please give me some tips. My thriller deals with grief, obsession and post traumatic stress disorder.

  46. Kimberley Louise says:

    This blog post has been so helpful. I’ve been wanting to start a blog, but my book (when it’s finished) is a psychological thriller / domestic noir novel. I’ve been wondering what type of subjects I could blog about but I have no idea. Could you please give me some tips. My thriller deals with grief, obsession and post traumatic stress disorder.

  47. Emma Baird says:

    Brilliant piece – and lots of food for thought. Thanks Icy. I write contemporary women’s fiction and I’m chasing the Marian Keyes/Adele Parks/Lisa Jewell audience, so I guess talking about the writers/books I love, the actors I’d like to see play my characters and what dating was like in the 90s compared to now (one of my books is set then) might work?

  48. Emma Baird says:

    Brilliant piece – and lots of food for thought. Thanks Icy. I write contemporary women’s fiction and I’m chasing the Marian Keyes/Adele Parks/Lisa Jewell audience, so I guess talking about the writers/books I love, the actors I’d like to see play my characters and what dating was like in the 90s compared to now (one of my books is set then) might work?

  49. Charles Harris says:

    Hi Icy
    Excellent article and very to the point. I’ve always had severe doubts about the advice given to fiction writers. I have two books on screenwriting and novel, so I’ve tended to blog about writing tips with some reviews of books that are in similar genres to the novel – http://www.charles-harris.co.uk.

    Aside from the reviews, blogging for the novel has been trickier and you’re right, people don’t want to read about the characters or their world if they haven’t read it yet. What a relief to read someone else saying this.

    What I take from your article in particular is the possibility of blogging more consistently about and around the genre (satire and crime). Probably alternating with the writing advice. You mention your mailing list but don’t say what you put on it. Would you put out the same articles as on your blog or do you send something different?

  50. Charles Harris says:

    Hi Icy
    Excellent article and very to the point. I’ve always had severe doubts about the advice given to fiction writers. I have two books on screenwriting and novel, so I’ve tended to blog about writing tips with some reviews of books that are in similar genres to the novel – http://www.charles-harris.co.uk.

    Aside from the reviews, blogging for the novel has been trickier and you’re right, people don’t want to read about the characters or their world if they haven’t read it yet. What a relief to read someone else saying this.

    What I take from your article in particular is the possibility of blogging more consistently about and around the genre (satire and crime). Probably alternating with the writing advice. You mention your mailing list but don’t say what you put on it. Would you put out the same articles as on your blog or do you send something different?

  51. Elen Ghulam says:

    Thank you for this informative blog post. It has given me something to think about.

  52. Elen Ghulam says:

    Thank you for this informative blog post. It has given me something to think about.

  53. Charlene says:

    Definitely an interesting topic, as it does seem harder to find blog focuses as a novelist, especially one who doesn’t have a strong ‘hook’ that easily translates to a blog.

    I write contemporary women’s fiction – so the connection is definitely issues related to women – but they can be very varied in topic: infertility, adoption, career/life balance, self-image, loss of a loved one, debilitating disease, single motherhood, etc.

    Do you think it would be better to focus on one topic that I think I could write a lot about – such as tales of mom-life – and could sometimes end up connecting to other topics my books are about or better to have a blog that’s much more broadly focused – so, women’s issues, for example, without having that focused more niche topic?

    (I’ve actually already started writing posts based on motherhood but wanted at least 6 months of posts ready (posting bi-weekly) before publishing any of them as I want to make sure I’m posting regularly.)

    Any thoughts would be great. Thanks. And thanks for the post!

  54. Robert says:

    Thank you so much for sharing this insightful post/blog…it too got me thinking!
    I’m a NF self-published author writing in several niches. Often undecided on how much to blog and what about. Currently trying entertainment and info posts for each niche. I’m relatively new and feel I should concentrate more on one niche rather than 3 or 4.
    Love to hear others thoughts!

  55. mary hagen says:

    I write about authors on my blog site. It has concerned me that I’m probably only targeting fellow authors. Thanks for the tips.

  56. Just the article I’ve been looking for! I write, what I call, Twilight Zone type fiction. I’m not sure what genre it belongs in other than Speculative Fiction. I have a blog that I started several years ago (long before I got serious about my writing) that actually seems like it would work for my fiction. It was just a hobby then. You’ve made me realize that I’ve been blogging for my audience all along. I just didn’t know it. 🙂

  57. Icy, I enjoyed your article. Thanks, you have given me an idea for my blog.
    Colin

  58. Jade Smith says:

    I NEEDED THIS. I have been trying to tackle the question of whether fiction writers should blog and if yes, then blog what?

    I have spent hours thinking about it, researching and reading ‘blogging gurus’ advice to no avail.

    If you would watch me read this article it’d be filled with me yelling ‘yes’ or ‘exactly’ to it.

    This was much needed. Thank you for your examples. The only thing I’d ask of you would be more blog topics for different genres. This article was a gift. Thank you!

    – Jade.

  59. Lily Darley says:

    I’m in the process of creating my author website, and this has fired my imagination. I write history/fantasy/supernatural fiction – one of my main characters is a long dead female Celtic warrior.
    I’ve lots of interesting stuff to share …

  60. Christy Kerr says:

    I appreciate your time and work your content is easy to understand

  61. Janet Savin says:

    Hi Icy, Hi Nick. This was a great post, very helpful. Besides the suggestions about blogging subjects (I, too, came with loads of them) & the stats, I really appreciated the info about the scroll box pop-up and placing it at 70%. I’ve been looking for something just like this. Discreet & savvy! Thanks so much to both of you.

  62. Susan Elizabeth Farris says:

    Literally banging my head on my desk right now. It’s so simple and obvious. I have a lot to say about the topics related to my genre. Even my diehard “fans” only want to hear about my WIP on the rare occasion, but tell them about Southern fiction or throw a local folk story up on the blog? They’ll eat that up.

  63. Leon Stevens says:

    When I started my blog, it was about my writing journey. I didn’t have a book out yet but it was in the works. I wrote a blog once a week-and no one found it. Of course they didn’t-finding blogs is like finding a grain of sand on a beach.
    My weekly blog post became one of my items in my newsletter to my subscribers. Yup, I now had subscribers-and a book, and another on the way.

    I finally moved my blog to WordPress, and through increased frequency (almost once/day) and commenting/liking other posts, I’m beginning to gain more followers.

    Blogging has improved my writing. I write more frequently, and I find that I can craft a post fairly quickly in one sitting. And it’s not the quantity. I won’t post for the sake of posting-it has to be worthwhile-and entertaining.

    Is blogging worth it? For me it is. For others, that’s up to you to discover.
    My Blog

  64. Ray says:

    Suggestions anyone for an easy to use blog platform for fiction writers that will be good at generating traffic long term…?

    I really don’t like WordPress, or this constant push by so many people about how great WordPress is and how we all have to learn how to use WordPress. crapola

    Just give me some kind of simple interface.

    I used to create websites years ago just for fun and the whole process of web design and blog platforms has become far too complicated now….

    1. Daina says:

      Honestly, I’ve wasted a lot of time trying to find something other than WordPress, and it was just that, a waste of my time. I haven’t tried Wix or Weebly because they feel too “for dummies” to me (I’m a software developer), but I looked into some other CMS managers and decided to go with Concrete5 CMS. It looks awesome on paper, you can edit your pages directly on the page (as opposed to WordPress where you go to the “behind the scenes” editor, and it all looks extremely cool and easy. So I bought a really lovely theme that I loved, installed it and… Realized it was completely empty. Like, it had fonts and color schemes and stuff, but all the template pages were just empty grids. They had a few example pages, but they had no about page, no author’s page, nothing book related, of course… So if I wanted to use the theme, I had to build every page from scratch. And you can create reusable widgets, but the process is EXTREMELY convoluted and you need to do almost everything from scratch in PHP. If you wanna use exiting bootstrap HTML templates from the internet, you need to manually adapt them, in PHP, so you could use the “easy” on-the-page editing. In other words, they made it extremely easy for the end user to input and maintain content, but it’s absolute hell to actually create the website. So finally, after a lot of debate (remember I spent money on that theme), I gave up and went back to WordPress. I bought a theme made especially for fiction authors–it has an author page, about page, several more about-like pages, several different book pages, built-in shop, landing pages, mailchimp built-in, a blog… It has everything for a fiction author website ready to use, just input your content. If I had stayed with Concrete5, it would’ve taken me at least a month (realistically, more like 3-6 months) to make all that from scratch.
      So, tl;dr: not worth wasting your time. I hate WordPress too, but everything else is just too much pain to use. You could maybe try Wix or Weebly, or CreateSpace. If you do, tell me how it goes.

  65. Ray says:

    Daina:

    I had the same reaction to Wix, Weebly etc. (about a dozen others just like them) when I tried them and have had the same reaction to WordPress that you describe.

    I used to build websites using HTML/DHTML/Javascript/CSS etc. That was fun and relatively easy to learn. Jut building tables, arrays, neat little functional javascript scripts…creating your own graphics…

    It was a bit tedious but you had complete control. Now with all the built in aps and attachments, all the sophisticated coding to work with other software that you have to build into a site (not to mention all the security if you are doing any kind of transactions), its not enough to do what I used to any more.

    So we seem to be stuck with two ugly choices as writers: do all the heavy coding yourself from the ground up. Or use these horrible templates and drag and drop wizards that never seem to function properly…depending on the browser you are using, its version, the hardware you are on… (I have had so many infuriating experiences with those inflexible template wizards that I’ve given up on them)…

    Ideally, I would create my own site and put a blog up on it (I used to host through a little know company built by developers and it was very user friendly to update pages, do custom sites etc, but I have since lost track of them).

    I also looked at Blogger and didn’t like it…

    Thanks for the comments and advice!

    I guess the search continues.

  66. Nancy Manassero says:

    Why do you loathe the word “journey”, Nick? What’s a good substitute? I haven’t been able to find one that quite captures the essence of “journey.”

  67. Desserae says:

    Currently, I’m writing science fiction/dystopian YA novels. I’ve wondered about whether to start an author blog or not (I have another that’s irrelevant to my fiction writing. But I could easily talk about innovations in science or how science fiction novels often seem like fortune tellers as things from fiction come to pass in the real world (happened in my own books when I spoke of a mysterious virus and only essential workers being allowed to work a year before the pandemic hit). I could also talk about real-world stories of overcoming adversity since that’s an element of modern dystopia. I suck at social media (I hope to change that!), so this may be a good option for me…once I get a reader magnet finished!

  68. B. G. Howard says:

    Hello Ms. Sedgwick,
    I’d like to thank you for the host of “nuggets” contained in this post as there are a number of options related to blogging that I hadn’t considered. The first novel I scripted is a crime fiction thriller that more-or-less manifested as a means of therapy and the second came about as the result of me actually reasearching “how to write a novel” and thusly, producing a “Revised Edition” of the first.
    Regarding a still-developing website, as a columnist, I have a blog page, “In the Gray Matter,” consisting of posts taken from topics that appear in my weekly newspaper column. My question is whether you would consider the (sometimes random) subjects of the newspaper opinion as viable content for blog posts?

    While I realize and respect that your time is extremely valuable, I would consider it an immense honor if you could provide an opinion as to the construct of my website, http://www.authorbghoward.com. None-the-less, I do thank you for the information that has been shared.

  69. Laura says:

    I appreciate the effort and research that went into creating this informative piece. Thank you. Non Fiction Book Writing Services

  70. Emily says:

    Getting my own Wikipedia page was on my to-do list, but the technicalities scared me off. Enter the Wikipedia page creator – a hero in disguise. They not only understood what makes a killer page but also made the whole process feel like a breeze. Thumbs up for anyone contemplating a Wikipedia presence!

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