Ready for Launch Part 4: Blogging

by Livia Nicolai on

Book marketing is an ongoing process, and many authors choose to wait until the title is live to start their marketing efforts. But why wait? We've dedicated a series of blog posts to pre-launch marketing activities. Last but not least: blogging for authors.

Blogs are strong complements to author websites, social media pages, and email newsletters, providing all of the above with fresh material to promote. Here's how it works: blog software lets users update their posts whenever they choose. Each new post turns into an extra page that is "indexed" by search engines (Google, Bing, etc), leading to more visibility through "Search Engine Optimization." In addition, visitors can subscribe to the blog through an RSS feed, converting them into a following fan base. Below, we give you a fundamental overview to driving book sales and discoverability with blogging:

  • To get started, sign up on a personal publishing platform like WordPress or Blog.com. These are do-it-yourself platforms that do not require experience with HTML/CSS.
  • Choose a simple layout that won't distract visitors from what matters most: your content. Always keep your audience and genre in mind.
  • Make sure to include a newsletter signup form along with clear links to your social media outlets, allowing visitors to share.
  • Set up a calendar. Come up with topics to cover during the first 2 months, and decide how often you're going to blog. Remember that readers value quality and variety over quantity. Some, but definitely not all posts, should be about your upcoming book. In addition, share interesting book reviews or interviews, as well as marketing advice and insider tips. Here's a list of 10 sample titles to give you an idea of the content you should highlight.

    1. "Metadata tips for e-publishing"
    2. "How to write successful scifi"
    3. "10 reasons why you should self publish your book"
    4. "Interview with a romance novelist"
    5. "8 things I wish I had been told before writing my first book"
    6. "Stand out in the crowd: don't make these common book cover errors"
    7. "Why ebooks work"
    8. "Book descriptions: how to get them right"
    9. "A cure for writer's block"
    10. "Social media marketing do's and don'ts"

A side note: blogging is meant to complement your activities as an author. If it gets in the way of writing your next masterpiece, set it aside for a while. Devote what spare time you have to Twitter. And if you want some pros to step in and get your book off the ground, check out the marketing services we offer through our partners, including book publicity, social media campaigns, and author websites. Visit Vook to learn more.


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