AA said…
My hope is that my stuff isn’t cluttered and rife with poor writing. I am writing fiction most of the time, so a large audience would be quite surprising, albeit pleasantly so. It would need to be a patient audience, given the glacial span of my updates. I’m barely able to read most posts on my feed right now, as I’m deep in sculpting time now and am only taking occasional breathers.
But your advice is good advice for any occasion, not just blogging.
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The Ed answered…
I’ve been there in full creative mode, you tend not to expand yourself outside of your creative box until the session or creative period is over.
Actually AA, I believe the same rules for blogging would apply to a novelist. It is still about presentation and making the blog that your book resides on welcoming. As I said to a student, it is down to WHY you are writing. – Is it for yourself or for an audience?
At the end of the day, all I do and all the magazine does is tell stories. Same as you. They are sometimes fictional or real – but still, just…stories.
I like the fact,
that you link back to the beginning of your story for interested readers.
I have seen that many WordPress novelists don’t do this. They will have 40 chapters interspersed with a ton of mixed material and no way of finding the head or tail of their novel on their blog.
If indeed you are writing for an audience,
think not only as a novelist but as a marketer – because you have to market your novel if you want folk to read it.
For example, if I were you, I would have a static head post that summarises what your book is about, laying out a few lines of description of all the main characters and deliciously setting up the intrigue in them…
- Images / illustrations would be great.
- A book cover in the post and on the sidebar would be great.
Think like a marketer!
Help us to be kept on tenterhooks, dying to know what happens to a key character.
Help us to identify with them so we become overly interested in their fate!
In the absence of a book deal – that is YOUR job.
With the backing of a book deal that is YOUR job!
That’s just for starters.
There is plenty I would do because despite your misgivings I cannot think of ONE thing that isn’t sellable – you just need to recognise how to sell it!
End of excerpt.
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THE EDITOR'S JOURNAL 
[…] via Blog Class: Writing, Presenting, Selling. — THE EDITOR’S JOURNAL […]
Ah, bless your heart for the link. 🙂
I found this really helpful, it makes you think differently and more professionally about blogging.
Excellent news! 🙂
How do you market without the money to market?
Marketing is basically about getting to people…as many people as possible and exposing them to your interest or enterprise.
You are right in that the handiest way is to simply buy that attention.
When that isn’t possible you have to be much more creative in thinking of ways to get to people…and not only get to them KEEP them on board.
Luckily there are are few things you can do!
First go to places where those people are. Makes sense right? But that isn’t always enough, because being on say Twitter where multiple millions can be found doesn’t necessarily mean that those millions are going to listen, notice or interact significantly with YOU…you may have already noticed that!
So your homework is to read what I have said already about the most responsive and supportive places you can go for building great loyal relationships, friends, fans and followers and getting valuable shares and interaction…longterm!
Secondly, know how to reach out to those responsive people – again just read over what I have said in my blogging reports about how to achieve this – no budget needed.
Then there’s other aspects such as breaking it down to the subject you are blogging about or the type of product you may be selling which will determine a more specific path to go down.
We can take a peek into all of that and break it down into easy peezy chunks. Hit me up from your profile once you have done the first 2!
Good things to consider here. Thanks The Ed.
Good stuff! 🙂
Great advice.
🙂
I find that I have to totally switch off from everything else to be creative. I can’t switch in and out so how can I do this in my existing schedule because I can’t always find the time to totally switch off?
Change your schedule. Alter it so you have enough time to work the way you prefer to i.e switching off completely. Hit me up from your profile page and I’ll give you dome ideas.
I have to learn to think like a marketer more. Your posts really helpful as are the blog reports in showing me what it takes. I’m still deciding on my true topic.
Good stufff. Keep reading about blogging itself and reading other blogs until you feel ready to start.
In the absence of a book deal that is YOUR job. With the backing of the abook deal that is YOUR job. I love that.
🙂
Did you get the email I sent you? I finally finished it on Tuesday then read it over and over.
I didn’t Alice just send it through your profile page.
Thanks Ed 🙂
You’re welcome. 🙂
Thank you for this.
You’re welcome Beth hope it helps you.
🙂
I never know if I’m doing enough how do you market your blog and write it and find the time for it all?
I’m signing off right now Kirsti, send me a note via your profile page and we’ll go through it.
How often do you need to be a marketer?
As long as a piece of string! Every case will be different depending on how much you blog and marketing should suit your own personal schedule. In general try and promote each blog you put out there. Split your schedule to accommodate the planning, the writing and the marketing. See my posts and blogging reports on this.
Enjoyed reading this. its given me food for thought. 🙂
Good stuff!
I like the idea of thinking like a marketer as well as a blogger or seller. I usually only think like one at a time.
Good. Just remember blogging is a holistic pursuit with a number of possible arms depending on what you what to gain from it.
This really helpful and I can use this for my blog as well as my ebook.
Excellent!
Thank you for this Ed.
You’re welcome!