Blog: How to Turn Web Writings Into Ink

To build an audience or readership for the book you plan to write, start blogging first.

I started blogging in 2008 because I hoped to become successful like Catherine Sanderson, an English expat living in Paris, who wrote a “gossipy” blog which landed her a book deal.

I soon discovered that blogging can play havoc with your emotions; it’s a bit like a love/hate relationship. I loved receiving comments and praise from my readers, but hated not knowing what to write about when it was time to post something.

It wasn’t until I discovered my brand: “Gutsy Living,” and how I could link it to the message of my travel memoir, that I finally found my focus.  My next step was to build a community, but how?

I came up with the idea of starting a contest, which I called the “My Gutsy Story” contest. I then created a video which I promoted on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, asking writers to share their own stories about something “Gutsy” they have done that either changed them, the way they think about things, or made their life take a different direction.

My blogger friend, Shirley Showalter, who writes a blog “100 memoirs,” offered to promote the contest on her site. Writers started submitting their own stories, and since I offered to promote them, and link back to their website, the “My Gutsy Story” contest took off. Here are a few suggestions on how you can build your own community.

Tips on how you can build your own community

• Ask others to participate in something you’ve created
• Make writers feel safe to “open” up and tell their story
• Help writers promote their work on other sites
• Get readers involved in your project

Some of you may have heard of Dan Blank, the platform building guru. He wrote an excellent guest post, “The first steps to building your author platform.” Dan is an expert on building your author platform and talks about the importance of focusing on your goals, defining your brand, and targeting your audience.

Here are some ideas that I keep in mind when I’m blogging or interacting with my audience on social media.

• Always try to help others.
• Entertain, inform or educate your readers.
• Try something new.
• Keep learning.
• Add video to your website.
• Add podcasts. Dave The Podcast guy is more than willing to help you. He helped me.
• Show enthusiasm, it’s contagious.
• Start a Facebook Group. I started the “Gutsy Indie Publishers Group.”
• Hire experts when needed. I hired a website designer to get a professional website.

Blogging taught me about branding and marketing, and how important it is for readers to know who you are, and what your blog is about within the first few seconds of landing on your website. Your brand and tagline must be easy for the reader to discover right away, hence I developed my own, “Gutsy Living: Life is too short to play it safe.”

“Any writer who wants a readership must work to cultivate one.” Christina Katz, the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal.

Another helpful link: “42 timeless ideas to attract more visitors to your website.”

So what are you waiting for? If you started a journal (please see last week's post) and you want to publish a book one day, start your blog today.

If you have any questions about writing, blogging or marketing your book, please contact me at: sonia@soniamarsh.com

Sonia Marsh Bio:

Sonia Marsh is a “Gutsy” woman who can pack her carry-on and move to another country in one day. She’s a motivational speaker who inspires her audiences to get out of their comfort zone and take a risk. She says everyone has a “My Gutsy Story”; some just need a little help to uncover theirs. Her story, told in her travel memoir Freeways to Flip-Flops: A Family’s Year of Gutsy Living on a Tropical Island, is about chucking it all and uprooting her family to reconnect on an island in Belize. Download the first chapter for free. Sign up to be notified when her upcoming travel memoir is available. Sonia welcomes new friends, bloggers, writers and readers at SoniaMarsh.com. You can contact her at: sonia@soniamarsh.com.