To Blog, Or Not To Blog

As writers, we are encouraged to blog. It keeps our name out there. It draws a reader audience to us, and keeps them interested in our work, and gives us a venue for promoting our work. Sounds good, eh! We get all of those benefits - how nice! So, why is it that on occasion I just don't feel like blogging, but I blog anyway? 

The major reason that I blog when I don't really want to is that I believe there are benefits to a writer blogging, and I made a promise to myself at the beginning of the year to blog once a week as a writer, and to do a flash fiction blog once a week. So far, so good. (I may even take the suggestion that friends have made and put my flash fiction into an e-book. I am not sure how that will go, because I wouldn't be using graphics in my book, as I do in my blog. I try to find copyright free graphics, but if even just one falls through the cracks, that could be a lawsuit in the making.) 

If we pay attention to what we are putting up as content on our blogs, and if we maintain high quality, it is possible to use that content in multiple venues. That is always good. We could even choose to make an e-book out of select blogs, and perhaps either sell it, or use it as a freebie in one or more promotions.

Aside from the obvious point of creating consistently good quality content, we want our content to appeal to the audience that we wish to connect with. For me that would be mystery lovers in general, and cozy mystery lovers in particular. 

Blogs that are focused on targeted readership, with specific content, will do well. It is best, IMHO, to not blog until you know who your readers are, how you want to present yourself, and what you want to focus your content on. I know who I want as readers, I know how I want to present myself, but I can wander around with the content. I had the (not so) bright idea of doing blogs along the same theme each month. That ended up looking much too contrived, so I set that thought aside. Until further notice ... you can all wander with me content wise!

(c) August 2018 Bonnie Cehovet

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