Benefits of Having an Author Blog When Self-Publishing

A blog can be an invaluable tool whether you’re a self-published or traditional author. Especially since everything today runs on the Internet. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed not to find an official or fan site of any popular author.

With a bit of consistency and some great books on the shelves, you could be among them. Though, it does take a lot of hard work and determination to reach those pinnacles of success.

Still, I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today if not for the blogs I manage. In a lot of ways, setting up the writing website was the best thing I could have done over the past 10 years.

7 Reasons to Have an Author Blog When You’re Self-Published

If you do most of the work yourself, it really doesn’t cost a lot to set up a website. In fact, I spend more on coffee at Dutch Bros per month than I do on web hosting.

That’s because I write all of the content myself as well as maintain the website. But it’s not really all that difficult depending on what you want to accomplish.

So, why should you consider building your own author blog?

1. Keeping You Motivated to Write

As silly as it may sound, blogging about your book can help keep you motivated to continue writing it.

As a writer, you’re only truly accountable to yourself. But if there is an audience watching your content and anticipating updates, it delivers a sense of urgency that you need to get the book published.

Especially if you’re focusing on making readers and fans happy. And the more interactive they are with the blog, the more likely they’ll buy the book as soon as it hits the shelves.

2. Gets Your Name Out There

Blogging is a stellar way to get your name recognizable to both readers and Google search. Yes, from the perspective of a search engine, you have to worry about your popularity.

For example, when I started writing, I was nowhere near being on page one for my name. In fact, it was a lawyer and a doctor who share my name at the top search results.

After consistently building up myself and my writing career, I took over the entire first page. Now, when someone searches for me, they see who I am and what I create.

3. Helps You Build a Receptive Audience

Consistently blogging about your book, processes, and insights, you start to build up an audience that is more likely to buy your novels. A receptive audience is more willing to toss money at you for a myriad of reasons.

These audience members could be avid readers of your preferred genre or perhaps beginning authors who would love to pick your brain for tips and ideas. All of these can be addressed from an author’s blog.

But you have to make sure you’re delivering quality content to keep them around. I’ll go into what to write in a moment.

4. Keeping Fans and Readers In the Loop

Part of keeping your audience coming back and receptive is making sure they’re kept in the know of what’s coming. A blog can help drive up hype for your next book while announcing book signings and piquing interested readers.

There is a lot of potential behind what a blog can do for you from a marketing perspective. And part of that marketing is making sure your fans are following you along in your journey as an author.

It gives your readers a sense of being a part of what’s going on and can drive excitement for releases and events.

5. A Place to Sell Your Book

Amazon and Barnes & Noble aren’t the only places you can sell a book. That is unless you opt into Amazon’s KDP Select program, which makes your book exclusive to Amazon.

With a blog, you can set up your own online store to sell eBook and print versions of your masterpiece. And when you build it with WordPress, it doesn’t cost you much more than the hosting.

In any case, selling books directly from your author blog can help you generate some income while cutting out the middleman. You wouldn’t have to worry about your share of the royalties.

6. Multiple Ways to Monetize Further

Selling books isn’t the only way to make money from a blog. In fact, there are plenty of ways you can generate income without even selling a single copy.

With a blog, you have access to things like ad revenue, affiliate marketing, and sponsored posts and links. In reality, I’ve made more money from sponsorships than from selling books on Amazon and using AdSense combined.

If you’re active and keep producing content readers want, your site could pay for its own hosting within six months.

7. Easy-to-Share Base of Operations

Lastly, setting up your own blog as an author gives you a site that can act as your base of operations while being easy to share. If someone is interested in what you write, just hand out the URL.

You can add the link to an email signature, add it to your social profiles, share it as a post on Facebook or Twitter, and much more.

For instance, when I’m asked what I do by folks on Twitter, I simply say, “It’d be easier to just give you the link to my blog,” as my website has everything I do online.

What Should You Write About on Your Author Blog?

A lot of people might not know what exactly to blog about as an author. I mean, do you just write about what book you’re working on? While that might generate a bit of interest, you can go so much further.

Behind-the-Scenes

A lot of fans and followers appreciate behind-the-scenes type of material. Things like a day in your life, writing habits, or even showing how your cat interrupts the writing process can pique the interest of many.

Tips for Aspiring Writers

You’ll undoubtedly draw quite a few aspiring authors to your blog. Provide some tips, tricks, or other tidbits of valuable information they can use in their own works. You’d be amazed by how many people you could help.

Helping other writers is one of the biggest factors for my YouTube channel, actually.

Updates for the Next Book

Keeping fans in the loop when it comes to your next book can help solidify first-day sales. You probably don’t need to deliver a play-by-play of every page and chapter. But keeping them apprised of what’s going on keeps them coming back.

Review Products You Use

Perhaps there is an online tool you use to write your book. See if it has an affiliate link you can use to make some money and write a review about the product or service from an author’s perspective.

Use Your Author Blog to Market Yourself!

The bottom line is that a blog can help you market yourself as an author in a variety of ways. And if you keep the content consistent, you could amass an incredible following.

Because when it comes to boosting yourself as a creative personality, it all comes down to recognition and popularity. Take steps to strengthen these elements for yourself with a blog.