Importance of a blog

[Mark Herden]

I can see that Book Blogs is going to be a big help for me.  However, is it mostly adult writers who follow blogs so they can help one another out, or do YA readers, for example,  spend time reading blogs written by adults?  I have writen a YA novel and a collection of short stories.  I plan on using my facebook page to post informaton about my work.  Is a blog the way to promote book sales?  If I want people to follow a blog that I set up, then I'll be expected to follow theirs--that's only fair, and it all might be a real good idea, I don't know. Do blogs involve spending a lot of time away from writing, or are they really helpful for book sales?

[Irina Shapiro]

I have found talking to bloggers and doing blog appearances to be helpful to sales, but it does take time away from writing.  Any marketing you do takes time and you have to keep doing it if you expect it to have any kind of long-term results.  There are plenty of bloggers here who are YA genre and you can try talking to them or joining groups that pertain to your target audience. 

 

Irina Shapiro

www.irinashapiro.com

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Irina-Shapiro/307374895948375

[Mark Herden]

Thank you for your response.  I'll contact the YA bloggers.

[Sarah E.]

As a blogger, I can honestly say that blogging does take up a fair bit of time especially when you are trying to increase the amount of people that view your site. I would definitley recommend talking to bloggers about getting your book reviewed. I do review YA books on my blog. If you are interested in having your book reviewed by me, check out my blog http://laceandlavenderhints.blogspot.ca/.

[Ethan Schneider]

Just like regular promotion, it does take time to network with bloggers. That being said, I think you will find that this is time well spent. With numerous blogs devoted to YA novels, the potential to spread the word about yours is quite promising. If you establish a strong following, on your blog, you can expect the word about your book to spread. As in other aspects, there is give and take, so if you spend time commenting on others' blogs, you can expect more traffic to your own. In addition to blogs, I would recommend using book sites such as GoodReads and LibraryThing to help promote. Congratulations of the novel and good luck with your promotion. 

-Ethan

http://e135-abookaweek.blogspot.com/

[Mark Herden]

Thank you very much for the advice.  Mark H.

[Caroline Miller]

Hi Mark, I've been writing a blog for two and a half years.  I honestly can't say that having a blog will drive sales.  I've seen no dramatic upsurge.  Here's what a blog will do for you.  If you write regularly, Goggle will pick you up more because you have activity at the site.  That will drive some people to you.  The major benefit of a blog to a writer is the discipline of a scheduling and writing short, sharp comments on a regular basis so that people begin looking for you.  And the writing discipline for you, the writer, is priceless.  Chose a theme, Don't bounce around.  People want to know what to expect when they come to you.  If you can add pictures do and MOST IMPORTANT... keep it short. I write a blog 5 days a week (M-F) on writing and literature as it refelcts life.  I don't use it to overtly promote my books though I do mention them when the ocassion warrants. (People don't want to read commercials.)  And write from the reader's point of view.  What is it in your topic that directly affects them and write from that angle.