Authors are constantly told they need a blog.  Setting one up is fairly easy, but then comes the paralyzing thought — what should I write about?  The first step is to decide what you want the focus to be (e.g. your writing journey, author interviews, book reviews, etc. ).  You don’t have to stick to this theme, but it will help you get started.   

The most popular blogs are how-tos or opinions or reactions to things the author has read or heard about.  For a writer it might be about an author event you attended or an article you read in Publishers Weekly.  Pick things that will make your readers think — better yet, ask them what they think.  Be honest with your writing and write about things that really interest you.  Post links to other pages that support or contradict your opinions.  Get involved in networks; LinkedIn has a variety of  groups to choose from.  

Remember, blogging is a commitment.  You can’t just drop in once in a while.  Create a regular schedule, one that’s realistic considering your time constraints.  It pays to plan ahead.  Keep a list of ideas or better yet, some draft posts ready to go for those times you can’t think of anything interesting to say.

Blogging is not only important in creating your platform, it’s an excellent way to make connections and learn from other people.  And we all know how important networking is.  Happy blogging!

How do you choose the best format?  Researching the various options can be very time consuming.  Luckily, Social Media Chimps has done the work for you.  Check out their comparison of the three most popular eBook formats, EPUB, PDF and Kindle.  You may be surprised at the outcome.

A fellow author asked me what was important to include on his website.  Before setting up my site, I did some research.  One thing became clear — an About page is critical.  Why?  Because the About page is typically the most-visited page on your site.

Some tips on creating an effective About page include:

1) Don’t give it some fancy name.  Call it About.  2) Use a real photo of yourself, not an avatar or drawing.  If someone is interested in you, they want to know what you look like.  3) Use your voice . Don’t be afraid to be funny if that’s who you really are.  And don’t be afraid to be a bit of a nerd either. 4) If you use a video, make it short and include some text for those who don’t like videos. 5)  Keep it short — a couple of paragraphs will suffice.  This isn’t the place to tell your life story.

Remember, your About page is a marketing tool.  Use it wisely.

What do visitors see when they view your blog or website?  The general rule is that the first view of your home page should capture the reader’s attention without having to scroll or click, so that they’ll spend more time on your site. To find out what they see, visit Google Browser Size application and enter your blog or website’s URL.  Click on About Browser Size for more detailed information.  

Nothing is more off-putting than a blatant plea to “buy my book.”  I see this on a number of sites I belong to along with “vote for my blog,” or “vote for my book trailer.”  My reaction – hit the delete button.  And I’m sure I’m not alone.

Authors need to be more creative in marketing their books.  You need to find a way for readers to connect with you as a person, either through your blog or by other means.  What other interests do you have besides writing?  Cooking?  Bird watching?  Tap Dancing?  My second love is fashion.  Some time ago, I began doing posts about fashion for women over fifty on a well-known blog.  The editor of my local newspaper saw them and contacted me asking if I would like to write a similar ongoing column for her paper.  I jumped at the chance.  Here’s one of my articles.  See Page 13 and check out the byline. 

My point is there are more effective ways to promote your book than begging people to buy it.  If you know anything about marketing, soft-selling works.  Think out of the box.  Use some of the creativity you used in writing your book to market it.   

For the past few weeks, I’ve been having a problem with my wireless connection kicking me offline.  I knew I had to call AT&T, but I also knew I had to be in the right frame of mind to do so.  Responding to various prompts and shouting things like  “technical assistance” and “PC” into the receiver is annoying, but the most frustrating part of these types of calls is being placed on hold while you wait for a real person.  Along comes Fast Customer, a new iPhone or Android app that let’s you bypass the hold process all together.  You simply select a customer service department you want to speak to and Fast Customer will call you back when the rep is on the line.  How cool is that!  Now, if I only had an iPhone.

There have been so many breaches of personal data recently that it’s hard to tell if your information is still secure.  Luckily, an Australian security expert has developed a site – Should I Change My Password -  where you can check your email address against the databases of stolen information.  If it comes up clear, it doesn’t necessarily mean your address is secure; it just means you weren’t a victim of the most recent highly-publicized thefts like Sony PlayStation’s, where information was releases.  But at least it’s a start.

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In building my author platform over the last two years, I’ve learned how to blog smarter.  What does that mean?  It means focusing on where my posts will get the most exposure, which isn’t necessarily just on my own site.

One of the most valuable ways to build your name is through guest posts.  Sign up for bloggerlinkup and search their daily list of “guest posts needed,” for opportunities.  Find topics of interest to you.  Maybe you enjoy cooking or you’re an expert sky diver.  If you can, find requests for content that relates to your book.  Always add your book title to your signature line, along with your blog address.

On your own blog, link to other authors’ sites, and tell your readers why they might like those sites.  Also, link to book review sites (especially those that have reviewed your book) and recommend your favorites.   Write about a hot issue, especially one that relates to your book.  The key is to diversify your content.  Make it interesting and people will follow you.

I’ve been going crazy trying to decide which eReader I want.  The minute I decide, a new one pops up.  Luckily, I found a site that compares the top ten models.  Thought I’d share it.

If you receive a message from a friend with an offer of a free cup of Starbucks coffee or something similar, beware, it could be spam and could even install a rogue app in your profile.  If you inadvertently click on one of these messages and find it’s spam, the best thing to do is go to the message in your profile, hover over it until you see a small “x”  in the upper right corner, then click it and hit “Mark as Spam.”  That will remove it and alert Facebook.  Next, you should check your Account Settings, and under the Privacy section, you’ll find an Edit Your Settings link to a list of apps and websites that you’ve allowed to access your information.  You can remove anything that looks suspicious or that you don’t recognize.