The reason every writer should have a blog

Everyone says you should have a blog. If you’re a writer you need a blog. EVERY. WRITER. NEEDS. A. BLOG. But why? I haven’t seen many lists detailing the reasons why, just stating that writers should. So, here I have for you all, as always, a list. Go onward, if you dare.

HOME BASE

A blog is an independent page. It doesn’t rely on Twitter, FaceBook, or Google+. Using something like Twitter, FB, or G+ as a home base is hard to spread out. You isolate people who may dislike Twitter, or who don’t use G+, or people who hate FB. Your home base should be independent, but also a place that you can link and advertise to your other networks.
THE ABILITY TO CUSTOMIZE

Depending on what blog platform you end up using, you can have complete creative control. Make it your own and let everyone know who you are both as a person and a writer. Pick themes, make themes, edit themes, make pages, edit your blog, and build a platform.
SELF-PROMO IS OKAY

It’s your page. You can self-advertise all day long, but be warned. It should be done in moderation, just like with any other site. Otherwise, you’ll just be considered a bot, and no one will feel your worth following. At the same time, self-promo can be done subtle-y and optionally. Create content that you want to share, content that will help others. Then, you can create pages dedicated to your books and products. If people like your content, then they’ll check out your products. That’s how it should be. Let people DECIDE if they want to check out your products. Don’t shove it down their throat. I can’t stress that enough.
SHARING ORIGINAL CONTENT

That should always be the main point of any blog. There is no better way to share and create original content than to start a blog. Make content, share it, and enjoy the ability to do so.
PRACTICE

You have to write to have a blog, and to keep up with a blog, you have to write lots of content and keep it going up consistently. It’s a perfect opportunity to test out your writing ability.
IT’S REPRESENTATIVE OF YOUR WRITING

With consistent posts, people are able to get glimpses at how you write. It may not be fiction, it may not be what you usually write, but it still says a lot about your voice. Your voice as a writer is ever-present on the blog and within the posts.

Now then, time for questions. Do you have a blog? What do you blog about? What kind of content do you share? What’s your favorite part of having a blog? Let me know, and comment below.

Thanks for reading.

-Lissy

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Filed under: Writing and Marketing Tips