When we work with authors to establish an online presence with their websites and social media, we typically encourage them to include author blog posts, because a blog is what keeps a site in motion, keeps folks coming back to your site, keeps search engines ranking you, etc., etc.
But then come the inevitable questions: How long should those posts be? How often should I blog?
If there were a magic answer to each of these burning questions, there probably wouldn’t be so many articles devoted to this subject. It’s rather like asking how long a debut novel or synopsis should be, eh? But let’s tackle it anyway, from the perspective of an author and their readers:
How Long Should a Blog Be?
Yes, there are longer blogs that work, and shorter blogs that work equally well. If a LOT needs to be said on a topic, it needs to be said, but then what we often tell authors is, if it can be split into Part I and Part II, do that (and we figure that’s more than 700-750 words because that starts looking long on a page…). Hint: This post is long at just over 600 words!
What we all have to understand is that this whole “information super highway” is just that – a fast moving highway where blogs and social media snippets are what we refer to as “drive-by reading.” Unfortunately there are few rules of the road beyond that. A typical blog post should probably run under 750 words, but more than 250 to get across a point and not appear too “slapdash.”
Yes, we’ve seen effective blogs break those rules too, but this is a range to get you to started until you find your own sweet spot.
More important is that you don’t slam down a bunch of words just to have something to say, or rush with too few just to say you blogged. The point of blogging is to give your readers insight into you… your work, your characters, your interests, your voice. If non-fiction, then readers will be coming to you for the same tone and level of expertise you provide in your books, to keep them up-to-date with news and trends.
How Often Should I Blog?
A lot of business advice out there would have us all blogging once, even twice a day; those folks also have teams to do the heavy lifting. What’s MORE important is to determine YOUR best regular schedule, and stick to that. We’d rather see an author blog weekly or every other week and be consistent, so they can establish a pattern.
We haven’t met many authors who have time to blog each day (well, any), though many start out thinking they can. After a couple weeks they decide maybe only three times a week, then once a week, then… oops, I should’ve blogged last month. Blog readers have expectations – if you set yourself up to meet them daily but can’t, those readers will wander off.
Building an audience for your blog is based on trust. Just as you’d show up to school or work, you need to show up to your blog. If life gets in the way (and it does), give readers a heads-up so they’ll know you haven’t gone MIA. Store up a blog or two in your drafts folder; solicit guest posts related to your readers’ areas of interests for those “I’m on book tour” weeks.
Most important – have fun. If you treat your blog like a chore, it will be, for you and your readers. But honest sharing with your readership will encourage their comments and participation, to help you build a solid and genuine fan base!
Blog Share
Tell us where and what and how often you’re blogging: Be sure to include a link to your blog so we can all see what other writers are doing that works!
I have one published book, Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir, which provides information about this lesser known disease and offers hope and inspiration to women and their families. It received first place for the Indie Excellence Book Award 2013 in the “women’s health” category. I blog once a week on health/wellness, relationships, and spirituality. I have done several guest blogs and welcome those who have a positive, informative, or inspirational message to do a guest blog. http://www.outshineovariancancer.blogspot.com.
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Well done, you, Karen. An issue near and dear to my own heart – I have a best friend who’s a survivor, and have lost two other besties to this ‘silent killer,’ one of whom (Terry Scharstein) established Lowcountry Women With Wings in Charleston, SC to bring awareness to women and offer resources for answers to so many questions. You might reach out to them w/ your book to have a link carried on the site – the address is http://www.lowcountrywomenwithwings.org. Terry was a brilliant teacher – we became friends after she’d taught both my children in the gifted programs…
If you would like to use Terry’s story for a blog (just provide a link to the Women w/ Wings site), please do – I know she would like that… And thank you for the knowledge, hope and inspiration you provide to others. Bright blessings, Shari
I have one book in the publication process, and am also new to blogging. I blog one time a week. I developed my topics on a theme for the remainder of the year, focusing on working women. I also post off and on in another section of my website on books I have read and author interviews. It seems there are so many blogs for writers, I wanted to do something different. I can’t say it has been a huge success so far, but it is new.
Though I’ve authored two books, From Confusion To Clarity, and Poetry For Living An Inspired Life, I have been blogging once a month, and am fairly new to the game. That said, I am a guest on other blogs as often as possible, and seek more guest bloggers for my own blog. If books on personal growth, spirituality, and poetry from the soul, appeal to you, so may my site @ http://micheleharveyauthor.com
Great job Michele, especially getting out there on other bloggers’ sites!
When I first started blogging, it was on a whim. Now I post twice a week, and have even asked my readers which days they prefer I do so!
I now have a theme for my blog: True Tales Tuesdays and Featured Fridays. I also schedule my posts. I love blogging!
Fun site, Lorraine – and love that you did your own infographic!
I handle the blog for my wife, fantasy author Alma Alexander. it runs 5 to 6 times a week and consists of her personal essays, mixed with short items and links on all matters writing and publishing.
Outstanding – now, how do I get hubby to do that for me?! 🙂
I’ve just started a new blog, and I’ve been posting twice a week at a minimum. I regularly participate in a couple of memes that drive traffic to my blog (Teaser Tuesday, Friday 56, Book Beginnings on Friday), plus I make connections with and learn about new books from other participants.
My blog is: http://sandranachlinger.blogspot.com
Outstanding, Sandra – and “I Owe You Sex” looks like a very fun read – Just ordered it and can’t wait to break it open!
Both my tower and my laptop got the same virus the same day, so I’m out of sync. I’ll try to catch up in the next couple of days.
Normally, I try to post three times a week. Monday with a book review, and Friday with a personal essay. Currently I’m posting a personal essay on Wednesday, as well, but I’m trying to find the time to line up guest blogs on my Monday and Friday topics for Wednesday. It may take some time to get that synchronized.
Faith A. Colburn
Wonderful, Faith, and sorry ’bout the virus – I know that can be frustrating. I’ve ordered your book and look forward to reading it!
I’ve been blogging for over seven years. I’ve been READING blogs for over seven years, and I’m one of those drive-by readers who tend to ignore blogs that show up more than now and then and rattle on for 1200 words. I don’t give a fig about schedules. I mostly read via email, but sometimes remember my reader, and I read when I see them. I NEVER got looking for blog posts on my own initiative.
Bloggers who seldom blog are MORE likely to get my attention.
I’m blogging erratically, three to five times a month these days, and continue gaining new readers and subscribers. Apparently others are on the same wave length. As you point out, there is no formula. My sweet spot is to post when I have something to say, and it doesn’t matter doesn’t matter what day I post on. .
Well done, you – and you’re right – especially for what you’re writing and lending craft advice to would-be writers – definitely tends to be less buttoned down and more free form! And thanks Sharon, for everything you do to encourage quality writing, too!
I’ve settled into blogging once a week on Mondays. Sometimes,my posts are more photos than words. 🙂 http://coleenpatrick.com/
Thanks Coleen and enjoyed your site, too. Photos and fun quotes are just the thing for a teen market, no need to get all wordy!
Hello,
Just started doing a children’s book reviw blog using my book character, Cefa the Cat. Cefa does a short description about the book and tells what he thinks (usually around 500+/_ words). It’s been lots of fun to read other authors books. I/we post the review on Mondays and then do some activity sheets on Thursday. A lot of work but also a lot of fun. I make sure I only post positive comments on the blog itself. If I don’t like a book or feel it needs “something” I will send an email to the author and never post that on the page. I feel Cefa needs to be positive and up-beat on his posts.
Thanks and take a look at our blog….. http://www.cefathecat.com/cefas-blog.html
What a great idea and are you spreading the word to teachers? Only thing I might suggest on your blog is to revise your categories. Categories are meant to be more like “chapters” of your blog. So, if say you had a category named Book Reviews, then all the reviews would be categorized under there so I could easily browse those… While the individual book names could be “tagged”… make sense? Again, goes to the drive-by reading – give folks 5 or 6 categories to choose from as they’ll go cross-eyed before reading a really long list…
And as a cat lover, bravo to Cefa!
I blog at Katvarn.com. (http://katvarn.com/blog/) I have fallen away from a weekly submission (my bad). Between emails, research and reading– I have managed to post around twice a month. Send the links through Hootesuite to other social media sites.
Thoughtful blogs sometimes only need a couple times a month… and congratulations to you, too, Kat on all the early success you’re having with the release of Ameera Unveiled!
I started out faithfully doing three times a week, but soon dropped it down to two. My posts are usually around 350 words, to accommodate those “drive by” readers! I keep an editorial calendar so I always know what to write about and I keep a few drafts in reserve. I have a guest blogger once a month, and a monthly book review, and occasionally I let my cat “write” the post. (My blog is, after all, about cats!) I no longer feel stressed about getting a blog post out because I’m prepared and know what is coming next. Sometimes that schedule is changed because I have a special announcement (like an award, or a plea to adopt cats), but I’m flexible and it all works. Please stop by and check it out. http://moggiepurrs.wordpress.com.
I stopped, I checked and I subscribed – who can resist a blog about cats! (My four cats help me read mine, they do!)
Yay!! I’m glad you liked it. I look forward to giving you more great cat content in the future!
I blog three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Set article types (flash fiction) on Mondays and Wednesdays. Fridays tends to be a floater. Other days can have random bits like info on book launches and such.
Sorry forgot this. Misadventures in strange places (http://jonjeffersonauthor.wordpress.com)
Smart strategy Jon, and yes – you had me at “hello” – look forward to reading Dropship Troopers!
I have found that most of my blogs are read if they stay between 450-600 words. I guess I see these readers as drive-by readers who seem interested in short, but worthy content.
And for any of you looking for a great example of blogging, Jacqueline Gum’s is “da bomb.” Her Where’s the Justice blog deals with issues big and small, but always with that universal appeal to any of us who are human and have had those moments that give us pause… or outrage us… or make us laugh with the absurdity of it all. http://jacquelinegum.com/blog/ – Great stuff, Miss J!
We are lucky in that there are three of us who wrote the book “Drink Wine and Giggle (101 ways girlfriends can connect, have fun and be inspired),” so there are three of us that post to our blog on our website http://www.drinkwineandgiggle.com. We take turns and rotate every week, posting twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Our posts run 300-600 words, although usually it is around 500 words. On Tuesday, we post activities to do with your girlfriends, rotating the focus on Mind, Body, Soul and Funny Bone. The Thursday post is either a tip or our experience in doing the activity posted on Tuesday. So this rotation keeps us motivated and the material fresh. I agree with you, Shari, that routine is key.
Wow, Deb – you do it PERFECTLY! Great advice, folks… fresh is fabulous!
blogging at:
a little elbow room.com
Very nice, Kimberly – link to your site is http://alittleelbowroom.com – Write on!