One criterion publishers use to determine whether they should take a risk on a writer is the ubiquitous author platform.
I know. You’re rolling your eyes and sighing. Maybe getting a little queasy feeling in your stomach.
All authors—traditionally published, self-published, or hybrid—need a platform to market their work. There are several tools you can use to establish your platform, but one of the most popular and useful is the author blog.
The problem is, so many fiction writers don’t know what to write about.
Let me give you a piece of advice before we move forward.
Authors should not blog about the craft of writing. These posts attract other writers, but the goal is to attract readers.
So, what’s a writer to do? What can they blog about, if not their craft?
Here are some suggestions:
Their Work
- cover reveals
- story research
- character dossiers/interviews
- new releases
- tour of the setting
- blurbs/teasers/excerpts
- spotlight on the villain (particularly if it’s a type of creature or a mental illness)
- any lore or legend related to the story
Their Process
- how they conduct research
- where they prefer to work/what their workspace is like
- what music (or ambient sounds) they listen to when writing
- what they eat and drink while they work
- where they get story ideas
- where they get character names
Their Preferences
- what genres they like to read
- books on their shelf (or their ereader)
- what novels/TV shows/movies inspire them
- biographical notes that impacted their story
Their Silly Side
- things they enjoy or hate (think top-10 lists)
- ways for readers to get to know them (favorite foods, games, etc.)
- stories about their pets or their families
- original short fiction
Their Generosity
- book reviews of other authors’ works
- interviews with other authors
- other author’s new releases
So, there you have it. Twenty-five topics for fiction writers to blog about. That’s roughly half a year at one post a week, assuming you choose each of these only once. And we all know these can be mixed, matched, and repeated as necessary. Hopefully there’s enough here to get you started on expanding your author platform.
Do you rely on any blogging topics that we didn’t mention here? Please share them with us in the comments.
Great post, Staci. I’ve been so sporadic with blogging of late (I tend to do that when I’m writing a novel). However, I want to get back in the swing of it and your post has given me incentive.
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Excellent post and suggestions. I really want to get back to regular blogging again, and these make a great starting point. Thanks!
Glad to be of service!
Great tips. I try to mix some of that in, but I wind up posting a few word metrics too. Maybe I’m okay because I post more frequently.
Metrics confound me. I need a lesson in them, I guess, because I read my stats and they make no sense. But that’s another great idea for a blogging topic. Thanks for weighing in, Craig!