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That is the question.

As more and more people enter the blogforce (yes, I’m coining a new word!  — blogforce, noun, group of people engaged in blogging activity, similar to workforce), guest blogging invitations abound.  Should you take up those invitations?  How do you decide what is worth your time, and what isn’t?  Should you invite guest bloggers to write posts for your own blog?  And what unspoken (till now!) guest blogging etiquette points play into the process?

Here are my guest blogging pro’s, cons, and tips: [Read more →]

Tags: How to Blog, Marketing by Suzanne McMinn
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The Writer’s Blog Workshop Series Lessons: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9

Lesson Nine:

So you’ve got a blog.  You’ve got a purpose and an audience in mind, strategies for developing regular material, and maybe you’re even starting to think about creating a snazzy new design.  But how do you attract more readers?

Most bloggers start with a small audience.  Patience is key in building a blog.  Don’t give up!  Here is a list of ways to promote your blog, for little or no money. [Read more →]

Tags: Series Articles, The Writer's Blog Workshop by Suzanne McMinn
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A visit to Writeminded is like a lunch out with your friends, a slumber party with the girls, and a drink at the bar at an RWA conference, all rolled together.  Writeminded is a group blog.  A group blog has multiple authors who each write posts on scheduled days.  The authors behind Writeminded are Stephanie Tyler, Amy Knupp, Larissa Ione, Jaci Burton, and Sharon Long/Maya Banks.  The benefits of group blogging are tempting–you don’t have to be responsible for keeping the blog active on a daily basis.  (Many bloggers participate in both a group blog and their own blog, thereby increasing their visibility and sharing traffic between sites.)  There are great group blogs….and not so great group blogs.  Unfortunately, some group blogs leave the impression they’ve been thrown together with little investment, either in time or money, and the postings can be erratic both in schedule and tone, leaving visitors not sure what they’re going to get on any given day…..and just as likely to not bother coming back at all.

Writeminded was one of the first group writer blogs, and remains a standard-bearer today.  The faces behind Writeminded change periodically, but the blog’s style and downright delicious fun remains.  It is, always, like sitting down to one big giant bowl of ice cream.

What makes Writeminded work? [Read more →]

Tags: Spotlight by Suzanne McMinn
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The Writer’s Blog Workshop Series Lessons: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7

Lesson Seven:

Your website/blog is your face to the world.  It should be professional.  If you choose to install your own blog platform and design, we have articles here to help you.  But if you aren’t technically or artistically inclined, there’s no need to despair.  There are many qualified and reasonably priced designers who can work with you to create the blog of your dreams.   Register a domain name and start looking for the right designer for you.

Tips to consider in choosing a designer: [Read more →]

Tags: How to Blog, Series Articles, The Writer's Blog Workshop by Suzanne McMinn
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How can a writer make money from a blog? Blogging for promotional purposes to help increase book sales and heighten name recognition are the two main reasons most writers create and maintain blogs. But there’s another way, a direct way, to utilize your blog to plump your bottom line. Advertising. In this article, we’ll take a quick overview of your advertising options.

Wait a minute. Did I say advertising? Yes. Yes, I did.

But advertising is so….tacky! No. No, it’s not. If you’re too genteel to make money from your blog, this article isn’t for you. But if you like money and want to find out how to make more of it passively from something you’re already doing, keep reading. [Read more →]

Tags: How to Blog, Marketing by Suzanne McMinn
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