Don't Get Blogged Down by Joe Jenkins

Don’t Get Blogged Down
Joe Jenkins

In this two part article, I’m going to be taking a look blogging.

Part One – Why Blog?

Part Two – WordPress 101 (in English)

Part One – Why Blog

While this article looks at writers, it can be used by all of us, in all situations.

If there’s one thing that writers are good at, it’s writing so, surely, it would be best for us to just stick to doing that.

Why should we have to start messing around with computers and start blogging, that’s far too technical and, when we do finally blog, how long should we spend on the blog making sure that it’s word perfect, because those critics are everywhere.

Stop. Take a deep breath.  Calm down.

The reason that we should all have blogs, is to get out there, be seen.  Writing for the sake of writing is good, and there is no need to be seen unless, of course, you want your writing to be read.

In this short article, I’ll be taking you through the reasons that you should be blogging, and then take on you on a quick tour of WordPress – in English.  I won’t be able to cover everything, but I can get you to the point where you can easily move around.  I’m currently working on a book that covers this for writers, so if you need more information, then get in touch, if not, then you know the book will be great J

Why Blog?

Blogging is nothing more than keeping a diary, though with the possibility of millions of people looking under your bed (in this case Google), and opening it up to read.  When you write your diary, it doesn’t have to be word perfect, you don’t spend hours agonising over single words and you don’t expect to win a Pulitzer for it.

It is no different with a blog, which is just a shortened version of the original name given to it, web log.  For this article, I’ll give you two reasons to blog.

Practise Makes Perfect

As with any muscle, that writing muscle needs exercise, but this doesn’t have to mean that you spend every day working on your short story or novel.  Just write.  Write about the weather, write about the new postman and how you’d like to leave your stamp on him.  Just write.

As you write, you will find that you can do it without even thinking, you just get into the habit of writing and it will flow.  With this behind you, when it comes to writing your book or short stories, it will come more naturally.

Market Yourself

You need to be seen, you need to be read, you need to be known.  When you start to build a fan-base on your blog, you will find that many of those who spend their time reading your blog will then pay to read your short stories or your novels.

Once you create a fan-base, they will tell their friends, then their friends will tell their own friends and, before long, you will find yourself with hundreds and even, eventually, thousands, of fans.  Fans equate to sales which means you being read.

In part two of this article, I will be taking you through the basics of using WordPress, but in a way that you will understand.  There will be no technobabble and I will include plenty of images.  I will also be showing you how easy it is to place your WordPress blog within your Facebook page, so you can easily get the word out about yourself on the world’s most popular website.

About Joe Jenkins

Joe Jenkins is an author and head of Moonworks Publishing, as well as being a WordPress developer.  He lives in Fareham, Hampshire, England and likes to sing karaoke – badly.

Moonworks Publishing has just released its first book, Telling Tales, with all proceeds going to a hospice.