Blog Your Book
By Lois Hoffman
The Happy Self-Publisher
You’ve been blogging for a while, and you have a lot of great content, right? Your readers love what you’re sharing and want more. Why not sprinkle a little magic and transform your words into a book that informs, inspires, or entertains your readers? Here’s how.
Explore
Why are you writing this book? Discover your vision for success as an author and in your business. It will propel you through the journey of writing and publishing and keep you on track to meet your goals.
Target
Determine your ideal customer and the problem you solve. Your blog may appeal to different customers in different posts. But, when you put your book together, it should speak to a specific customer. Target your ideal reader, and you’ll find them. Be clear on the problem you’re solving for readers, and they will find you, too.
Create
Organize your blog posts into categories in a spreadsheet. You can see where you have lots of material, not enough, or overlapping content. Choose to write your book based on one category or more. You don’t need to include everything you know in one book. Then decide if this is your only book or if you have more books dying to be written.
Organize
What do you want your reader to take away by the end of the book? Build upon knowledge in each chapter to determine where each post fits into the story, if at all. Look at the overlaps and gaps in your content and then add or delete information, as needed. Just use blog titles and dive into the details in the next step.
Refine
Once you have the titles lined up in order, include each full blog post in a single document. Smooth out transitions to make it read like a book and not a series of blog posts by adding or eliminating content. Once you’re done with the first draft, edit it thoroughly. Read through your book several times. First, look at the overall flow of the book and then edit the details later. Editing tools, like Grammarly, make searching for common grammar and punctuation errors easier.
Publish
Make the dream real for you and accessible to your readers. Use publishing platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing and send it out to the world! If you don’t have the tools to transform your ideas into a print-ready manuscript and cover, seek out a reputable self-publishing company to create a professional product.
Share
Even before the book “hits the shelves,” tell your friends and fans. Engage them in the journey as you write and publish, so by the time it’s available for sale, they can’t wait to buy it. Ask for suggestions about titles, book covers, etc., and they’ll feel part of the journey. When your readers connect with you, they’ll help by sharing it with their friends. And watch your business grow!
So, give it a try. See what happens when you take this next step (or giant leap). Blog your book. Your fans are waiting!
If you need help putting your ideas into action, contact Lois Hoffman at [email protected] to transform your words into a tool to grow your business.
Bio
Lois Hoffman is the owner of The Happy Self-Publisher and author of Write a Book, Grow Your Business and The Self-Publishing Roadmap. She specializes in helping business professionals build credibility and differentiate themselves in the market by writing and publishing books about their area of expertise and is passionate about helping writers of all backgrounds share their stories with the world.
Testimonial
“I write this testimonial out of thanks and eternal gratitude to Lois Hoffman. I’m a published author due to Lois’s encouragement and wisdom. Her abundant help started before the publication, continued through it, and continues this day. Anyone as clueless as I was about how to publish a book and all it entails would be smart to choose Lois as their publisher. Every tip she gave me, from resources to the timing of activities in the book’s production and promotion, was spot-on perfect. I was more than fortunate to have Lois in my corner. I will always be grateful.” ~ Janice W.
happyselfpublisher.com
