Blogs – a Great Way to Self-Publish
Numerous foodies have published books and been gutted when a year or so later the publisher says it's over, no reprint, just remainder tables and reversion. Many more believe they have a book in them just waiting for a publisher . . . Philippa Sandall has one word for both groups: 'blog'.If you believe in yourself and what you have to say, and you know there's a market out there for it, take your publishing life into your own hands and save a tree at the same time. Who knows, if your blog is brilliantly successful you may have publishers beating on your door to sign you up. In June/July 2005, about the time that Update published Ken Burgin's piece on blogging as a business tool, Scott Dickinson and I posted the first issue of GI News (www.ginews.blogspot.com) on the internet. Today we have 27,000 subscribers worldwide and around 1500 new subscribers every month.
We chose a blog because it is a simple, accessible, interactive and cost-effective 21st century tool. As a bonus, we know what our readers think (they are very forthcoming), what they are interested in, what pages they like most and how long they stay online reading us every month. And we can and do respond to their needs and interests.
After a lifetime in book publishing, I am a total convert. It's the ride of a lifetime. And it just takes two. I research, write and edit, and Scott designs and manages everything technical. Of course it all takes much, much longer than we ever imagined. But it has worked. So if you think your book idea could become a blog, here are some tips (in no particular order) based on our experience with GI News to help you have a hit on your hands.
Twelve tips for self-publishing a blog...
- Look professional.
- Fill a need.
- Know your market and remember that it's a world market.
- Write in a lively and accessible way.
- Plan carefully, and if it's a newsletter, try to have a hot topic or something newsworthy in every issue.
- Be trustworthy - check facts and test recipes. Twice at least.
- Edit and proofread with an eagle eye. Twice at least.
- Fuss about design.
- Fuss about photos.
- Listen to the comments of your visitors (readers/subscribers).
- Answer posted questions.
- Network and promote so that people know you exist.
