You might be asking yourself: With all the research, outlining, book proposals, actual book writing, and then revisions, why on earth should I spend my precious time blogging?

Because you want to sell your book.

It’s been said that 7 out every 10 Americans want to publish a book. If this number includes you then you’ve got to build a solid social platform that will appeal to publishers. Even if you plan on publishing independently, you’re going to need a thriving social platform that’s been built over time. As I’ve been dipping my toe into the giant ocean of authors and publishers for the Literally Social podcast, I’m discovering a common theme: successful, influential, best-selling authors all have a strong, multi-faceted social media platform that’s been built over time. Blogging is the foundation for that platform.

But why do I need a blog?

Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Tumblr,  and TypePad are all great social networks. They all function as micro-blogs, too. There are 2 major problems with trying to build your social platform on these light-weight social webs, however:

1.  Social Networks don’t belong to you. If any one of them changes their terms of service, or goes virtually extinct, your influence there can become extremely limited.

2.  Social Networks aren’t extensive enough to give people a real idea of who you are or what you write about. People want to get to know authors today more than ever. And they want to know what drives writers and where they get their inspiration. Social networks only provide a fleeting glimpse into who you are and what your writing is all about.  Blogs give you an opportunity to share all your posts, an about page, a media kit, testimonials, and more.

Next time we’ll discuss your best options. And it won’t hurt or be expensive. I promise. 😉

Are you an aspiring author or have you already published a book? Please share your best advice and experiences down below.

Have friends, colleagues, or clients who are looking to get published? Please share this first in a series of posts to save them innumerable hours and frustration as they work on building their social platforms.