Should a Writer Blog?
First, let me say, writing a regular blog isn’t for everyone, whether you’re a career writer or not. It is a lot of work.
I’ve blogged for over nine years. I know firsthand how much.
Here are my takeaways for all the effort.
- Improved Writing Skills
Writing, in my opinion, can be learned. Same as a knitter learns to knit. Yes, creativity and talent help. But practice makes perfect.
Weekly blogging means practice not only with writing, but also editing, another very important writer skill.
- Opportunities to experiment
I get to change how I write and what I write. Some of my blog topics are informational, some are personal accounts, some are thought-provoking.
Blogging not only improves my skills. It keeps me learning.
- Discipline, Motivation & Deadlines
Blogging provides lessons in all three. Readers look for that email in their inbox every week. Not living up to their expectation is super strong motivation.
In turn, motivation provokes discipline. I must get my butt in the chair and my fingers on the keys to meet the deadlines blogs demand, weekly and for the guest blogs I frequently do. That builds discipline.
- Discoverability
The magic reward for all the effort is discoverability.
While my follower numbers aren’t huge by most scales, when I send a View from the Front Porch post out every Monday, Wednesday, Friday morning at 0600 Central Time precisely, I get 175 faithful readers clicking through.
If I did a book signing or book talk and that many people showed up, I’d be ecstatic. Blogging is my virtual book signing table that is open 24/7/365—internationally.
So, for this writer, the answer to the question is a resounding YES.
Blogging on a regular basis being the key. If you do that, blogging can be a powerful way to network with readers and have new readers find you.