Tag: authors blogging

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Blogging Basics

How to Choose a Website Template for Bloggers & Writers

For bloggers and writers who wish to create a credible online presence, selecting an appropriate website template is essential. For this reason, your equipment should include more than a pen and wild imagination. It is time to get a well-designed website to draw in more visitors and keep them interested. Let us find out how to choose the best ready-made solution and highlight your writing talent.

How to Create a Website Blog & Writer’s Site Using a Website Template?

Step 1: Establish Your Goals

It takes more than just having an excellent concept to make it happen. You must have a thorough knowledge of the subject matter and objectives. Additionally, think about issues that the site addresses for your prospective readers. The framework and essential components of the online project will be determined at this stage.

Consequently, you must define the following aspects:

  • Your line of work (showcasing your writing portfolio, attracting new readers, selling booking, providing valuable content, and so on);
  • The persona of your readers;
  • Project objectives;
  • Problems of the audience you can fix using an online project.

Step 2: Imagine Your Perfect Design

Creating a website with blog or writer’s site is not only about how they appear. Eye-catching sliders or an original homepage design will not always work. Convenience and functionality are key factors in web design.

For this reason, this stage presents some tricky scenarios. For instance, what definitely works for an ordinary business card is probably not the best option for our goals. While selecting a website template, take into account the following fundamental factors:

  • Format, layout, and design of the header and footer;
  • Logo placement;
  • Content width;
  • Navigation;
  • Color schemes;
  • Typography.

The majority of contemporary tools typically allow extensive customization. It means that any of the aforementioned points can be altered and modified.

You can always get inspired by other blog website ideas. Look through successful online projects of successful writers and bloggers and your niche. Then, it will take you nothing to take note of all elements, including layouts, fonts, and overall user experience.

Step 3: Pay Attention to Ease of Use

The process may be completely handled for you by modern web development technologies. However, with blog writing templates, you need to take care of the website’s content, media files, forms, and other components. Of course, it is possible to pay a freelancer to complete all the tasks, but that would incur additional costs.

So, choosing a website template with a basic content editing tool is a smart idea. The majority of platforms often have drag-and-drop editors. Using them, it is relatively easy to alter elements without specialized coding knowledge.

Step 4: Analyze the Features

For non-techies, ready-made solutions are undoubtedly a fantastic option. Users anticipate them to be adaptable with a range of options to allow for personalizing the site. For this reason, you can always opt for an excellent choice with all the necessary built-in widgets and add-ons. When it comes to writers and bloggers, these are:

  • About Section;
  • Blog posts;
  • Categories and topics;
  • Contact info;
  • Advanced search;
  • Social media integration and newsletter subscription;
  • Author bio and photos;
  • Testimonials.

Step 5: Choose a Trustworthy Website Template Provider

What to look for in a dependable provider of ready-made solutions?

  1. The number of templates. The better a provider is, the more templates they have.
  2. Reviews and comments from users. Individuals discuss their experiences and point out both positive and negative aspects of their purchase.
  3. The availability of customer support. It indicates that a supplier is prepared to address any problem.

A Few Words in Conclusion

A crucial step in developing your online profile as a blogger or writer is choosing appropriate blog website templates. Select an appropriate variant that complements your brand and effectively presents your work. Make sure to take into account factors like functionality, design, navigation, and customization capabilities. Remember that there are multiple premium and free blog templates WordPress to grab. Thanks for reading!

Nancy Howard

Nancy P. Howard has been working as a journalist at the online magazine in London for a year. She is also a professional writer in such topics as blogging, IT, and digital marketing. She loves travelling, photography and is always welcome to meet new people.

Categories
Blogging Basics

Guest Blogging: Sharing Your Content To Get Noticed

Want to expand your audience? One popular way is to be a guest blogger on a well-known blog. As a new blogger, this will give you exposure beyond family and friends. And that’s what you want. To find your tribe, your audience, and your followers for life.

My First Guest Blog

In the summer of 2012, I reached out to a blogger I followed and respected. She had several books published and at the time, I was unpublished. When I reached out to Mary DeMuth, Author of Thin Places, A Memoir, to my surprise and delight, she contacted me back. Her guidelines for accepting guest blog submissions required a blogger have a strong social media presence. I had some following on Facebook, but no other platform to speak of. Just based on this requirement, I did not make the cut.

BUT, Mary liked my authentic, heartfelt blog submission and agreed to post it. So, my encouragement is to reach out and ask. You never know, you may get a “Yes.” (The article I wrote for Mary DeMuth is archived, but you can find her blog here: marydemuth.com/blog/)

My Second Guest Blog

As my presence on social media grew, so did the opportunity for other bloggers to find my content. In 2015, Corrinne Rodriguez reached out to me and asked me to guest blog for her website, Everyday Gyaan. She lives in Secunderabad, India. Her blog is about keeping life simple, authentic and holistic. Corrinne thought her audience would appreciate a story about gratitude in the midst of unthinkable circumstances. I wrote a previously unpublished blog and sent it to her. The blog posted and a whole new audience halfway across the world learned about our story.

The guest blog posted in November of 2015. I recently checked my website statistics and got a surprise. I still have traffic coming to my website from this guest post. You can read the blog post here: everydaygyaan.com/a-grateful-journey

How To Find A Guest Blog Opportunity

Twitter has a search feature where you search for hashtags, but you can also search phrases. Type in the phrase, Submit Guest Post. A list of recent posts with this phrase will appear. I like this feature because you see the most recent posts first and it is not months old.

You can also do a search on Google with the following search criteria:

  • Blogs accepting guest posts
  • Writing blogs accepting guest posts
  • List of Blogs accepting guest posts 2018
  • Guest Blog for authors

Once you decide where you want to submit your blog post; read several blogs on the site. This will help you get a feel for what blog posts are accepted and see if your topic is a good fit for their audience. Then locate their submission guidelines. Find out whether they accept published or unpublished blogs (most require unpublished), how many words are required, or if you can republish the post elsewhere.

Other requirements may include certain image sizes for pictures and graphics, avoiding use of affiliate links, and promotional free submissions (with the exception of a link in your bio.) Whatever the requirements listed, be sure to follow each one for a better chance at having your creative work accepted.

Other Writing Opportunities

Being a regular contributor for a website is another way to create a writing portfolio which shows consistent dedication and helps a whole new audience find you. A local website called Tampa Bay Mom’s Blog, not only accepts guest posts on their website but a few times a year, they open an opportunity to become a monthly contributor to their site. That is how I became a contributor. If this is your niche, check if your city has local a Mom’s Blog.

I am also a monthly contributor to this column, The Blogging Guide for Almost An Author. This opportunity came by personal invitation.

The Mighty is another online website where I have been published. The Mighty is a digital health community created to empower and connect people facing health challenges and disabilities. They have over 1 million registered users. Go here to submit your story. https://themighty.com/submit-a-story/

At a BlogHer Conference I attended, I was invited to contribute to Red Tricycle. They publish family friendly articles sharing topics ranging from parenting to food & travel. Check out their editorial policy here: https://redtri.com/editorial-policy/

Seek out opportunities to guest blog. Find potential columns or contributor opportunities. Have you written a guest blog or are you a regular contributor for a website? Do they accept submissions? Post those opportunities below to help your fellow writers find a home for their writing.

Evelyn Mann is a mother of a miracle and her story has been featured on WFLA Channel 8, Fox35 Orlando, Inspirational Radio and the Catholic News Agency. A special interview with her son on the Facebook Page, Special Books by Special Kids, has received 1.4M views. Along with giving Samuel lots of hugs and kisses, Evelyn enjoys hot tea, sushi and writing. Visit her at miraclemann.com.

Categories
Blogging Basics

Why Should An Author Start A Blog? by Evelyn Mann

Reasons Why Writers/Authors Don’t Start A Blog

Perhaps a friend has suggested you should start a blog, and you reply:

  • I don’t have time.
  • The time I do have, I want to be writing my work in progress.
  • I wouldn’t know what to write.
  • I don’t know how.

Should an Author Blog6 Reasons An Author Should Consider Blogging

These are valid reasons. But, perhaps the better question is why should you, as an author, consider blogging?

  • Potential agent/publisher. From reading your blog, an agent or publisher can discover everything from your writing style to your dedication and commitment to diligently produce a body of work. These traits show you have the fortitude and follow through to produce a completed book. The blog also shows you are able to complete self-imposed deadlines. Think of a blog as a part of your writing resume.
  • Building a platform. When submitting your work for publication, agents and publishers want to know you already have readers in place willing to buy your book. But, what if you don’t have a completed book yet? Start a blog. Get a following. If you haven’t heard the word “Platform” yet, I highly recommend a book of the same name by Michael Hyatt. He shares many ways to build a platform.
  • Create content for your readers, even before you publish. What do you write? How do you draw your readers to, well, read? Look at the themes or topics your book shares with your readers. Then write about those themes. If you write romance, share how your grandparents met. If you write about mystery, tell your potential reader about your favorite Agatha Christie novel or how Perry Mason captivated you and why. Creating this content will not only allow your readers to get to know you, but they will get used to your writing style and hopefully want to read more.
  • Sales funnel. Once your book is published, you can broadcast your first novel on your blog. Provide a sales page to purchase your novel or add your Amazon link in a blog post. Your blog/website can also share your availability to speak, providing yet another revenue stream.
  • Posting a blog on social media lends credibility. When you post your blog on Facebook, the box surrounding the blog title and featured image appears. This not only looks professional but news worthy. You are not a news outlet, but may look like one. This lends credibility to your blog rather than just typing a post with text only.
  • You can get discovered. In late 2016, I received an email asking about my son’s lethal form of dwarfism. The email was from the producers at The Learning Channel. They wanted to feature my son on one of their programs. When I asked how they heard about my son, I was told they found me via my blog. The producers, located in England, searched on the internet and found my blog. The SEO, the blog writing and my website combined to peak the interest of TLC. Now my son’s story is broadcast in the U.S. and worldwide. All from someone seeing my blog.

Many authors recommend a blog as a means to gain an audience and future readers of your book.

“…I think blogging is an author’s best marketing tool.” Anne R. Allen, Author of eight comic mysteries.

“The more time you spend blogging, the more value you build for your readers over time and the more they find you. Your efforts snowball.” Jane Friedman, columnist for Publishers Weekly and author of The Business of Being a Writer.

Molly Wizenburg’s popular food blog, Orangette, was a platform that helped her sell her first book, A Homemade Life, to a publisher because she had a large readership.

Are you convinced to start blogging and add this medium to your author platform? If you were like me, you don’t know where to start or what to do after you created compelling and exciting content to share with the world. I had no one to show me the how to master the art of being a blogger.

I remember thinking, “I wish I had someone to take my hand and show me how to blog.” (Twitter Quote)

That is the heart of this column. To take your hand, month by month, and give you tips and tools you can use. If today’s column has inspired you to start your author blogging journey, post your comment below. I read each one.

 

Evelyn Mann is the author of Miracle In My Living Room: The Story of a Little Mann and the popular blog, www.miraclemann.com/blog. Her son’s story of survival from a lethal form of dwarfism has been featured on The Learning Channel, Christian Television Network, WFLA Channel 8, and has been seen 2.5M times on Special Books by Special Kids. She enjoys giving her son lots of hugs, a hot cup of organic tea, and shrimp sushi.