Introduction

Many writers advised fiction writers should blog. They felt writers need a blog because authors need a platform, and blogging is an essential marketing tool for book promotion. It is more important for aspiring and new authors because blogging is one method an author could connect to his readers.

 

Too many authors and writers

Nowadays, aspiring, new, and seasoned authors filled planet earth. Millions of books clogged the online and traditional bookseller’s platform. Just browse Amazon or Barnes & Noble and see the new fiction and non-fiction books published every hour. Readers who felt overwhelmed by the author’s names and book titles need to start somewhere to know which book to read and purchase. Blogs offer a chance for the reader to learn more about authors and their books.

 

Why writers felt intimidated blogging

Imagine the daunting task fiction writers faced. The burdens are harder for indie or self-published authors. The assignments will overwhelm authors with their work in progress, as they have deadlines to fulfill. After completing their WIP, these writers now have to focus on editing and publishing their manuscripts. After that, they would have to market their works, such as promotion and book launching.

Just imagine if authors also have to write up their blog post every day, or three times a week, or twice monthly, or even once a month. In my previous blog post, I have said that indie or self-published authors have to do multitasking themselves in order for them to have decent chances of making it in this cutthroat industry.

We faced inconsistency trying to blog because of the so many things to do. It would be much easier for authors who worked with traditional publishers because at least they could focus only on writing.

To put food on the table, many authors, like me, have to find income besides writing. Some work as school-teachers or lecturers, some are seeking to do part-time jobs, and others are operating a small business.

 

Why many fiction writers don’t enjoy blogging

Many fiction writers felt having a static website is enough to build their reputation. All they need is information about themselves and their books. A static website is a website without a blogging section. Maybe this is true for well-known, famous, or controversial authors. However, even favorite authors such as Dan Brown and John Grisham have blogs. Have you seen their blog posts? Actually, why should they? They’re already famous.

I also came across some fiction writers, after reading through their articles, who felt blogging is not an efficient way to promote themselves while others thought they have nothing to write. They claimed that fiction writers don’t have any objectivity because they are always subjective.

Non-fiction writers can see the benefit of blogging because they are focused on promoting their products and services. For example, social-media consultants could promote their book by blogging about how to excel using Twitter and Facebook. A chef could do the same using blogs to promote his how-to cookbook.

But what should fiction writers write?

 

Why should a fiction writer blog?

I will talk about what fiction writers should blog about in my next blog post. Many fiction writers also said blogging is an essential tool for them to reach out to their readers.

Blogging gives a chance for fiction writers to write and publish their work regularly. The more they write, the more they could improve their writing skills. It built their confidence and enhanced their reputation.

In business, entrepreneurs need a platform to reach out to their clients. Nowadays, they easily could interact and connect with their customers using social media networks such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. It is the cheapest way to advertise their product and services. Many companies now engaged content writers to write about their products and the product benefits.

It does not differ from fiction authors who need to get the readers’ attention about their book. Traditional publishers will pay vast sums of money to help authors display their books at premium spots for their new releases in bricks and mortar and online bookseller spaces.

Indie and self-published authors cannot afford the spaces sought by the traditional publishers. The only way forward for most of them is through blogging to reach out to as many readers as possible.

They could build exclusive spots and spaces for themselves on their websites, and they are in control of how they want to do it. Then, the only way for them is to drive traffic to their websites by blogging.

 

Conclusion

I experienced the dilemma of blogging when I came across multiple pieces of advice asking authors to have a blog. What to blog about was the question I always raise.

My interest in the environment and ecology and my passion for domestic traveling led me to try out a traveling blog. I started blogging about Travel and Leisure in Borneo to encourage my readers to experience what I feel about this island and how she faced environmental degradation. However, later, I found out that this blog is quite difficult to relate me as a fiction writer.

The disadvantage fiction writers faced is that it is challenging to talk about specific things that most non-fiction authors find easy. However, fiction writers, as creative people, could also be versatile in talking about many things. For example, I am not a historian or a religious teacher, but somehow, I could write a blog about these genres because of my interest in these topics.

Finally, what I am trying to say here is that blogging is an essential tool not only for non-fiction writers but also for novel authors. For fiction writers to stand out among the millions with similar interests and aspirations, fiction writers have no choice but to blog, no matter how difficult it is.