With social networks being real popular, more and more people are on the internet. I would suggest that even if you’re active on any of the social networking sits, that you also have an online outlet such as a blog.

What is a blog?
A blog is the equivalent to an online diary. You can use it to post personal information or useful information (such as this article). It can also be used to interact with other bloggers and if you’re an author, your readers.

Why would I want to blog?
Blogging is what you make of it. It’s a way to introduce your readers to a side of you that they cannot see from reading a bio on your website or on the back of your book cover. It also gives your reading audience a chance to leave you real-time comments and interact with not only you, but also other readers of your books.

How often should I blog?
Don’t look at blogging as a dreaded task placed on your “to do” list. Blogging should be fun. If you become an active blogger, you’ll look forward to posting as well as interacting with others. How often you post is up to you. You can post daily, every other day, weekly or whenever the whim hits. You’ll find the more responses you get on your blog posts, the more you’ll be inclined to post on somewhat of a schedule.

Is there Blog etiquette?
If you’ll be away for an extended period of time, just write a quick post, so your regular visitors won’t think you forgot about them. There are times that you may get some unwanted posts (yes, spammers have infiltrated the blog world), so don’t hesitate to either delete those posts or set up your blog so posters have to put in a password.

Should my blog have a theme?
Not necessarily, but it makes it fun. I have several blogs. Each blog has its own theme. For example:
1.My literary blog (www.sheliagoss.com/blog) is a place to discuss relationships, books, or whatever else is on your mind.
2.My entertainment site was a place where I showcased my interview excerpts, reviews and/or information on the world of entertainment: books, music, TV and film.

How do I come up with topics?
Keep your eyes and ears open. Life is filled with ideas. Some of my topics stem from what’s going on in the news or from conversations I’ve had or observed. Since my central theme on the Shelia Goss blog is about relationships and books, it’s hard to run out of something to discuss. Take a chance and see what works for you. Blogging shouldn’t be difficult. If it’s draining, maybe you need to step away from it for a while or come up with another topic. There may be some days you only feel like rambling and that’s okay, too.

Examples of blogs hosted by authors:

·         http://www.conniecox.com/

·         http://www.literarywonders.com/

·         http://chew-the-fat-with-bettye.blogspot.com/

·         http://www.kandiedelley.com/category/news

Now that I’ve decided to blog, how do I get started?
There are many blog services available to you. Below is a short list of blog websites:
•http://www.bloggers.com
•http://www.wordpress.com
•http://www.blogspot.com

Remember keep blogging fun and your readers will enjoy visiting and who knows, you might just get a book sale or two from it, too. Visit one of my blogs and leave me a message with your weblink. If you don’t have a blog, create one.

I’m also accepting guest bloggers on my site, so if you’re interested, feel free to contact me via email sheliagoss@aol.com and put “guest blogger” in the subject header.

Shelia M Goss

http://www.sheliagoss.com/ or http://www.thelipglosschronicles.com/

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