Going from Blogger to Book Author: It’s Not as Hard as You Think!

By Guest Blogger Susan Daffron

As a blogger, you’re writing all the time. But even productive bloggers who crank out countless blog posts every week seem to get nervous about the idea of writing a book.

For many bloggers, the idea of writing a “real” book seems intimidating. By putting your writing into book form, it feels more public and even a little scary. To many people, even publishing an ebook seems “safer” than publishing a book, so they never make the leap into print. I will repeat then, Going from Blogger to Book Author: It’s Not As Hard as You Think!

However, publishing a real dead-tree print book gives you a level of credibility that no ebook can match. Being a book author sets you apart and positions you as an authority. Think about it: if you’re reading a magazine, you almost never see bloggers quoted as experts. And you certainly don’t see quotes from ebook authors. You see quotes from published book authors.

I’ve published 10 books (so far) and I can tell you writing and publishing a book isn’t as difficult as you might think. For most people, the really hard part is actually writing something. So as a blogger, you have an incredible advantage. You write!

In this series of articles, I’m going to show you how you can go from blogger to book author. Here’s the high-level overview to whet your appetite:

1. Ask your community about their biggest problems.

2. Brainstorm ideas and use a mind map or outline to organize them.

3. Research the competition.

4. Refine your topic and search for content you can “recycle.”

5. Define your book’s unique selling proposition.

6. Set aside writing time and establish deadlines.

7. Learn about the book business and decide on a publishing path.

Next time in step 1, I’ll discuss probably the biggest hurdle for many aspiring writers: deciding on a topic for your book. As a blogger, you already have a community you can talk to about your ideas. Great books solve problems. Find out what these problems are and you’re halfway there.

Until next time, live long and publish!

Susan Daffron, aka The Book Consultant owns a book and software publishing company. She spends most of her time writing, laying out books in InDesign, or taking her dogs out for romps in the forest. She also teaches people how to write and publish profitable client-attracting books at www.SelfPubU.com and puts on the Self-Publishers Online conference every May.

Look for the next in the series on July 19.