Your blog

Note: If you have already set up a website with Blogger or WordPress, then a page on your website should be your blog. 


Decide on a focus or theme 


Choose something you want to write about regularly, something that excites you and nourishes your work.


Setting it up

1. Choose a name for your blog. Give this some thought before you jump in.


2. Choose your website address. The site will tell you if the address is available.

Whenever possible, use your name. You are your brand. 

If someone else has grabbed your name, add something to it (for example: authorJoanSmith). 

Note: if you have a domain name (JoanSmith.com), you will be able to use it for your blog. This, however, is beyond the Luddite level.  I, personally, would hire a Tech Wizz to do this. 

Start blogging

Make the name of your post catchy: it might be the only thing that gets read.

Keep your blog essays (called "posts") short.

Headings in bold help break up the space. (Readers skim when on computer.)

Add visuals. They will need to be in a JPEG format. You can use a photo on your own computer or one on the Net (so long as it's in the public domaine). 

To take an image off the Net: "Control-click" an image on the Net and save to JPEG. 

If that doesn't work, use an image clipping software. As a Mac user, I like Grab, but there are many others. 

To add a video off YouTube, click on <embed> in the lower right hand corner. Copy the code that comes up. Go to the "Edit HTML" tab (upper right above). Scroll down to where you want the video to appear. Paste in the code: 

I just did this for this wonderful TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love. It didn't show up until I pressed "publish post," and then there it was. 

Try to post regularly, but not at the cost of the quality of your posts. Offer something: tips, links to good blogs, book reviews ... your book even. Be generous. 

7.  Always respond to comments—unless it's spam, of course. You will have control over what comments are published. (Comments will be emailed to you for approval.) Take care how you respond: comments cannot be edited once posted.


8. Link to blogs you read, books you like, websites of authors you like. Lists of links are called a Blog Roll.