If you currently have a successful blog with a moderate fan base of subscribers, you might be considering the benefits of having a book to expand your personal brand. One of the most difficult parts of getting started is figuring out how to market the ideas and blog content you have in book form, without republishing your blog posts or ideas in the same way. The more unique you can make your book content, the more likely your subscribers are to buy it. For an in-depth look at any of 8 the following methods to turn your blog into a book, you can sign up for my writer’s newsletter here.
Here are 8 ways to turn your blog ideas into a full-blown book:
For blogs in general:
Write about a topic broader than your blog – If you write a blog about golden retrievers, consider writing a book about dogs in general.
Write about a niche within your blog topic – If you write a blog about career advice, consider writing a book about career advice for college graduates.
Write in a different medium or style – if your blog is heavy on content, consider writing a photo book with funny captions in the same topic.
If your blog is a how-to subject:
Compile case studies and examples into a book – If your blog is about B2B SEO consulting, consider compiling a book of case studies from your previous work.
Compile a reference book about something in your blog’s niche – If you write a blog about social networking, consider writing a book of demographics, tricks, and hacks for each social network.
Partner with other bloggers in your niche to create a definitive guide – If you write a blog in a small niche, consider writing a definitive guide to your particular niche
If your blog is more personal:
Write a memoir of life lessons – If your blog is personal and it has achieved moderate success, write a memoir or a tell-all that reveals more about you than your blog does
Write a fiction book about your topic – If you write a non-fiction blog, consider whether a fiction book would be a more interesting way to share the content
For an in-depth look at any of these methods, I’ll be going into further detail in my writer’s newsletter, which you can sign up for here.
Author:
Monica O’Brien writes career advice for young professionals at her blog, Twenty Set. You can also follow her on Twitter (@monicaobrien).
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Thanks, Monica. Very useful suggestions. Certainly something to keep in mind as I develop my future posts. Cheers, Robin
Thanks so much for this wonderful comment. I have bookmarked your site, got to be visiting regularly as I have my book coming out soon and have the plan to turn my blog posts at NaijaMotivation into books in the nearest future
God bless you
Thanks Robin! Posting regularly is a great way to test the market for what your audience wants to read. Every time you have a great post, you know it’s a topic that people care about, and you should definitely expand on that topic as a section in your book.
Don’t forget to sign up for my writing series if you are interested in turning your blog into a book: http://twentyset.com/writing. Thanks again for the comment!
This is an eye-opening pece Monica. thanks for this piece
Nice post. My blog is about my life as a SAHD and my failings in my professional career. I’ve given a lot of thought to writing a book and have started noodling some ideas. I signed up for your writing series when you twittered about it yesterday. Looking forward to gleaning more information from it. Thx, pj
Thank you for the great article. It was very helpful. Good writing tips are crucial.
Great post, Monica! I’m thinking about doing this with a blog I did back in 2006 and 2007 on a non-business topc. Really good suggestions. Beverly Macy
I am actually in the process of brainstorming ideas for a book I plan on writing in the near future, so thank you for the quick pointers
My main goal is to one day convert my online content to book form. The comic industry is changing due to the web — and “web to print” is now becoming a more viable option for indie artists like myself. Thanks for the post! — Sean
Why is everything a brand? Or for sale? Are we all the bastard children of people like Edward Bernays and Ivy Lee? Is management our new religion? Taylorism as spiritual mantra. If everybody writes books, and thinks they have something important to say, then who will do the listening? Just waiting for the book about how there are too many books. Alas, it has probably already been written…