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A FEW CREATIVE BLOG POST IDEAS


Blog posts or articles offer you authors a unique direct and personal way to reach your readers. The problem is that it’s not always easy to know what sort of content can be effective in order to attain that goal. Many authors tend to publish blog content which is specific to their own books. They have sneak previews or peeks, writing updates, new release and/or deal announcements, contests, etc. But why not turn it around and see what other content there is that could be engaging, and worth sharing with your followers.


I asked a couple of friendly authors if they were willing to share their methods when it comes to discovering new blog post ideas. Then analysing the results I came up with a short list of examples of some of the strongest performing posts. Now, whether your goal is to stay connected with your readers between book launches, or to just, say, create fodder for mailing lists, then these suggestions should be flexible, repeatable, and hopefully, engaging. Happy blogging!


1. A list of recommended books in your genre

As it happens one of the top suggestions was to write about other authors books. Readers are always looking for new books to fill their ‘to-be-read lists’ - especially in the genres they know and love. As an author, your recommendations are held in especially high regard, so why not share a few of your views and suggestions with your readers? Let’s say you write mystery themed stories, why not try gathering a list of upcoming novels you are excited to read this season. Or better still, review some of your favourite reads from the past year. Doing this allows you to refresh the list seasonally or annually.


2. A collection of bookish memes your audience can relate to

If there is one thing we all need it’s a good laugh, especially after the horrors of 2020. Humour is a great way to connect with your audience, positioning itself as a highly-shareable content subject. Ask yourself, do you have a particular reading pet peeve round which you could create a narrative? Or perhaps you have a favourite fandom which your readers might enjoy, too? Pinterest is a great platform to find relevant images — just make sure to always credit back!


3. Images of reading nooks or bookshelf designs

Many question whether or there is such a thing as a bookworm. Well if you were to meet my daughter then you would know the species is alive and kicking. She has over 9000 books in her collection. So many that I keep telling her to start a reading café. And of course, if there one thing a bookworm likes it having their own special place to sit and read. So, who doesn’t appreciate photos of cosy reading nooks or gorgeous bookshelves? Create a collection of unusual bookish images. Choose a particular season or theme which helps to keep the content focused and repeatable, like outdoor reading nooks or DIY bookshelves. Again, Pinterest and Instagram are great channels to re-purpose this type of image-based content.


4. A list of book-related gift ideas

When writing is your profession or hobby, the chances are you will have received all sorts of ‘bookish’ gifts from friends or family. You may even have purchased some of them yourself! It could have been a book light that you fell in love with, a framed print of your favourite literary quote, or a pair of Hobbit-inspired socks; whatever the accessory they can serve as the start to a great blog post. While this type of content will work all year round, you will probably find you have the greatest success around December. After all that’s when the book lovers are starting to look for some quirky gift ideas.


5. A list of books that have inspired your stories

If you have an upcoming book release, this type of content is a great a way to position the idea of your book and drum up interest in your readers. Try rounding up a list of books which have similar commonalities with the one you are launching. It could be one or more that inspired your writing, or which approached the stories using similar themes and problems. Does your book focus on a specific time in history? If so why not recommend a list of novels which are set in that period. Or are you marketing your book as a hot summer read? Try to include your new book in the company of other novels which fit the same bill.


Finally, remember that although every audience’s tastes will be different, we believe that these blog post ideas will serve as a jumping off point for your content. And if you’re looking for even more inspiration, well start reviewing other books, themes, images, events that relate in some way to you and your writing.



Copyright © 2022 Ann Brady, Mentoring Writers.  All rights reserved.