Today, I'm happy to have Deanna Proach as the guest blogger. Her article below has been inspired by her own experiences and I find her advice to be an important one for any writer.
Deanna Proach has authored two novels: To be Maria (PULSEpub) and Day of Revenge (Inkwater Press). She's also an avid blogger herself. You can learn more about Deanna on her blog, http://deannaswriting.wordpress.com. 
When
Opportunity Doesn't Knock on Your Door, Open it Up
by Deanna Proach
Recently, while I was on Facebook, I saw
a post on a friend's wall that said something like this: ‘When opportunity
doesn't knock at your door, open it up.’ I can't remember the exact words of
this quote, but the message deeply resonated with me, and it was incredibly
inspiring.
When you're starting out as a
writer--like myself--it's tough. Trying to get attention is like screaming into
the wilderness: no one hears you. When it comes to writing, no one sees you.
However just because no one see you, that doesn't mean no one cares about your
book. Your lack of visibility is most likely because no one outside your circle
of family and friends knows about your book.
That can change, but it's up to you to
make that change. You cannot expect readers to find your book because they
won't, and your book won't sell itself. You must make the effort to find your
target audience. Writing for high profile magazines and blogs, and appearing on
popular talk or radio shows is the number one way to get the word out about
your book to millions of people. Fast. But if you don't have the right
connections, experience or publicity, these opportunities may seem out of
reach. Yet, it doesn't have to be. There is one way you can open up the door to
opportunity for greater publicity: Blogging.
Establish a personal blog or website.
It's the best way to create an online presence. When it comes to blogs--even
personal blogs--content is king, and so are basic SEO skills. The best way to
attract readers to your blog is to write content that people want to read. The
types of articles that attract people the most are those that inspire, inform,
educate and entertain. Make every blog article title descriptive and gripping,
and write well. People respond much better to those who write well than those
who don't.
If you're an author who loves to read
and has a passion for books, start a book blog. There are numerous authors who
need reviews and other forms of promotion, so you don't have to look far to
find them. You can even become a host for blog tour companies. Most, if not all,
blog tour companies have an ample following, so it would be an excellent
opportunity for you to build a readership, get the word out about your own book
while offering services to other emerging authors.
On the other hand, you might be the kind
of author who has multiple interests. If that is the case, create a new blog
that is based entirely on one of your many passions. For example, if you're an
author of young adult fiction, but have a passion for photography, start a new
blog that's centered on photography. This would give you an excellent
opportunity to showcase your talent, as well as provide tips and advice to new
and aspiring photographers. You can even write fiction pieces based on images.
Well written, engaging content and
strong SEO skills are key to building a following, but to maximize your
potential, you must promote, promote, promote. Submit your blog's feed to every
social networking site you belong to, comment on other blogs and make the
effort to connect with other writers.
This is laborious, time consuming work,
but it will be well worth it in the end. In time, you will reach your goal and
opportunities for massive publicity will come your way. So don't wait for
opportunity to knock at your door. Open the door to opportunity.
Deanna, thank you for guest blogging with this great article today!
Thank you for having me as a guest on your blog, Yelena:)
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