Helena Halme Author

Nordic Fiction with a hint of Noir and Romance

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A-Z Blogging Challenge: B is for Blogging

April 2, 2013 by Helena Halme 8 Comments

Should writer’s blog?

When I started blogging three years ago, I did it purely as an experiment and because I like writing, whether an article for a magazine, a blog or a novel.

I also knew that blogging can be a very good way for a writer to build a platform, to get your name out there. It can also provide a support network, and build friendships. If writing is your day job, it can be a very lonely profession.

Recently, however, many people in the blogosphere and even in the publishing industry, are doubting whether blogging is good for authors. Shouldn’t a writer put all his or her energies into producing the thing they want to to produce, ie books, rather than blog posts?

I’ve noticed that there’s also a school of thought where if you are a non-fiction writer, setting up and keeping an informative blog on your specialist subject is almost a must, whereas for fiction writers it might be more of a distraction to have to keep up blogging as well as ‘proper’ writing. There’s an excellent recent blog post about this on Joanna Penn’s blog, The Creative Penn.

Personally, I know I wouldn’t be the writer I am today if it wasn’t for this blog.

Firstly, my first published novel, The Englishman (which incidentally is on a short free promotion at the moment), was born out of a set of blog posts I started writing here (remember How I Came to be in England?).

Secondly, I’ve made numerous friends since I started blogging. These online readers and fellows writers have spurred me on in ways I could not have imagined before I started writing a blog. You guys gave me confidence to finish The Englishman, as well as to bring out my other two novels, Coffee and Vodka and The Red King of Helsinki.

Thirdly, I have learned a huge amount about publishing, book marketing, and – yes- writing through having this blog and reading other blogs.

Lastly, writing a blog has taught me discipline in writing. For instance this A-Z Challenge is just what the doctor ordered for me right now. With all of my completed books out, I literally need a kick up the preverbal to get me going on a sequel. (Not telling you which book will have a sequel yet…it’ll be a surprise!)

So, for me as a writer, blogging is a must.

You may also like:

Advice for New Writers Part 8: How to Build an Author Platform Default ThumbnailA-Z Blogging Challenge: E is for The Englishman and F is for Freebies Default ThumbnailA-Z Blogging Challenge: A is for Agents Does writing a book ever get easier?

Comments

  1. Hilary Melton-Butcher says

    April 2, 2013 at 4:26 pm

    Hi Helena .. I couldn't agree more – I'm not an author as such .. but I've learnt so much about all sorts of aspects of life ..

    So pleased you're on your way to another novel/sequel .. cheers Hilary

    PS .. you couldn't take word verifcation off for the A-Z could you – I can't read the one below and then it gets time consuming ..

    Thanks so much .. Hilary

    Reply
  2. Helena Halme says

    April 2, 2013 at 4:28 pm

    Hilary,

    I had to put in the word verification because I was getting hundreds of spam comments. Sorry, I can't quite work out what else to do, the comments were also spamming my mail! It's hugely annoying.

    Helena

    Reply
  3. J. A. Bennett says

    April 2, 2013 at 6:05 pm

    I agree! I've learned so much through the blogging community and have made so many friends and gained critique partners that I otherwise wouldn't have had. Blogging has been one of the best decision's I've ever made 🙂

    Reply
  4. Konstanz Silverbow says

    April 2, 2013 at 6:19 pm

    I was semi-upset when reading all those posts going around that authors didn't need to blog. I am with you, without my blog I wouldn't be where I am today. I wouldn't know the people I know today.

    I think blogging isn't necessarily a "must" but it shouldn't be a "don't do this no matter what" either.

    Konstanz Silverbow
    nothoughts2small.blogspot.com
    A-to-Z April Blogging Challenge Co-host
    http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com

    *Please turn Word Verification off during the challenge. Blogger is wonderful at catching spam and you are sure to get more comments without it on.

    Reply
  5. Helena Halme says

    April 2, 2013 at 6:20 pm

    I am so pleased you are with me on blogging! I'm really enjoying this challenge so far and thank you for dropping by!

    Helena xx

    Reply
  6. Hunter Emkay says

    April 4, 2013 at 12:39 pm

    This is a really good question. I've been blogging for over a decade now,and blogged basically because I wanted to write. It's only now, after a couple of years blogging and writing fiction, that I'm beginning to feel the pull to move away from blogging (after the A to Z Challenge, obviously) to allow more time for actually getting my fiction completed. Author Platform for fiction writers is a bit of a issue in my mind at the moment because without any books I don't need a platform for my readers, right? But without the blog, my voice gets silenced a little also. So…I'm playing it by ear, or maybe – by feeling, day by day.

    Reply
  7. Helena Halme says

    April 4, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    Hunter, I feel exactly the same as you. It's a difficult call!

    Reply
  8. Maria says

    April 5, 2013 at 12:37 pm

    Helena, I echo most of your thoughts on blogging, except I didn't set mine up as a platform to sell myself as an author, more because I wanted to interact with other writers.

    That worked, and like you, I have made many online friends, some of which I have met up with in real life.

    Good post, thank you for sharing.

    Reply

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