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Blogging For Writers: How Authors & Writers Build Successful Blogs

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The world of words has undergone a revolution, and everyone from authors to publishers has been affected by the explosion of digital media. Today, a blog is one of the most powerful tools a writer has at his or her disposal. Whether you want to connect with a potentially huge new readership or showcase your work and get published, a well-written, well-presented blog is essential.

Packed with tips, advice, and inspirational stories from successful writers who blog, Blogging for Writers is an accessible guide that teaches everything you need to know to create a blog that you'll enjoy writing--and one that readers will return to again and again. No technical knowledge is required: Blogging expert Robin Houghton will take you through the whole process step by step, and you'll soon discover how to blog with confidence, substance, and style.

176 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2014

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About the author

Robin Houghton

12 books10 followers
I'm the author of 'Blogging for Creatives' (Ilex 2012) and two more blogging books forthcoming in 2015. I'm also a published and award-winning poet with work in The Rialto, the North, Agenda, Poetry News and other good UK poetry publications.) My pamphlet "The Great Vowel Shift' is available from Telltale Press.

I help authors, poets and all kinds of writers to establish and improve their online social web presence, from optimising their social profiles to engaging on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other online networks. My services include mentoring and training for groups or individuals.

My free newsletter "Social Media Essentials for Writers" goes out every two weeks - you can sign up for it and read the blog at www.socialmediaforwriters.co.uk

My online experience goes way back - I hand-coded my first website in 1999 and my first HTML email newsletter in 2000. Since then I've worked exclusively in online marketing and communications, advising organisations, small businesses and communications teams in social (media) business communications. I've also written hundreds of articles for professional, business and consumer publications including Hotelkeeper and Caterer, Classical Music, Dine Out and Market Leader. I've been blogging for many years and have guest blogged for Friday Ad, the Marketing Society, Marketing Profs, BritMums and others.

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5 stars
23 (20%)
4 stars
43 (38%)
3 stars
32 (28%)
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13 (11%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Dannii Elle.
2,111 reviews1,699 followers
January 3, 2017
I have found it is a running theme with these sorts of guides to have a title that seems to directly offer something to a certain demographic, and yet what is delivered is general information that can be found in any other book on the topic. This didn't feel targeted at writers all that much, but would be a great tool for anyone interested in starting a blog.

This was not a bad read, but not exactly what I was looking for. A lot of this details how to set up a blog, and for someone already writing for one, I found this to be useless information.

One aspect I did appreciate were the small sections that accompanied each page, featuring a blog, Facebook page or individual on Twitter of interest. As the book was only published in 2014, a lot of these were still running and relevent and, from these, I have found a wealth of resources and knowledge. This book, however? Not so much.
Profile Image for Jane Cairns.
89 reviews5 followers
September 8, 2018
My review is for the newer 2017 paperback edition.

I just finished an enlightening book, Blogging for Writers, by Robin Houghton. While geared towards writers, the information is useful for anyone interested in creating their own blog or making an ongoing blog more successful.

Topics range from choosing a platform to getting the right look to getting noticed. Houghton provides hints on what makes a good blog post. She discusses using your blog to interact with and get noticed by the media. Houghton also mentions connecting to other social media and how to earn income through your blog. Houghton also spotlights other bloggers as inspiration.

Overall, Blogging for Writers is a great pick. Houghton’s writing is quick and snappy. She covers each topic effectively and efficiently, and supports her assertions with good examples from other blogs.

However, there are two strikes against Blogging for Writers. Some of the illustrations are screenshots that are too small to be very helpful (magnifying glass, maybe?). Some of the links are dead or point to sites that have migrated to something else. Granted, in our fast-paced online world things change speedily. But some of the defunct/missing sites should have been caught in whatever update happened in 2017.

For example, Stacy Millican, a featured blogger, used to blog at www.thenovellife.com. However, she has not been the owner of this blog since 2014. Apparently, Ms. Millican now has a website/blog at www.stacymillican.com, which is “coming soon.” Meanwhile, www.thenovellife.com, subtitled “where travel and books collide” is now solely a travel tips blog and does not seem to include books at all. “Niawmitz,” a young woman who lives with her husband and children in Singapore, now owns the site.

But, I still give this book a thumbs up. I’ll implement some of her suggestions on my own blog at www.janecairns.com, and follow up on many of the bloggers she introduces in the book.
Profile Image for Sara.
Author 5 books59 followers
May 8, 2019
This how-to guide focuses on the nuts and bolts of blogging, from choosing your platform (primarily Blogger and WordPress) and setting up your blog to writing content and promoting your blog using social media and other means. Each chapter highlights well-known bloggers in short case studies and is jam-packed with screenshots, diagrams, and other visuals.

Experienced bloggers will find the advice in here fairly basic, and some of the information is out-of-date (e.g., Google+ doesn't exist anymore). But for anyone who has yet to start this kind of venture, BLOGGING FOR WRITERS is a comprehensive step-by-step tutorial that can help you create a blog that you'll enjoy writing and feel confident about sharing with the world.
Profile Image for C.
1,133 reviews1,034 followers
September 10, 2021
Very basic blogging advice aimed at writers (authors, journalists, etc.). I've been blogging for years (though minimally, only as part of broader marketing efforts, not as a full-time blogger). This book includes many specific tutorials for different blogging-related services (WordPress.com, Blogger, etc.). It contains many "featured bloggers," briefly showing the experience of real bloggers, which include a tip here and there but are not very insightful.

Notes
Blog post types that work
Story (formula: situation, issues, action, outcome)
List
How to/practical advice
Interview
Round up (collection of resources)
Review
Point of view/opinion
Controversy
Contest/giveaway
Prediction
Dilemma

How to encourage comments
1. End post with a question. Don't use it too often.
2. Ask for advice or contributions.
3. Reduce barriers to commenting (CAPTCHA, etc.).
4. Show appreciation for commenters. At least reply, even if just to thank commenter. Consider thanking publicly on social media. Consider inviting regular contributors to write a guest post.

"Try to post once a week as a minimum. This is enough for your blog to look active, for Google to notice you, and for subscribers to feel loved. Research has shown that when you start to post more frequently, subscriptions, page views, and comments all go up."
Profile Image for Nathan Albright.
4,488 reviews126 followers
March 9, 2020
I have to admit that this book somewhat disappointed me.  To be fair, I have been blogging for a long time, since the mid 2000's, and I thought that there would be more discussion when it comes to creating great content.  What I saw instead is a lot of frippery, as the author seemed to indicate that dumbing down and reducing text and increasing the number of pictures to make for showy and glitzy visuals is the key to building a successful blog.  It is commonly said that the current generation of computer users is not generally one that is friendly to text.  Writers and authors (and bloggers), though, are people whose passions lead them to write text, sometimes in very large amounts.  The author might take it for granted that such bloggers would by definition have a lot of text to work with and decided to focus on elements that authors and writers might be less knowledgeable about, namely pretty themes and lots of pictures to attract the semi-literate masses.  I don't think people are that uninterested in text, though, as solid information compellingly presented with a minimum of visuals can still be immensely compelling for those who enjoy reading.

This book is less than 200 pages long and it is divided into twelve chapters.  The author begins with an introduction that seeks to justify blogging to existing writers and encourage the reader to choose a blogging persona, plan, and name (1).  After that comes a discussion of the choice of blogging platform, layout, as well as some basic building blocks (2).  After that comes a step-by-step discussion of how to set up a blog in either Blogger or Wordpress (3).  This is followed by a discussion of how one can get the right look (4) for a blog as well as adding images, audio, and video (5).  The author then discusses how to get noticed (6) and how to use social media to drive traffic to one's blog (7).  There are then discussions of using the blog as a PR tool to court the media (8), earn money from being an affiliate, advertising, or selling merch (9).  The author then looks at how a blogger can measure how they are doing (10), troubleshoot and avoid problems with law or with one's motivation to write (11), and encourages people to get blogging (12), after which there is an index and acknowledgements.

If this book was a bit disappointing to me, it is probably something that those whose blogs are included on here would well enjoy.  The definition of what makes for a successful blog is left deliberately vague by the authors.  Some people end up creating blogs that have thousands of views a day.  Others of us (myself included) have hundreds a day and come up with new content that occasionally draws interest and commentary from others.  This is a book to read if you want to create an aesthetically pleasing blog or if your blog was deemed pretty enough and successful enough to be a part of this book.  Given the amount of blogs included here, there are at least a few hundred potential readers of this book who would enjoy what the author has to say.  Some of the technical information is useful as the author is keen on promoting Blogger and WordPress, and I have personal experience using both myself (as is likely the case with at least some other writers).  As is often the case with books aimed at writers, the author assumes that the writing part is down pat and that it is the marketing and technical elements that need work, which is probably a fair assumption for the most part.  Take of this book what you will.
Profile Image for B. R. Kyle (Ambiguous Pieces) .
157 reviews22 followers
May 10, 2017
General Observations:
~This book, while useful, was more centered towards beginners or writers who are only just discovering blogging. In that regard, it is a very handy all in one reference for those just starting out, however I was looking for something more

~Very visual orientated with interesting pictures and diagrams, lots of colorful boarders around specialized chapters and Blogger profiles

~I felt the author could have gone into more detail with the monetizing chapter, the author mentioned pay-pal but not other possible options or upfront costs an emerging author would have to put forward.

~The Blogging Platforms were primarily focused on Blogger and WordPress, which was fine, but I would have preferred for the author to discuss Tumblr in greater detail.

~The social media platforms were primarily Twitter (which I didn’t have a problem with) and Google+ (the one social media application I have really struggled with). However, Robin Houghton’s book made me re-think Google+ and Facebook, so I might be willing to try to give it another go.

Overall, the book contained lots of useful references, most I already knew about and use, but there were a few links I hadn’t found before and I found the blogger profiles and chapter section on Google Analytics helpful. An excellent resource for Writer’s just beginning their blogging journey.
33 reviews
May 16, 2018
A good, comprehensive guide for beginning bloggers (I read the 2014 ed. I don't know if the above cover is from an updated ed.). There is a lot of step by step info in the book that helps set up a basic blog. However, I felt like the author could have driven a little deeper into the topic of good content since s/he emphasizes how important it is. Perhaps providing the reader with exercises in a future edition would be more helpful to readers. I know exercises help inspire me often enough. Houghton does have lots of sample blogs and featured bloggers in the book, and visiting their pages does help with some of the design aspects. I even found some new blogs I may wish to follow just to see how they generate content. But as mentioned earlier, I feel that after paying for the book, I shouldn't have to seek this information from outside sources. It is time-consuming and not efficient. There are some points Houghton covers in the book that aren't covered in smaller brochures or pamphlets, such as an extensive view of social media marketing for a new blog and how to most efficiently manage that social media through an app. I learned new things in this book that I didn't know previously, hence the four stars. It would have gotten five if it wasn't quite so basic. I would read more books by this author, though.
Profile Image for Jonathan Jones.
35 reviews
September 1, 2018
I began blogging several years ago, as a means of sharing my thoughts and feelings on matters of faith, the Franciscan way of life, and the Catholic Church. I have always been searching for any source of information that could guide me through the ways of the blogosphere. I have found Robin Houghton to be one of those guides. To date, I have purchased the her three books on blogging, the latest being "Blogging for Writer's" Following the same format she used in her first book, "Blogging for Creatives," she goes through the steps of setting up, and using a blog, with the emphasis on how it can help an aspiring author. Through each chapter, she introduces the reader to writers and authors, who are actively blogging, and have successful blogs.

I enjoyed this book; it is a type of book that is easy to read on the commuter train, and can inspire you to take up blogging, or to return to it. My only complaint is that her screen shots, showing blogs that illustrate her chapter's point, very small. You would need a magnifying glass to examine it! Still, it is a good introduction to world of blogging!

Profile Image for Donn Lee.
296 reviews7 followers
December 18, 2019
It’s a little ironic that I thought this book would have worked much better on an online medium, i.e. series of blog posts, as opposed to a book. I did find some very useful nuggets though, especially on content types that work and the editorial calendar.

If I’d read this book in the year it was published, no qualms about giving it four stars. But given its 2019 now as I wrote this, and just two weeks from 2020, you’d probably want to give this book a miss unless it’s a loaner. Given the pace of technological change, many of the things mentioned are now a little out of date, and if you didn’t know otherwise you’d be sent on plenty of goose chases.
Profile Image for Tülin.
58 reviews2 followers
June 9, 2022
The 2014 edition
To no one's surprise, this edition is sadly outdated, though I think Houghton did a great job in writing this. There is some valuable content that can be helpful for an older audience who have not used websites such as wordpress or blogger before. The first couple of pages that introduce each chapter are a little mind-numbing however.
I also wish there were more examples of creating an editorial schedule and blog post ideas. The '12 kinds of blog posts' was very useful though, and I will be using that for my own future blog posts.
Profile Image for Withme.
141 reviews3 followers
August 28, 2018
This book is great for people completely and utterly new to blogging (and possibly even the internet itself) - however, it doesn't offer much to writers/authors in particular and is instead more of a general manual to setting up any kind of blog, regardless of content. Unfortunately, as with all texts related to modern technology, Blogging for Writers is also becoming obsolete with some of its presented information even though only published a few short years ago.
Profile Image for Carlos Ramos.
Author 2 books7 followers
May 11, 2022
Like most technology books, this has not aged well.

I thought this book was more like "tips for writers that want to write for the web," but most of this was spend on the technology aspect of it.

Since I am a technical person, I do not feel that the content regading the platform was sufficient. If you remove that from the book, the writing tips are scarse.

For me, this job did poorly on tips for writing as well as the technical side of having a blog.
Profile Image for Heather Nelson.
Author 7 books9 followers
February 27, 2017
SUPER informative and jam packed with very practical applications. A quick read, and easy to digest. Not just "for fun" this book is very helpful and lays out easy steps to go from 'wish I blogged' to "BLOGGING AND OWNING IT".
Profile Image for Roger L. Boyes.
Author 2 books4 followers
August 21, 2017
I found some solid advice and practical things I was able to use right away on my blog. I'd highly recommend this to any new blogger. The only negative I have is that the tips/sidebar bubble text is very small and hard to read.
Profile Image for Michelle.
44 reviews6 followers
November 24, 2017
A very good research book. There is a lot of common sense information in it but it covers everything. It has a lot of very useful resources and information. I especially liked the resource page and the tips from other bloggers.
Profile Image for Michele.
3 reviews4 followers
January 13, 2019
Read this book if you are just starting your blog and don't know where to begin.
Profile Image for Clara.
61 reviews1 follower
July 2, 2022
Out of date and has more pictures than is probably necessary, but still decently good
Profile Image for Carlos Piélago Rojo.
179 reviews2 followers
May 25, 2016
El primer problema que encuentro es el título, porque hay mucho de blogging pero muy poco de escritura creativa, con lo que el título puede lleva a engaños, como me ha pasado a mí.
El segundo problema es que se invierten muchas páginas en contar cosas demasiado básicas —lo son para mí que casi no he tocado un blog—, pues imagínate para alguien que ya tenga un poco de soltura en el tema, se va a llevar un buen chasco cuando vea una página tras otra explicando cómo se configura un blog en Blogger o cómo se publica un post en Wordpress, lo dicho, es para gente que no ha tocado un blog en su vida.
Luego, cuando parece que la cosa se anima y por fin te van a explicar los secretos del blogging, pues otra vez a explicar cosas que, para mi gusto, son básicas, y que puedes leer en cualquier blog de marketing. Y repito, hay cosas de blogueo, de marketing, pero cero de escritura creativa, es lo que he echado en falta en todo momento, que me expliquen técnicas narrativas para escribir mejor, o cómo escribir para blogs, aunque sea un mínimo; es que, encima, cuando hay un apartado de SEO es para hablar sobre ello por encima. Todo está orientado a cuestiones técnicas, y a marketing editorial o para escritores, por esa parte (la del marketing) no está mal, aunque considero que flojea.
Además, creo que se repite en varios aspectos con su antecesor (libro sobre blogging escrito por la misma autora) en cuanto a lo de planificar el blog, y todo eso. Con lo que, si añadimos esto a las páginas de configuración de Blogger y de Wordpress, suman unas cuantas páginas un tanto inútiles.
Solo lo recomiendo para gente que no tenga ni idea de blogging y que no busquen nada sobre escritura creativa.
Profile Image for Margaret Westlie.
Author 14 books4 followers
June 8, 2015
I am currently reading Robin Houghton's book, Blogging for Writers. It's a Writers Digest book published by Ilex Press in 2014. As a novice blogger I'm finding it very useful. There are chapters on every aspect of blogging. Several chapters on the techmology available as we set up our blogs -- I leave that section to my techie husband. I did read that chapter and learned a few more things but computer activity is as impenetrable to me as doing higher math. I understand the concepts but I can never make the figures work. Therefore, after all this time, I'm still struggling with the basics in both cases and must learn it in very tiny baby steps. With this book that is possible.

What made the most sense to me was the actual writing of blogs. In my year or so of blogging I have been hard put to figure out what to blog about. I don't want to waste people's good reading time with empty paragraphs. I don't like controversy so I'm not likely going to rant on any subject. I do from time to time turn to a social point or two-- never a sermon. I like to write on positive themes or amusing observations like quirks of people and society or more likely myself. Robin's discussion on blog topics and examples from other bloggers are helpful and reassuring for the timid blogger (me). She also lists useful blog sites for writers. And, blessing upon blessing, she has a glossary at the end for senior memories like mine. This book is a goldmine for baby bloggers and well worth the purchase price. Thanks, Robin Houghton.
Profile Image for Amanda.
115 reviews7 followers
July 5, 2015
I really found this book to be a guide for anyone who is blogging or wants to start blogging, even if you are not an aspiring writer. Each section was clear and concise in terms of content, plus there were great examples of the blogs that coincide with the information provided. A great guide.

The way that the information is structured was also very important for the overall feel of the book. Starting at the beginning the book begins by allowing the reader to discern what platform they would use, through to using audio and video rather than just writing on a blog. Further through the book there are suggestions for using social media and tips on etiquette in terms of using affiliate links and writing reviews to earn money through your blog. Very helpful information.

I would suggest this title for the beginner and advise them to take notes as they are reading. One of the benefits with this particular book is that there are varied examples that you can jump onto the internet and have a look at, to really get the reader to think about what they want or how they can change what they are currently doing.

Overall, I would recommend this title for both people considering establishing a blog and for people who already have established a blog but are looking to improve their readership.
Profile Image for Kelly Lynn Thomas.
810 reviews20 followers
March 26, 2015
This book was disappointing, as it contained pretty much the exact same information as the author's other book, Blogging for Creatives. The information on why you should blog, what you can get out of it, the technical details of how to do it, good plugins to use--that stuff is all good. But I don't think she spent very much time on blogging for writers specifically. I would have liked information on the pros and cons of blogging about writers, how blogging figures into platform building, and examples of blogs of published and self-published authors. Most of her examples seemed to come from people who write blogs, but don't necessarily write books.

I probably would have rated this one star higher if I hadn't read her other book first. It's not that the info is bad, it's just that I didn't feel like I learned anything new from it.
Profile Image for Kirk Hanley.
Author 5 books12 followers
May 13, 2015
Most of the information in this guide is available online - but spread out all over the Internet. This book has the advantage of capturing many of the considerations one might have when starting, maintaining, and publicizing a blog, all in one convenient place. It is also geared specifically toward writers, whereas many other blogging guides are written for internet marketers or small business people. Rather than giving you the final word on any topic, I think it serves as a jumping off point on aspects of your blog that you can work on and improve. Presented in a very visual format, I think most writer's would find this a useful resource to help grow their blog readership. Recommended.
Profile Image for Lee McClain.
Author 142 books469 followers
January 17, 2015
This book was useful to me as a novelist with a fairly new blog. The best idea was to create an editorial calendar to maintain motivation and figure out appropriate content. I also liked the ideas for blog posts. The book's main drawback, at least in print form, is that the sample blogs are too small to see or read. The book is laid out in scrapbook fashion, and maybe 1/3 of the content is too small. There's also a fair amount of technical information that I myself didn't find useful, although it might help some readers who prefer to learn in book form rather than from online helps.
Profile Image for Alyce Hunt.
1,291 reviews21 followers
April 14, 2016
I'm not writing a full review of this book, because I'm not actually a writer. I was only really reading this book for the blogging information, to see if there were any tips or tricks that I could include in my blogging. If I'd been the intended audience, maybe I would have enjoyed it more, but it just seemed like it waffled on in places.
If you're new to blogging, I'd definitely recommend this, because it shows you lots of different options for where you should host your blog, and it's very bright and colourful, filled with information and easy to digest.
Profile Image for Bakari.
Author 2 books43 followers
January 21, 2015
Mainly for writers new to blogging. The book provides a comprehensive overview of blogging, from setting up your blog on WordPress or Blogger to monetizing your blog. I would have liked to seem more pages devoted to ideas for writing blog content and maintaining a blog. You can find similar information in this book scattered throughout the internet, but this book tries to bring it all together. That being said, the book is merely an introduction. Don't expect depth on any particular topic.
Profile Image for Tracey Ormerod.
91 reviews8 followers
December 10, 2015
If you're a writer and you're new to blogging, this would make a great addition to your library ... for now. Herein lies the challenge with such books; they can become outdated as quickly as they printed and published.

But, there are enough fundamental how-to's and tips to help you get a good start and I found, even with all of the reading I've done in this area over the last 2 years, there were some unique ideas that I'd like to try out.

Overall, well worth the read.
Profile Image for Larry Verstraete.
Author 24 books23 followers
April 17, 2016
Easy to follow, well designed, heavily illustrated with many examples, this book not only provided information about the hows and whys of blogging, but also covered the technical aspects of setting up and monitoring a blog site. The book would be most useful to novice bloggers, but even experienced bloggers could reap its benefits, and find ways of tweaking their existing blogs.
Profile Image for alli.
491 reviews20 followers
July 17, 2015
This is a great resource, particularly for new writer-bloggers, but also for those who need clarity and focus to their blog. Houghton covers an array of topics, from blogging platforms to content creation to building community. I found this full of useful information that I will turn to time and again as I begin my blogging journey.
Profile Image for Liz.
109 reviews78 followers
July 14, 2016
I found this book to be extremely helpful. Something about visual books when it comes to technology is very beneficial. I also appreciated the many links to other blogs. It was helpful to see how other bloggers approach a writers blog. I've blogged for years, but not seriously, this was a nice introduction to the blogsphere for writers.
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