Turning a Blog into a Book
I’m writing a white paper about how bloggers become authors. Since you have done this yourself, could you answer a few questions for me?
1. What’s the biggest difference between writing a blog or blog posts and writing a book?
2. Many bloggers think writing a book makes them rich and famous. Certainly that can happen, but what is the reality of what a book can or will do for your career and/or finances?
3. If you could share three things a blogger should do to get ready to write a book — even if just level setting expectations — what would those things be?
1. What’s the biggest difference between writing a blog or blog posts and writing a book?
Blog posts get measured, immediately, for being interesting and engaging. One post is about 700 words. If no one likes it, you don’t write that way again.
A book does not get evaluated by the market until you have written 30,000 words. And if people don’t like it, you don’t have another chance the next day.
2. Many bloggers think writing a book makes them rich and famous. Certainly that can happen, but what is the reality of what a book can or will do for your career and/or finances?
A book gets you speaking gigs. And speaking gigs get you a life on the road. And a life on the road ruins your personal life and you have to spend all your speaking money on therapy.
3. If you could share three things a blogger should do to get ready to write a book — even if just level setting expectations — what would those things be?
If you know how to run a blog you can earn more money self-publishing a book than using a publisher.
Books are not high-ticket enough items to make you rich. Do classes instead.
Books lead to speaking careers but speaking careers ruin your life because you are always traveling. Just keep blogging – it’s the same upside potential with better quality of life.