Writing a blog can be rewarding if you implement the tips in the following post.

One reason it’s worth all the work is that through blogging you have a great way to express yourself online. In addition, your blog can make money, and you can help others by sharing helpful information.

How to attract readers to your blog and keep them.

First of all, write about what interests you. If you don’t,  you won’t have what it takes to keep blogging year after year. Bloggers need to be persistent to eventually see the results of their hard work.

In addition, keep in mind when you first start your blog, people are looking for information. So learn how to have a successful blog and make them happy. Give readers what they want. Keep providing valuable content so people will follow you. If you want to succeed, collecting an email list is not an option. And build it from the very beginning. 

The best way to entice readers to sign up for your newsletter is to offer valuable free information they can’t get anywhere else. And continue to offer more free stuff. Also, give readers a chance to sign-up for your email list at the end of each post. That’s another how to have a successful blog tip.

Consider adding a pop-up to collect emails at the bottom right of your blog. On it promise a valuable free gift. And as you continue to learn, keep giving your knowledge away. Create downloadable PDFs full of information. You can market your product in your e-book.

Here’s another how to have a successful blog tip. Be consistent. Blog at least once a week. If you send out four posts one week, one the next week, and three the next, it will confuse your readers.

As you get more and more subscribers, don’t neglect the ones you already have. Show you care about the people on your list. Never forget, real people are following you.

Create a riveting web presence that will attract loyal readers.

Make sure your site is well-designed. A bad design will drive potential subscribers away.

Choose a theme for your blog–a specific topic that will attract targeted audiences.  Ask yourself when writing a post, would someone email it to a friend?

Don’t mimic somebody else. Be yourself. After all, there’s only one you.

Always tell the truth and never mislead your viewers. You’ll lose them.

Get ideas from comments on your blog and your Twitter posts and make sure your content is good enough to share on social media.

Use Google analytics on your site, but wait awhile—at least several months before you keep checking it.

At times don’t finish your posts, and ask your readers to add their input. Don’t put dates on your posts. Your content will eventually appear irrelevant.

Don’t let your writing sound stiff like you’re writing a term paper. It’s boring. Write like you’re talking to a friend over a cup of coffee—approachable like a real person, not a robot. Use a lot of contractions.  Hang out with your readers in a chatty tone.

Most people don’t read entire blog posts, they only scan them. So write with scanners in mind. Before you begin your post create an outline and use headers. Make a list of 10 items you want to write about and then write headers. Put one in every few paragraphs. Your post will be much easier to read. With the outline already made, just fill in the blanks.    If you make a claim, don’t forget to back it up with research and data.

Edit, edit, and re-edit. I use Pro Writing Aid Editing Tool to catch many errors. When I first started using it, I couldn’t believe how many mistakes it found. But even though you try as hard as you can to make a perfect post, it will probably never happen. Later you can update your posts when you find errors you didn’t notice before.

Ihope these tips about how to have a successful blog will help you on your blogging journey.  It may take a long time for you to see results, but over time it can be very rewarding. Many other people have developed a thriving online community. Why not you? . . . if you do blogging right and don’t quit.

The self-help book industry is booming today, and this category sells well, so it may be a good time for you to consider how to write a self-help book. It’s lucrative since people are always looking for solutions to their problems. Literary agents and publishers like self-help books because they make money for them.

Research Your Self-Help Book

To write a successful self-help book requires a lot of research. First, you must choose your topic from many possible subjects. Do you want to write about anger management? How about how to become healthier? Want to write tips on how to organize cleaning your house, becoming an online entrepreneur, and much more? Once you choose your subject, dieting, for example, you need to narrow it down. How about writing a book about nutritional supplements that help take off weight? 

Envision your audience and the problem they face. You don’t need a doctorate to write a self-help book. But you must have overcome the problem yourself to have something helpful to share. And you must master how to write a self-help book tips.

Research statistics on how well your topic ranks in Amazon. Use relevant sources to find out more. Research case studies and interesting stories and interweave them throughout your book. Start your search for information online and check out relevant forums on your topic. 

Read self-help books written by your competition. To be unique, your book must present different information than the ones on the market. When you read your competitors’ books, ask yourself if the authors did a good job. How could the authors have improved their presentations? Ask yourself how is your book different from what is already out there. Your unique overcoming situation can make your book differ from the rest of the books. And your research will help you establish credibility.

How to write a self-help book: tips

1. Understand your target audience.

2. Know what you’re talking about.

3. Use you and I for a warm tone. 

4. Don’t preach to your readers. Instead come alongside them and share what you experienced that qualified to share.

5. Use a conversational writing style. What would you say to a friend over a cup of coffee? That way you’ll establish rapport with your readers. When you write the book think about your audience as if they are friends seeking advice. 

6. Keep this advice simple and to the point. 

7. Write quality content with real life stories that will motivate your readers. Offer practical solutions and fresh and different content with a new spin. As you present one suggestion, let it lead into another. 

8. Before you write your book, get organized with daily goals of how much writing you’ll do each day.

9. When it’s time to submit your book to an agent or editor, properly prepare your manuscript. With your non-fiction proposal explain your book’s marketability.

10. Proofread your manuscript and invest in an editor.

Self-Help Book Mistakes

1. Don’t write in a self-absorbed manner. Instead, your book should be all about the reader.

2. Readers aren’t interested in theoretical advice. Make sure your suggestions are practical.

3. If all your content is rehashed, your book won’t succeed.

4.  If you neglect to study how the publishing industry works, don’t expect to attract an agent or a publisher.

5. Research literary agents, editors, and types of publishers. Then you’ll prepare yourself to send your book proposal to the right people.

6. In the past it wasn’t an issue, but now with advanced technology you must grow a fan base and a competitive online presence. Without a strong web platform you won’t be able to compete with other writers. And you’ll show no evidence of being able to promote your book like many others are already doing.

7. Your book proposal must be of the highest quality to have a chance at publication. 

8. Does your manuscript reek with typos and poor formatting? If it does, don’t bother sending it to an agent or publisher.

How to Write A Self-Help Book Step by Step

1. List 10 things readers might ask about their problem and create chapters based on those questions. 

2. Choose a compelling title. It should make a promise to the readers. The title should assure your readers you’ll help them solve their problem.

3. Create an outline to keep focused.

4. Write an intro, brief bio showing yourself as an expert, and why you wrote the book.

5. Outline each chapter before you write at least 10.

6. Present one skill or subject per chapter.

7. At the end of each chapter, summarize it and give readers exercises to do.

8. Create headings and subheadings to make it easier for readers and write short paragraphs.

9. Your book should be from 60,000 to 80,000 words.

Write such an excellent self-help book your audience will buy another one from you. They may also want to connect online to get your free material, and they may buy your products too. 

Before you start to write a novel, make sure you know your word-processing software in and out.

Many published authors recommend Scrivener, but there’s a steep learning curve. Want to learn it fast? Here’s an online course that will make working with this great software much easier. Click here.

Next, choose a genre. I’ve heard it said to write a detective story, you first need to read two hundred of them. This advice also applies to romances and historical fiction. Here’s a selected list of genres: romance, detective, fable, fairy tale, fantasy, folklore, historical fiction, horror, humor, legend, mystery, science fiction, thriller, and Western.

What are the basics? 

Write a story you would want to read. Think about the books you love that make you live vicariously through them. Do you like mysteries? Write one yourself. Do you enjoy reading historical romances? Maybe you should create your own. 

When getting started writing a novel, ask yourself why you are writing it. Your idea must be something so compelling you’ll persevere and finish your book.

Here are some Ideas for starting a novel.

Decide from the beginning what kind of story you want. Is it a journey plot where the hero searches for treasure or something more important?

Is it a rivalry story such as two brothers competing to win the same woman?

These are some tips for beginners. 

Be persistent and commit to setting aside time almost every day to write—even if it’s only for a half hour.

After you’ve come up with your idea, expand it and create a story summary from beginning to end. Then ask and answer questions about what happens to your characters. Although some writers write from the seat of the pants, many writers need an outline. Write on cards a title for each scene and arrange them. Scrivener has that inbuilt function. 

When you write your first draft, don’t edit as you go. Take your editor’s hat off, and let the words flow. The next day you can edit. You will want to edit, edit, and re-edit your work. 

Don’t worry about the advice you may have heard to write what you know. Instead, write about what you feel. There’s so much information on the internet. If you want to write about something you know little about, research it and then you’re qualified to pursue your book. I’ve almost completed a book about ancient Rome. I researched two ancient Roman writers, Tacitus and Suetonius. After studying their books, I  could write with authority based on their writings.

 Avoid false beginnings.

1. Don’t kill your main character off too soon.

2. Don’t start the book describing the scenery like a travelogue. That’s boring. 

3. Don’t spend pages describing your characters.

4. Don’t create a scene that readers believe is real only to discover it was only a dream. 

5. Many agents aren’t that fond of prologues. They want to hit the story running.

6. Don’t begin the story with too much telling. Show us instead.

7. Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly.

8. Avoid flowery descriptions.

9. Don’t make a secondary character too prominent.

10. Avoid information dumps—especially at the beginning of your story. These are lengthy sections of explanations and background material. You’re telling readers, “Wait, you need to know this before you read the story.” But they’re saying, “Get on with it.”

When you delve into your story, follow these guidelines for creating compelling characters.

Begin with your point of view character. Be sure to make the protagonist likable but flawed and believable. Some authors advise you to work up a dossier on your protagonist. Consider analyzing your protagonist with a psychological test. That way you delve into the depths of your point of view’s character. You won’t divulge all this in your book, but you’ll be able to make your protagonist more believable.

As soon as possible plunge your character into terrible trouble, but before you do, make the reader care about what happens to the protagonist.

Your main character should not be perfect—either physically or in any other way.

Make your character have a deep desire for something.

Give your main character a compelling goal with huge stakes. A story without a problem is no story at all.

In your character preparation list what each one looks like and how they speak. Decide on their motivations and core values and show how they’re connected to one another

In the beginning, create a significant secondary character that interacts with the protagonist.

Choose a point of view.

Whose eyes will view what’s happening? In the first person, use I, in rare second-person use you, in the third person, use he or she. Want to see into everyone’s head like the classic authors did? Use the omniscient viewpoint.

Invent riveting plots.

From the start, fill your readers’ heads with questions and delay answering them. A proven way to begin your novel is showing your protagonist in a stable lifestyle. Then something happens, the inciting incident, that changes everything. One incident causes another. This results in a chain reaction—like dominoes falling over.

You could show the protagonist changing first and then the rest of the story follows. Perhaps the main character is sick of life as usual and decides to change. The characters will have to be very proactive for this to work.

Give your character a challenging problem to prod the protagonist forward. Without conflict, there is no story. It may be external, internal, or both.

Readers want to get involved with books where the story moves forward without stalling. Something crucial has to happen in each scene. Each must keep the action going. If it doesn’t, remove it. You can use cards or software like Scrivener to list scenes on individual index cards. Then lay the cards out in the order you desire. You’ll see right away how your story is going. Throw in enough surprises to keep your readers’ interest.

In the end, your protagonist changes for the better or worse by resolving the conflict of the story. 

Make your settings believable.

Add sensory details from the beginning and to the end—sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Try to make the setting as real to you as the back of your hand. Go to the location, already be familiar with the place, or research it.

Here are the basics of writing a novel in a nutshell. 

Your story is about your chosen characters in a setting and what happens to them. Show they change for the better or worse because of the unexpected conflicts they go through. 

Don’t forget to save your work. 

You can use a thumb drive, Dropbox, and other devices. You can even email your work to yourself.

Now decide whether writing a novel is what you really want to do. These tips should help you as you travel the long and arduous journey ahead to publication.