Had an interesting email conversation the other day. A fellow blogger was asking how I felt about them using their blog posts as material for books they would publish. I was totally supportive!
Their biggest concern was that people had already seen it, so what would be the point of putting it into a book. A most thought provoking statement indeed, but once again, I did not see that as an issue.
Let’s say that you, like me, have written poetry and that you, like me, have already used that poetry on your blog. Even if you have thousands of followers, I can guarantee you that not all of them have seen everything you have posted. I can also guarantee that everyone you know or are related to, cannot be counted among those who follow your blog, or who have read your posts. So, it’s not like millions of people have already read what you have written and might be a bit “over it.” Putting some, if not all, of what you have blog-lished (my term for publishing on a blog) into book form, is a great use of your material. It’s stood the test of time and it’s yours to do with whatever you wish. I’ll just bet that those who have read what you have posted are some of your biggest fans and would be most supportive of you creating a book from your blog posts!
Finding content, seems to be the biggest stumbling block for those wanting to write a book. There are a myriad of publishing options available. By that I mean, there are several self-publishing companies, vanity presses and traditional publishing houses out there, all you need to do, is have something to submit. By taking your blogs posts and with some editing, you can most definitely create a book, ready for publication.
Still not convinced? Okay, I didn’t want to have to do this… Of the 9 books I have self-published to date, 3 of them are straight from my blog. All 3 of my Haiku Perspective books contain the poems I used in haiku challenges which were posted on this blog. Yes, I added some additional haiku, because I could (well because I had written them and didn’t know what else to do with them). They rounded out the books. It made creating content easy because I created the content a bit at a time.
With the first book, I was thinking that it would be a wonderful way to share what I had written with my family and friends who might not have any other way of reading my haiku. After that, I actually planned to publish a haiku book each year, using my blog content.
When it came time to write the second book, I was geeked to see it in print and found something else really cool to do with my haiku books. Because the poetry is relatively short in nature, it is easy to read. So, I put a copy in my Doctor’s waiting room. People who didn’t know me would stop me from time to time and comment on how much they enjoyed reading the haiku, especially because they weren’t sure what it even was before picking up one of my books. One man even said, “Know why I like this? Because these poems are short. I can stop when I want and continue reading where I want without feeling I am missing anything.” High praise, indeed.
Because I used everything I wrote in 2016 for the 3rd book, I rang in the new year by laying it out. No, I didn’t get it done in one day but it gave me something exciting to look forward to without the party mess to clean up or leaving me with a hangover. What made putting this book together so special, was that it was, by far, the longest book I had written, to date. I felt so accomplished.
Perhaps this inspires you to use your blog content to create a book (or two). I’d be happy to help you with that, if you feel the need to have someone coach you through the process. Reach out to me via the contact information here on my blog and let’s help you publish the book you’ve already written!
Annette Rochelle Aben 