Turn a Series of Blog Posts into a Short Book

I often teach a workshop called “How to Write a (Short) Book Fast.” As part of this workshop, I discussing booking a series of blog posts, which means repurposing 10 or 15 posts you’ve written in succession on the same topic.

I did this with my book, 10 Days and 10 Ways to Your Best Self. I took 10 blog posts I’d already written, added an introduction and conclusion, edited the copy, and then tacked on some promotional material for my other short books at the end. When done, I had a 72-page book. I had it printed on a short-run digital press and then also at CreateSpace.

Just today I saw an article about a blogger who did something similar. After writing 23 posts about redistricting in Howard County, Maryland, Frank Hecker, created an ebook on the topic.

“It ballooned to 10 or 12 (blog posts) and finally ended with 23,” Hecker was quoted as saying in an article on ExploreHoward.com. “Once I got to the point of seriously finishing I decided, ‘Hey, I want to turn it into an e-book.'”

Hecker announced the release of the e-book, titled Dividing Howard: A History of County Council Redistricting in Howard County, Maryland, on his blog Wednesday, Dec. 7. The e-book is available for $2.99 on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

The content of the e-book is the same as his 23-part blog series. The e-book puts all 23 posts together between two covers.

Almost any blogger can create a book by repurposing 10-20 posts. Take a look at your blog. Find a series you’ve written or a group of related posts. You may be surprised to find you’ve already blogged a book.

And if you haven’t, simply plan out a series. Then start blogging that short book over the course of the next few weeks. Before you know it, you’ll have blogged a book.

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