If you are like me, spring fever has hit and you want to leave your blogged book and computer behind. Not so fast! It’s time to sit down and blog a book in a month!
No, this is not an April Fool’s Day prank. April is National Book Blogging Month (NaBoBloMo), the time when I challenge writers, authors, bloggers, and book bloggers to start and finish blogging a short book in 30 days.
NaBoBloMo has no rules and no word count. The point is simply to write, publish and promote a short work on your blog during the month of April.
I realize you might already be blogging a book, so this could seem problematic. Don’t worry; below, you’ll find at least one way that will help you complete the challenge.
If you haven’t yet started blogging a book, or you simply have a blog and have only considered blogging a book up until this point, NaBoBloMo provides a great opportunity to test out the concept with a short book. Below, you’ll find several ideas to get you started.
Short Books Are the In Thing
Many indie authors are moving toward short-form works, often publishing them in between long-form works. Also, those who want to become thought leaders in their fields are publishing shorter books, and lots of them, as quickly as possible.
Publishers are likely to get in on this trend as well. On January 14, 2014, in a Publishing Perspectives article, George Lossius, CEO at Publishing Technology, wrote:
“It’s not just the new appreciation for short form literature that will push publishers into looking at repackaging content into smaller chunks. Thinking about the way we consume content now: dipping in and out across platforms and formats, means that consumers will be more inclined to purchase content if they can have it on their terms — a chapter here, an article there. In many ways, publishers will revert back to earlier incarnations of themselves — serializing works, chapter by chapter, like many Victorian novels, and reinventing the pamphlet for shorter non-fiction work. These allow consumers much greater control over what and how they read. Technology can now refine these methods and monetize them successfully for a digital audience; in 2014 the shortcomings of e-tailing (having to purchase a whole book without browsing or dipping into it like consumers can do in bookshops) will become less apparent as providing sample chapters, or purchasing a book in sections, rather like music can now be purchased by track or album, will give consumers what they want.”
That sounds like good news for book bloggers. If you are blogging your book, you’re already chunking your book down into small pieces for your readers and publishing them.
Now, get in on the overall trend. Write a short book in 30 days during NaBoBloMo. Here are some ideas to get you started today.
- Blog a chapter of your book and then publish it to Kindle.
- Blog a series to turn into a free gift as an enticement to new subscribers to your email list.
- Blog a Tip Book
- Blog a Prescriptive Nonfiction Book
- Blog a Booklet
- Blog Short Stories and Essays
- Compile a Blogged Anthology
Want some added support as you blog your book this month? I’m offering a special NaBoBloMo Group Coaching Class at 5 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, April 8, 15, 22, 29. I’ll provide a 10-minute tip and then open the line to answer your questions. Special NaBoBloMo price: $99—almost a third off the normal cost of group coaching! Click here to register.
Photo courtesy of Gualberto107 |freedigitalphotos.net
Hi Nina, I saw your email about the April blog challenge this morning. As you know, I’m getting started on blogging my long book, Heal Unresolved Conflict and Create A Loving, Peaceful Home. In the meantime, I want to write a series of articles for my weekly newsletter that is different content than my blogged book. Inspired by your challenge, I’ve been working this morning on outlining a series of 30 newsletter articles! It feels great to get that material organized and to be able to easily keep up with a weekly newsletter while blogging my book! I’m taking a bit of a twist on the April challenge, but it was great inspiration. Thanks!
Great, Amina! Maybe when you are done those articles could be compiled into a short book you give away for free!
Man I wish I had the time because this sounds like so much fun!
The point is to make the time, Dorothy! No time like the present.
Haha, make you a deal. You do my tours and I blog a book!
No! I need you to do MY tour for The Author Training Manual!
LOL, okay then but I’ll have to wait to blog a book afterwards! It’s interesting though…I’ve heard of publishers finding these “ideas” on people’s blogs that would make great books. How about Walmart People? Did that start on a blog?
I’m on board, but because my project is corresponding to the three month World Wide Wave of Action I can’t complete the story prematurely (after only a month). Nevertheless, consider my efforts to be in solidarity, if across a bit lengthier a span of time. 🙂
Info here for those interested in following along: http://realpolitikstory.tumblr.com/
Okay, great! And good luck with your project. You are an agent of change. Check out http://www.authorofchange.com and all the writing I’ve done here and on my other blog, http://www.writenonfictionnow.com on writing for change and change-inspiring books (search by those terms).
It’s not real difficult to put out short works. 1,000 words a day means you’ll have a novella in 10 days, and you can get a non-fiction book a lot faster than that. I write about 1 non-fiction email-list-sign-up book a week for different people, on all kinds of topics. It’s a lot easier than you may think.
You are right on all counts. And that’s why blogging a short book is not a hard challenge really. Maybe you should write a blog post for writenonfictionnow.com on how you write those email-list-sign-up books in a week. I’d love that!