I’m very proud and pleased to announce that this blog received a book contract from Writer’s Digest Books in 2011. The book was released Spring 2012 and has been an Amazon bestseller (Top 100) for three years in three categories. In 2014, I was asked by the publisher to produce a revised and expanded second edition of How to Blog a Book—just two years later! That book will arrive in bookstores in late June 2015. (Click here to learn more about and to read advance praise for the new edition.)
I did have to submit a book proposal to land my publishing deal. I was not “found” by an acquisition editor, but the work I did here blogging my book helped land the deal, proving that blogging a book works. (Well, the fact that Writer’s Digest Books felt that publishing a book about how to blog a book was a worthy endeavor kinda proves that point as well, don’tcha think? Not only that, they told me to blog most of my next book, The Author’s Training Manual, too.) Plus, How to Blog a Book has appeared on at least one of three (and sometimes all three) Amazon bestseller lists for more than a year: Authorship, Blogging and Blogs and Web Design. I attribute this to how the book was written (and to the uniqueness of the subject).
Anyway, How to Blog a book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time, the printed book, was delivered to bookstores everywhere in early May 2012. It has more than double the content found here on the blog. Thus, it is well worth the purchase even for loyal blog readers. How to Blog a book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time also has two forewords, one by Chris Garrett, coauthor of ProBlogger, and another by Christina Katz, author of Get Known Before the Book Deal.
Here’s what I know for sure about blogging a book:
Blogging provides the quickest and easiest way to write a book.
You can blog you way to a book deal or to a successfully self-published book…one post at a time.
Purchase a digital or paperback copy of How to Blog a Book Revised & Expanded Edition, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time today!
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Barnesandnoble.com
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WritersDigestShop.com
I created the How to Blog a Book blog as a way to demonstrate the ease with which a writer can blog a nonfiction book. Fiction writers can use many of the same principles to blog novels as well. However, my expertise lies in writing, editing and publishing nonfiction books. Actually, I got my start as a magazine journalist, so I’ve been immersed in nonfiction for a long time. (I did have dreams of being a novelist as a teen, and I do have one novel I hope to publish one day.)
The earlier posts in the blog offer readers information on how they can write their own book via a blog. By reading the blog as I began blogging, you could follow me along as I blogged my own book–a book about how to blog a book. The posts offer information based on my knowledge as a freelance nonfiction book editor, writing coach and proposal consultant. That said, this was my first blogged book. My blog readers got to experience–along with me–the trials and tribulations, the pros and cons, of composing a manuscript and publishing it in this way. Even now–as the printed version of the blog goes to press–I am finding better ways to blog a book. I teach these in my workshops and teleclasses.
Once I finished the book, I began blogging about blogging books, booking blogs (repurposing blog posts into a book) and building better blogs and blogging better in general. The blog continues to be a great source of information for my readers and a continually growing platform for me–as well as a new source of possible content for forthcoming books.
Obviously, my idea works. You can see proof of this fact below. My book will be released in April by Writer’s Digest Books (a division of F+W Media). However, I admit it…I was not “discovered.” My agent helped a bit. When I had finished blogging the book, I wrote a query letter and a proposal, and my agent (I already had one) submitted the proposal to several publishing companies. Writer’s Digest Books offered me a contract.
That still proves, though, that blogging a book may be:
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The fastest way to write a book |
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The easiest way to build a platform while you actually write your book |
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The easiest way to attract a publisher’s attention and land a publishing deal |
I wrote and published my first draft on the internet in five months. Although my blog readership was not huge, coupled with my other platform elements, it was enough to make a publisher happy–and to offer me a contract. Previously, I had not managed to sell a book.
It’s a great time to be a writer and a blogger. Publishers are making more blog-to-book deals than ever before, and you actually can garner more readers for a blog in one month than you could in a year for a printed book. So, why not blog? Why not blog a book?
I did it, and I’ll do it again. And if you have a blog with tons of content, repurpose it into a book–book that blog!
Here’s my challenge to you: Write a blog post a day and a book in a year…or less. And get it published!
Learn how in How to Blog a Book. Purchase a digital or paperback copy today!
Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com
IndieBound.com
WritersDigestShop.com
You won’t regret it. I promise.
How to Blog a Book is:
- The first book that provides strategies and techniques for writing a book using a blog
- Expert author who knows how to blog effectively and can show others how to do it
- Examples from best sellers, and original exercises
How to Blog a Book teaches aspiring authors how to create a blogged book with a well-honed and uniquely angled subject and targeted posts. They’ll also learn how to develop a readership large enough to get noticed by an agent or a publisher. Inside readers will find:
- Basic information on how to set up a blog and the essential plug-ins and other options necessary to get the most out of each post
- Steps for writing a book easily from scratch using blog posts
- Advice on how to write blog posts
- Tips on gaining visibility and promoting the blogged book both online and off
- Tools for driving traffic to a blog
- Information on how to monetize an existing blog into a book or other types of products
- Profiles with authors who received blog-to-book deals
In this book I explain how writing a book in cyberspace allows writers to get their book written easily while promoting it and building an author’s platform at the same time. It’s a fun, effective way to start writing, publishing, and promoting a book, one post at a time—literally.
Purchase a digital or paperback copy of How to Blog a book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time today!
Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com
IndieBound.com
WritersDigestShop.com
Here’s what people who have read the book already have said:
“Recycling your blog posts into a book may provide the easiest way to write a book, and How to Blog a Book provides the plan for producing both the blog and a book that agents, publishers and readers will notice.”
Dan Poynter, The Self-Publishing Manual and How to Write Nonfiction, www.parapublishing.com
“If you’ve been thinking about writing a book, Nina Amir removes the barriers to getting it done and provides you with a formula for making it easy. Who doesn’t love easy? This book should give birth to a lot of new books, and if you read it, one of those books could be YOURS!”
Stephanie Chandler, author of The Writer’s Guide to Building an Online Platform, www.authoritypublishing.com
“Blogging is a great way to create content for a book. Now Nina has put together a road map for getting a book out of your blog posts. Check out How to Blog a Book. It covers all the stops along the way to your destination as a published author.”
John Kremer, author of 1001 Ways to Market Your Book, www.bookmarket.com
“Anyone serious about business and who wishes to build their brand, should pay serious consideration to the advice Nina Amir shares in her book. The resources, statistics, ideas and possibilities shared provide convincing evidence of the importance to get the book and follow her advice step by step.”
Elinor Stutz, Speaker, International Best-Selling Author of Nice Girls DO Get The Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results and HIRED! How to use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself on Interviews, www.smoothsale.net
“Today writers have to think outside the box when it comes to getting their book ideas published. Blogging a book offers a unique way not only to attract readers but to catch the eyes of acquisition editors–just what every aspiring author wants and needs to sell books.”
Jill Lublin, co-author of Guerilla Publicity and author of Get Noticed, Get Referrals and Networking Magic, www.jilllubin.com
“Nina Amir’s new book is a book writing and promotion revelation. She shows you how to finish your manuscript at the same time you build a platform. Every writer will benefit from reading this slender, savvy volume.”
Rick Frishman, bestselling author, publisher, and speaker, www.rickfrishman.com
“Lots of people talk about blogging a book, but few understand the process as well as Nina Amir. How to Blog a Book explains the Why’s and How’s of blogging a book from a big picture point of view that will help both newcomers and experienced authors profit from this proven route to getting published.”
Roger C. Parker, best-selling nonfiction author and coach who blogs at, www.PublishedandProfitable.com
“Bloggers want credibility. Bloggers want their good ‘stuff’ to be available to readers on and off line. Nina tells us how to bridge that gap in How to Blog a Book. In short, Nina takes blogging to the next level.”|
Bill Belew, 60+ million page views, author, speaker, consultant, www.thetrafficprofessor.com
“Turning your blog posts into a book is a terrific way to write your book and build your audience at the same time. Nina Amir will guide you through every step with practical advice based on real-world experience.”
Dana Lynn Smith, author of the Savvy Book Marketer series of marketing guides for authors, www.savvybookmarketer.com
“There’s a lot more involved in creating a book out of a blog than just gathering up a bunch of posts and hitting “publish.” Nina Amir leads you step-by-step through all the consideration. Say good-bye to “what should I write about?” and say hello to “I’m a published author.”
Shel Horowitz, book shepherd and award-winning author of eight books including Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green and Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers, www.frugalmarketing.com
“I believe that blogging can change your life. I also believe that writing a book is one of the achievements you will be most proud of. Combining the two can therefore be a brilliant way to get the project moving. Nina’s book will help you organize the process so you can put all your time and energy into writing and building a community.”
Joanna Penn, author and blogger at The Creative Penn, voted one of the Top 10 Blogs for Writers, www.thecreativepenn.com
“Nina demonstrates a simplified writing process that supports both the final manuscript production and an author’s long-term marketing goals.”
Bradley Flora, Executive Director, www.SPANnet.org
“If you are just starting out as a blogger or if you already have 15,000 posts online, Nina Amir’s How To Blog a Book, has the plan for you. You can’t go wrong with this book. Written to provide you with the easiest path from screen to page, How To Blog a Book, gets you there while helping you to dodge many pitfalls and common frustrations. Read it and learn.”
Shane Birley, co-author of Blogging for Dummies, www.shanesworld.ca
“At the turn of 20th century everyone began to realize they needed a blog. Now, today, those same people are realizing they need a book, too. Why not do both at the same time? Nina helps you understand how to easily write a book and build a platform.”
Jim F. Kukral, author of Business Around a Lifestyle and 5 other titles, www.digitalbooklaunch.com
“The old saying, Kill two birds with one stone, is the perfect metaphor for what Nina teaches in this valuable book. Blog with the intention of turning the accumulated material into a complete trade book is a brilliant concept.”
Jeff Herman, Literary agent, www.JeffHermann.com
Longer Reviews:
Please check out those included on Amazon.com and on the Virtual Book Tour page.
Purchase a digital or paperback copy of How to Blog a book, Write, Publish and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time today!
Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com
IndieBound.com
WritersDigestShop.com