How to Blog a Book

Inspiring You to Build Visibility, Boost Authority and Become an Author Post by Post

Inspiring You to Build Visibility, Boost Authority and Become an Author Post by Post

  • Home
  • About
    • Vote This Blog One of Writer’s Digest’s Annual 101 Best Internet Sites for Writers
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Service
  • The BOOK!
    • Table of Contents
    • Page One
    • NEW! Revised and Expanded–2nd Edition–of How to Blog a Book
    • How to Blog a Book (Revised and Expanded Edition) BLOG TOUR
    • Previous Virtual BookTours
  • The Challenge
    • National Book Blogging Month
  • Services
    • Schedule a Strategy Session
    • Blog Editing, Proofreading and Ghostblogging
    • Query Letter and Book Proposal Editing and Consulting Services
    • The Ultimate Career Plan for Authors, Bloggers and Experts
    • Coaching
      • Blog and Blog-to-Book Coaching
      • Hire an Author Coach
      • Writing and Book Coaching
  • Education
    • The Productive Writer Course
    • High-Performance Writer Group Coaching Program
    • Turn Your Blog Into a Book Production Machine
    • Build a Business Around Your Blog
    • How to Blog a Book Audio Course
    • How to Blog a Book E-course
    • How to Blog a Book Audio Recording
    • Author Training 101
  • Contact
  • List Your Book
  • Login

December 11, 2018 by Nina Amir Leave a Comment

Why Every Blogger Needs an Extra Post

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Print
  • More
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket

Extra post for blogging emergencies

What do you do when “life happens” and there is absolutely no way for you to sit down and write a new post to publish on your blog. You can’t leave your readers hanging, right—especially if they expect you to publish a new post on schedule like always. Today, professional writer Jodi Webb (@wordsbywebb) explains how to be prepared for this inevitable situation.

It’s been an eventful two months. My daughter got married—so I did a lot of planning. My other daughter got a new job—so I helped her find a new apartment and move. My mother-in-law sold her home—more searching for homes and eventually moving her into our house. There were shake-ups at work that resulted in many late nights of worrying and polishing my resume. And, of course, it’s the holiday season—that means decorating, parties, shopping, and baking. So, there’s been a lot going on lately.

Naturally, readers aren’t going to accept, “I haven’t posted in three weeks because I’ve been helping my mother-in-law pack up 50 years of memories.” So what do you do when life takes you to Crazytown, but you’re still on a deadline? You pull out that jewel you’ve been saving—the extra post.

If you’re expected to post on a regular schedule you always should have one post ready to use in an emergency. It’s your extra post…the one you held onto just in case you needed it.

If you’re expected to post on a regular schedule you always should have one post ready to use in…

Click To Tweet

Make the Extra Post Evergreen

Your extra post should be something that can be used at anytime during the year. That means no personal anecdotes that mention a specific time of the year and no information suited to a particular time period. This should be a piece that fits in equally well whether it’s published in the dead of winter or as fireworks explode on July 4th.

Make the Extra Post Your Best

When writing a post you aren’t going to publish immediately, you may be tempted to dash off a quick article without putting much effort into it. After all, you may never use it. Resist that temptation.

Write something so good you think, “I want to post this today!” Chances are, if you have to resort to publishing your extra post, you won’t be in a place to produce stellar writing. After all your life probably took you down a temporary detour to Crazytown. So, when you have to use that extra post, your readers will be grateful to read a piece that reflects the real you—and your great writing—even if you are still in Crazytown.

Write something so good you think, “I want to post this today!”

Click To Tweet

Lose the Extra Post

Okay… Don’t actually lose your extra post. But store it somewhere marked “emergency,” and save it for a true emergency. Don’t talk yourself into believing that four loads of dirty laundry, a weekend getaway, or a rainy Tuesday qualify as a writing emergency. Trust me, part of you will try, whining, “But it’s already there, and I don’t feel like writing today.” Ignore, ignore, ignore.

Not feeling like writing is not an emergency. Neither is writers’ block! Break through that writers’ block or you’ll be in the exact same situation tomorrow—except you won’t have an extra post hidden away.

When to Use the Extra Post

A good way to determine when to allow yourself to use the extra post is to plan your next post—just an idea for the one you would write if you could. Sometimes the idea itself is enough to make you find the spare moments to write even when you think you’re stuck in Crazytown with no way to get it written.

But sometimes you can’t even find time for a great post idea. If you find yourself mulling over the idea longingly but realize there’s no way to write it by deadline, pull out your extra post.

Not feeling like writing is not an emergency. Neither is writers’ block!

Click To Tweet

Customize the Extra Post

Now that you’re committed to using your extra post, dedicate ten minutes to updating it. After all, even though it is an extra post, it shouldn’t read like one. When you wrote it is was evergreen, but, now that you have to use it, take time to read it over.

Can you add a little something that will make it seem like you wrote it just yesterday? Now is the time to take the evergreen out of it by adding some seasonal details or current events that place it in the present.

While you’re re-reading it, double check that it isn’t dated in any way. Do you mention a person, event, or thing that isn’t as trendy as when you first wrote the piece? Replace it with something more current or improve it with something that you’ve learned since writing it originally.

What’s the most important rule for using your extra post? Replace it within seven days. You never know when you’ll be taking another trip to Crazytown.

Tell me in a comment below.

About the Author

Jodi Webb has written advice columns on organization, text for Nintendo DS games, trivia questions for charity fundraisers, and toy and book reviews in addition to annual reports, press releases, and company brochures. She’s written hundreds of articles for magazines such as Birds and Blooms, PTO Today, and The History Magazine. The former blog tour organizer at WOW—Women on Writing, she currently works for a small regional newspaper

Image copyrigh: Iulian Dragomir

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Print
  • More
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket

Filed Under: Success Strategies, Writing Posts/Chapters Tagged With: blog post, blogging, blogging emergencies, extra post, publish blog posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

About Nina Amir

Nina Amir, the Inspiration to Creation Coach, inspires writers to create published products and careers as authors as well as to achieve their goals and fulfill their purpose and potential.

Read More . . .

Follow Me!

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on Google+Follow Us on TwitterFollow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on PinterestFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on SkypeFollow Us on RSSFollow Us on E-mail

As Seen On:

social proof2

NEW RELEASE!

Purchase your copy now!

How to turn your blog into a book

Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com
IndieBound.com
WritersDigestShop.com

Create a Successful Author Website!

Book. Books and laptopPurchase a copy of my eBook!

250x250

Learn How to Blog a Book!

WD

Join my next Writer’s Digest University
How to Blog a Book 4-week Online Class.

Register here.

Writer's Digest: 2013 Best Writing Websites (2013)
This website has been awarded a Best Writing Website.
Sponsored by Writer's Digest, Writer's Market,
Writer's Digest University & Writer's Digest Shop.

TFOI Badge

Bestselling authors like Michael Hyatt and Joanna Penn use Scrivener and endorse this course! I tried Learn Scrivener Fast, too, and found it a quick, easy way to learn the Scrivener writing technology. Plus, you can use it to produce produce ebooks!
Click here to find out more!

EIA Official Member Logo

Popular Posts

  • Are You Blogging a Book? List it here!
  • Can You Publish Blogged Material As a Kindle Ebook?
  • Darren Rowse on Book Deals and Discovery in the Blogosphere
  • 3+ Reasons I’ve Started Using Scrivener as a Blogging Tool
  • How to Start Selling Products and Services From Your Blog

Search

Categories

Archives

Copyright © Nina Amir 2019 · Website by Websites For Authors

»
«
Powered by Conversion Insights: Boost your online revenue.  
Are you a productive, semi-productive or unproductive writer? Take My Quiz To Find Out!
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.