What are the pros and cons of launching a blog before starting to work on a book?
I am talking about a blog where i will provide the content of the book in one way or another as the development of the book goes .This is about learning from the feedback on the blog and cultivating the draft of the book based on that feedback.
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Octavio B.
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Hi Yogesh,
Pros:
1. Get in touch in advance with the potential audience for your book and create on them a sense of expectation about the impending launch of your book.
2. Validate with your potential market of readers certain ideas that you are not sure yet of being included in your book.
3. Share ideas about potential argumentative facts that need to be polished and reworked before your book is being launched to market.
4. When you are not sure of the nature of discussions about subjects that should be analyzed in your book is a very good idea share with your potential readers different analytical perspectives or courses of action.
5. Before you initiate the job of writing of your book, is advisable using blogs as cost-effective resources to make focus groups and so know in advance, which could be the subject with greatest commercial potential.
6. If you are successful in your strategy of creating a reputable brand around your upcoming book, a sort of mouth-to-mouth advertising would help to reinforce the sales of your book.
Cons:
1. A wasteful of time if you have failed in building around your blog an audience of meaningful users.
2. The process could be time-consuming, if the blogs are being developed with no clear goals in mind.
3. You could face the risk that your idea could be stolen and so the impact of your book on your potential market of readers that could be negatively affected.
I hope this helps you.
Octavio
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Frank F.
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That's ok to develop your book content via the blog.
Possible downside is that you risk having your ideas stolen.
Sophie L.
Environmental Engineer at SHN Consulting in Eureka, CA
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The only downsides I can see are:
(1) The blog writing could take substantial effort that decreases the amount of time you can spend working on the book itself. Possible solutions: Limit the amount you write; limit the frequency at which you post; make the blog posts an integral step of your work on your book, so you can get double value.
(2) Certain topics can create their own little controversies and turn your blog into a flaming hell. Possible solutions: Stick to non-controversial topics; restrict or do not allow anonymous commenting; police the comments for trolls and flame-bait; select specifically controversial topics but channel the debate toward the areas that interest you or serve your purpose.
Overall, I think blogging about the writing process is an excellent idea for authors, as long as they understand how blogging works and do it "right".
Sahar A.
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Yogesh:
I think blogging if done right can help you acquire followers that can help you further promote your book by WOM.
You can also by blogging start discussions that can give you ideas on how to proceed or handle some subjects in your book or even change your mind on the way you wanted to handle it depending on the reactions you are receiving from people
These are the Pros
The Cons I can't really think about anything else except may be like Frank says can get stolen but again at this age any and all informations can be stolen, make sure you copyright your stuff
Good luck if I can help please let me know
Sahar Andrade
Cher W.
Business Professional
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Pros- exposure, incoming information.
Cons- TIME
Prashant M.
Associate Project Manager at Toluna
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Hi,
I agree a lot with Wes's opinion. The biggest pro is that you will get feedback from prospective readers, the biggest con is that whatever you write should bring interest in readers otherwise they will crap it on your face.
One more thing I will add here, don't share any crucial related to your book content as then the book when originally comes into the stores, the idea would have become stale.
Thanks,
Prashant
Heidi T.
Grammartarian
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I would do both, simultaneously. Launch the blog, outline the book. Publish an article, develop a chapter.
The pros are that the blog may develop a following and help you organize your thoughts.
The cons are that blogging is addictive and the feedback may affect your writing. You might blog more than you write. Your writing style may be affected by the feedback on your blog, but your book will have a different audience.
