The beauty of a blog is that it affords the opportunity for anyone to share their story, pursuits, and creativity with an audience. If you've put the time and energy into building your blog, you've also had a chance to build your platform and grow personally – or professionally – as a content creator or influencer. What's more, you probably already have more than enough content to fill a book.
Have you ever thought about making your blog tangible?
The process of printing your blog into a book encompasses several simple steps. You'll need to review past posts, create an outline, fill in the blanks, edit and proofread your work, and market your book to your audience.
Going from blog to print is a journey and one that many bloggers find highly rewarding. Here, Book1One details the steps to take on the road to printing your blog into a book.
Dive into Past Blog Posts
When you post a blog, it is available to your readers in the blink of an eye. From your comments section and shares on social media to your blog's analytics platform, it's pretty easy to gauge which posts were the most popular among your readership.
Find out which ones garnered the most views and start from there. The posts that resonated most with your audience are likely some of the ones they'd love to read about in your book.
Next, figure out which posts are most important to you. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
- Which posts did I enjoy writing the most?
- What topics are the most meaningful to me?
- Which posts will help my book stand out?
- Which topics are true reflections of my brand?
Your book isn’t just a collection of your works – it's a reflection of your personality or company. Each chapter in your book should represent your blog and the topics it covers accurately.
Remember to consider the posts from the beginning stages of your blog. Some of the content from your blog's earliest days may not have had a chance to reach as wide an audience as you have today. Incorporating older content into your book is a chance to bring it new life.
Speaking of your audience – what do they want to see in your book? Through your digital platform, you have instantaneous access to your readership. Check in with them to find out what they value most about your posts. This is also a great way to generate some buzz about your upcoming book.
Create an Outline for Your Book
The next step is to organize the blog posts you've chosen and tie them into a centralized concept or storyline. Ask yourself: What do I want my reader to get out of my book and what's the best way to convey that concept?
Keeping a centralized idea in mind will help you craft a rough outline for how you want the book to tell your story. It also makes it easier to put your posts in a logical order. While thinking about how your posts should be organized in your manuscript, consider the following methods:
- Chronological order: Does it make the most sense to organize your posts across a set timeline? Whether you're recounting your travel adventures over the years or turning your blog into a how-to book, sorting your posts chronologically can work in many situations.
- Theme: For books that are made up of several key concepts, it may make more sense to organize by theme. If your blog showcases your photography, for example, you could organize your posts under landscapes, portraits, wildlife, and other labels.
Creating an outline can help you find the most logical order for each chapter and make it easy to identify any gaps before your blog book manuscript goes to print. It's also a good opportunity to weed out any posts that may not fit well in your storyline – those can be set aside for your next publication.
Connect the Missing Links in Your Storyline
As you're going through the posts you've gathered for your book and outlining the format, think about how each one plays into your central concept or storyline. Are there any missing links? Does what you have gathered make your book feel complete from start to finish?
The outline of your publication might present some additional writing opportunities. It may reveal that your readers might need additional insights to fully grasp your concept or additional posts that haven't been written yet.
Here is a chance to fine-tune your storyline.
This step in the process also presents opportunities to give your readership something new. If your community of followers has been with you for a while, they're likely pretty familiar with the stories on your blog. Adding a few fresh pieces into the mix gives them something to look forward to when they're finally able to take your book home.
Edit and Proofread Your Work
Now that your posts are organized in a way that flows well, it's time to edit your work. While it may seem redundant to review what's already been published online, you never know where the odd typo may have slipped through the cracks. As you're reviewing some of the older blogs in your manuscript that were written before you really hit your stride, there may be some areas for improvement. This could mean:
- Correcting inconsistencies in your work
- Adjusting outdated information
- Replacing old images with fresh visuals
- Modifying sections to appeal to your established audience
Since you've likely read and reread your work several times through, this step may require a second set of eyes. Sometimes a fresh perspective can help bring issues you've overlooked to light.
Speaking of having a second set of eyes – why not poll your audience for feedback or commission a fellow blogger to take a look at your material? Taking advantage of your online community is a great way to learn where your work can be improved.
Print and Market Your Book
Printing and marketing steps often go hand-in-hand. While you'll definitely want to generate interest in your upcoming book well before it's ready for purchase, you'll also need to do some marketing after it's finalized as well.
Partnering with a printer makes turning your blog posts into a book simple. From online tools to personalized assistance, a printer can help streamline the details like book size, paper type, binding style, and other important details. If you're not sure how to design your cover or find places where your book will sell the most copies, many printing companies can provide additional resources that'll point you in the right direction.
Conclusion
Converting your blog into a book gives you the chance to expand your reach and connect with a wider audience. After you review past posts, create an outline, connect the missing links, edit and proofread your work, and market your book, you'll be ready to connect with your target audience in a whole new way.
If your blog is a prime source of income, turning it into a book can serve as a marketing strategy for your brand. Plus, it gives you that chance to revive some of your favorite posts. If you've been blogging for a while, there are likely a few in the archives that could benefit current readers who weren't around as your blog first began to blossom.