2024 Blogging Goals

It is no surprise that I typically like to post 1 blog a week, usually dropping on Wednesdays around lunchtime. Some months I am very capable to maintaining that schedule and actively work to write blogs and have them scheduled in advance to reduce any stress that maintaining such a rigid routine might bring. Other months though have been less routine. Illness, holidays, work, or life in general sometimes gets in the way and makes finding time to blog something of a challenge.

And if I'm being totally honest, after blogging for the last 4 years, I have started to hit a wall when it comes to finding new topics to blog about. I started off blogging about my writing process, what tools I favored in my writing, my publishing journey with Newman Springs Publishing, and more. Eventually, I started to branch out and share stories about my childhood, my writing influences, my family, etc. Let's be real, when you are posting a minimum of 52 blogs a year for 4 years it is tough to focus on a single theme for 200+ entries.

But now that 2024 has rolled in and I am beginning to process to publish the last book in my Ascension Legacy series, I want to redouble my efforts on blogging. My blogs are a part of my marketing. They market me as an author. They market my books. They market critical information that other authors might appreciate. Several of my blogs have received numerous comments from other authors seeking input and help when they've stumbled into the same situation covered in that entry.

My blogs have helped to establish my name as being a somewhat trusted source for other authors. My blogs share with them experiences that demonstrate they are not alone and that there are others out that they can talk to about those experiences. Not only through my blogs I try to share tips and tricks for authors to help them avoid certain pitfalls that could cost them hundreds or thousands of dollars.

In terms of book sales, my blogs have long since deviated from being a marketing resource to generate sales. I can blog about my books, the characters of my books, the release of books, or whatever but those articles do not garner the attention that my other entries do from authors instead of readers. That's not to say that I will not continue to blog about my books because any exposure is good exposure and blogs with the right hashtags can become permanent advertising at no added cost beyond the standard hosting fees that I already pay to keep my website alive.

But what does all this mean for 2024?

Well, for 2024 I want to return to my weekly posting habits. But more than that, I want the majority of this year's posts to be aimed towards helping more authors be productive with publishing their books without the need or pressure to use vanity publishers. And while some vanity publishers like Newman Springs Publishing have been nothing but good to me (for the most part), there are a lot of other groups out there in the publishing world aimed at helping aspiring and Indie authors to getting their books published with less than stellar records.

Check out this page on my website to learn more about these groups.

I figure if I can put more information out there to help more authors learn how to publish books on their own then maybe, just maybe, there will be fewer people willing to engage some of these less than reputable groups. If these groups start to see a decline in their profits because of a lack of engagement then they'll be forced to exit the industry and find a new industry to prey on. That will leave authors like me and you with more flexibility to know that the groups that are still standing are less likely to do us wrong.Or at least that is my hope.

With greater confidence comes greater results.

Not only that, but I have always been a big supporter or sharing knowledge. Nikola Tesla shared his knowledge and wanted to share his discoveries freely and I'm the same way with my information. Of course, Tesla died broke in a New York hotel room because his desire to share his work led to a string of catastrophic business deals but hey, that was his desire just as this is mine. My blogs may be giving away information that others charge money for and by doing such I could be costing myself money by not charging for it too but this is still my choice. I am not motivated by money, just like Tesla wasn't motivated by it.

I want to share details of how to prep edited manuscripts ready for printing to be submitted to printers like Ingram Spark. I want to discuss how to take a Microsoft Word doc and convert it to a quality eBook format for multiple platforms. I want to discuss my favorite websites for registering ISBNs for books and the differences they have for authors. I want to discuss the potential for press releases and what I've seen in book launches of my own that included a press release versus ones that didn't. I want to blog about the multitude of websites out there that authors need to actively monitor for their books beyond Amazon.

And more. I have more things like this I want to do in 2024 for my blog.

I want authors to look at my website and my blog as a resource that can help them do more with their books. Even if I never sell another book, I want to know that my blogs were there to help others that might have been struggling to turn their dream of being a published author into a reality. Getting that first book launched was something I wanted for many years and I was so happy when I got the call from Newman Springs about their interest in helping that dream come true. If my blogs can help someone else find that joy then that is all I want for 2024.