1)   First of all, it’s really hard.  Do you know how many times I told authors, without batting an eye,….”Blog Blog Blog.”  I feel so guilty now that I’ve discovered how hard it is to be “on” when someone says "go."

2)   Good content is what it’s all about.  Forget the blah blah blah.  No one cares.  People want useful information.

3)   Repurpose other people’s blog ideas and share them with your readers (giving credit, of course!). That’s what 3/4 of the blogs out there do.  I’ve come to understand that that’s the purpose of many blogs — to aggregate content you think is interesting and useful.  I know it sounds like plagiarism, but look around and you’ll see.

4)   Less is more.  Don’t ask people to guest blog who don’t understand this point. 

5)   People love to give their opinion…..so if you have a question, ask and you shall hear back.  I was so pleased with all of the responses to the Website vs.. Blog post (below) and used every bit of the advice.

Here are a few examples of what I consider to be really well done blogs:

Freakonomics — La Crème de la crème.  Takes the author blog to a whole other level.  Great use of the "Guest Blogger." 

Chris Moore — Hilarious.  Really well done author blog.  If you like Chris Moore, you’ll love this.

Micropersuasion — Useful information posted frequently.

Wine Library TV — Great use of the Video Blog.  Fun to watch and useful info.

Galleycat — If you’re into publishing, there’s no better place to get the latest news.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about what makes a good blog.

Debbie