This month, award-winning self-published author Richard Ridley is offering his insights into the world of blogging.

Blog. How can something so new and strange-sounding be so crucial to your book sales? If you're an author looking to get your book noticed in today's market, it is imperative that you have a weblog, or "blog" as it is typically called. You also want a website, a huge online social networking presence, and to take any other opportunity you can find to get your name spread across the internet ether.

But, a blog is your way to connect with readers on a very personal level and should be the focus of your online marketing strategy. As an online journal, blogging is a way to network in an environment you control. It took me a while to come to this realization. As a self-published author, I was unsure of how to proceed with creating and maintaining a blog. Having taken it up and seen the increase in awareness for my book, I am pursuing it with a vigor that is second only to writing my novels.

Easily said, but you might be asking yourself, “if I can't get people to find my book, how will readers find my blog?” Not only is that a fair question, it's the purpose of this article. Welcome to four easy steps to creating a successful blog, and in turn, increasing your book sales.

1. Don’t use your blog to sell your book. The primary function of your blog is to create personal relationships with your readers, both current and future. Think about it. Do you want to spend a lot of time with a friend who’s constantly trying to sell you something? Mention your book in your personal description. Have a link to your book’s personal selling page on your website or other sales channels. Resist the urge to infuse every posting with a sales pitch. It could have the effect of driving traffic away from your blog.
2. If you do not choose a specific niche subject, write about events of the day. Posting about current events will draw the most attention. Post a link to a news story, and give your opinion on the topic.
3. Post frequently. In the beginning, you may find it difficult to come up with ideas for a post on your blog, but as time passes, you will find it much easier. As a writer, it is imperative that you continue to write beyond your novel to maintain your craft. With time, blogging will become a habit that can only benefit your promotional efforts. The more you post, the more people have a reason to come back to your blog. I try post something once a day on my author blog. I know other authors who post two or three times a day.
4. Tag each and every post. A tag is a word or phrase that you can use to help people using search engines find you. For instance: I once wrote a short post about horse racing. I included a dozen tags that I felt were relevant to horse racing. Those tags were terms such as “jockey” and “Thoroughbred” etc. Anything that I thought someone might type into a search engine field as they scanned the world wide web for news on horse racing. Some blog services provide you with a very easy way to tag each message you post. If you use a blog service that doesn’t provide you with an easy way to insert your tags at the end of your post, open your favorite search engine and type in the words “Tag Generator for Blogs.” You should get a host of website listings that can generate a code for you to insert a tag at the end of your blog posting.

Good luck and happy blogging!

- Richard Ridley, author of The Takers , Délon City, and The Pure

BookSurge is pleased to announce that we are increasing the number of pages that can be included when publishing full-color trade paperback books. For authors with full-color manuscripts that include up to 250 pages, publishing a paperback book with BookSurge is easy and affordable.

Contact your Publishing Consultant today to learn how you can publish your full-color manuscript with up to 250 pages.

Using a combination of perseverance and a unique marketing strategy, one BookSurge author scaled Amazon.com sales rankings and showed how self-published authors can reach new heights.

Following a marketing strategy session with Author Marketing Specialist Richard Ridley, George Vickery decided to launch his book, Beyond September, by encouraging a large number of people to buy it on one specific day. By concentrating his sales on one mark, he hoped to snag a top spot on the online retailer's best-seller list.

He chose April 1 as his target date. “It is one of the few celebrated days that has the month in the title, so I decided to call [my plan] “The April Fool Caper,” so as to have it be more memorable in my advertising,” he explained. “I was trying to get my audience to have a reason to buy the book other than the usual.” In this case, he wanted buyers to feel like they were a part of his success by participating in his plan to climb the charts.

Drawing on the experience and contacts he gained owning a public relations firm, he created and distributed a dynamic press release to attract attention to his plan. Additionally, he teased "The Caper" through business cards circulated by family and friends. As the date for the Caper drew near, George focused his efforts on collecting email addresses and encouraging friends to pass on the news of the plan. Soon, hundreds of potential readers were in on the plot. To support his efforts, he created a website that kept participants updated on their plan of action and provided the uninitiated with information about the book and author.

On April 1, sales began to roll in, and Beyond September began inching up the charts. At one point, it was listed as the #24 top-selling Contemporary Literature & Fiction book and ended the day in the #86 position. By setting and following clear objectives, George Vickery was able to achieve his goal of making his book a top selling title on Amazon.com on April 1. In forging connections and prioritizing his book promotion, he was able to reach beyond his community and create a presence in the world of books.