When Tammy Lenski, author of the blook-to-be, Making Mediation Your Day Job™ left a comment saying,
"Cheryl, thanks for picking up the link to my blook project! I learned TONS in the process of blogging my book and if folks have questions, feel free to send them my way. The book is going to the publisher this week and should be out in the fall!"
I immediately asked if she would capture some of those TONS in a letter. She graciously complied.
****
Here's what I learned from the experience of blogging my book:
- Be explicit about asking for feedback from readers. Though I announced at the start that I was looking for feedback, some readers came on board mid-stream and others felt shy. So I periodically asked for feedback in separate posts and in some posts, pointedly asked a question to invite feedback at the end of the post.
- Identify a group of dedicated readers who'll provide feedback regularly. I found that the 10 or so folks I asked to play that role had invaluable insights for me, in part because they thoroughly read each post and in part because the continuity of their experience provided different reactions than readers who read some posts and not others.
- Figure out a good system for organizing posts and use it. Since writing doesn't necessarily happen sequentially, I had to figure out a system for readers to be able to track material in a sequential fashion when they wanted to. And for readers who subscribed mid-way through, I needed to have an easy way for them to click through all the past posts.
- Making a public announcement about the writing kept me on task. I realize some of your readers are blooking retrospectively, going back through old posts to compile a book. But for folks who want to blog and write a book at the same time, my experience may be relevant. I found that by making the commitment in public, I was able to stay focused on moving the book forward in a much more timely manner. If I slacked off, readers actually wrote to me to find out when the next section would be posted!
- The "conversational" style of blogging (or at least MY blogging) doesn't always translate into good non-fiction book copy. In the editing phase, which I've just wrapped up, I had to really re-work sections that were just too informal for a book. But I couldn't have sounded that way on my blog or I think I would have lost readers. Hard balance to strike.
Well, that's what stands out. If you want to ask me any questions, feel free. I'm glad to have found your blog!
Cheers,
Tammy
Tammy Lenski, Ed.D.
Lenski Strategic LLC
603.565.2279
51 High Ridge Road, Dublin, NH 03444 USA
****
|