by Beth K. Vogt, @bethvogt

I was Instant Messaging with a writer-friend the other day while she was working on a blog post – and she wasn’t enjoying it. At all.

MY FRIEND: I’m a fiction writer, not a non-fiction writer.

ME: (Silence.)

MY FRIEND: And I bet that didn’t hold water, did it?

ME: (Smiling to myself). There’s a blog post …

And here it is.

If you’re a published novelist, you’re also marketing your novel. It comes with the job description.

The truth is, marketing yourself always came with the job of being a writer, whether you write  fiction or nonfiction. But the explosion of social media and the changing world of publishing increased the demand to be involved in marketing your books.

One of the best ways to market a your book – especially when it’s just-released? Take advantage of guest blog posts. Here are some tips from this former-nonfiction-author-now-novelist on how to take advantage of guest blogger opportunities:

1. Brainstorm possible posts months before your book releases. I started receiving requests for guest blog posts three months before my latest novel, Things I Never Told, released this past May. My media package included suggested topics for interviews and blog posts – the ones that I’d developed in advance.
2. Go back to your books themes for possible topics. Things I Never Told You deals with sisters, secrets, delayed grief, breast cancer, and anxiety. All of these themes can be expanded to become blog post topics. EXAMPLES:  I wrote requested posts on “Choosing Not to Bury Family Secrets” and “The Danger of Burying Family Secrets,” as well as “3 Reasons Why Sister Relationships are So Complicated” and “The Push-Pull of Sister Relationships.”
3. Keep Track of Requests. I use Evernote to keep track of my publicity requests. The truth is, both my virtual assistant (VA) makes sure I don’t miss a deadline, as well as my publisher’s marketing team. But I keep my own file, where I list the topic requested, the word count limit, and a link to the blog, so I can get a feel for the blog before I write the post. I also note what kind of bio they want (long or short) and if they want a pro photo, a book cover image, and if I’m doing a book giveaway. I also mark the deadline on my calendar – and schedule a reminder a week before the post is due.
4. Be a friendly guest blogger. When my post goes live, I interact with anyone who comments. Also, I share about the post on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Sometimes the blog owner provides a link or tweet, and sometimes I make my own. I also have my Dream Team, a.k.a. street team, share about the post on social media.

Think about the novel you’re writing or that’s going to be released in coming months. What are some possible topics for guest blog posts?

Things I Never Told You by Beth K. Vogt

It’s been ten years since Payton Thatcher’s twin sister died in an accident, leaving the entire family to cope in whatever ways they could. No longer half of a pair, Payton reinvents herself as a partner in a successful party-planning business and is doing just fine—as long as she manages to hold her memories and her family at arm’s length.

But with her middle sister Jillian’s engagement, Payton’s party-planning skills are called into action. Which means working alongside her opinionated oldest sister, Johanna, who always seems ready for a fight. They can only hope that a wedding might be just the occasion to heal the resentment and jealousy that divides them . . . until a frightening diagnosis threatens Jillian’s plans and her future. As old wounds are reopened and the family faces the possibility of another tragedy, the Thatchers must decide if they will pull together or be driven further apart.

Includes discussion questions.

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” Beth’s first women’s fiction novel for Tyndale House Publishers, Things I Never Told You, releases May 2018. Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2016 ACFW Carol Award winner, and a 2015 RITA® finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. A November Bride was part of the Year of Wedding Series by Zondervan. Having authored nine contemporary romance novels or novellas, Beth believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Novel Rocket and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.