Diane Gilleland of Crafty Pod has just released a new Ebook that gives an incredible depth of information to people looking to blog about creative subjects. The 49-page Making a Great Blog: A Guide For Creative People focuses on building a blog with strong content and explores building connections within the blogging community.
It's designed for beginning bloggers, and for more experienced bloggers who need to get re-inspired. And most importantly, it's written specifically for art and craft bloggers.
Making a Great Blog is brilliant in its straightforward, easy-to-follow guidance on how to determine the why, when, what and how a craft writer should develop their blog. Diane's approach to blog development gets the author working on the deeper issues of their content and leaves the nuts and blots of setting up a blog to the generous online resource section. When a person can have a blog up and running in a matter of minutes, it's incredibly refreshing to see a point of view that encourages pause for thought before hitting "publish" and going to town with a new blog. I read hundreds of craft blogs every single day, and the ideas and methods Diane introduces in her book would make each and every one of those blogs better.
Making a Great Blog walks the reader through easy exercises (with 8 handy worksheets!) that brings motivation, inspiration and endurance front and center for the blog reader. This form of self-publishing is a fantastic medium, but because it's so easy to dive in to, it often doesn't get the attention and focus that other media do. Blogs clearly, though, are a huge component of new media and the blogs that will not only survive but thrive and lead to new opportunities are ones that follow the exact steps Diane has outlined in her book. Even if a writer's intention isn't to earn income or catch the eye of a publisher, the more thoughtful approach to blogging that Diane advocates in Making a Great Blog is something any writer should aspire to, and something every reader will appreciate.
Don't think that Making a Great Blog is just for newbies, either. Long-time bloggers will find new inspiration and will learn a few tips and tricks for keeping ideas fresh and for avoiding Blogfade. (you'll have to get the book for that brilliant little bit of verbiage) I found myself newly excited to beef up my personal craft blog and felt renewed sense of motivation after reading the book. What's even better is that Diane's handy worksheets and tips help to harness that newfound excitement into purposeful habits.
Simply put, if you have a craft blog or have toyed with the idea of starting one, Making a Great Blog should be considered required reading. Diane's expertise is rich, and is rooted in years of successful blogging, networking, researching, experimenting, sharing and plain old perspiration. Her blog and podcast, Crafty Pod, was recently referred to in the New York Times as an "influential blog and podcast." She's blogged regularly and thoroughly for several years, and has written for multiple craft publications. Her book, Kanzashi in Bloom, will be released this summer. She's taken her years of experience and has extracted the most fundamental ideas and laid them out beautifully in Making a Great Blog. In addition, she's developed an extensive online resource section to accompany the book. All of this for less than it would cost to see a movie and buy a soda.
Here are some of the highlights of Making a Great Blog:
- Diane's exploration of the benefits of a good blog will inspire new bloggers and will remind veteran bloggers why they started in the first place.
- Her tips and tricks on avoiding Blogfade would keep even the most finicky blogger afloat.
- The chapter on imagery provides simple techniques for boosting the look of your blog that anyone can follow.
- She addresses blog etiquette in a thoughtful, professional way that I wish every blogger would pay attention to.
Making a Great Blog: A Guide For Creative People by Diane Gilleland
49-page EBook, including 8 worksheets
Extensive Online Resource Guide
$12.50 for Downloadable EBook
