What's the Magic Number? How Often Should Writers Blog?

Blogging is probably one of the most powerful ways to build an author platform. The blog gives others a chance to know us and support us because of our writing. Yet, there is one question that I always get when I mention blogging:

How often should writers blog?

Everyone has an opinion, including me. But, before we get to my two cents, I know there are competing theories. Let’s take a quick look at those.

Blogging Every Day or Multiple Times a Day

Some experts recommend micro-blogging—blogging in short burst several times a day or short blogs every day. I think if your goal is to be a famous blogger, this can work. As writers, though, most of us are already balancing a day job, kids, housework, and a WIP. So blogging every day or more than once a day is hard on us and probably hard on our following as well.

Can you blog every day? Sure. It is a great way to saturate the Internet with your content and help fast-track a brand. I don’t think this approach is a good fit for most writers, though. If you can commit the time and be interesting that often, rock on!

Blogging Once a Month

Some experts advise once a month. Whoo-hoo! Yay! Only one blog a month!!!! *happy dance*

Okay, yes, there is that benefit of only having to write one post a month, but there are a lot of advantages we lose with this method.

I think that what we lose in this approach is the ability to build community and relationships using the blog.  Sure, we save time in having to write fewer blogs, but then we need to commit time in other areas, like lengthy e-mail lists. So, do we save time, or do we just shift it elsewhere?

If we post blogs regularly, people are connecting with us regularly and come to feel as if they know us. Why? Because they DO know us.

We are vested, posting content that serves the reader, and we are interacting with those who comment. We aren’t just surfacing once a month, expecting those around us to drop everything to pay attention to us and our blog.

Can the once a month approach work?

Sure. But this approach relies heavily on going viral…which is hard to do without on-line relationships to
propel the momentum.

For instance, my blog has a very large following. But, this blog has allowed me to forge relationships with other bloggers who also have large followings. My efforts now work exponentially instead of linearly. I don’t have to personally connect with 100,000 people. I have a team to help me. What’s better is that when my team promotes me, it is more genuine (psst–it’s also called word of mouth). Traditional marketing cannot compete.

I also think that blogging once a month makes it very easy to lose the top-of-mind with others. People have very short attention spans these days and a month with no content is a lifetime. Also, I don’t know about you, but once a month is really hard for me to remember. I had to get my computer to remind me to give my dog a heartworm pill once a month and I was STILL lousy at remembering. I think if we blog only 12 times a year, the blog is easy to forget all around.

What is the “Magic” Number?

I recommend a minimum of once a week. It is enough to stay top of mind with followers, yet not overwhelm anyone.

Ideally? I recommend three times a week, especially in the beginning. Why? Well, I know this sounds weird, but three times a week is actually easier than once a week. Blogging three times a week holds a number of advantages that are especially beneficial to professional writers:

Regular blogging places us in a professional mindset.

Writers write. Blogging is a great way to warm up those fingers and get the brain in gear. When we are writing a novel, we get little outside validation. Most of the time, friends and family think we are, at worst, lunatics, and at best, hobbyists. In short, others do not believe what we do is work or even a job. Blogging is a great way to demonstrate that we take our craft seriously. How? We wouldn’t spend time building a platform for a book we had no intention of finishing. Also, again, writers write.

When someone asks, “What do you do?” and you say “I’m a writer,” you know the next questions are going to be, “What books have you written? Anything I might have read?”

Blogging helps with confidence. We can say, “Well, I am finishing my first novel but you can go to my blog here.” A blog gives a professional front. It also helps switch us from hobbyists to true professionals.

This transition is vital. What if you decided you wanted to play baseball at a professional level? Would you just wait until game day to pick up a bat? Or would your lifestyle have to change to incorporate regular practice to take this “hobby” to a new level?

Blogging makes us faster cleaner writers.

When I look at some of my early blogs, I cringe. My thoughts are all over the place. Blogging works on our ability to mentally organize content. This helps us become better writers all around. Even plotting for a novel requires us to be able to organize our thoughts efficiently. Blogging is great exercise for that.

Let’s look at sports again. Years ago, I played soccer, and we had to run through a lot of tires. In three years of playing soccer I was never once assailed by a Goodyear tire on the field. So what was the point? It taught me to be quick on my feet so I would play the game better.

Blogging is like running cones or tires, or doing wind sprints. It makes us stronger, faster and better. The more we do it the faster the results.

Blogging feeds the spirit.

A huge part of this business is mental. Stephen King said, “Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”

I know of many writers more talented than me, but they won’t ever be published. Why? They gave up. As artists, we need to pay close attention to our mental state. It is easy in this business to get overwhelmed, burned out and give up. Blogging gives us validation in the lean times bewteen books.

The Big Picture

Am I telling you guys to blog because I can give you a magic formula for books sold?

100 blogs x 2 years divided by # comments X Pi = NY Times Best-Seller List

No, I encourage you to blog because it will make you stronger, faster, cleaner writers AND it will connect you to a large community of support so you don’t have to drive your book sales all by yourself. Instead of spending time putting together lengthy e-mail lists, write blogs instead. It takes the same amount of time and yet one approach makes us good at spreadsheets…the other makes us far better, stronger writers which means BETTER BOOKS. We also get really great at obliterating deadlines.

Blogging also keeps our head in the game. Back to sports. The pep rally is critical. All the practice in the world cannot help a team with low morale.

So back to our question, “How many times do we need to blog?”

There isn’t a clear answer. It is up to you and your strengths. Some people come from a sales background and their strength rests in putting together e-mail lists and launching marketing campaigns. If that is your strength, go for it!

For me? I am a writer. It is what I love and do well and I work hard every day to do it better. Blogging allows me to build a platform and strengthen my writing skills simultaneously. It permits me to do my passion WRITING.

My preference? I like three times a week.

Some people are against blogging three times a week because they don’t want to overwhelm their subscribers with fluff. My solution? Don’t write fluff. Blogging is a skill. It gets better with practice. You will get better at hooking readers with titles and content the more you do it. This will help your WIP as well.

Three times a week helps your blog and your skills grow faster. I have recommended this approach to many of my students. They kicked and screamed and whined, but when they started seeing the numbers climb and the subscriptions take off they were believers that three times a week really is easier.

But when we get down to brass tacks…

I recommend that you blog as often as you can be counted upon and still finish the books. The point of blogging is to eventually drive sales for our books. The finished product is paramount.

Back to blogging. There is a bare minimum we need to meet, or just forget it. There are too many writers who post when they feel particularly inspired. Hey, I was guilty once. But that isn’t the behavior of a professional.

Once a month, I think is not often enough for our blog to be much help in our platform. I advise a minimum of once a week or just forget blogging.

What are your thoughts? Do you love blogging? Hate it? What are your biggest challenges? What are some benefits you might have gained blogging?

I love hearing from you! And to prove it and show my love, for the month of July, everyone who leaves a comment I will put your name in a hat. If you comment and link back to my blog on your blog, you get your name in the hat twice. If you leave a comment, and link back to my blog, and mention my book We Are Not Alone in your blog…you get your name in the hat THREE times. What do you win? The unvarnished truth from yours truly.

I will pick a winner every week for a critique of your first five pages. At the end of June I will pick a winner for the grand prize. A free critique from me on the first 15 pages of your novel. Good luck!

Note: I am keeping all the names for a final GRAND, GRAND PRIZE of 30 Pages (To be announced) OR a blog diagnostic. I look at your blog and give feedback to improve it. For now, I will draw weekly for 5 page edit, monthly for 15 page edit.

In the meantime, I hope you pick up copies of my best-selling books We Are Not Alone–The Writer’s Guide to Social Media and Are You There, Blog? It’s Me, Writer . Both books are ON SALE for $4.99!!!! And both are recommended by the hottest agents and biggest authors in th biz. My methods teach you how to make building your author platform FUN. Build a platform and still have time left over to write more great books! I am here to change your approach, not your personality.

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  1. I’ve been blogging 3-4 times a week, depending on whether I contribute to Friday Flash. You’re absolutely right – blogging helps organize my thoughts, and it’s been really good for my research process as well. My Thriller Thursday posts take time, and I’m learning how to be more efficient, which is always a good thing. And the more we write, the better we get. Blogging is a great way to practice getting our thoughts across in a short amount of words, and that’s great for a blabber like me:)

    1. It sounds crazy and I didn’t believe it until I did it. Once a week was really hard for me, but when I went up to 3 times a week, it suddenly got easier. It is counterintuitive but true. Your posts are getting MUCH better. I notice that you have some of the best titles and I am so impressed with what you have done. I am actually a regular reader. Keep up the good work!

      1. Thanks so much! It’s wonderful to know you’re reading and enjoying the posts.

        Yes, the more you write the easier it becomes. Just goes to show that practice really does make perfect … or at least better, lol.

        Thanks!

  2. I definitely need to be better about this – I am not very consistent. I’ve been trying to get better about posting regularly (usually for me that’s 2-4 times a week) but I definitely have weeks where I post nothing at all. I’m working on it!

  3. I blogged five days a week until I sold a book and switched to three. It’s easier to maintain, and while my new followers have slowed down a bit, in a lot of ways I feel like the blog runs itself. I just need to show up with content.

  4. Still plugging away on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and having great fun doing it. Yesterday one of my blogs was “Freshly Pressed” by WordPress and my daily traffic has gone through the roof (over 3,500% yesterday, and up over 1,470% so far today.

    I love it when lightning strikes.

    Unfortunately, that has yet to translate into any book sales, however.

    1. It will. Give it time. That is another advantage to blogging more often. We are more likely to get picked up by Freshly Pressed (if we’re using WP) and have our following literally EXPLODE.

      Congratulations!!!!!

  5. Where do I start? Taking your course in blogging kicked me into gear and I am fully embracing the experience. Blogging has been an incredible outlet for all of the thoughts that ping-pong around in my head. My two boys have tuned me out to my rants over the years so I internalized a lot. I believe I have something to say and experience has taught me much. I’d like to think through my words I can heal and can guide others to notice what is going on around them and inside of them. Blogging three times a week keeps me on track and always thinking. It fuels my creativity which in turn spills out into my WIP.

  6. I have to say since I have found you Kristen I am much better about blogging and I am seeing an impact. I usually post on my own site at least three times a week and then I have other venues I post on a few days a week. Some have overlapping audiences but not many so each time I am talking to different people. I am getting better at it, I am also very conscious of keeping it positive. I am a writer and I love to write, but I am also a FT employee, a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend…blogging allows me to share all of those experiences and how they effect my writing. It has made me better, stronger. faster, focused….wait…did you mean to create a minion of six-million-dollar #Mywana #Twibes? LOL! Either was thanks for all of the awesome blogs, advice and support. You are amazing.

  7. I really enjoy sharing with others. That’s why I keep a blog. It’s a place I can gather all of my thoughts and present them in a *somewhat* readable way, and I can spark discussions with my readers. I really like that. I can talk to people on Twitter, but it’s a blog where you really get to know someone.

    Right now, I blog three times a week. I started out blogging every day, but it was exhausting. It was really hard for me to come up with interesting posts every day, and the posts that I wrote were *lacking*. On top of that, by the time I got to working on my novel, I was completely drained. So I pared down to three times a week. It’s enough that people don’t forget about me week to week, and little enough that I don’t feel overwhelmed by it. There may be a day when I go down to two posts a week, but I’ll never blog less than that. I love blogging, and I think it’s helped me a lot with confidence, especially when people say what a great post it was. 🙂

  8. Well, I’ve maybe painted myself into a furry corner blogging 5 days a week. But the Monday Mentions are hugely popular, Tues Tips with the DIY kindle stuff equally so. And the Woof Weds and Feline Friday attract other followers. Thoughty Thursday is my fav cuz I get to do anything. Thus far I’ve not had a problem sustaining this because I’m including links to other content and cross-promoting but after reading your blog, I wonder if the 5-day schedule might be overkill? The traffic has gone from 15-30 daily page views to 100 on average and double that on really good days. Slowly growing…

    1. I think if people like you and your blog they will just read the blogs that catch their eye. I think as long as you are posting quality content, blog as often as you want. What I DON’T advise is killing yourself BELIEVING that you MUST post every day. Also don’t post garbage just to say you post every day. I think writers need to take stock. Can I be interesting 5 times a week AND write my novels too? I happen to get energized writing my blogs, so it works for me to blog 4X a week. As long as the numbers are climbing and you aren’t ready to jump off a roof, I say keep it up!

      1. Hey, jumping off the roof would give me blog-content to mine. Thanks for the feedback. I do lots of blog/content at a time (need to video some more blingy Ask Amys).

        Posting garbage, no. Quality crappiocca, yes…there’s a fine line. *s* Muchly appreciated, Oh Wise One.

  9. My blog started to pick up in the last ten days or so, I think partly because I had some guest posts. Now I’m looking at how to brand my site more effectively to see if I can pull in some new readers. Not entirely sure how to do that visually, so I’ll start with content and see how it goes.

    I blog every day, though. I did have Sundays off, but then I joined #ROW80 which requires a Sunday check-in and I find I always have something to say apart from my wordcount. Not sure it’s relevant, but it is me, so… Part of me would like to cut down because it is a lot, but another part of me likes putting stuff up and getting comments and hits. Problem is, I think I may be overwhelming my subscribers. I know the blogs I subscribe to that post every day, I open my email and it’s like, oh man, another one? Which means I should probably shut up sometimes, but that means choosing which days not to blog on. Oh, decisions, decisions…

  10. Have you peeking inside my brain? I’ve been dealing with this issue this week. I’ve officially been blogging for two years. I started off 5 days a week, backed off the three, then went back up to every day these last few months because I was launching a new blog to get away from just blogging about writing. But now I have a very crowded deadline-oriented writing schedule for the next year and something is going to have to give. So I’m looking now as to where i can trim down. We’ll see how it goes. 🙂 Thanks for the timely post!

  11. I’ve just started my writing blog, although I’ve had a home/creativity blog for three years already (So I can testify to the benefits of frequent posting). So far, I’m just posting when I feel I have something to say, which has been several times a week so far.

    I’d love to see you post on WHAT a writer should blog about. I’m definitely a rookie, so I don’t really have writing advice to share. I don’t want to just post links to others’ brilliant blog post that I’m learning from (That’s what twitter is for!)

    Thanks for being an inspiration!

  12. I love blogging,which is something I never thought I would say. I don’t believe I’m good at it yet, but I’m learning quick. 3 times a week is what I shoot for, but often it’s barely 2. I honestly never thought it made me a professional, but now that you mention it you are right. The last 20 years I’ve started and quit within months. Sometimes this happened in the same year. This last time I started telling people I was finally going to do it. Most of my friends and family are still waiting for me to quit like I always do. This time there’s no chance of it and the blog is the reason. I feel it keeps me motivated.

  13. I was a M-F blogger, but now, not so much. It was taking away from my writing time. Plus it’s summer and routines always go out the window in the summer. My plan come fall is 2-3 times a week.

  14. Good points.

    I’m finding that blogging 3x a week does work pretty well and it does help with discipline.

    Another thing that I’ve found that helps with content generation is to create a series of posts that are connected (i.e. Part I, Part II, etc.). I’m hoping this helps with reader anticipation…but I’ve also found it helps me to organize my thoughts better.

  15. I started off with two times a week and now I’m up to three times. I do think that blogging helps one’s writing technique; like the old adage – practice makes perfect. I’m not saying I’m perfect, far from it. But my WIP reads better in edits now….

  16. I’ve been blogging for 2 years now. I started just trying to write “often enough.” I never let it get to be more than a week, but I was all over the place. About 8 months in, I put myself on a 3 days/week schedule, and announced it to my readers, who seemed to appreciate the consistency. I think it made me a better writer, but it sucked up brain power from the WIP. So I scaled back to 2/week the last 6 months to push the WIP to the end, and it worked. I’m in final edits of my first book now, and the blogging balance helped.

    The biggest advantage to me personally? I produce a finished piece twice a week. Its a wonderful sense of fulfillment and accomplishment to help me through a year of WIP writing.

  17. Heh heh heh…..I’m too scared to win your blog diagnostic! Ooh, the things you might say! I’m still too scatterbrained about blogging. Could you lend me some tires to run through?

    • Susette on July 27, 2011 at 3:44 pm
    • Reply

    I had to let go of the goal of blogging on a specific day of the week. My blog now says I blog 3 times a week with these themes….

    When I let go of the specific day the theme needed to be posted any sense of burden left.

    Just finished your WANA book, thanks for everything you went through for us newbies.

  18. Right now I’m just posting once a week with an occasional second post a week. And you’re so right it’s harder to keep the focus of readers that way. Over the summer, however, it’s all I can commit to. I’m hoping to bump it up once school starts back up.

  19. The 3 times a week thing works well for me, it keeps me thinking and helps me improve my writing in subtle ways that weren’t obvious when I started blogging. I’ve recently changed my blog and shifted away from the Noobcake title, which I owe you thanks, Kristen, as I am half way through We Are Not Alone. For anyone who hasn’t read it I thoroughly recommend you get a copy!

    • LM Milford on July 27, 2011 at 3:57 pm
    • Reply

    Hi Kristen, great post as ever! It’s really timely for me too, because I’m in the process of trying to set up my own blog. I’d always been put off the idea because I’m not a published writer, and I’m always concerned people wouldn’t be interested in what I have to say or that it would eat too much into my writing time. But instead I’m hoping it will inspire me to make more time for writing and, as you say, improve my writing. Fingers crossed and thanks for the great advice!

  20. Awesome post!

  21. Great thoughts on blogging! I’ve gone anywhere from 4-5 times a week and recently back down to 1 a week. I agree that I think 3 is kind of the sweet spot (that was my schedule for several months). I think it maximizes exposure without working you to death. Although I can’t say I found it easier than my current single a week approach, I do think I gained followers at a faster clip. Probably because I was more likely to cover at least one thing of interest to everyone over a given week.

    One thing I’m certain of: If you’re after active followers, you do yourself a disservice with daily blogging. Why? I noticed a long time ago that the number of comments goes way up if you leave a post to marinate a few days in between new posts. When I blogged ever-other-day I’d get an average of 10 comments per posts, when I started waiting 2-3 days in between posts that doubled.

    If you’re purely out to churn out content and keep the search engines on fire, there is no other way than to blog as often as possible. If you’re after an invested following, I’d recommend fewer posts.

    Just want to say again that this was a fine read! 🙂

  22. I dislike blogging. I never feel I have anything interesting to say, but I try. I fail miserably at it most times, but I try to blog and I want to get to where I blog regular, like clockwork. I know what a benefit it could be to blog on a regular schedule. I just have To Do It! Thanks for this post. I needed it.

    What are your thoughts on group author blogs? Are they more effective than one single author blog? Is it best to blog with a group than try to maintain your own blog?

  23. as always, very informative. i’ve found (and i’ve only been blogging a short time) that the old adage “if you want something done, give it to a busy person” applies to blogging. it’s a great form of self-discipline, and for writers like me who write both fiction and non-fiction, it creates a nice mental transition. writing for my blog inspires my other work – i’m only sorry i didn’t come to blogging sooner.

  24. I’ve been blogging twice a week, Tuesdays and Saturdays. Tuesdays because it’s the middle of the week and Saturday because I can use Friday evenings to write/draw and Saturday I can have it posted by probably noon. I would prefer to blog 3 times a week, but I don’t know if I’ll have time when school starts back. Being an English teacher, I worry that between the lesson planning, the paper grading, and other teacherly stuff, that may be all I have time for.

  25. Once a month, why not just mail out a news letter. Kristen, you always give us the best information. Three times a week is reasonable and the advantages you list are definitely there. Over the past six months, commenting, tweeting and having to come up with blog content, I’ve noticed a significant change not only in the cleanness of my writing but the speed at which I can get to a polished copy. All because of your great advice.

    1. Gene, I do a newsletter. Used to send it monthly, but that got to be too much for me so now it’s every other month. It tends to be the “best of” or theme-content stuff. But I’ve found that at best I get a 40% “open” rate and the folks who come to my blog are there 100% so . . . not sure how effective that is. But afraid to stop, there are some subscribers who LOVE it and ask when it’s next due out.

  26. I *like* blogging. And I didn’t like blogging until I read your post about how you can blog about most anything on your one site instead of keeping separate blogs for separate topics. It freed me by allowing me to just be myself and post content. I still question whether anyone would want to read what I post and that holds me back, a lot. But I’ve discovered that the posts that have a private journal feel to them, when I’m being the most honest and candid, I get the most hits. And that’s had a healing and therapeutic effect on me…it’s amazing. But again, that doubt creeps up that maybe I shouldn’t be talking about this stuff…

    Thank you for your post — you encourage me with your simple and straightforward advice!

  27. I’m so glad you said this, “I recommend that you blog as often as you can be counted upon and still finish the books. The point of blogging is to eventually drive sales for our books. The finished product is paramount.”

    As some people probably already know, I’m a big fan of “slow blogging”–blogging once a week or less. As long as your schedule is posted and you keep to it, you can have a successful blog at once a week. That way you have more time to visit other people’s blogs and comment and do the networking that keeps a blog successful.

    Many people blog every day, but never visit anybody else. They end up navel-gazing and get no comments..

    My once a week blog gets over 10,000 hits a month and has an Alexa rating of 373,000. (Even better than your none-too-shabby 410,000) Don’t mean to be competing here–I bow to you as my guru in all things social media–I’m just showing a slow blog can be successful.

    Another solution–one I’m starting this week–is to take on a blog partner. As long as both your names are in the title, you can share the burden. Very good when you’re both writing, publishing, and promoting at the same time.

    Yes, I’m going to be published again! Exciting, but being at a small press means 90% of the publicity will come from moi.

  28. I have to say, once I started on an actual schedule for blogging I did get more comments and subscriptions. I’ve had to go on hiatus to meet a writing deadline now, but I plan to return with a vengeance soon!

    THANK YOU for saying every day is too much. I can’t even read a blog that is updated daily, much less write my own. I’m much more willing to follow a blog if it’s updated three times a week or less. More than that and I just don’t have time.

  29. Ha ha Kristen. Love your formula example. What is helping me (newbie blogger) so much here in your blog, in your #WANA711 class I’m currently taking and in your books is the understanding that it shouldn’t be a formula. The connection is a holistic thing. Support will come as we write things that connect to people and those people with time become friends and join our team. It is marketing in a sense yes, but it feels so much more genuine than traditional marketing to me (or at least my experience from a past life working in business development).

    To your point of the amount blogs each week, yes writers do write. I’m so glad to be learning tips about the balance, focus on themes and advance planning to help stay on schedule. There have been periods over this past year where I went “blog silent” and lost direction because I thought I had to find some earth shattering topic to talk about (that “waiting to be inspired” piece you mentioned). Your points help with seeing that the practice of just writing and being myself is all that is needed. Thank you, thank you! I love blogging and you have helped me with getting back to the enjoyment versus having it cause stress.

  30. I still blame you Kristen for the fact that I have a blog at all! 😛

    Three times a week, that’s about my average right now. Since I’m doing ROW80 check-ins on Wed & Sun, I try to include something with those posts- today it was a bit about the novel my ROW words are going into. One day it was a small experiment to see how many viewers were humans who would comment, if asked to (1 in 4). I try to balance things out with at least one other post about a subject on my mind. Which reminds me, I need something to blog about this week. 😀

  31. I would have to agree with the 1 blog post a week with one caveat: that sometimes special events dictate the need for focused attention on a topic.

    If world or local events are sure to be of interest to your readers, that’s your moment to make an impact and increase the devotion of your followers.

  32. A very timely post as I’ve been reading blogs where everyone is wondering if they should stay or go or slow down.

  33. Ii wish I’d considered blogging as professional enough that I could have told people to go look at it before my first book came out. I’ll sure as shootin’ tell ’em to check it out when they ask when my next book comes out.

    Thanks for making blogging fun again!

  34. For me reading blogs and blogging is a real time eater. On the other hand I get a host of good ideas and enjoyment from reading them. And writing on my blog helps me reach my goal of writing something, anything every day. Sometimes I think I am only writing to myself though and get disappointed. But also get a thrill when someone reads it and comments. Like instant gratification. Loved the post however and am following your every word. Reggie Ridgway
    http://characterswellmet.blogspot.com

    • Merry Farmer on July 27, 2011 at 5:56 pm
    • Reply

    Excellent advice, Kristen! I also think to a certain extent a writer should blog any time they have something to say. I’m always worried that if I blog just to put words down by a deadline it will come off as boring. Fortunately I tend to be a Chatty Cathy and always think I have something to say. =P

  35. @JamiGold recently posed a similar question about length of posts: long or short.

    It’s all about quality and not forgetting about WIP, which can be easy to do — especially since blogs are so interactive and fun. Wheeeee!

    I find when people post more than 3x a week, I delete entries without even looking at them. I simply can’t take that kind of traffic, which is also why I’m selective about to whom I subscribe.

  36. Keep the good info coming.

  37. I am at 2X/week, with other writing projects demanding my time. But it’s important to have that deadline to produce something of some sort of quality to keep me focused, on track and picking up on new ideas.

    Even if work on the projects is slow, or frustrating, I always know I’ll be punching out something new (on the keyboard) in the next few days.

  38. Thanks again for posting this. Also, I just downloaded we are not alone to my kindle and I really needed your book in my life 🙂
    I’m already thinking of ways to restructure my blog based on your tips.

  39. Excellent points, Kristen! Once a week seems to be my sweet spot right now. I’ve gone from five times a week to three times a week, down to one. It just fits my baby-chasing stage of life. Maybe someday I’ll bump back up.

    Oh, and by the way, I’m in the middle of Are You There Blog…It’s full of good stuff just like I expected. Pretty sure I’ll have to read it at least a hundred times to pull out all the nuggets.

    Hope you’re having a great week! 🙂

  40. Thanks for the advice. I just started blogging at the end of June. Mostly I blog about my kids and their ‘adventures’. I love blogging about them, and I think they like it too. They are constantly telling me to add something they have done to my blog. I have only been adding their stories once a week, but from your advice, and many of the comments I read I get the feeling I should up it to 1 or 2 more times a week. Hopefully my traffic will improve by posting more. I am off now to read more of your previous (and helpful) blog posts.

    1. I blogged once a week for a year and a half. My hits went from 592 hits a month to 1200 ish a month….in a year and a half. I started blogging three times a week after reading an article about how to increas traffic. In three months I was at 14,000 hits a month. In less than a year of following the same advice I offer in AYTB, I now am getting the same hits in a day that I used to get in a month. It works. Yes, we can grow a following once a week. I might one day decrease down to once a week as pressures increase. But to get the momentum going, few things work better than posting great content 3 x a week.

  41. I might have to try three times a week. I’ve been on a schedule of once a week and I feel like I put a lot of pressure on myself for that one, lengthy post. Thanks for the great advice! 🙂

  42. I love to blog–so much in fact that I do it four times a week.
    It has taken me from an aspiring writer to a published author.
    I will be link your blog to: http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com
    Happy writing

  43. I’m in the same boat as a previous poster in that I just started (OK restarted) my blog and coming up with topics has been somewhat of an issue. To fill in the empty spaces, I decided to do book reviews, which have been a lot of fun (OK I have only done 2 but hey they were fun to do!) but I would like to have additional content on my blog that speaks directly to other writers.

    I do have a number topics I would like to cover, but have a great fear of posting three times a week and three weeks later realize I’ve run out of topics ;( Add to that the voice in the back of my head that keeps saying, “You are not published and have not finished a novel so why should anyone listen to you” and it is a struggle.

    After reading this article, I am motivated to start posting three times a week and have decided to write down three topics each Sunday to blog about during the week!

    Thanks Kristen!

    1. Shelley, I also fear running out of ideas.

  44. Hey, I’m so glad I stumbled on you, Kristen. I just started reading AYTB and wandered over here to see your blog. I can’t wait to read more of what you have to say about blogging better and smarter.

    I started blogging three years ago, but I wasn’t consistent (1-9 posts a month). I was getting somewhere between 300-400 hits a month though from an online community where I’d heavily invested myself. In June, I started blogging every day and my stats increased to 300-400 hits per day, I also started using Facebook and Twitter to promote myself.

    This is a timely article because I know there is no way I can keep up this pace forever. I’ve also been wondering if I might reach a point where I’m going to cause reader burnout. I’ve had in my mind that three times a week would be about right.

    I would love (alright, not really “love love” more like “dread love”) to have you pick my blog to review.

    1. AYTB should answer some of your questions about blogging. I also have a series called Sacred Cow-Tipping that might help.

      http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2011/06/07/sacred-cow-tipping-why-writers-blogging-about-writing-is-bad/

      http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2011/06/15/more-sacred-cow-tipping-common-blogging-misconceptions/

      Most writers burn out blogging because they aren’t being creative. These posts might help. Also, keep an eye out for my next blogging class.

  45. I don’t have the time to read anyone who posts daily. Who’s that interesting? I don’t think I am either.

    I blog 3 times a week (every other day) and it’s growing nicely, thanks to being Freshly Pressed three times since August 2010 when I moved over to WordPress from True/Slant where I was paid to blog and had 10,000 views or more each month.

    I currently get between 5,000 and 6,000 views a month, which is fine with me. I enjoy having conversations with my fun and smart subscribers who are literally all over the world, from South Africa to Australia to France. Author of two NF books, I remain a determined generalist.

    I look every single day for new blogs to comment on and possibly subscribe to. These days, I’m most interested in reading ex-pats and enjoying blogs focused not on words or writing but inspiring, interesting and compelling visuals.

  46. Great advice — one other option, a group blog. One of the reasons I think Murder She Writes is successful is because we have 10 authors, we blog M through F, and we all (loosely) write in the same genre. We support each other on the blog (and personally) and we have fun. FUN is key–when blogging becomes a chore, it’s time to move on. I don’t know how many unique visitors we get a month, but I know it’s well over 1,000 a day (last time someone told me — I don’t know how to check.) I comment on my co-bloggers posts, but am only responsible for blogging every other Thursday–doable with a hectic schedule. All of us write 2-3 books a year and have families. I think between the 10 of us, we have @28 kids and (so far) 2 grandkids.

    Just another option for those who think even 3x a week is too daunting!

    1. Wow! Allison I feel so honored. Two days in a row. I am going to get a big head :D.

      The downside of a group blog is that the group becomes the brand, not the author. Group blogs are great, but frequently what becomes the brand is Genreality, Writer Unboxed, Adventures in Childrens Publishing, Writers in the Storm. Most of us who read these blogs would be hard-pressed to name the contributors…unless they have their own blog, too. I think group blogs are wonderful, but for a new writer trying to start branding, they need to have their own blog. Heck , my advice? Just post the same blog you contribute to the group blog and make it do double-duty. Feel free to link to your group blog at the end in case visitors want to check out the other contributors. But blogs are powerful for connecting with readers and building our name. So, my opinion is we need to have a blog under our NAME, since that is how people will buy our books.

      Thanks so much for stopping by!

  47. Inspiring as usual! You just may have lite the fire under me that I needed. My blog is like the road paved with good intentions. Time seems to get away from me. Now, no more excuses. Thanks.

  48. I know a lot of people who do that, Kristen (even those members of my two group blogs!) — and you’re right, there are definite drawbacks to a group blog. BUT if you can get into one with some big names (i.e. Tess Gerritsen is with me at Murderati) then you get crossover benefit. Just another option that might work for some people. (BTW, I wasn’t considering a debut author or an aspiring author when I commented about group blogs — you’re right that for them it might not work unless they’re good friends with a bigtime author who wants to co-blog. But for established writers, it is a good way to reach out to like-minded readers and expand.)

    I’ve visited your blog many times, but I guess I was moved to comment two days in a row! 😉

    1. LOL. I see it being a real benefit for more established authors. And the truth is, like I said…RECYCLE. No one will fault you for posting the same content on your web site/blog site, and, if they do, they can get over it.

      Wow…Tess Gerritsen. I am such a huge fan of hers. And yours. I dig blogging cuz I can totally pimp my peeps. I am still stunned you commented and NOW I find out you have been LURKING TOO???? I am never going to get my head through a door. Need to go do some edits to deflate me a little 😀

  49. Thanks for sharing your ideas. I have been posting on my blog 3-4 times a week. My biggest challenge is advertising my blog but blogging has forced me to expand my reach looking for blog topics. At times it is fun and at times it feels like a pressure, but like you mention, it is necessary to build a platform.

    Phanto

  50. I’ve gone for the twice a week schedule. It’s a bit more than just once a week, but let’s me really focus on quality posts those two days. 🙂

  51. sigh

    So now I’m hopelessly addicted to your blog.

    Hope you’re happy now.

    1. Very :D.

  52. Three posts per week definitely works well for me. My first year I blogged daily, which was good from the standpoint of writing discipline and keeping myself out there. But it did become somewhat overwhelming from the time standpoint. When I switched to three per week I found the each post gained significantly more comments, while it gave me more time to explore other blogs and leave more comments on those blogs. My comments increased and my followers increased. I may even consider switching to two per week to see what happens. Less than two is probably too few.

    Lee
    Tossing It Out

  53. I did the A-Z blog tour in April, where we had to do a blog a day, starting with the letter A. I didn’t honestly think I could do it, but decided to try to build my “blogging muscle.”

    After the first week, I was in the groove of it. Coming up with the letter to start my post took more effort. I did try to make my posts short, say 4 paragraphs or less. Occasionally I’d get inspired. I liked adding pictures for content and eye candy for the reader who was skimming.

    But I picked up some amazing other bloggers from other worlds I would not have touched otherwise. The little button on my blog site allows the reader to hop onto it and be taken to another blogger at random. I got in the habit of posting, then hopping on that tab and posting on 3-5 others each day – nothing long, but something pertinent. How nice to be acknowledged and followed by others from that fest, even if they do so in private.

  54. I must have been channeling you psychic-ally, because I totally agree with the 3 times a week, and that has been my plan. But reading this post was an awesome experience. Shaking my head and wondering how I finally got something right! 🙂

  55. It’s definitely time to get started blogging again. I used to blog monthly on the Novelists Inc blog and I think fell away because it was too infrequent a foray into blogging. Now to carve the time to set up a blog and get to it. Thanks for the kickstart.

    Karen Tintori

  56. Thank you for this post. I’ve often wondered how many times I should be blogging. Thinking about my own preferences, I sometimes get overwhelmed with reading the same person’s blog every day. But a few times a week is just fine. I think once a week is fine too, especially if you trend toward longer posts. I tend to do three posts per week and they are varied. I may include a narrative, a photo essay, and a recipe. I try to shake things up a bit. Hopefully I’m doing it right.

  57. Blogging has really helped me with my discipline. Over time, I’ve had to learn what’s interesting, and I came to the three times a week conclusion on my own, mostly because I wanted to see if I could do it, post that many times a week and still maintain an honest level of quality. I’m not sure how it turned out, but so far it’s been okay.

    Though I do have two blogs, a personal, I am an author blog, and a blog specifically for my stories. Keeping them separate has actually helped me remember that I am not my writing. Not only that, but a story of mine got a lot of notoriety on StumbleUpon. That was the best praise I’ve gotten in a long, long time, and it’s given me encouragement to keep going with my novel WIP.

  58. Three times a week is my magic number. I could do 4 or more, but I want to get the book done ASAP. Now that I’m really writing that thing, I have so much research and cool stuff, some of which won’t even make it into the book. Any writer should have plenty of notes left over. Why not use that stuff for blog posts? I’m beginning to and have a stockpile of ideas that will already carry me through a month.

  59. I started out 3 times a week and got burned out really quickly. Part of that is my natural insecurities. “Why do I think people care? Nobody reads this! I don’t have anything worthwhile to say. Who am I kidding, trying to play in mommy’s shoes?” Part of it is also the depression I struggle with every day. The inclination to use my blog as an online diary is a strong one, especially since I’ve had a Livejournal account for something close to a decade. Also, the depression tends to emphasize the insecurities, as well as make me erratic and scatterbrained. What sort of advice can you give to someone who wants to keep blogging yet doesn’t have the resources to combat this debilitating sickness?

  60. I blog 3 times a week, and some weeks that isn’t easy. When I first started, it seemed to take FOREVER to get a post up. But I’m becoming more efficient at organizing my thoughts, writing, formatting, etc. It’s also been wonderful to continue the writing creativity while my WIP is in edits.

    One of the best things I’ve done is that anytime I have a blog idea, I start a post. I usually don’t finish it then, but I come back to posts and edit periodically. Using this method, I have 10-15 partial posts that just need polishing to be ready for my blog.

    1. Thanks, Julie. This is a great idea I’ve been contemplating for awhile. It encourages me to hear that it works for you.

  61. Love the sports analogy…good reminder for me to head to the gym, too. I don’t think I could run through tires at this stage of the game! You make some fantastic points about blogging. I think a few times a week is a nice balance; it’s not too overwhelming for my readers or for me. I also like having the day or two in between to develop ideas fully. I also love Julie Glover’s method of keeping a few posts going with ideas…I think I’ll start doing that.

  62. I love this idea. I’m going to steal it! Thanks Julie!

  63. Great post, Shaman…:) Last year, I was only blogging once a week. This year, after timidly proclaiming, “I’m a writer”…*crawls back under rock*…., I upped the ante and started doing it four times a week. I’ve found breaking on Wednesday and only writing on M,T,R and F makes it feel like two “short” weeks and I’m loving it now. At first I thought I’d get burnt out, but, you’re right, the more I do it, the easier it gets. I may need the patch if I ever want to quit.

    (Please note: I’ve just thought-up The Blog Patch, right this very second….no one steal my idea..please…;)

  64. I agree with three times a week. I tried everyday but my posts were too long. If the posts are short than five days a week would work too. I write two posts a week then on Friday it’s Foto Friday where I put up an interesting picture readers can use as a writing prompt if they want.
    Thanks for the post!

  65. Consistency is probably my biggest challenge with a hectic work schedule and a family. Oh yeah…and there’s that book writing thing I’m trying to accomplish. I try to keep that in mind when I blog. I follow a lot of blogs and people that go on and on about nonsense seem to be the most ineffective. Mostly because I don’t get past paragraph three before closing it out.

    I’m still working on cloning. Once I have someone to take care of my chores/work/family I can devote much more time to writing! 😉 Great post!

  66. I confess that as a new blogger, I’m mystified. Reading others’ blogs, I find myself struggling to post something original and meaningful. It seems that everyone is blogging about blogging, blogging about how to use Twitter, blogging about how to use Facebook. Right now, my blog is more of an online journal than a blog about writing. But between a day job, a horse, a dog, a memoir-in-progress, and a new release, I’m struggling with blogging at all! Once-a-week sounds right for me, right now. So much to learn!

  67. Hi Kristen,

    I blog once a week, and it’s all I have time for at this time. Thank you for this topic. I need to do more.

    1. You need to do only what you can be counted uppon to do religiously….and it not interfere with writing the WIP. Although I will say that blogging more than once a week is easier and it will make you a stronger writer.

  68. I just read a post from Joe Konrath saying, “Don’t read blogs, write.” Easy for him to say. Somehow a newbie has to build contacts. . .That’s the thing that makes me more likely to throw in the writing towel than anything else.

    It’s a jungle out here.

    1. I know what he means. There are a lot of writers who spend too much time on social media and it is at the expense of the book/writing. But, at the same time, when we can put NYTBSA in front of our name, we get some perks, like the ability to ignore reading blogs. And, if he really felt that way, why does he blog? Food for thought, LOL.

    • Ruth Nestvold on July 29, 2011 at 5:01 pm
    • Reply

    I’m still a very reluctant blogger. Lately I’ve been trying to post more regularly, but I feel like I’m all over the place, like I still need to find some kind of angle.

    I also need to redesign my blog. 🙂

    • EllieAnn on July 31, 2011 at 2:00 am
    • Reply

    This is the first month of my blog, and I started out writing six days a week to build readership.
    Now that I have a good foundation, and readers know what to expect when they click on my site — I’m going to go down to posting three times a week.
    Whew. It will be a relief. Although a ton of fun, posting 6 days a week really took it out of me.
    Thanks for this really helpful advice. It’s good – as always!

  69. Any suggestions for poetry blogs such as mine? Any feedback would be appreciated. Thank you. Hugs!
    @kellielately

  70. Blogging has been always rather challenging for me. I’ve used to have difficulty deciding what should I blog about. Simply because I didn’t have a very good understanding what this business of blogging is all about. Your workshop, Blogging to Build Your Brand, provided most valuable ideas for my blog. I’m structuring my posts into three-times-per-week schedule and, finally, I know what I really want to share with my readers. So far producing three posts per week takes a lot of self-discipline but I’m enjoying the challenge. Thank you, Kristen.

  71. Disciplined method–3 times a week. Otherwise, I’ll do it sporadically.

  72. I found your blog via Kerry Meacham’s via the ROW80 network. I’m a long way from having my work professionally critiqued, but I do want to be a better blogger. Your books sound like a great help. I agree that blogging improves our writing. Not only does it push me to do more on my stories, but it’s improved my writing in general. (A few key blogs I read from authors Janice Hardy, Juliette Wade, and Lydia Sharp are also a part of that.) And since I’ve been doing book reviews as some of my posts, it’s helping me learn how to capture the essence of what I’m reading, which I hope will translate into doing the same for my WIPs.

  73. I know I’m a little bit late commenting on this, but I just wanted to say thank you. I have been trying to figure this out when it comes to my blogging.

    One of the problems I am running across is that I have so many things I want to write about that I make separate blogs for each idea. Right now I have one blog that I’ve had for a year, in which I posts every two or three days. I have another blog that I created several months ago, but have lost inspiration and time to really make it work, so I have not posted in two months. And I just created another one two days ago and have so far posted three times. I kind of cheated with this one because I had quite a few of my posts already typed up. And I am in the process of wanting to create another blog.

    What would you say to someone like me who has so many blogs? Do you suggest a balance of posting? Or getting rid of a couple? Should I set up a schedule for posting in each? I would love to hear a post on this.

    1. Personally, I am frustrated by bloggers who have more than 2 blogs. There are so many blogs that many of us already follow that it becomes overwhelming when one blogger has multiple blogs. Depending on how often they post, I tend to ignore most of their blogs and focus on the one I originally started with or seems most useful. Oftentimes if I go to a blogger’s profile and see several blogs listed, if I am pressed for time I just back out and not look at any of them.
      I think bloggers who have a lot to say should limit their blogging and say what they have to say in a book or magazine articles or something like that.

      Lee
      Tossing It Out

    2. Oh, dear heavens! You only need one blog. Your name. Ashley-Prince’s Blog. Your brand is YOU. If you blog on different topics, just slate to specific days. For instance, this is Kristen Lamb’s Blog. Monday is craft. Tuesday is Twitter. Wednesday is Social Media for Writers and Friday is Free for All and sometimes has nothing at all to do with writing. I don’t need four separate sites!!! People are smart. Give them some credit :D.

      If people subscribe, they can simply pay attention to what interests them and ignore the other days. I will go on. I don’t expect to please every person with every post…though I do try.

  74. This is the most compelling argument for more frequent blogging that I’ve seen in a while. Currently I blog twice a month, and it’s a struggle to produce the content because it seems to take forever. But it’s true: blogging is a skill. And like any skill, practice builds speed, confidence, and quality. Looks like it’s time for me to up my game. Thanks!

  75. At this point, I can’t imagine posting more than once a week and still maintaining quality. Each week I post a life/parenting lesson story. I am getting better/faster, but it still takes a long time to create that one entry. I’m toying with different ideas to add another day, ie Friday Favorite… Something! Your book has helped and inspired me soooo much! Thanks!

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