Blogging for writers: How to get more traffic with fewer posts

Blogging for writers: how to get more blog traffic with fewer posts, so you still have time to work on your book manuscript!


Yesterday morning I sat down at my computer and wondered why I didn’t pick a job that could be—I don’t know—easier? I had to draft comp copy for a proposal, and I could not get the words to flow. It was painful.

This happens to me Every. Time. I get it bad when I’m sitting down to write sections of a proposal. Or drafting a pitch letter. Or writing a blog post.

And that? That is sad. Sad like my inability to keep plants alive.

blogging for writers

It doesn’t matter if we know, intellectually, that it’s just resistance staring back at us, trickling fear into our veins drip by drip. I’ve read every book in the genre—The War of Art, Big Magic, Bird by Bird—and I still get a turn in my stomach at the thought of sitting down to write.

Only two things have helped me woman up and write what needs to be written each day:

  1. Terrible first drafts. (The first drafts of my book projects are a horror show.)
  2. The Sticky Blogging Brainstorming worksheet.

I’ve talked about my trusty Sticky Blogging worksheet before, but that’s because it’s so good I just can’t shut up about it. It’s taken me from stressball to calm + collected about writing.

That brainstorming worksheet lives in a folder on my computer called “Start Here Before Writing,” and it’s the PDF equivalent of brushing my teeth and getting dressed in the morning. If I don’t start there, I get disoriented, scattered, and very grumpy about what happens next.

Now, when I’m thinking about the 10,000 reasons I should check email again instead of drafting that pitch letter, I turn off my wifi, open my brainstorming worksheet, open a Word document, and start doing some terrible drafting.

blog writing workshop

Because terrible drafts turn into better drafts which turn into good drafts which turn into Done.

And Done is a beautiful feeling.

But I will admit that the brainstorming worksheet wouldn’t be the game-changer it is without all the other methods I learned in my friend Kelly’s Sticky Blogging workshop. That class really helped me understand the science behind hooking a reader and not letting them go—something I wish I could teach all writers as well as Kelly does. It’s especially perfect for teaching blogging for writers, which, let’s admit, has its own set of advantages and challenges.

The real payoff of her class? With her Sticky Blogging method, Kelly only needs to post about once a month to get strong traffic and make a living from her blog.

And less time blogging = more time for your manuscript. THAT’s what makes it the best class on blogging for writers–it’s all about building your platform without bankrupting your book writing time.

The best class on blogging for writers

That’s why I’m excited she’s finally opening up to new students for the first time this year. Honestly, I’m tempted to sign Jarrett up this year, but he’d kill me.

But if you won’t kill me for being a bit bossy: you should sign up for Kelly’s free workshop! It’s called How to Get More Traffic with Fewer Posts. 

You can learn a ton from her in just 1 hour, and you don’t have to spend a single penny. You also don’t need to sign up for her bigger Sticky Blogging class if it’s not your thing–you can just tune in to the free workshop and still learn a lot.

Kelly’s running her free sessions this Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Maybe it’s time to treat yourself to a little free education this week? 

 

Click here to learn more and register for the free workshop!

 


5 quick reads for the week

  1. Pitching is an art, and a pitch is possibly the most difficult paragraph you’ll ever write. Luckily, tips abound!
  2. I am a little obsessed with writing by hand. This story takes the cake, though.
  3. Shhh.
  4. I had such a fun time chatting with Maggie of the Cookbook Love podcast! We talked cooking as chore vs. self-care, my very favorite cookbook of all time, and why I don’t actually own very many cookbooks.
  5. Who gets to decide who is an authority on food?

What we’re eating this week

I had a crazy weekend–I zipped off to catch a 3 am Amtrak train after the James Beard Awards so I could be back in time to host my sister and her boyfriend, and I’m still trying to catch my breath. I was only home ONE day last week, so I am also very ready for some cooking in my kitchen. Here are the middling results:

Monday: I did not want to use my brain, so grilling it was. We’ve recently gotten into the chorizo chicken sausages from Whole Foods, and we grilled some spring onions from our farm basket and made an unremarkable salad. Can I write a think piece in praise of unremarkable dinners? (Wait, JJ beat me to it.)

Tuesday: Jarrett is in DC for the night, so Pepper and I are partying with some Pepperoni Pizza Pasta, which is exactly as basic as it sounds.

blogging for writers

Wednesday: J and I joined a kickball team that plays on Wednesdays, so I’ve been turning to one of my favorite books, Eat at Home Tonight, to tell me what to cook when I have to go run around like a lunatic in, like, 20 minutes. This week’s answer: balsamic beef lettuce wraps with slaw.

Thursday: Okay, I ran out of steam. I have no idea what to cook and no desire to figure it out. Thanks for tuning in to my cooking show!

Friday: Beer and BBQ at Hardywood!! Happiness is a warm bun weighted down with pork.

Cheers!

Get one free tip for reading more + living better each week!

How to get more readers with less struggle

The best blog writing workshop: this is my #1 pick for a blog writing workshop that will teach you how to hook readers and not let them go!


Yesterday morning I sat down at my computer and wondered why I didn’t pick a job that could be—I don’t know—easier? I had to draft comp copy for a proposal, and I could not get the words to flow. It was painful.

This happens to me Every. Time. I get it bad when I’m sitting down to write sections of a proposal. Or drafting a pitch letter. Or writing a blog post.

And that? That is sad. Sad like my inability to contain coffee inside my cup.

blog writing workshop

It doesn’t matter if we know, intellectually, that it’s just resistance staring back at us, trickling fear into our veins drip by drip. I’ve read every book in the genre—The War of Art, Big Magic, Bird by Bird—and I still get a turn in my stomach at the thought of sitting down to write.

Only two things have helped me woman up and write what needs to be written each day:

  1. Terrible first drafts. (The first drafts of my book projects are a horror show.)
  2. The Sticky Blogging Brainstorming worksheet.

That brainstorming worksheet lives in a folder on my computer called “Start Here Before Writing,” and it’s the PDF equivalent of smashing the glass case holding the fire extinguisher. (That is, if you were allowed to smash that case every time you turned on the stove. Apparently I really rely on my emergency devices.)

Now, when I’m thinking about the 10,000 reasons I should check email again instead of drafting that pitch letter, I turn off my wifi, open my brainstorming worksheet, open a Word document, and start doing some terrible drafting.

blog writing workshop

Because terrible drafts turn into better drafts which turn into good drafts which turn into Done.

And Done is a beautiful feeling.

But I will admit that the brainstorming worksheet wouldn’t be the game-changer it is without all the other methods I learned in Kelly’s Sticky Blogging blog writing workshop. That class really helped me understand the science behind hooking a reader and not letting them go—something I wish I could teach all writers as well as Kelly does.

That’s why I love to sing the praises of Kelly’s class far and wide, and why I’m excited she’s finally opening up to new students for the first time this year. Honestly, I’m tempted to sign Jarrett up this year, but he’d kill me.

But if you won’t kill me for being a bit bossy: you should sign up for Kelly’s free blog writing workshop! It’s called How to Get More Traffic with Fewer Posts, and this is the last week she’ll be offering it this year. You can learn a ton from her in just 1 hour, and she’s running her free sessions this Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

I’m going to be re-watching her blog writing workshop this afternoon as a reward for hitting my proposal writing goals for the day. I hope to see you there!

 

Click here to learn more and register for the free workshop!

 


5 quick reads for the week

  1. I have plenty of time to write, said no one on the planet ever. Here are 3 ways to fix it.
  2. Laundry is the first thing I would set on fire if I actually had a fire extinguisher. This makes it slightly easier.
  3. “Writing nonfiction is not about telling your story.”
  4. I am ELATED that my wonderful author, Nik, made it on this New Yorker list of the top 3 fall cookbooks.
  5. I know you’ve lied about reading some of these classic novels; haven’t we all?

What we’re eating this week

This week is a tirefire! But a good tirefire! The first half of this week we’re puttering away in Alexandria and doing our regular normal boring things. On Thursday: WE’RE MOVING.

Well, almost. We’re closing on our new house this Thursday and then moving in a bit later in the month. But it is a doozy because not only are we moving from an apartment to a house, we’re also moving to an entirely new cute little town.  

blog writing workshop

So here’s what you eat when you sort of have two kitchens but one of them does not have a refrigerator yet:

Monday: Baked drumsticks and Greek salad. See? Regular, normal, and boring.

Tuesday: Burgers with coleslaw and corn on the cob. What could be more mundane?

Wednesday: Salmon with cauliflower mash and brussels sprouts. Yawn!

Thursday: Closing on our house, after which we will glamorously celebrate with a rare bottle of Foggy Ridge Final Call and even more glamorously dine at Lemaire. Good thing I saved up all my Excitement Points this week so I can cash them in BIG TIME now.

Friday: Cup-o-noodle soup because—ha! —we have no refrigerator yet. Please send us positive, temperature-controlled vibes. And if you want live-action updates on our new house and our exciting new microwave-ramen lifestyle, follow along on Instagram.

Cheers!

Get one free tip for reading more + living better each week!

The 5 best books for writers

Jarrett came home from work the other day waving a new book, which one of the editors at his office said was essential reading for writers. Excuse me, I said, but we have that book already, and I could have told you all about it if I had known you wanted more reading assignments.

(I’m always telling Jarrett, “You really should read this book—you’d like it!” when I finish a book. I think his backlog of books I really, really think he should read is really, really long and really, really ignored.)

I was in such a huff that someone had beat me to recommending On Writing Well that I pulled out my yellowing copy from the shelf and forced on him a dramatic reading of my favorite quotes as we ate dinner. (I’ve learned that the best place to trap someone is at the dinner table, and I think this is a free and fair trade for all the cooking I do.)

Anyway, as Jarrett sat rapt, or maybe bored, I told him all about how, at my first job as an editorial assistant at a NYC publisher, one of the executive editors had called me into her corner office, handed me a stack of 10 books about writing, and told me to start there, but that I could come back for more soon.

I had been working as a paralegal at a law firm beforehand, so I thought it was the coolest thing ever that I got to read books about writing instead of police reports. But 10 books is no small stack, and I didn’t know where to start.

best books for writers

So consider this my starter stack for you—these are the 5 books I’d most recommend to any writer, whether an aspiring writer, an established writer, or anyone who has to write or blog for a living. These are the best books for writers; the best books to teach you how to get published; the best books to make you feel less alone and hair-pull-y all the time.

Maybe others have beat me to recommending some of these books on writing to you, but I promise not to get huffy about it, and I hope you’ll still find one or two new gems here:

 

Read More