Blog to Book Transformation: 7 Steps for a Dazzling Book

Blog to Book Transformation: 7 Steps for a Dazzling Book

A certain amount of freedom comes with being a blogger. The way you schedule your writing, the topics you choose to write about, whether or not you review products or services, and even the writing voice you utilize are all aspects of blogging unique to each writer. So it’s no surprise that the art of blogging has grown by 12% since 2015 and a whopping 77% of internet users admit to reading blogs.

With a growing interest in blog content, many bloggers are taking their blog writing skills to the printed page to become published authors. But what does it take to transform blog to book successfully? Let’s look at how you can convert your blog content into a beautifully printed book to add published author to your byline.

How to Make a Blog to Book Transformation

Whether your blog entries are cranked out like clockwork or you have taken a more relaxed approach to content publishing schedules, if you want to publish a blog to book, you likely have a good quantity to choose from for your book. But writing a book using your blog content is not as simple as stringing together old blog posts. Your book may ultimately end up including a variety of new content alongside your previously published blog articles. But the first thing you need to do is determine your book’s focus.

1. Give the Readers What They Want

The first step in transforming your blog to book content is to determine which entries will be included in the book. One good way to discover the most appealing blog to book content you have created is to ask your readers directly. You don’t have to let them in on the blog to book writing secret to ask them to give you feedback on their most memorable blog entries and why those were favorites. While not scientific, this feedback can let you know what topics your readers find interesting and valuable and can help you narrow down your blog options to a smaller, more workable number of entries.

You will also need to personally evaluate your blog entries as well. First, create a spreadsheet to develop an easy-to-read comparison tool for assessing your top 10-20 blogs. This side-by-side comparison should include a section for the blog noting the length, the topics covered in each, the quantity and type of reader interactions the blog inspired, and any unique features for that blog like backlinks, research, or product placements.

Once your spreadsheet is complete, look for connections between the entries to help you see what kind of structure the blog to book should take. Consider how the entries connect or what they have in common as well as look for entries that are outliers and may not be a good fit for this book.

2. Select a Book Structure

The next step in turning your blog to book content is to select an order or structure that fits your content as well as the overall feel or theme of the book. Your book’s outline can follow a few standard styles of organization.

• Chronological: Surprisingly, using a chronological approach to your blog to book can actually consist of more than one way to order your book content. Of course, ordering your blog entries according to the date that they were initially published is one way to look at the chronological order structure option.
• Theme Clusters: When thinking about how your blog entries are connected or how they relate to each other, often writers see clusters of similar themes emerging. Organizing your blog to book structure around these themes can not only create an interest for the reader, but doing so can also help you see the bigger picture of what overall theme or story your blog to book will give to readers. Some authors also like to combine chronological and theme structures by ordering thematic sections specifically by date or age. Bloggers who write about themselves and their families often find this structure to match their book’s contents naturally.
• Transformation: Many writers discover that their views about things have evolved or their subjects have changed and grown over the life of their blog. In this case, writers might choose to order their blog to book in a way to reveal the developing maturity or transformation of understanding.

3. Develop New Content

Now that you have a basic framework for your blog to book as well as a good idea of which blogs you intend to include in the book, you should consider what holes exist in the outline. One way to spot these gaps is to tentatively title each blog entry and then read them all together as if they were a story.

By stringing them together in this way, it is easier to see where the concepts don’t flow or if there is an idea or thought missing that might bridge the gap. Once these holes are identified, plan to create new content by either writing completely new pieces or expanding on the content you already have.

• Consider how other writers or bloggers approached the topic by doing research and then make additions to your own work with a new perspective (and crediting any other author’s viewpoints, if they are included.)
• Writing new stories or adding fresh personal tidbits can enrich a previously written blog piece. Without the time and length constraints that often come with blogging, it may be much easier to add additional content to your blog posts.
• Scour news stories to include relevant or updated information about a newsworthy topic you have already written about. For example, if you are including an article about your shared experience with a large tragedy that was in the news, including an update about the victim’s families today or memorials that have been constructed since you initially wrote about it would be a compelling addition to your blog entry.
• One way to expand on previously written content is to directly or indirectly respond to reader comments given to the original blog post. Address concerns or write about what others were thinking, feeling, or saying about the topic to round out a post that evoked a lot of reader engagement.
• When new knowledge or resources are available, integrate them into your original writing to add meaningful, timely content that both your blog readers and your new book fans will appreciate.

4. Edits and Revisions

Don’t skimp on the editing and revising process because a book, unlike an online blog, cannot be updated or corrected once it has gone to the printer. Consider hiring a professional editor and proofreader to help you catch the little mistakes and continuity issues that can keep your blog to book from looking polished. Read the blog to book from start to finish (and ask a trusted friend to, as well), and take note of any gaps in the organization or pieces that feel out of place.

But don’t feel married to the content either. If you can’t find a place for a treasured blog entry, set it aside and consider how it may work for a future book instead of trying to force it into a place where it doesn’t make sense. Don’t forget to think about how your binding choice affects the layout of your book. Content that transforms blog to book will likely utilize Perfect binding so make sure that your margins, page numbers and chapter titles are placed correctly or use a free template to help you finalize the book formatting.

5. Consider the Cover

Use a design expert to help you integrate your personal brand with the theme of your book. Since many readers will associate your blog with the book’s content, visual connections are key to extending your brand while also developing new fans at the same time.

6. Partner with a Trusted Printer

Working with an experienced, professional printer will ensure that your final product looks fantastic and you can get the help and support you need during the book development process. Publishing Xpress has been helping authors transform their blogs into beautiful books for decades.

7. Develop a Marketing Plan

Once you have ordered your books, it’s time to make plans for selling them when they arrive from the printer. Connect with other bloggers to help you promote your upcoming publication with their readers. Use your social media platforms to hype up your book and even consider posting blurbs or teasers on your social media or in future blogs. Consider asking a few trusted bloggers to read advance copies of your book to provide authentic reviews to build excitement around your book’s release. And of course, break the news to your readers first since they have been the driving force behind your blog’s success!

Becoming a Published Author

Many bloggers become authors because having a published book provides instant literary credibility. But a book can also help you develop a new audience since it may reach a different reader than blog-only fans.

With direct references to your blog site, a published book can increase your blog readership while also bringing in income from your book’s sales. And while writing a book from your blog content takes time and effort, becoming a published author is an undeniable benefit that can help you reach new readers while taking your own writing ability to a new level.