In today’s digital age, the literary landscape has expanded far beyond the pages of physical books. Aspiring authors, established writers, and literature enthusiasts now have a powerful tool at their disposal—author blogs. These virtual platforms serve as an intimate window into the minds of talented wordsmiths, offering a wealth of inspiration, guidance, and insight. In this blog post, I’ve made a selection of invaluable author blogs and the resources they provide for both writers and readers alike.
In this day and age, any writer, filmmaker, dancer, or other creative can launch their career online, and build a platform. This moment in time is great for anyone to express personal thoughts and opinions, pick up their phone to shoot a video, launch a YouTube channel, publish a short movie, or start a blog. In other words, it’s so much easier for creators to bypass traditional industry gatekeepers and take advantage of the digital tools available to us.
Due to these and upcoming tools like AI, it’s cheaper than ever to build and launch something based on content. Distribution is faster and cheaper as well. We used to need a record label, or a publisher to get the word out; now, in many cases, this adds time and hassle without creating sufficient benefit.
Even though I don’t think traditional publishing houses and agencies will be fully replaced, I do think it’s easier for creators nowadays to spend more time focusing on what they want to create and what the audience wants to see, as opposed to merely pleasing the middleman. To a certain extent, digitalization and the rise of the internet democratized the storytelling business, and gave more diverse voices a platform.
It’s not only a joy to read these blog posts and get a sense of what people in certain places in the world are up to, it also showcases this opportunity for creators of all sorts to become vocal about their passion.
A powerful medium
Blogging to me has always been a way to share what I love, practice the craft, showcase my work, and gain and maintain readers through meaningful conversations.
But I noticed that authors, whether Indie or traditionally published, just starting out or the more established ones, still rarely make use and take advantage of this powerful medium. I’d love to see that changing for the writing community.
It took me a while to find some fellow writers online— the kind of writers that evolved themselves into bloggers and were able to build a whole platform around their books — using the blog as a digital tool to share personal stories, write about topics related to their book subject, and bring stories to life in an attempt to bring in new readers. Some of them were able to create major platforms, boasting numbers that rival the established media companies we are all familiar with.
Hence, the internet is brimming with discovered and undiscovered talent. And I’m sure there will be a next-generation ready to take charge of this medium. With the right guidance, creativity, and a healthy dose of willpower, blogging has the potential to unleash remarkable opportunities for writers. Jane Friedman wrote a valuable guide to blogging for authors, highlighting the opportunities of blogging while also answering questions like whether certain writers should have blog.
Below I’ve listed some of the best author blogs on the web. I consider these blogs personal treasures, which you probably don’t already know about. Enjoy, and let me know if there are names missing.
List of recommended author blogs
- The blog of Jane Friedman
Jane reports on the book publishing industry and helps authors to understand the business. Her personal blog is full of valuable information for aspiring writers and the more established ones. - Journal of fiction-writer Neil Gaiman
This blog truly feels like an ongoing conversation. It goes from fleeting observations to simple brain pickings— Some of them easier to follow than others. Neil is an established writer with a big oeuvre, and the blog is for everyone who wants to get to know Neil and get a glimpse behind the scenes. - Blog of writer Steven Pressfield
Steven is the publisher of Writing Wednesdays, and the author of books like The War of Art or the Artist’s Journey. In the blog Writing Wednesdays: The Evolution of This Blog, he describes how his blog came to fruition. - James Clear
Author of the best-selling book Atomic Habits. As a non-fiction writer, James Clear has aligned all of his blog posts and weekly newsletter editions to answering the question: how can we live better? The book is perfectly in line with these posts, creating a loyal community of like-minded people. - John Truby
A very successful screenwriter, who sold over 1,000 film scripts in Hollywood. He is a joy to listen to, and as a writer, I like to pick his brain on what makes a script stand out. Even though his blog isn’t very updated, there is a ton of value for you to soak up. - Seth’s Blog
I love Seth’s blog for different reasons. First of all, his determination is relentless. For over 2 decades, he has consistently shared concise yet insightful blog posts every single day. He is a pioneer, writing a blog long before everybody else did. Secondly, his wisdom is inevitable and if you’re interested in delving deeper into the world of marketing, his book “Purple Cow” is an absolute gem that shouldn’t be missed.
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