Author: Cantara Christopher

12 Types of Blog Postings

  1. The Explainer (aka The How-To Post): This is a super-practical post that teaches readers how to achieve a specific goal. If you pick the right topic for your post, The Explainer has the potential to attract a ton of social shares.
  2. The Buffet (aka The List Post): This post is a collection of related points on a given topic or theme organized as a list. Every year many of the most popular posts on the web are list-based posts, so a Buffet post on the right topic always has the potential to go viral.
  3. The Name Dropper (aka The Egobait Post): This post celebrates a selected group of individuals for their notable qualities, talents or achievements. Designed to be shared by the people featured in the post, it usually performs well on social media.
  4. The Inquisitor (aka The Expert Roundup): This post is a compilation of expert opinions on a single topic or question. A good post of this type will attract shares from participants and also help the author build valuable relationships with them once the post is published.
  5. The Curator (aka The Resource List): This post is a carefully curated list of valuable resources relating to a specific topic or goal. Serving as a handy “index” to the best resources on a given topic, it’s great for attracting links and subsequently, search traffic.
  6. The Monster (aka The Ultimate Guide): This post is a long-form guide to a specific topic which is exhaustive in both scope and detail. Executed well, The Monster will quickly become the definitive resource on a topic and attract links and search traffic accordingly.
  7. The Illuminator (aka The “Why?” Post, Type #a): This post provides valuable insight on a tricky topic or thorny problem. It has a strong bonding effect with readers and also helps to establish the authority of the author.
  8. The Contrarian (aka The “Why?” Post, Type #b): This post makes a surprising but persuasive argument that intentionally contradicts the accepted wisdom on a topic. Again, this is primarily a bonding post–readers are drawn to strong opinions well-argued.
  9. The Insider (aka The Case Study): This post uses a real-world example backed by actual data to yield insights about a specific topic or goal. People love evidence so Insider posts often attract links and search traffic but also build the writer’s authority.
  10. The Jester (aka The Humorous Post): This post uses humor to explore a topic in an entertaining and sometimes provocative way. It’s perhaps one of the best ways to bond with readers but is also one of the trickier recipes to pull off.
  11. The Trailblazer (aka The Thought Leadership Post): This post uses the author’s insight and vision to change the way people think about a topic. The ultimate post for building authority, this is also a great “calling card” when connecting with other influencers.
  12. The Storyteller (aka The Three-Act Post): This post uses a powerful personal story to teach more universal principles and provide inspiration. The toughest recipe of all to write but one that can bond with readers like no other.

Why Self-Publish Literary Fiction?

For authors of literary fiction, creative control isn’t just a plus. Increasingly it’s becoming a must.

Novelist Jane Davis:

My first novel earned me the services of an agent, but not a book deal. My agent hadn’t had time to read my second novel when I entered it in a national competition for unpublished authors. I only admitted what I’d done when my entry was shortlisted at which point my agent said, ‘I think I’d better read it then.’ She absolutely hated it. On her advice, assuming I could never win, I totally re-wrote one of the main characters.

When I was told that I won the Daily Mail First Novel Award, the publisher insisted on my original version (the judges had loved the character my agent so objected to), but here are examples of the changes that were imposed on me:

  • Re-structure so that big reveal came in the penultimate chapter/new end chapter.
  • Title change.
  • Great cover, but totally inappropriate for the book.

In other words, when I held the book in my hands, it never felt as if it was mine. It was as if I was selling someone else’s book!

Read the rest here.