What do you do with your spent blog posts? After you post them, do you forget about them or do you recycle them? <\/p>\n
Often, I will expand a good blog entry into an article and submit it to an appropriate magazine or ezine. Sometimes I will locate an article I wrote months or even years ago, revamp and update it and post it at my blogsite. <\/p>\n
If you decide to do this, remember that blog posts are not always articles and articles are not always appropriate as blog posts. Most can be groomed, altered, adapted or transformed to fit the secondary purpose, however. How?<\/p>\n
To create an article from a blog post:
\n\u2022\tChoose a blog post that has a useful subject and\/or unique flavor and that is conducive to expansion and readability.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tRemove any blatant self-promotion. You\u2019ll notice that I often encourage you to purchase my book or sign up for one of my courses in my blog posts. This is not appropriate for an article. Of course, you can add your 2 or 3-line bio at the end of the article for promotional purposes.<\/p>\n
\u2022\t Add to your blog post in order to meet the word-count requirements for the publication. Avoid simply padding the post for the sake of expanding it. Take each point, category or bullet and develop it appropriately.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tEnhance your original blog post through additional research. Add new resources, for example, expert quotes or important facts. <\/p>\n
\u2022\tEdit carefully to make sure you\u2019ve maintained a good flow for your piece.<\/p>\n
To create a blog post from an article:
\n\u2022\tChoose articles that relate to your specific blog audience.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tShear away any excess material\u2014tighten and condense.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tRewrite so that your article still makes sense. It might include more bullets and headings, but it should still flow nicely.<\/p>\n
\u2022\tInsert some personal comments, if you wish, and go ahead and promote yourself or your work. The blog is your perpetual, revolving business card. You can present yourself and your products or services any way that you want. No one is going to reject your blog entry. You are the editor in charge. You decide what to post. <\/p>\n
Now that you\u2019ve walked through the article-to-blog and blog-to-article experience, consider recycling some of your topics. This is easy and fun for some freelance writers and authors and painfully difficult for others. <\/p>\n
Stay tuned to this weekend\u2019s blog post. I\u2019ll give my tips for recycling some of your best topics and ideas.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the Commercial<\/strong>
\nIn the meantime, if you like what I continually offer for FREE through this blog, the hundreds (maybe thousands) of articles posted all over the web and beyond, the FREE articles and tons of resources available at my website, you\u2019ll love the value that I offer for sale. I have books\u2014several on writing\/publishing-related topics. I provide editing\/consulting services for authors as well as freelance writers. I teach on-demand, online courses for authors and freelance writers. And I\u2019m available to speak at your club or conference.<\/p>\n