The Dad Blogger’s Guide To Blogging- A Writer’s Tool Kit Part One

Blogging Tips: Technically the post below ran in January 2012 but it didn’t include a picture which means it couldn’t be promoted on Pinterest. Since the information is still good and the message still meaningful I decided to run it again (with a pic, hello Pinterest) and hope that it resonates with new readers who didn’t catch it the first time around.

Repurposing/reusing content is one of the easiest ways to keep the content flowing and to ease the blogging work load.

Some of you wish that you were me because I get paid to do the things that you can only dream about. I write the songs that make the whole world sing and tell the stories that make the whole world smile.

My teammates love me because they know that any time coach puts me in the game we have more than a fighting chance to win. It doesn’t matter what odds we face because my very presence inspires those around me and puts fear into the hearts of our opponents.

I can tell you what it is like to hit a grand slam in the World Series and what it feels like to win a game on a dunk. My prowess on the football field is unmatched. I can pass, throw, catch and kick the ball. It is common knowledge that you can’t stop me, you can only hope to slow me down.

That is because I am Jack, the dad blogger. I am Jack, the writer.  I am Jack, the father. I am the friend you’d like to have and the man you wish to be.

It is a good thing that I don’t take myself too seriously, isn’t it. 

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And now that we have gotten that nonsense out of the way I can share with you The Dad Blogger’s Guide To Blogging- A Writer’s Tool Kit. If I ever decide to write an eBook that very well might be the title or maybe not. It really depends on how I build my brand and what sort of platform I choose to develop.

When you read the next two paragraphs I want you to read those as if you were the one that wrote them.

You see I am not as well known as other bloggers. Some of that is because I haven’t ever been a speaker at any of the major blog conferences. For that matter I haven’t ever been one at any of the minor conferences. The advantage to that is that no one can accuse me of being part of  The Problem With Blogging Conference Speakers.

It also means that I have to work much harder to promote myself and my blogs.  It means that I don’t receive as many pitches to be a brand ambassador or to conduct product reviews. It means that my blog isn’t always among those that are looked at for the “top blogger” lists.

Some of you might look at those two paragraphs as being the words of someone who is envious, angry and bitter.  Not me, I see them as signs of opportunity. I see them as a signal to step back and ask myself a series of questions:

1. Is blogging fun or is it work?
2. What is my blog about?
3. What can I do to become a better writer?
4. Am I telling enough stories?
5. Why aren’t I subscribing to Jack’s blog and why haven’t I become a fan of his Facebook page?

It took me less than a minute to come up with those five questions. If I chose to take this as seriously as others I could have listed another 5 and then expanded upon all ten. Rest assured that if I write the eBook then I will do just that.

Alternatively you can go spend a chunk of change to read the words of a social media guru who will tell you that no one knows what is going to happen in social media, that you need to work on being authentic, open and transparent and that you need to develop your “writing voice.”

Damn, I think that the snark in that last paragraph included me in it. Nothing like hoisting yourself on your own petard.

Are You Really Going To Write An eBook

Am I really going to write an eBook? The answer is…I might. I playing around the with a few different ideas. One is to take content I have already written and use it for the book. For example I could take posts like those below and use them to form the foundation of the book.

1. Writers Write Right
2. “My Dad Says Good Writers Have An Opinion”
3. A Simple Trick For Curing Writer’s Block
4. How Frequently Should You Update Your Blog

In theory it is a faster way to put the book together and to get it out into the marketplace. That being said I have to ask myself the same question I pose for my children. Will doing things faster help me?

The kids will tell you that I only ask that if I think that the quality of their work is suffering because they are doing things too quickly. I don’t mind honest mistakes but I hate the ones that we make because we aren’t paying attention or we are moving faster than we are capable of going.

Aren’t There Too Many Books About Blogging

Remember how I said that I am not a famous blogger because I haven’t spoken at the blog conferences. Well one of the ways that I can change that is by writing a book. The organizers love booking speakers who are published authors. I am tempted to write a book about what it feels like to give birth. The fact that I am male is incidental and immaterial.

Everyone knows that our great grandmothers gave birth and went back to work in the fields. The modern woman is weak. This book will provide proof of that and help me get that speaking gig so that I can say 1,098 people are now familiar with my blog.

And now if you will excuse me I am off to go purchase a helmet because something tells me that I might need it.