How to Start a Blog: A Step-by-Step Guide for Writers + Free Digital Download
This post is the second of a blogging series I have created to share the beauty and benefit of creating a blog as a writer. We will talk about the why, the how and what you can blog about –no matter what type of writer you are. Subscribe to our email list if you wish to be notified when the next blog in the series officially launches!
In part 2 of our blogging series, we will discuss the how-to’s of creating a blog to use as a platform to showcase your writing samples and space to find accountability and professional development. After diving into the why writers should start a blog, now let’s break down where to start.
Pick Your Blog Name
Do you want your full name to be the title? Do you have a niche idea you want to explore?
If you plan to showcase your writing and use this website as a portfolio, your full name is a great choice. If you are searched on Google, your site will likely be one of the first few results on the search page, which will lead to more visitors. It will also be easy for future employer or publishers to remember your portfolio name.
If you are planning to use your blog to explore a niche, remember that a good blog name should be descriptive so that potential readers can instantly tell what your blog is about just from the name.
When searching to see if the blog name is available for a domain, use Google’s domain search engine, which will let you know if your blog name is taken already.
Find your hosting platform
There are tons of ways to go about this but I’m going to walk you through the platform that I have found the easiest and most affordable—Squarespace. After utilizing Wordpress, Blogger and Shopify over the years, Squarespace is the most user friendly, especially for those lacking any kind of coding or website building skills. This is where I would start. You can purchase your domain directly through Squarespace and begin building your site within minutes of registering. They even have special, free templates designed specifically for art and writing portfolios, which if you are like me and get overwhelmed by too many options, can help narrow your search quickly.
The personal website fee is $26 a month, which I find very reasonable given the accessibility, ability to purchase your domain within the same platform and the many template options available.
Building Pages
Start by creating your About page and Contact page. Make sure you have a bio that highlights all the different platforms and publications your work has been featured within on your About page. Employers will likely check this page out along with your writing samples. Visitors who love your content will want to know more about you and where to find you on social media. Add a photo of yourself— professional or candid depending on the brand you are creating for yourself—so that your readers can put a face to your work.
Your contact page is especially important if you are using your using your blog to generate freelance or contract work for your writing or editing services. People need to get in touch with you! Focus on these two important pages first as you begin to build your blog.
Selecting a Color Scheme
You might already have your color scheme in mind for your blog, but in case you are at a loss, I wanted to show you a great website to help. Coolor.co is a free color scheme generator, that quickly creates color palettes for you to choose from. Just tap your space bar and they generate tons of options for you along with the color’s code.
What About Graphics?
I’m a HUGE fan of Canva.com. They have beautiful graphic template for everything you will need when launching and promoting your blog, from blog titles to Instagram posts to email headers to Pinterest graphics. Once you know your color scheme, you can make eye catching designs for free using this platform, even if graphic design is far from your thing. I have been using Canva for professional and personal graphics for years and I can’t recommend it enough.
Launching Your Site
Once you’ve picked your theme, created your About and Contact pages and added a few writing samples of your work, or wrote your first blog post, congratulations! You have now carved out your own little space in the world wide web.
Putting yourself out into the vase space of the internet can feel vulnerable. But it’s also really fun and rewarding. I’ve found a lot of creative fulfillment and joy while creating my own website. It’s an extension of who I am, in a way, because I designed it and labored over it, putting it together like a puzzle. This is your place to show off your writing skills, create a side hustle, explore any topic you are interested in, make connections, or promote your newly published novel!
Now What?
Now that your beautiful blog has launched into cyberspace, you are going to want other people to read it, right?
While promoting your website might seem daunting, I’ve created an easy checklist for you to take the pressure off.
Click the button below to download for free!
