The editors of the Huffington Post are behind these tips for great blogging…some are great reminders, and others may surprise you. By the way – these tips for great blogging double as tips for successful writing! Remember, fellow scribes: the more you’re exposed to and practice the rules for writing well, the happier your editors will be.

And behind every happy editor is a happy published author.

Before the tips, a quip:

“I went for years not finishing anything,” said Erica Jong. “Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged…I had poems that were re-written so many times I suspect it was just a way of avoiding sending them out.”

One tip for great blogging is to blog often – which means you can’t pull a “Jong”, and re-write instead of publishing your posts…or pitching your articles or book proposals. I’m loving The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging – especially since I’m just creating my newest blog (See Jane Soar) and I want to start strong!  Here are the Huffington Post editors’ tips for great blogging…

The Huffington Post’s 8 Tips for Great Blogging

1. Own your topic. Think of your blog topic as your “beat”, like reporters or cops have their beats. “Know who the key players in your area are,” write the Huffington post editors. “Read their books. Interview them. Have them guest blog.” The more info you provide on your blog, the more readers you’ll attract – and keep!

2. Perfection? Forget about it! If you struggle with blogger’s block, a tip for great blogging is to use the “tried and true” tools for overcoming writer’s block! “It’s fine to write a bunk of OK posts,” write these editors. “In fact, a bunch of OK posts is probably better than a perfect post that took so long to compose the event that was old news by the time you hit ’submit.’”

3. Write short blog posts. “A good post is a single thought or observation or anecdote, clearly expressed and directly conveyed,” says David Bromwich, a professor of English at Yale and Huffington Post blogger. “An essay may cover several topics; a post easily grows tiresome if it aims for more than one.” At first I thought my “quips and tips for successful writers” theme doesn’t conform to this tip for great blogging, but it does. Each post offers tips on one topic.

4. Respond to your readers’ comments. Knowing your audience and readers will ensure you keep posting entries they’ll read and appreciate…and one way to get to know your readers is to read and respond to their comments. Of course, this is if you’re lucky enough to get comments! Only 1 in 10 readers make comments – so if you get a few comments on every post, you’re doing good.

5. Study blogs you admire. How do other bloggers draw you into their posts? Why do you want to comment on them? This is similar to learning to write well: scrutinize the writing of authors you admire.

6. Blog often – but not just to increase your readership! “Blogging is like anything else: you get better the more you do it,” write the Huffington Post editors. “Writing often will help you figure out what your authentic voice sounds like an dhow you can access that voice every time you sit down to type.”

7. Write like you speak. Whether you’re blogging or writing for a national magazine – write naturally. Let your voice shine through…it takes practice, and you’ve probably heard it before, but it works! For help with your writer’s voice, read How to Write Authentically From Anne Lamott.

8. Focus on specific details. This is another tip for writing well that leads to great blogging. If you absolutely must blog about your breakfast, don’t say “I ate breakfast.” Instead, say, “At 5:14 am, I devoured my warm banana nut chocolate chip bran muffin, dripping in golden, melted ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!’ topping.” Like that, but better.

Bonus tip: If in doubt, write it! This wasn’t one of the Huffington editors’ official tips for great blogging, but I like it! They write, “If you think something is news, post it.” Don’t agonize over whether or not you should write about something, just go for it. Many bloggers are surprised at their most popular posts – which aren’t always the one that they spend the most time on.

The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging is a worthwhile read, fellow scribes. These editors and bloggers have found blogging tips that work, and they’re willing to spill their secrets!

If you have any questions or thoughts on the Huffington Post’s eight tips for great blogging, please comment below…

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