Starting A Blog As An Unpublished Author (And Why I'm Glad I Did)

My blog turns 7 this week!

2025 has been a year of quiet productivity and growth as a writer, and I'm as eager as ever to see what my eighth year in the blogging sphere holds.

I started this blog a few months after graduating from college as an unpublished, aspiring writer. While my language around that has changed to terms like "fledgling writer" or "not-yet-published-writer" as I more often use on social media, the number of published books under my belt is still zero.

That might prompt the question: if I'm an unpublished writer, why have a blog about writing? Do I lack the credibility necessary to talk about writing since you can't find my books on the shelves? It's something I've asked myself every so often. But that line of thinking, dear reader, is our old pal impostor syndrome making a cameo appearance.

There are topics I haven't covered in-depth or only with a decent bit of research, namely the publishing side of things, because I don't have as much expertise in those areas.

My being an unpublished writer (at the time of writing this post, at least) doesn't mean I know too little to write about writing. I've been writing romance since I was fourteen years old, venturing into historical romance not long after. I have a BA in English and Communications with a creative writing concentration—though a college degree is no requirement to be a writer—and I'm always seeking new ways to grow as a storyteller. This blog is a facet of that.

Truth be told, I'm so glad I didn't wait until publishing one of my books to start my blog.

Here's why:

Writing Practice

Having a blog has helped me improve the readability of my writing. Prior to its launch, my writing was rigid and lacking that vital spark of personality. My understanding of what defines good writing was heavily influenced by years and years of writing in an academic environment, cramming myself into rubrics and formalities that made it near-impossible to find my own voice as a writer. My earliest fiction drafts more closely resemble a reporter standing on the sidelines giving play-by-play accounts of the action rather than bringing my reader into the story. My earliest blog posts read like structured essays minus the MLA formatting. Dry and uninviting.

Having this blog has reaffirmed the importance of writing not just to inform but to engage your audience, which has translated into how I write my fiction, too.

Establishing Your Internet Presence

When I was initially looking into starting a blog, one of the commonly cited positives was using it as a means of establishing your internet presence, and several pages suggested that having a blog with an established readership would make a literary agent more likely to pick up your manuscript than one from an author without a blog or website.

I cannot speak on behalf of literary agents, nor as an agented writer, but from what I have read more recently, your internet presence typically isn't a major factor in an agent's decision to take a writer on as a client. It certainly can't hurt, but chances are they're prioritizing the quality and marketability of your writing over the quantity of your followers.

That being said, establishing your online presence before you're ready to publish your first book has its benefits. Having a blog is just one of the ways to invite readers into your writing process, get to know you as a writer, and pique their curiosity about your projects. They'll be able to follow your publishing journey and be among the first to know when you reach a milestone that brings your book one step closer to being on shelves and in their hands. Readers who have stuck with you for that ride could make excellent candidates for your street team to hype up your book as you get closer to release day. And, of course, readers who are more familiar with you and your writing may be more likely to purchase your book.

Starting your blog before your book is ready to be published can help you build that foundation early.

Deadline Drills

My blog has stuck to its weekly upload schedule pretty much from the jump (except for a few instances, like my temporary shift to a biweekly schedule to accommodate summer hours at my day job), and that's in part because of self-imposed deadlines.

Some of my posts are time-sensitive and need to go up fr a specific date; this post is a perfect example because I'm writing it in honor of my blog's December 9th anniversary. Others just feel like a certain month. I can't explain why, exactly.

My post on crystals for writers felt more Octoberish to me than Januaryish, so I prioritized that post because I didn't want to miss that window.

Getting comfortable with time management by starting a blog early will be incredibly useful in the long run.

Traditional publishing involves plenty of contracts, each with its own deadline. For instance, you'll probably be asked to submit the final version of your manuscript by a set date in order to facilitate the next steps in a timely manner.

Having this practice of meeting deadlines may not completely eliminate the stress or feelings of scrambling towards the light at the end of the tunnel, but you'll likely have developed strategies to keep your writing on track.

A Change Of Pace

Another benefit to having a blog regardless of your publication status is being able to shift between projects.

My blogging style of writing is different from my fiction style, so jumping between my fiction and a blog post offers a change of pace that keeps my eyes fresh and provides a mental break.

It's especially helpful for crawling out of a writing slump!

A Chronicle Of Progress

Like I mentioned at the top of this post, this blog has become a time capsule for my writing.

I recently started going through my older content to correct formatting that didn't carry over in the switch between platforms and because there are a few topics I'd like to revisit as a more experienced writer and human. I've made it a point to preserve the writing as it was then apart from minor corrections, as being able to see how far I've come since I started blogging is something I'm grateful for—even if I'm cringing all the while.

Although it's not something that crossed my mind at first, it's just another reason I'm glad to have started my blog when I did.

My fiction and blog have developed a symbiotic relationship. While they're different beasts, they both contribute to my growth as a writer.

Even though I haven't published any of my fiction, this site is an outlet to showcase my continued growth, find my books' future readers, and maybe even help fellow writers along the way.

Whether you've only read one or two of my posts or have been here for the long haul, thank you. ♡ I'm already looking ahead to the coming year and can't wait to share more of this writing journey with you.