Blog Tour: The Million Dollar Blog by Natasha Courtenay-Smith

I am delighted to be a part of the blog tour for The Million Dollar Blog which is a new how to practical guide for people who want to build a successful blog and is written  by Natasha Courtenay-Smith.

About The Million Dollar Blog: In a world where everyone wants to blog and blog posts are ubiquitous, how do you stand out? How do you blog your way from nobody to somebody?

How do you make money blogging, how do you start your own blogging business, and how do you, as a business owner, use content to build your brand and drive your success?

Through a combination of practical advice and interviews with some of the world’s most famous and successful bloggers, vloggers and content strategists, including Seth Godin, Lily Pebbles, Grant Cardone and Madeleine Shaw and dozens more, entrepreneur and digital strategist Natasha Courtenay Smith shows you how to build a blog that will increase your profile, create new opportunities, earn money and change your life.

For this blog tour, I’ve been invited to talk about my journey into blogging. I have to admit, when I first started, the idea of blogging terrified me. In some ways it still does.

I began Novel Kicks back in August 2009. I can’t quite believe I have been blogging for that long. It originally began as a forum for myself and fellow writers to talk about writing and to post work.

That is still the fundamental principle of my site but it’s also evolved into a place that has all my favourite things. I love writing stories, I love escaping into books. Everything I post on Novel Kicks is something that I am very interested in. This blog is very personal to me and above all, even after seven years I am still enjoying building it up. This is a lot of my passions in one place.

When interviewing authors, I try and keep the questions fun but I also want to ask them how they approach the writing and editing process. As a new writer, these are pieces of advice I find most helpful and I hope other people do too.

For me, building a blog is definitely a labour of love. I am blogging around a full-time job so it is sometimes hard to be organised but that is what you need to be (Laura, you need to be organised.) I find I get a lot more posted when I plan in advance and manage my time properly. A good organiser is essential.

Above all, Novel Kicks has allowed me to interact and meet some incredible people including publishers and authors. The community is incredibly supportive and friendly.

I don’t regret a moment.

About Natasha Courtenay-Smith: 

Natasha Courtenay Smith is an entrepreneur, author, digital marketing strategist and publicist. She uses both online and offline strategies to raise the profile of individuals and businesses.

Her clients include TV presenters, blog stars, private health care businesses, festivals, charities and small business owners.

Her book, The Million Dollar Blog, (published by Piatkus) is packed with practical advice on using content to build and monetise businesses and personal brands.

As a former national newspaper & glossy magazine journalist, and then as owner of her own online press agency, Natasha brings real editorial expertise to her publicity and digital projects.

For more information on Natasha, visit her website: http://natashacourtenaysmith.com

I thank Natasha and Piatkus Books for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour. The next stop tomorrow is Is That You Darling and A Bookaholic Swede. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.