How to Publish Your Own Blog

Publishing your own blog has never been simpler or faster. There are a wide array of options available, even to the writer who has never had a blog and who has little or no technical skills. This opens up a whole world of possibilities for you and for your writing.

Follow these simple steps to publish your own blog:

1. Decide why you're going to blog. Do you want to meet people? Blogs are great for meeting people. Do you want to spread a point of view? Blogs are notorious for view-spreading. Do you want to make money? That's possible, too. Having a purpose to your blogging can make the difference between success and failure when publishing your own blog.

2. Decide on a blogging platform. Will you use a free blogging service such as Blogger or Typepad, or will you find your own web site host and use your own blog software, such as WordPress? If you are not confident in your ability to learn a handful of small technical skills, you're better of using a free service. If you're comfortable with Internet technologies like FTP, though, you should consider hosting your own blog. Hosting your own blog gives you a much wider variety of options than if you use a free blogging service.

3. Set up your blog's look. Decide on a look for your blog, also known as a "theme." There are many themes to choose from, especially if you host your own blog. If you have some graphic design skills, you can even design your own theme with relative ease.

4. Start blogging. Now you're ready to start writing. Try to stay focused on a single topic, one that is narrow enough that there aren't already a hundred thousand blogs on the topic, but one broad enough to interest potential readers. Staying on topic brings many more readers than wandering from subject to subject.

5. Seek advice. Consider entering an Internet writing mentorship program, or paying for a blog consultation. These programs can give your blog publishing a great boost. Once your blog is published, you can begin to do things like market your blog, interact with other bloggers, and decide on monetization options.