Karma is points you get from others upvoting your comments and posts.
Before you start posting links to your own blog it is generally a good idea to contribute meaningfully in other topics. Meaning, posting comments that add to discussions, and posting interesting posts that are not links to your own things.
Then post a link or two to something interesting from your blog.
Then continue contributing things that are not from your blog.
And only occasionally posting your own things.
I don’t know where the exact limit is for how often posting links to your own sites is acceptable. But generally I think as long as you can look over your own list of posted links and it is a good mix of not just your own things but also plenty others then I think that is good.
But obviously, don’t post links just for the sake of posting. Only post links when it’s something that you think will benefit others. And don’t make too many posts at a time either.
Generally, be a member of the community, not a spammer :)
As for linking a blog post: if it's relevant to HN, write it and submit the URL with the original title (editorialised titles in submissions is a big no-no).
About 3% of non-spam submissions hit the front page, so your odds are fairly low. Good stuff often does make it through eventually.
Use "submit", paste the URL and the title of the piece. Optionally, subsequently add a post to "discuss" with some details. It's helpful if it's relevant to the audience here (and not spam).
You could also start with filling your 'about' to let us know who you are and/or what you have to contribute. You could include a link to your blog there as well.
New / green accounts such as yours are subject to rate-limits. As you accrue karma (votes on contributions and comments), and avoid flags and downvotes, that constraint should be lifted.
Before you start posting links to your own blog it is generally a good idea to contribute meaningfully in other topics. Meaning, posting comments that add to discussions, and posting interesting posts that are not links to your own things.
Then post a link or two to something interesting from your blog.
Then continue contributing things that are not from your blog.
And only occasionally posting your own things.
I don’t know where the exact limit is for how often posting links to your own sites is acceptable. But generally I think as long as you can look over your own list of posted links and it is a good mix of not just your own things but also plenty others then I think that is good.
But obviously, don’t post links just for the sake of posting. Only post links when it’s something that you think will benefit others. And don’t make too many posts at a time either.
Generally, be a member of the community, not a spammer :)