To Blog or Not to Blog?

I'm unpublished and have one* simply so that I'll turn up in search results if an agent is interested enough to google me. I figure it at least shows initiative - if nothing else.

* this is a separate blog from others that I write under pseudonyms and which are on specific topics unrelated to writing.

The other school says a blog is unnecessary until one is published and know exactly what purpose and image is to be projected by the blog content.

I blog - about writing and such but I'm not published, don't have an agent. Only started it this year.
I don't put my own writing up but I did go to an agent's talk last year and she said that she will take a look at a blog / website if it's mentioned in a submission letter.

Bufty said:

The other school says a blog is unnecessary until one is published and know exactly what purpose and image is to be projected by the blog content.

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I personally look at it as two steps. If I'm ever lucky enough to be published, the blog will (hopefully) evolve into a more comprehensive website at which time it may take on a different tone/feel.

That's one of the reasons I keep it as separate from my other blogs with nothing terribly personal on it.

I've recently changed my tune on this topic. I was always of the mind that unless I had something to offer potential readers to draw them to my site, a blog was pointless until I was published an had a following. If you had something readers would want to know, then a blog was a great way to build a following.

However, my husband (a professional geek) has recently made me rethink this.

He says that I might as well start blogging now, because that way I'll have an archive of posts for when people do start looking for me. Those posts could end up linked to others, and my status in Google would be higher. It takes times to build links, which is vital to how far at the top you show up on a search page. (I'm sure I'm not using the proper terms here, but hopefully you understand what I mean)

So, if you like to blog, blog away. Unless you're trashing the industry or doing something unprofessional that would turn off agents, editors and readers, having a blog can only help in the long run. You'll build a Googleable archive and start making those needed links.

A blog is a marketing tool for writers. For unpublished writers, it gives you some exposure and some "clips" that will turn up if an agent or editor searches for you. They want to know you're serious about your career, and a blog is one way to show you are trying to build a presence online.

myscribe said:

A blog is a marketing tool for writers. For unpublished writers, it gives you some exposure and some "clips" that will turn up if an agent or editor searches for you. They want to know you're serious about your career, and a blog is one way to show you are trying to build a presence online.

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I forgot to mention, but it's also nice to have a URL to link back to if you follow and comment on agent blogs.

Kathleen42 said:

I forgot to mention, but it's also nice to have a URL to link back to if you follow and comment on agent blogs.

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Very good idea! That's definitely a great way to use a blog for exposure.

Personally I wouldn't post any unpublished material that you wish to publish in the future (maybe even for actual real-life compensation) to a blog, though, as it might be viewed as "previously published" by an agent or editor, alias "unpublishable".

Once a book is published, some writers like to post their first chapter(s) to their websites, which is meant more as a hook to get potential readers to check out the book(s).

Editors dislike individuals posting direct quotes from projects they plan to submit online. Once it is posted online, it is considered "already published."

However, you could do a blog on the process of writing, development of your stories and characters, etc. For instance you may blog about how your experience with animal rescue or your experience in school as a child have influenced the development of some of your Molly stories.

It is also best not to post details about rejections (mentioning specific publishers is a definate no-no).

I keep a blog (almost completely unrelated to writing) where I share some of my experiences with Asperger syndrome (mainly for educational purposes for parents and individuals on the spectrum). I mentioned in one of my blog posts that I'm working on a novel about a child with some AS characteristics.

I also sometimes talk about portrayl of AS in books or television shows. For isntance, I did a post on the book All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome (great picture book/photo essay) and also blogged about the ER episode that did a poor job of creating a character with AS.

Hope this helps,
-Laura

I'm new around here, and utterly ignorant about blogging. Don't laugh, but I had to look it up on wikipedia not so long ago to find out exactly what it was. I'm considering learning how, for the sake of my career, but . . .what if people find out who I am?

Am I paranoid? The thing is, because of certain activities/ organizations I'm involved in, it would be easy for absolutely anyone to find me if they knew who I was. Aren't you guys afraid of crazy people?

How do well-known authors do it? I intend to use a pseudonym once I'm published, but if I reveal too much personal information, my real identity will be easy to find.

There is a difference between people knowing who you are and where you are. And the fact is, you are never truly anonymous on the internet, right now someone could track you through your IP address (basically the address that follows you around the internet that says what computer you are on). Even if you use a pseudonym as an author, that could be figured out. And if you do, do you plan on doing no promotion? No book signings? Because any time you step out in public, people are going to know who you are. However, those people who would put in so much effort are the same people who would find you even without the internet. They are few and far between. And yes they do exist, but aren't necessarily the biggest concern for an author.

Nonetheless there are steps you can take to protect yourself. I'm a blogger, but I never say where in my city I live. I make sure to only share information that I wouldn't mind my parents knowing about. I do not post financial or health records (who would do that I don't know), and the email that people can contact me through is generic and meant specifically for that purpose.

If an author like JK Rowling can live a relatively normal life (despite the media knowing where she lives, and trust me, they find out), I think you'll be fine. You'll also learn pretty quickly that "famous author" is pretty much an oxymoron. There are not many of them in the world, lol.

Lastly, it's a risk you take. The more of yourself you put out there, the more you risk people wanting to find you. Teachers even have this problem with students. But yes, to answer your question, you are being slightly paranoid. However so long as you use it to stay safe, and make sure to treat each new step carefully, you'll most likely be just fine.

And welcome to AW!

Trish, yes I did. But at the time it had been more just for me, than to get the attention of an agent or anyone. In fact I really didn't think anyone was reading it all. However despite that I was still very careful what I put online, and made sure the spelling and grammar was as good as it could be. I understood that this was a public venue, and I like to be seen in the best possible light.

I will say that, even though I know it's probably not a bad thing, I have never posted anything fictional online that I have wanted to publish down the road. I guess there is a part of me that knows that once it's out there it's pretty easy to steal, or at least I have very little control over what happens to it. I also have never fully understood the publishing rules on that one. So I just avoid it altogether. I put up the occasional poem that I wrote specifically for the blog, but other than that I stick to articles about my life, advice (what limited I have) on acting/writing, and the odd inoffensive anecdote.

One last thing, agents do google. My former agent googled a potential client and read his blog where he basically bashed her agency. She decided she wasn't interested after all. So to me the rule of thumb is, expect the person you least expect to read your blog. Expect your grandmother to. And you should be okay content wise.

You are under no obligation to blog about anything. Personally all my blog entries are on the professional level. I rarely blog about personal activities. Others do. It all depends.

Yes if people know your real legal name they can find you. But as I already said, they can find you through your IP address. The latter is simply easier. Yes it will make life more difficult for a creepy person to find you, but if you are that worried about it, I wouldn't do public appearances either. Who knows if someone from your past might blow a cover? An unsuspecting bookseller filling out a cheque to your real name accidentally shares it with someone. Your publisher has the information, as does your agent. And if the person is really crazy, they could just follow you home after the event, or to your hotel. Unless of course you plan on switching cars or something.

Honestly, I just think you are being too paranoid about all this. Truly. I think it is wise to be safe and careful, and definitely to not make it easy for people. But if the only reason you are creating yourself a pen name is to avoid the crazies, I don't think that's a good reason. Because it's the crazies who will find a way. People create pen names for good reasons. Sometimes it's for an existing author to distinguish between two genres. Let's say they write children's books and erotica, thus having two different names helps to make sure a kid doesn't see your name in another section and go, "Ooh I like her books!" Sometimes it's for an author to attempt to write without the reputation they already had. Stephen King did that. Note that everyone now knows Stephen King did that. Sometimes it's simply because the author's real name is too complicated to spell or pronounce. Sometimes it's to create a character, ie Lemony Snicket. But the only time I know of an author who uses a pen name to avoid crazies is when they avoid the spotlight entirely, when their entire existence is a mystery. No one has ever seen them.

Anyway, as to the actual blog question. Of course, create a blog about writing. In fact I am firm believer in blogs being as professional as possible. This is for two reasons, one I just prefer reading professional blogs, and two because everything you put out there is subject to scrutiny. I think this is where your paranoia will be most helpful. There are careless people out there, and sometimes I can't quite believe the things people willingly put out on the internet. I mean, seriously.

At any rate, it's your decision. When it comes to publication time you can chat with your agent about the pen name thing, express your concerns and see what she recommends. Maybe she will be totally opposite from me, that is quite possible, I'm not always right, lol. But right now, you don't need to worry about that. Focus on your blog, be professional, and I think you should be okay.

Toothpaste, you are freaking me out with that whole IP address thing. I'm contemplating how to convince hubby to abandon the digital world, move me and the kids out to the middle of nowhere & help me build a log cabin—surrounded by a stockade fence, of course. Think Boonesborough. Oh! I just remembered, some neighboring tribe tunneled under the fence at Boonesborough . . . much bloodshed.

Maybe a kevlar wardrobe would be a better idea. Remember the lady on The Incredibles who outfitted the whole family with super-suits? Now, that would be perfect—kevlar super-suits for the fam. Maybe mine could say "SB" for "Superbird."

lol! If I could get a supersuit that could hide my thighs I would be most content.

I am so sorry I'm freaking you out with the whole IP thing. My point wasn't to do that in the least, it takes an incredibly savvy person to be able to find you. My point was more to say that unless you do totally take yourself off the grid there is always a small possibility someone could find you. But it is very small. And takes a lot of effort. Oddly despite what it may appear I was trying to reassure you that you are very safe. And considering your fears I don't think you need to worry about accidentally sharing information as you'll be more than religious in not. You will be fine, seriously.

ETA: I would advise one more thing: when you start a blogging account they always ask for an email. I'd create a whole new email address just for the blog, to keep people out of your personal inbox. It really shouldn't matter, but it's the small things you know?

Toothpaste,

Rest assured that I am reassured. Terrible sentence, but you get the idea. I'll just have to buck up and deal with reality on the cyber frontier (unlike writing fiction, in which I get to make my characters face my fears for me).

Still, it wouldn't hurt to take an inventory of my nerf gun arsenal. Maybe add a few more glow-in-the-dark bullets to the stock-pile—just in case!

At this weekend's SCBWI Golden Gate Conference at Asilomar, Ellen Hopkins (author of CRANK) gave a presentation on Shameless Self-Promotion. Her advice would be yes, yes, yes! Get yourself a website, using your name as the domain name, and start a blog. Visit everyone else's blog and leave comments frequently so the links are there. Get on MySpace and Facebook.

She spends two hours a day blogging and other internet connecting. Now, I think that's pretty extreme. However, she writes YA free-verse novels--not an easy thing to market. But her shameless self-promotion definitely paid off. CRANK became a best-seller something like 3 years AFTER its first release, something that almost never happens.

Verla Kay was also at the conference. There's a good example of someone who has turned her name into a well-known brand.