a little vent about blogging
- Thread starter bombergirl69
- Start date
So I found this online, and found its words comforting. I have zero desire to blog or twitter. Since I've been on AW I've barely been on FB and NOT missing it. So here's a great link that confirmed my decision to not blog, at least not at this point in my life. Any time I do have will be spent on my novel. With kids a husband and a job I have to keep things simple. I'm not anti-blog either it's just good to know you don't have to blog.
http://https://janefriedman.com/its-time-for-many-experienced-writers-to-stop-blogging/
and this one too...good to know some agents don't care if you blog, this gives me a wee bit of hope, and if a bad blog is worse than no blog, then it sounds like it's best to have no blog...whew...I just saved myself hours of time!
http://http://kidlit.com/2010/07/21/should-unpublished-writers-blog/
http://https://janefriedman.com/its-time-for-many-experienced-writers-to-stop-blogging/
and this one too...good to know some agents don't care if you blog, this gives me a wee bit of hope, and if a bad blog is worse than no blog, then it sounds like it's best to have no blog...whew...I just saved myself hours of time!
http://http://kidlit.com/2010/07/21/should-unpublished-writers-blog/
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Same
I started blogging in 2012 as a way to stay sane, and over the years I've gone on a blogging hiatus a few times, but then people I know IRL have told me they miss my blog posts, and inevitably I've started back up again.
That said- in terms of your question OP about whether or not it's necessary as a fiction writer? Over five years I've amassed a heady 77 followers, and a handful of those are blood relatives! So to be honest, were I ever to become a published author, I highly doubt the hours I've spent blathering on about my kids/rabbits/writing/chronic illness/whatever, would actually help me to sell books at all!
Same
I started blogging in 2012 as a way to stay sane, and over the years I've gone on a blogging hiatus a few times, but then people I know IRL have told me they miss my blog posts, and inevitably I've started back up again.
That said- in terms of your question OP about whether or not it's necessary as a fiction writer? Over five years I've amassed a heady 77 followers, and a handful of those are blood relatives! So to be honest, were I ever to become a published author, I highly doubt the hours I've spent blathering on about my kids/rabbits/writing/chronic illness/whatever, would actually help me to sell books at all!
I would definitely agree with this. I consider my blog successful for a nobody who has no hook, no angle, no self promotion, got about 600 followers. Let's be honest, my 600 followers doesn't mean squat for sales in trade fiction.
Just don't do it! If you hate blogging and rarely if ever find any blog posts worth reading, then you are totally wasting your time. Spend it writing or walking your dog or trolling Trump--anything but an activity you hate. The world is not waiting with bated breath for your posts; as you mention, everyone in the world has a blog these days. So do something you prefer, and spend your writing time writing stuff you care about.
Well first, thanks so much for all the help and the terrific links! Very, very much appreciated!
And yes, that was exactly my thought, that the world is certainly not waiting with baited breath for whatever I'm going to come up with! My main argument about blogging is that given a choice between doing something, or writing about doing something, I'm going with the former. I don't have a huge amount of time and what time I do have, I want to spend outdoors doing stuff, if I'm not writing.
But I appreciate the points made here. And I like the suggestion of organizing my time better, so it's sequestered in a way. I think that would be very helpful. I am going to give these suggestions a try, and see if I can make it manageable. Thank you.
And yes, that was exactly my thought, that the world is certainly not waiting with baited breath for whatever I'm going to come up with! My main argument about blogging is that given a choice between doing something, or writing about doing something, I'm going with the former. I don't have a huge amount of time and what time I do have, I want to spend outdoors doing stuff, if I'm not writing.
But I appreciate the points made here. And I like the suggestion of organizing my time better, so it's sequestered in a way. I think that would be very helpful. I am going to give these suggestions a try, and see if I can make it manageable. Thank you.
Sounds like all the techie stuff's been covered.
I've read (on agent blogs) that having a social media presents is not a deal breaker, just a bonus. Blogging isn't for everyone, just like Facebook isn't. If is doesn't cause too much pain, you can try it our for awhile, and stop if it doesn't work for you. You can just use your blog as a website with an about you page and stuff about your work. And as someone mentioned earlier, grab the domain name.
I've read (on agent blogs) that having a social media presents is not a deal breaker, just a bonus. Blogging isn't for everyone, just like Facebook isn't. If is doesn't cause too much pain, you can try it our for awhile, and stop if it doesn't work for you. You can just use your blog as a website with an about you page and stuff about your work. And as someone mentioned earlier, grab the domain name.
I skimmed the thread and realize you already decided to not blog, but I'll share my thoughts anyway.
So much depends on whether you want to trade or self-publish. When I was trade published, they told us that we HAD to have a blog, so I made one. I ended up enjoying it, although I don't post very often. Now I am no longer trade published (bad experience) and have zero desire to do anything but self-publishing, so I will do whatever I want. I find that being a Youtuber is a lot more fun and rewarding than blogging (you get MUCH more attention and comments), but I still blog when I feel like it.
Something important if you do choose to blog: Understand SEO. I think a lot of people don't utilize it and miss out on a lot of search traffic. I see the same thing on Youtube. People wondering why they get no traffic when they have no video description, no SEO, etc. I don't blog often but my blog gets views every single day from search traffic from google, and that's because it's SEO optimized. I don't have any books out right now, but it's nice to know that traffic will be there for free advertising when I do.
So for that reason, rather than trying to blog super regularly, I think you're better off creating a few long-form blogs with evergreen topics that are packed full of SEO goodness. For example, I have a blog about how to feel better about not fitting in with society (being a weirdo, basically) and it gets a handful of hits each month and will probably continue to. Because there will always be people who don't fit in and feel bad about it. When doing blogs or Youtube videos or anything similar, it helps if you can tap into "pain markets." Anything that causes human suffering will also cause people to google stuff looking for a solution. If you can provide those solutions in an interesting way, you'll keep readers coming back for more. If you can provide those solutions while simultaneously showing off your humor, intelligence, and writing skills, there's a chance some of your blog readers will spill over to become interested in your books.
Double points if you can both tap into "pain markets" AND keep the subject matter related to your fiction work. For example, if you have a romance novel about a young girl recovering from a breakup and discovering herself, you can share your own wisdom on recovering from breakups.
Just a few random thoughts on all this off the top of my head. Hope it helps someone!
So much depends on whether you want to trade or self-publish. When I was trade published, they told us that we HAD to have a blog, so I made one. I ended up enjoying it, although I don't post very often. Now I am no longer trade published (bad experience) and have zero desire to do anything but self-publishing, so I will do whatever I want. I find that being a Youtuber is a lot more fun and rewarding than blogging (you get MUCH more attention and comments), but I still blog when I feel like it.
Something important if you do choose to blog: Understand SEO. I think a lot of people don't utilize it and miss out on a lot of search traffic. I see the same thing on Youtube. People wondering why they get no traffic when they have no video description, no SEO, etc. I don't blog often but my blog gets views every single day from search traffic from google, and that's because it's SEO optimized. I don't have any books out right now, but it's nice to know that traffic will be there for free advertising when I do.
So for that reason, rather than trying to blog super regularly, I think you're better off creating a few long-form blogs with evergreen topics that are packed full of SEO goodness. For example, I have a blog about how to feel better about not fitting in with society (being a weirdo, basically) and it gets a handful of hits each month and will probably continue to. Because there will always be people who don't fit in and feel bad about it. When doing blogs or Youtube videos or anything similar, it helps if you can tap into "pain markets." Anything that causes human suffering will also cause people to google stuff looking for a solution. If you can provide those solutions in an interesting way, you'll keep readers coming back for more. If you can provide those solutions while simultaneously showing off your humor, intelligence, and writing skills, there's a chance some of your blog readers will spill over to become interested in your books.
Double points if you can both tap into "pain markets" AND keep the subject matter related to your fiction work. For example, if you have a romance novel about a young girl recovering from a breakup and discovering herself, you can share your own wisdom on recovering from breakups.
Just a few random thoughts on all this off the top of my head. Hope it helps someone!
Andiwrite - brilliant ideas and thank you! No, I have decided to persevere! The comments here were really helpful and I figure I can give it a go, just being a grumpkin about it! you've give me a lot to think about, content-wise, so THANK YOU! Really!
Love that sig!
There's an article on SEO and promoting your book on AW. I'm a software and systems engineer, so naturally I "scienced the s*** out of" SEO and promotion in general when I got serious about writing as a career. I've never read a clearer and more practical article than this. (The follow-on discussion is pretty good too, except that of a SEO professional who is more passionate than knowledgeable about his own field.)
How to promote your book like an intelligent human being and not an SEO Dweeb
The main point of all this discussion is that YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL. Do what works for YOU, not what works for others. TAKE YOUR TIME and TAKE BABY STEPS to establish a "social media presence." If you are to be a pro writer this is for most of us a rest-of-our-life job. You have time to build an online presence, and it will only work right if it suits you and your circumstances. Further, there is both an art and a technical side to promotion. Don't rush, and stay comfortable with what YOU do.
Whatever else you do, you will eventually need a web site. Not for the first book or three. They will sell themselves. No amount of promotion will do it, even the most expensive ad campaign.
But you will need a site for your later books. And for current books, which nowadays may remain available for years to come in some form. Every book you write is an ad for all your other books. A web site is a central location where the fans you attract can go to find what other fabulous books you've written. As others have suggested, use some form of your (maybe pen) name as the site name. That makes it easy for your fans to find you, and your books.
A great feature of WordPress.com is that a site can be both a blog (with posts as frequent as several a day) and a "static" web site (with stuff that rarely changes). Such as your bio, and a list of your books, and maybe some background info on the people, places, and histories that appear in your books.
A pro site is about letting your fans find your books, so that's the most important info you should consider putting on it. That doesn't mean you can't be personal, because you're really not selling books, but yourself. As your career progresses you will become a "brand" which people will refer to in conversations. Put what is most true to your heart and mind on your site. But beware of being TOO personal. You will eventually attract haters as well as fans; don't give them too much ammunition to troll you.
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Blogging is part of your branding. You talk about 5-6 things you're passionate about. For me, it's human trafficking, wrongful convictions and the resultant cold cases, and "official misconduct." The last is usually police or judicial, but OM is a nice umbrella term.
BookMarketingChat last night focused on branding, and there was great discussion there about blogging and what to blog about.
The idea behind branding (brand the author, not the book) is that you establish a consistent image for readers, so they know what to expect from you and your books. Barb Drozdowich has some great books for authors about blogging, marketing, and similar topics. She's a Wordpress guru, and did my new website for me. Love her work and Rachel Thompson's too. They both have some great info.
Rachel on SEO: http://badredheadmedia.com/2016/12/10/best-optimize-blog-posts-seo/
http://rachelintheoc.com/
Feel free to shoot me a PM if you've got other questions. You CAN do this, and you NEED to do this. Even if it's just every other week for now. This is all part of your marketing and branding.
BookMarketingChat last night focused on branding, and there was great discussion there about blogging and what to blog about.
The idea behind branding (brand the author, not the book) is that you establish a consistent image for readers, so they know what to expect from you and your books. Barb Drozdowich has some great books for authors about blogging, marketing, and similar topics. She's a Wordpress guru, and did my new website for me. Love her work and Rachel Thompson's too. They both have some great info.
Rachel on SEO: http://badredheadmedia.com/2016/12/10/best-optimize-blog-posts-seo/
http://rachelintheoc.com/
Feel free to shoot me a PM if you've got other questions. You CAN do this, and you NEED to do this. Even if it's just every other week for now. This is all part of your marketing and branding.
While I strongly agree with the second part, how do you figure the bolded part? My first book certainly didn't sell itself. I question whether there is ANY way to effectively promote or sell your first few books. But maybe I just suck.
Yep. You should have a basic site with your own domain name based on your name as an author.
Have a list of your books (preferably with covers and full publication citations) and where to buy them.
Have a way, preferably a contact form, to contact you and/or your agent.
Wow - really a lot to think about here! Really good information! Yeah, I'll get the domain name. At the moment, the website is Site Name w Author Name but I'll fix that so author name is featured.
My bitch is that beyond the writing part--not really my format but okay, it's an interesting challenge (and I really, REALLY appreciate the ideas about writing to a "pain community," keeping topics related to my book, picking a few I care about and so on, extremely helpful!)--it's not a skill set in which I have a lot of interest. I get it. I see it's a Good Thing. I just prefer to spend what tiny time I have available writing what I want to write (fiction) and not learning about marketing. I guess I'm not uninterested, just have a lot of things I'm more interested in (and have a seriously ill family member, which of course takes time too)
But yes, my book involves an MC who's a psychologist, so I thought I could write about some of the issues which she confronts. She's also a horse person based in MT so some of my writing relates psychology stuff to horse management (not a far stretch, no one argues horse owners are nuts!) There are certainly issues I care about deeply, but many of them are highly sensitive political topics that I prefer to avoid. However, that's an interesting point I'm going to consider further--taking a few issues addressed in the book and writing about those.
Much to think about! I so, SO appreciate the feedback and the links! WOW! THANK YOU, For us goobers starting out, just awesome resources! I am not giving up, just contemplating (with a bitch or two!!!) my approach!
So, really, THANK YOU.
My bitch is that beyond the writing part--not really my format but okay, it's an interesting challenge (and I really, REALLY appreciate the ideas about writing to a "pain community," keeping topics related to my book, picking a few I care about and so on, extremely helpful!)--it's not a skill set in which I have a lot of interest. I get it. I see it's a Good Thing. I just prefer to spend what tiny time I have available writing what I want to write (fiction) and not learning about marketing. I guess I'm not uninterested, just have a lot of things I'm more interested in (and have a seriously ill family member, which of course takes time too)
But yes, my book involves an MC who's a psychologist, so I thought I could write about some of the issues which she confronts. She's also a horse person based in MT so some of my writing relates psychology stuff to horse management (not a far stretch, no one argues horse owners are nuts!) There are certainly issues I care about deeply, but many of them are highly sensitive political topics that I prefer to avoid. However, that's an interesting point I'm going to consider further--taking a few issues addressed in the book and writing about those.
Much to think about! I so, SO appreciate the feedback and the links! WOW! THANK YOU, For us goobers starting out, just awesome resources! I am not giving up, just contemplating (with a bitch or two!!!) my approach!
So, really, THANK YOU.
Somehow I missed the memo that requires reciprocity in blogging. I just blog. Many other Wordpress bloggers follow my blog, but it never occurred to me to read anyone else's. Self absorbed, I suppose. It might be a social expectation, but it's certainly not a prerequisite.
My Wordpress blog is linked to Facebook, so my blogs posts appear there for friends and family to see.
I wouldn't blog about my life -- who cares? I blog about my subject, frugal living.
My Wordpress blog is linked to Facebook, so my blogs posts appear there for friends and family to see.
I wouldn't blog about my life -- who cares? I blog about my subject, frugal living.
While you shouldn't ever share anything from your life that you're not comfortable with, I just wanted to point out that I LOVE personal blogs/youtube videos. If I find a person interesting creatively or even just like their personality, I'll love hearing about their everyday life. I follow tons of vloggers and people who discuss everyday things, do rants, etc.
You are not alone in worrying that the reason you don't sell your book(s) is that you suck. I suspect every artist, in every medium, has wondered if that's true.
Let's look at the most depressing possibility first. We don't have the raw talent to not-suck. No matter how or how long we try we can't succeed at our chosen art. This is the truth. Is that a reason to quit? Maybe. Or maybe we go into some sibling field: critic, teacher, agent, editor, publicist, etc.
Or maybe we keep writing anyway. I don't know about you, but I CAN'T not write. I'd love it for other people to care enough about my stuff to buy it (or even SHH steal it). But if no one else likes my stuff, the reader I care about most is ME. After writing a lot of fragments and in time short stories and novels, I got good enough to please ME. There's not one of my completed works that I don't haul out occasionally and read part or all of it. And they give me great joy.
How do we get good enough to please other people? Stephen King said it best: READ MORE, WRITE MORE.
Every time we consume a story, in print or in another medium, our subconscious soaks up hundreds or thousands of rules, large and small. The more we read/consume an art the more those rules are reinforced. Plus we soak up the exceptions and variations, helping us to know when and how to break those rules. The more variety we read the more variety of rules we learn - and more ways to break them. We become able to use them intuitively, without thought. Whenever we create something 99.99% of the work is done by our subconscious.
It can help, of course, to read articles or books on writing, to take classes, to discuss our art in AW and other forums, even to get an MFA in Creative Writing. As long as we don't let these activities hobble us with poorly understood rules, or try to apply them too early or mechanically when we create our art.
WRITE MORE is just as important. Writers write. Even if we write trash, and we may. Even if we don't finish our works. We will learn from our mistakes, and we will occasionally find treasure hidden in the trash. As time goes buy we will find more treasure and less trash. And we will learn how to discover the trash, and how to transmute the trash to treasure.
Another reason why we fail may just be timing. If the first Harry Potter book came out a few years too early or late, perhaps it would not have been such a success. Ditto Twilight, the first of the sparkly-vampire books. And other such first-book successes. We all hear about them, and nurse a tiny spark of hope that our first book will be the one struck by the lightning of success.
More likely if we meet success it will be because we had a few modest successes first. The Hunger Games author, Suzanne Collins, first began writing scripts for children's TV. Then she wrote a series of children's books. She was WRITING MORE, serving an informal apprenticeship.
In addition to creating our art, without which we can have NO success, there are a number of options for how to sell our art. There are several forums, and some very smart people, in AW, who can help teach us how.
And you, Andi, seem to be doing all the right things. You've completed TWO books, a big effing deal as everyone knows who's done it. You've been in AW since 2012, and participated in numerous forums. You have a Twitter account. And a very good web site. And I have read your ABOUT and a few other entries on your site, and I frankly admire your skill with words.
Perhaps I've misread your post wrong, but you seem to be down. I am confident this state is temporary. And that in time I will be applauding the great success of author Andi Loveall.
http://andiloveall.com/
This may sound simplistic, but one of the reasons I started a blog is because when someone googles my name, I want them to find me. And it worked. I enjoy my Wordpress blog and use it as my author website. When I post something, it auto-posts to Tumblr, Facebook, and sometimes I post it to Twitter too. Many birds, one stone. I like simple.
With widgets, I have links to my books, sign up for my newsletter, etc, easy to find and easy to click. I've had my blog for maybe four years now, and I haven't always been consistent, but I've still built a decent reader base. My blog has been featured by Wordpress, and later this month, a dude with 10k followers wants to start reposting some of my articles. I'm a writer, and I use that as license to write about anything I want.
One thing I'd like to mention is that likes aren't that important on a blog, not like they are on Facebook. So I don't think non-wordpress users being unable to like a blog is a big deal. Comments and traffic are more important, and anyone can do that. Any reader can also share the post to their social media, which extends your reach. (There's a widget for putting the share buttons on your blog.)
All that said, if you hate it, you hate it. Don't do it. But if you are just frustrated because you haven't found your feet yet, give it a little more time.
With widgets, I have links to my books, sign up for my newsletter, etc, easy to find and easy to click. I've had my blog for maybe four years now, and I haven't always been consistent, but I've still built a decent reader base. My blog has been featured by Wordpress, and later this month, a dude with 10k followers wants to start reposting some of my articles. I'm a writer, and I use that as license to write about anything I want.
One thing I'd like to mention is that likes aren't that important on a blog, not like they are on Facebook. So I don't think non-wordpress users being unable to like a blog is a big deal. Comments and traffic are more important, and anyone can do that. Any reader can also share the post to their social media, which extends your reach. (There's a widget for putting the share buttons on your blog.)
All that said, if you hate it, you hate it. Don't do it. But if you are just frustrated because you haven't found your feet yet, give it a little more time.
WordPress (and other blog platforms) can certainly be your 'you' space where you post your own topics and attract followers who are interested in those topics.
For me, the social aspect is at least as important Getting My Stuff Out There. I don't mean sharing details of what we ate for dinner (it was spaghetti bolognaise and garlic bread) but in simply connecting with other writers, poets, bloggers, and having a little discourse about the craft, or subjects, or whatever else crops up.
We all know that writers gotta read, but I find it difficult at times to pick up a novel and read it on a regular basis until it's finished, simply because I work full time and my nights are filled with Crazy Shenanigans. However, it's pretty easy to take my lunch hour at work and read two or three flash fictions, or peruse some poetry, maybe read a bunch of haiku. Sometimes I find authors and buy their novels (on my newly installed KINDLE APP for Android!) after reading their short stories or poetry on their blogs and deciding that, actually, I really like their approach. And I like to think that the readers who enjoy the stories (and terrible, terrible poems) on my blog, and those who I engage with a little in conversation, might have a little trust that when they're eventually buying my books (which will one day sell for money, grr!) they know they'll be getting something of good quality that they'll probably enjoy.
But that's not for everyone.
Well, if you practise what you preach, then technically you're blogging about your life, however indirectly.
I look at it a little differently. Last night I was brainstorming possible ideas and topics for a blog and future blog posts, and it actually got me thinking about all of the things I would get out and do BECAUSE I want to blog about them. I have a bad habit of going long spells without spending meaningful time out with my friends. One of my friends has her own business and lives in a great college town not far from me with lots of good restaurants and fun things to do. We don't hang out nearly enough, and I started thinking of all the fun things I could blog about (the awesome bakery we love, the working dairy creamery where we get ice cream, some lovely little restaurants I could write reviews on, our fun times at the pottery painting place, as well as a feature on her business (she's a professional organizer) and an interview with her.
And another of my dear friends has just decided to take up drinking wine (LOL!) Neither one of us drinks, but I've agreed to delve into the world of wine with her. It should be a hoot! I turn 43 tomorrow, and I'm going to take up drinking! But I'm already thinking a trip up to the Biltmore Estate this summer for a wine tasting will be in order! And I have other good friends up there who we'll likely meet up with. So I can imagine some funny blog posts being spawned from our shenanigans.
And ANOTHER of my long-time friends from childhood is moving back into the area, and we've been connecting on Facebook about some steamy romance series we've been reading, so I'm thinking book reviews and such will be good too.
Along with all of this, I do want to write my original fiction as well, possibly short stories or flash fiction or a serial published on the blog, and I can imagine doing blog posts about interesting things I discover while researching.
I don't know, the more I think about it, the more ideas I come up with. I think blogging may actually BE my writing. It may not make me rich, but it seems like fun to me.
I've just recently become a big fan of blogging. I use it mostly to get feedback on my work by sharing inspiration, extracts etc. on the blog and then sharing the blog content on social media. I am however still figuring WordPress all out, and other options for that matter, but find guides like this one fairly helpful.
As far as commenting on WP blogs goes, I think you have to be a user?
As far as commenting on WP blogs goes, I think you have to be a user?