Why Do You Blog?

The holiday season is upon us, and as a consequence my blog posts are becoming fewer and farther between. I just noticed my last post was over a week ago. But that isn't because I see my blog posts as an unpleasant duty I force myself to perform regularly. I miss my blogging time, which got me to thinking about why we––because I know most of my readers are also bloggers––blog.

Once an acronym becomes familiar we often forget its origins, but blog is short for "web log." Remember that term? And the first ones were more like public diaries. Some people still use blogs to stay in touch, posting pics of junior's first little league game and limiting access to friends and family––or not, which I find a little odd, but whatever. Others blog for professional reasons. We writers are encouraged to promote ourselves online with blogs and websites (and now Tweets, ugh). Three years ago when I suggested The Rose & Thorn start a blog, it was a relatively new idea for literary journals to maintain blog counterparts. Now it is de rigueur both for print and online publications, though you can easily tell when an editor has been dragged into it kicking and screaming.

Some blogs are roll calls. That is, the blogger spends the day looking for articles of interest, usually within some theme like politics or books, posts a link on his/her blog, and sometimes a comment as to why the post seems important. Other blogs are eclectic––today a recipe, tomorrow a joke, the next day a bit of interesting news––pulled together by a certain entertainment factor.

There are loads of political blogs, both by professional politicos and know-nothings who think they know something. Then there are the random opinion blogs, which probably make up the majority, with no particular theme, and a lot––an awful lot––of ranting.

When I began blogging I made myself some promises. One is that I would only blog about themes in which I had a certain expertise. This blog is devoted to writing/editing/publishing––particularly online––based on my 10 years of working with online publications. I follow politics and know a bit about it, but the only political issue I have blogged about is healthcare reform, because before writing/editing, I spent nearly 15 years working in the benefits field, much of which was focused on healthcare cost containment. I will also often add some historical background to my posts because I have a degree in History and I think historical context is lacking in many of our current political discussions.

Another promise I made myself is that I would always attempt to make my arguments logical and cogent, and that I would support my case with as many facts as possible. This has often made a short couple hundred word post that should have taken, at most, and hour, into an all-day affair. I also try never to take another person's words out of context. If I have a certain interpretation of someone's words I will link to the entire article so the reader can decide if my interpretation matches theirs. The ability to do so is one of the wonders of the Internet, and I find it extremely irritating that most bloggers prefer to link to the article about the article about the one line in someone's speech that got everyone fired up.

That brings me to why I blog. I find that writing about something helps me put my thoughts in order. It disciplines me to use logic, and in researching the facts I often learn something new. I don't blog for hits. Now and again I'll check Google Analytics to see what posts have garnered the most interest or who has linked to my blog, mainly so I can return the favor. If only five or ten people visit my blog per month, I may want to reconsider whether I'm providing anything of value, but I don't need thousands of readers. A few hundred readers who seem to find it interesting is good enough for me.

So that's why I blog. Why do you blog? Let us know.

Networking on the Net

Posting about fellow blogger l. lee lowe's most recent online novel got me thinking what a marvelous boost the Internet has been for networking among writers. Writing has often been called a solitary undertaking, and it can be even more solitary for those of us who labor away in middle class suburbia, where we can go years at a time without making contact with another writer. There are only so many pricey conferences one can attend, and a 45 minute commute on a crowded train is a lot to go through for the privilege of running into someone in a center city coffee shop.

Thanks to the Internet, I am now in touch with other writers just about every day, in forums, on their blogs, or through e-mails where we exchange news and ideas about our work. When a writing friend has a novel published or a new story coming out in a literary publication, I always link to it here on zine writer. And they do the same for me. If I want input on something I'm working on, I always have a few names I can call on.

Then there are the friends who provide ideas and inspiration like Kimberly Davis who writes Kim's Craft Blog. An accomplished writer and instructor, Kim never fails to provide me with food for thought. Of course, the blogs of my friends and former R&T colleagues Angie Ledbetter (Gumbo Writer) and Kat Magendie (Tender Graces) are always a nice place to take a break. There are others I've mentioned often here, and you can find them all in the sidebar of my favorite blogs and favorite sites.

Some of us share other things in common as well as writing. For example, my blogger friend Cashew Elliott at Open the Vein inspired me to start my other blog Cross-Examine on a topic that is extremely important to me both personally and politically––healthcare reform. That and canvassing for signatures has taken up a lot of my time lately and caused me to post less here and neglect visiting some of my friends' blogs. I hope you'll forgive me. I'll be back when this d--d thing is passed. In the mean time, if you live in the US, I hope you'll stop by Cross-Examine. I make a point not to spew empty rhetoric and I know enough about the subject that you just might learn something you are not getting from the media––then, that's not hard to do.Okay, I'm slapping my own face.

Back to the point. The Internet is a great place for writers to self-promote and to promote others. Do unto others benefits us all, so I hope all of you also frequent other writers' blogs or post their successes. You'll get it back three times over.

Pay-Per-Click Sites: Another View

I highly recommend C. Hope Clark's Funds for Writers newsletters. Not only are they filled with valuable paying markets, but Hope also provides great advice for those trying to make money freelancing. In a recent newsletter, she "got on a soapbox about pay-per-click sites." I agree with some of the points Hope makes, but not all, mainly because I've had some pleasant little surprises connected with the site I wrote for a couple of years ago.

I won't name the site, because, suffice it to say, if there weren't certain things I didn't like about that specific site, I'd still be there. However, there were also enough benefits that I wouldn't condemn all pay-per-clicks out of hand.

Writing on a topic you know and love
Say you love gardening or testing recipes in your kitchen, but you don't have the credentials that would open the door to a regular column. Maybe it's just a hobby and you never thought to make any money from it anyway. I loved the opportunity to write once a week on a topic I cared deeply about, and the 650 word limit was great discipline I've applied to my writing and editing ever since.

The value is in the eyes of the beholder
I agree with Hope that if you are looking toward a successful freelancing career, you should not see pay-per-click as the first rung on the ladder. As she noted, it really doesn't count for much on your resume and the pay is a pittance. On the other hand, if you already have a successful freelance career but don't get to write what you like or if, like me, most of your published work is short fiction for which you were paid two contributor copies, the $10 every couple of months can feel like an added bonus.

Feedback
Okay, I'm a soft touch for feedback, which is why I like publishing online so much. From time to time I will have someone contact me about my articles, often asking for recommended reading. Since the topic is near and dear to my heart and I want readers to take an interest and learn more, this really provides me with that warm fuzzy feeling.

Maybe I've just been lucky but...
I have been approached twice for reprints for which I was paid more than I made from the site in a year. The second request was from a charter school publishing a textbook. They paid me $250 for a six hundred word article I wrote in less than two hours right off the top of my head. And I still get paid every time someone else clicks on it.


Still and all, writing for pay-per-clicks has its drawback or I'd still be doing it. The demands can be high for what you get. As noted, I could write articles off the top of my head and the research I did do, I enjoyed. Even with that, outside of those two pieces I sold, the hourly rate was ludicrous.

Before signing on you should also investigate the non-writing requirements. Often your page will need to conform to a particular format. In my case this meant finding non-copyrighted graphics to illustrate each article and then trimming it down to size. I'm all thumbs when it comes to graphics, and while I could find historical photos at the Library of Congress site, by the time I trimmed them to the required size, no one could tell what they were. You know I caught grief for that at review time.

Then there's the SEO (search engine optimization), which is one reason why these sites don't always make good clips. Titles, especially, need to be written with search engines in mind, and repetition is bigger than it should be in good writing.

It is also extremely important to know what rights the site claims. The site I wrote for asked for one year exclusive rights. That's more than a lot of print publications, but I thought it fair considering this was pay-per-click so they wouldn't want their articles showing up all over the web for free. Had the site claimed all rights, it would have been worthless since I made more from the reprints than I did from the site.

Some see pay-per-clicks as the sweat shops of the web, others see them as a fun hobby you get paid to do. It all depends on what you want and what you are willing to put into it.

"One Lovely Blog" Award

Many thanks to Kimberly Davis of Kim's Craft Blog for awarding me the One Lovely Blog Award.
I agree it is a great way to bring attention to our favorite blogs, and I especially appreciate being nominated by one of my very favorite bloggers.

So, in keeping with the tradition, following are my nominees:

Gumbo Writer

Tender Graces

Open the Vein

Innovative: A Word for the Writeen

These are the blogs, in addition to Kim's, that I frequent regularly, because they are fun, informative, and have a clever twist.

Getting to Know Us: Expanding a Great Idea

My friend and fellow blogger, Kat Magendie, had a great idea. She's going to make Saturday a "Getting to Know Us Day" on her blog. She will introduce her blog followers to the bloggers she follows. I thought it was such a great idea, I'd join in. Only rather than do it the same day, I'll be doing mine on Sunday.

Sooo, I thought it only fitting that the first blogger I introduce would be Kat herself. However, since I met both Kat and Angie Ledbetter when I was Co-Managing Editor at The Rose & Thorn (where the two of them are now sharing the Co-Managing Editor position), and since, like "love and marriage" or maybe more appropriately Abbott and Costello, I can't think of one without the other, I figured I'd introduce them both at the same time.

Kat's blog is Tender Graces named after her novel that will be released by Belle Books later this spring. Kat is a great writer and editor, and a very hard worker. She's one of those gals who can't say no, which is why she does so much for The Rose & Thorn in addition to her own writing, editing and blogging.

Angie is the author of Seeds of Faith and her blog, Gumbo Writer, can only be described in her own words.

Thoughts on one crazy life with three teens, a new puppy, writing, editing, taking care of family, cooking, politically incorrect stuff, trivia, laughter and whatever else comes up. ~~ Thanks for stopping by and please leave a comment if you have time! Huggage, Gumbo Writer.

Both of these blogs are fun and interactive, like the ladies who author them. Stop by and visit them often. I do.

Teen Writers: We Know You Are Out There

One question I often ask writers in interviews is, "When did you start writing?" or "When did you first discover your interest in writing?" The answer almost always is, "I started writing as a teen." Can a blog for teen writers be far behind? Actually it's here. Innovative, as blog editor Gabrielle notes, is a blog/zine for "writing teenagers and people who think writing and teenagers ) and possibly both) are cool."

Blogging: Build It So They Will Come

No blog about online publishing would be complete without some posts about blogging.

Reading posts on Google's Blogger Discussion Group, it appears that many still see blogging as their "field of dreams. "Build it and they will come."Post after post asks, "why aren't people visiting my blog" or "I've tried to make it look good, so why doesn't anyone notice?" Visit the site and what you'll usually find is a page full of beautiful graphics and personal ramblings. Back when blogging was complicated and rare, readers enjoyed the novelty of sharing people's lives. Now with sites like Blogger making it so easy that everyone and her sister has not just one but several blogs, unless you're maintaining a year-round Christmas letter for friends and family, you'll need to put in some time and thought.

Blogs need a theme
And not just any theme, but one you are qualified to write about. Like everyone else, I'd love to simply blog my opinions about things. In fact, with my knowledge of history and current affairs, I figure I'm as qualified as any pundit to venture an opinion, but that doesn't equate to other people valuing that opinion. So instead I blog about something I do know. After seven plus years working with zines, starting way back in the early days, I figured I could teach people a thing or two about getting published online.

So what do you know about, other than your day to day life? Do you have a profession you could give tips about? Or maybe a hobby? Do you collect certain things? Do you garden? Are you a chef or a gourmet cook? It's funny how we can over-value our opinions yet under-value things we've learned from our professions or other activities. Or maybe you find writing about those things more boring than readers would. If so, then blog what you like, but don't expect readers to come.

Don't wait for readers, find them
I think of this in terms I learned in Kindergarten: you need to be a friend to have one. Unless you are a master at SEO, your new blog will not receive much traffic from search engines. You'll need to invite people to come. That doesn't mean spamming. You need to set aside a certain amount of time to visit other blogs and comment on posts. When you find blogs with similar themes, link to them and ask the authors if they'd like to guest post on your blog.

Guest posts are a great way to build readers. Most guests will then add a permanent link to your site. Even if they don't, they will link to their post, bringing their readers to your blog, some of whom might become regulars.

Including a link to your blog in your e-mail signature and your signature in any forums you post in is a must. Many people will automatically click on a blog link they are seeing for the first time, and, if they like what they see, they may come back.

Which brings me to the next point,

Update your blog regularly and post useful information
A blogger who just posts when she's in the mood will not attract readers. To work, a blog must be updated at least three times weekly, though everyday is really best. Readers won't check back regularly or even sign up for a feed if there isn't any reason to.

Posting alone won't do it, though. The information also has to be of value. Once you have several posts up and have developed a following, you can indulge from time to time in a bit of a ramble, but generally your information must be useful to readers or else they won't bother with it.

Decide what you want from your blog
Do you want to make money from AdSense or Amazon ads? Will it be a form of self-publishing like l. Lee Lowe? Or are you looking for a bit of fun and diversion?

If your blog is a form of self-publishing or you want to make money from it, then building your readership is much more important, and you should budget your time accordingly. If that's not what you want, then be careful. For me, writing informational articles like this one is much easier than writing fiction and provides me with the break I need, so I don't feel stale. While I don't see the point in writing for no one, I'm not looking for a huge following. I'm satisfied with a few hundred regular readers per month, but I know from experience that watching those numbers can be addictive and giving yourself an excuse to netsurf can take valuable time away from your other writing projects. If you're not in one of the first two categories and find your blogging becoming an end in itself, it may be time to re-examine.