 | 24 Oct 08 |
My dad informed me tonight that he is buying a golf cart. I think I might borrow it to drive to work, although the cost of gas is much lower than it was a month or so ago, when one needed to mortgage the house and sell the children just to fill the tank.
My dad is retired, so he’s not buying the golf cart as a means of transportation. He doesn’t play golf, either, especially now his Parkinson’s is taking a toll on his health. He says he thinks it would be fun to have a golf cart, and give the grandkids rides. My 16-year-old and 14-year-old would like to DRIVE the golf cart, but rides? Nah. But my sister has little ones (five and two), and I’m pretty sure that is why he is buying it. He lives to entertain them. But in these crazy economic times, it might not be that bad of an idea. We could take to the golf cart to the grocery store. It would sure cost a lot less. Maybe we could have a golf cart car pool for dance? Hmmm. Nah, that wouldn’t work.
I know that my daughter’s dance studio is tightening their belts, too, so to speak, and paring down from the proposed six competitions to four competitions. Everybody is in the crunch, with companies going belly up, people losing jobs and homes, and frankly, right now we are in a HUGE financial mess.
So how does this affect writers? Well, I would suspect it will make an already tight market even tighter. Anyone who has ever tried to sell a book to a large mainstream publisher knows how very, very hard this really is. And with the economic crunch, it isn’t going to get easier, only harder.
It will also affect the already-pubbed, as they fight for even smaller advertising and promotional budgets, smaller advances, and less publisher support.
That’s actually pretty depressing to think about, but here at MurderSheWrites.com, we are being proactive. We are using one of the very best forms of publicity, available to all authors, published or not. It’s called blogging. I am a huge proponent of this form of PR, and advise everyone who wants to be published to set up a blog, and start building your readership. Heck, people have even SOLD books based on hugely popular blogs.
I use, an example, a blog that I always read. Dooce is written by Heather Armstrong, and she is a brilliant and scathingly funny woman who writes about daily life in Utah. I actually was pointed in her blog’s direction by readers who live nowhere NEAR Utah, and yet her appeal is universal. She is one of the so-called “mommy bloggers,” but I think of her more as a “real life blogger.” Not reality-show type blogging, but the real deal, family life, warts, dogs that eat poop, and all.
Heather brings humor and focus to events that strike many of us. She has dealt with her own bout with extreme postpartum depression, and chronicled it for everyone to read. She is shockingly honest and real, and sometimes her posts even make me cringe a little bit, because I know she is just “baring it all,” when I am loathe to do anything remotely similar.
She has chronicled her daughter’s life, and each month she writes a letter to Leta. They are sometimes funny, often poignant and even heartbreaking. Heather has built a readership that is huge and through her blog she ended up with a book deal. One that went a bit sour, there, for a while, and involved lawsuits and publishing ugliness, among other things.
But the blog she writes now supports her, her husband, and their daughter. And frankly? She’s earned it. As I mentioned, she is very, very funny, and a great writer.
So, blogs can work. Do they always work? No. There’s probably an old graveyard for blogs somewhere on the Internet, maybe kind of like my friend Tim’s blog. His first post started out with, “Hey, I am writing this blog because my friend Natalie says I need to do it.” I think he wrote a few other sentences, and maybe wrote some nasty things about his ex-wife, and then the blog died.
I suspect a lot of them do. And still others are faithfully attended to, and updated regularly, and have absolutely no readers. Sad, but true. But there are a few things you can do to ensure you will, at least, have a few readers.
1. Have a platform. This is important in every aspect of writing a book, and blogging is no different. What is your platform. What is your theme? If you are just going to ramble every week, well, you probably won’t build an audience, unless you ramble brilliantly and with great wit.
2. Have your blog professionally designed. Yes, I know there are templates, and they are pretty nice. I understand that, but please consider that the fact YOU have access to it means that so does everybody ELSE on the Internet who decides to blog. You need a nice, clean, attractive design that speaks of your platform and pulls people in.
3. Be aware that once you make yourself public, you WILL attract some crazies. (See my blog post from two weeks ago, re: security on the Internet. Please.)
4. Keep the blog regularly updated, written clearly, and add as much content as possible. Pictures are wonderful. Videos intriguing. Keep it fresh.
5. You don’t have to stick to one theme, but all your themes should have something in common. And you need to find something that will keep your readers coming back.
6. Use lots of links. The more links, the better. If you refer to other blogs and sites, they will come to see what the links are leading to, etc., etc. It’s very, very useful.
7. Create a blog roll, and suggest you trade links with others.
So, those are some of my feelings and suggestions about promotion and blogging. Anyone have some other ones to add?
© 2008 – 2009 Natalie R. Collins. All rights reserved.
Natalie R. Collins was born in Logan, Utah and attended the University of Utah. She worked for eleven years at The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah's largest daily newspaper, before leaving to devote more time to her family. During the ensuing years, she wrote five novels. She also worked for the 2001 and 2002 Sundance Film Festivals as an editor. Natalie is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America.
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Very interesting information, Natalie. Feeling the crunch is definitely making most people look for alternative ways to accomplish the necessary. I’m fairly new to the blogging world, but I’ve been hearing a lot about “blog tours.” Since going across country to get out and meet the folks in bookstores isn’t always economically possible, many are going on “blog tours” as a means to promote their newest release. Do you feel that’s a beneficial method for promotion?
by Debra Webb October 24th, 2008 at 5:13 amI think I have a lot in common with your friend Tim, except I’m female and not divorced.
Anyhoo, I started a blog, but haven’t gotten up the nerve to tell anyone about it! From a gal who has gotten rejections from freakin’ everyone, I don’t want to open myself up to personal harrassment.
by Margaret A. Golla October 24th, 2008 at 5:25 amWhat a sad state of affairs. . .
Another big one–participate and post thoughtful comments on other people’s blogs. If you take the time to get your name out there and say something interesting in a blog conversation, someone–be it the blog owner or other readers–may follow your link back to your blog.
You should also maximize your blog’s SEO capability (that’s search engine optimization). I’m still learning how to do that one!
by Kait Nolan October 24th, 2008 at 5:55 amHi! I’m new here – following Rocki to her new Tuesday home.
Very timely blog, Natalie. We’re all feeling the economic woes these days and, as honorary grandma to two competition dancers, I can personally empathize with you over that particular money crunch!
As a reader, I think blogs are a wonderful method of promoting your books, especially for people like me who live in small towns away from the usual booksigning locations and with no large bookstores close by. Over the past few years I have “met” numerous authors through guest appearances on various internet blogs. It’s a great way to get a “feel” for the author’s personality and style of writing. I’ve bought many of their books after those blog meetings. Some have now become autobuys for me and, but for the blog guest spot, I may have never found them.
That’s my 2 cents.
by PJ October 24th, 2008 at 6:08 amGreat post, as I try to decide what I should blog about today. Or if I should bother.
I started blogging when I sold my first short story a couple of years ago, because, “you have to have a blog.” I try to post at least M-F, but I wonder if it would be better to skip some days when I have to dig for something I think others might have the slightest interest in.
I’d say I’m batting about .500 with your checklist. So far, I’ve found that the greatest interest comes when I share tips I’ve picked up at workshops and conferences. I still get frequent hits from people looking up “criminal thinking” or “his brain/her brain.” Whether they go on to check “me” out is something I’ll probably never know.
(I do know hubby checks in regularly to see what I’m up to.)
by Terry Odell October 24th, 2008 at 6:20 amHeather cracks me up pretty regularly (though I don’t think I’d ever be as brave as she’s been talking about my family the way she’s talked about hers… I imagine I’d have been disappeared into a bayou a long time ago had I tried that route). Another regular read is Wouldda Couldda Shouldda (Mir) and Jocelyn Jackson’s Faster Than Kudzu–both funny and relate-able.
I think bloggling regularaly is hard work, though, and if it’s daily or several times a week, can be a real challenge to keep content fresh–especially after that first blush of the first three or four months. I’ve been blogging online since 96 or 97 — back when it was called “journaling” and when there were less than 1000 of them in existence. I’ve had several incarnations, and have loved them all.
by toni mcgee causey October 24th, 2008 at 9:18 amNatalie, you’re the one who dragged me into blogging! And once again, I’m taking your advice and having a blog professionally designed for my “other” personality Jennifer Lyon.
Blogs, for writers, are a way to build a community with your readers, and hopefully, attract more readers.
I have two cautions:
1) They are a lot of work. More than most people think when they start.
2) I would caution authors to think about what they present. Political and religious views may work for some authors and create unwanted controversy that may turn off readers for others.
And my personal motto on blogging–have fun with it!
Thanks for the tips, Natalie!
by Jen Apodaca October 24th, 2008 at 9:54 amI love blog-hopping my favorite authors, so you all keep up the good work.
by Amanda October 24th, 2008 at 10:57 amHey Natalie – great post and great timing… I’m recovering from yet another bout of flu from traveling, and have been thinking that more online promotion might keep me healthier, so thanks for the push!
(A bit of Pen to Press news – one of our students just picked up an agent from the conference! Hope to see you in person again soon, preferably in NOLA.)
by Alexandra Sokoloff October 24th, 2008 at 11:57 amgood post, nat. blogging is a huge commitment. i find on my personal blog i usually get up three fresh posts a week. sometimes like this week less. i’m still recovering from the wedding, plus i’ve had to dive in head first into all of the things i let slide. not to mention my lap top is still getting new hardware. hopefully i’ll have it back this afternoon, but the hard drive is lost in space.
both my agent and editor think blogging is a great way to build name recognition. and while that may be true, i blog because i like to hang out with cyber friends.
by Karin Tabke October 24th, 2008 at 12:39 pmIt takes time to attract attion for a blog. Over at Chasing Heroes, we’ve been at it for a year, but have within the last six months started to create a rythm to our blogging. Each one of us is very different from the other. I agree on all the above. Blogging in itself can be a real art form. And one that has to be developed and learne.d
by Lee October 24th, 2008 at 3:20 pmDeb,
I think to a certain extent blog tours are somewhat useful, but they can be hard to organize, and you often feel like you are crashing on the couch of someone you don’t know very well.
Margaret,
Hey, I understand the rejection concept. And you ARE really putting yourself out there. You have to develop a really tough skin if you are going to stick it out.
Kait, excellent suggestions! Definitely going to other blogs leads people back to yours. But you really NEED to comment on the blog, and not just post a link about YOUR blog. That’s pretty much spam.
PJ, welcome to MSW, and great comments! We’re so glad you came to visit, and hope you stay!
by Natalie October 24th, 2008 at 4:41 pmTerry, I know what you mean. I get blog block ALL the time. I have found myself somewhat refreshed with all the new faces here at MSW, so that is cool.
Toni, I agree about Heather. I just love her blog. I couldn’t be that personal, but maybe that’s why she has the readers….
Jen, I think I dragged you AND Karin into it… Hee hee. Oh, and Deborah LeBlanc. I made her do it, too. LOL. I’m a blog pusher….
Amanda, we’ll keep blogging as long as you keep reading!
by Natalie October 24th, 2008 at 4:44 pmAlex, good to see you hear. Sorry to hear all that travel has you under the weather, but SO glad you stopped by. I do think there are less germs from a blog tour… LOL.
So DO tell. Who got the agent???? Pen to Press was such a fabulous experience. Unpubbed writers, if you want to meet one on one with writers, agents, and editors, you need to sign up for the next P2P. I promise it’s worth it.
by Natalie October 24th, 2008 at 4:46 pmKarin, I’m still waiting for wedding pictures! And you are so right, blogging is a huge commitment. I’m guessing a lot of authors don’t realize it until they get into it. Unless you have nine other fabulous authors to blog WITH you. Then it’s still commitment, but not as big….
Lee, you are right. It does take time to build an audience, and so you have to be tenacious, and determined, and thick-skinned… Things that SHOULD come natural to writers. LOL.
by Natalie October 24th, 2008 at 4:48 pmAs a blogger and a groupie of writers and bloggees I have to agree with Kait. Because I know the pain of no one reading my blog I make it a point of leaving even the smallest comment in support of bloggers I read (my morning/evening blog roll is over 21.) And I have blogs that (even if I’m short on time) I will read… as Toni pointed out Mir and Joss are must reads, just like MSW and Trapped.
I have said it here and other places before, but because we’re talking readership and visablity I will be repetative (I know, again) MSW is an excellent example of what to do right with a blog. You have 10 writers, an interesting blog, with fresh daily content, and you work to make it a community of give and take between writers, readers, authors, and fans. It is a place that welcomes exchange, allows the reader a glimpse into your process, even to be a small part of that process, and to be valued by the author.
It’s the same as word of mouth– invaluable.
by Cele October 24th, 2008 at 10:41 pm