How the hell should I know?
Let’s get things straight from the off. I’ve just woken up from my afternoon nap and am feeling very grumpy, so I probably shouldn’t be writing this. But tough. Other bloggers, published writers, are having a go at this subject so I thought I’d throw my vast knowledge into the ring despite not being fully awake yet. I’m just that crazy.
To my dazed mind the question can be answered thusly wise:
If you’re blogging because you think it’s a great way to market yourself and your book (published or otherwise), you’re doing it wrong.
You’re no better than those companies who see the social network as a cheap means of getting some advertising for their product. They blog and tweet like they’re your friend but all the while they’re chanting “buy me, buy me, buy me” under their soulless corporate breath.
That’s clearly not social networking and fools nobody. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that a blog is a great way to enhance your brand. But that’s not all that blogging is.
Blogging, like tweeting, should be done because it’s fun and because you’ve got something to say. If you’ve not got much to say then you’ve not been paying attention. Having nothing to say has never stopped anyone from Tweeting about it. And it’s certainly never stopped anyone from blogging about it either. Especially not me, that’s for damn sure
In my vast experience (not really, but you know, hyperbole and all that) if you feel, as a writer, that you absolutely must have a blog, you’ve been given duff advice. If you think you absolutely must post to your blog 3 – 5 times each week, you’ve been given duff advice. If you think nobody will care about what you’re writing, you’ve been given…well, you can see where this is going.
The problem is, you’re a writer. You are not a corporation, so stop thinking like one.
You’re not blogging for money. You’re not on a deadline. You don’t have a boss who demands that you, “blog now; write your little stories later, in your own time.” So relax.
Blogs are a great place to have your say and, as writers, are a great way to practice your craft. You’ve got as much space as you need to publish your thoughts and stories and invite people to come and read them.
Put your photos on there. Talk about other writers you’ve met. Review books that you’ve enjoyed. Ask questions. Do whatever you like, it’s your blog. And if you’ve nothing to say this week, well that’s fine. There are no blog police who will close you down if you’re not posting 3 times each week.
The one thing a writer’s blog should never be is a marketing campaign. Because that, more than anything else will suck all the fun out of blogging. So stop worrying and have fun. Remember, blog because you want to, not because you think you have to
Rant ends.
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a very comforting post. Having gone back to freelance writing after a working break I have started blogging as a way to get back to writing for the fun of it, to get things down on paper and to practice – hopefully getting back into the swing of entertaining and interesting people at the same time. Lots of pressure out there though isn’t there?!
Hi Suzie, thanks for visiting.
I didn’t realise how much pressure there was until yesterday. It seemed that writers are being given the same expectations as Pro-Bloggers (people who blog for money) and while some Pro-Blogging techniques are a great idea, they’re not essential for hobby bloggers. There’s a lot of advice being thrown about, I just hope I can balance some of the inappropriate stuff with some more sensible options.
The thing to remember is, it’s your blog. Do whatever you want to do.
When I started blogging, I did worry about frequency of blog posts and the blog police, but I have since relaxed into blogging it my way, when I have something to say and it is much more fun.
I’ve also noticed that I’m not necessarily blogging about what I initially thought I would when I started out. So, it’s also good to go with the flow and see where this blogging malarkey takes you, I’d say.
Hi Kath.
I did the exact same thing. I still have the notebook I planned the whole blog in. It states exactly what themes I would be covering, and what I’d be writing about on a given day including the business side of writing, book reviews and advice. Then I realised that:
1. I don’t know enough to be giving advice to anyone.
2. It’s more fun to admit you know nothing as you learn more that way.
Since then, all my plans have gone out the window and I’m much happier for it.
This just makes sense, ‘simples’.
Particularly:
“Blogs are a great place to have your say and, as writers, are a great way to practice your craft. You’ve got as much space as you need to publish your thoughts and stories and invite people to come and read them.”
I’ve found this to be very true. And the bottom line is to enjoy it, after a while the panic of no entries for a while subsides.
DV
Hi Denis, Glad to see you here.
Enjoying your blog is definitely what it’s all about. I see my blog as my little part of the web. I do what I want, when I want and if I get visitors I try to keep them entertained.
Sometimes though, I might sleep in for a while and do nothing, but hey, it’s my blog
*claps*
*bows*
Can’t believe we wrote such similar blogs today! Yours is sooo much more sophisticated than mine but I think we were saying the same thing really.
http://mandykjameswrites.blogspot.com/
Yeah, we’re saying the same thing. Not sure if my comment is showing up on your blog, but it said this:
As much as writers love to write, trying to blog everyday can still be over-facing. Blogging when you’ve got something to say, that’s too long to fit on Twitter, is my method. I encourage all writers to do the same.
Also, don’t worry about having an opinion. It’s YOUR blog and YOUR rules. Have at it.
*cheers*
Love this…Sometimes I have an urge to blog about something entirely different, like my favourite nail varnish…or my daughter’s dimply knees. After reading this, I think I just might.
Thanks
Oh you should.
And then try and twist it in a last ditch attempt to make it relevant to the rest of the blog. That’s what I do
Remember, YOUR blog YOUR rules. Don’t let anyone tell you different.
I guess I’m lucky that the blog came first, then being a writer came afterwards, so the blog kind of had a life of its own by then! But good advice, all the same – the best blogs are those written for love, not money.
HI Emma.
Couldn’t agree more. As soon as you start taking your blog too seriously, you’ve failed.
Have fun.
Well said.
Why, thank you.
Yeeha! Permission from the UK for this Texas writer to chill her keys. I started a blog last November to report on hubbie’s health, and if I don’t post as often as I brush my teeth, the phone rings like plaque builds up. Which is why I often equate communication with my family like a trip to the dentist.
Seriously, I love them. I just wear a bib and drool a bit every time I visit ‘em. Lovely blog Mr. Uku
Thanks for stopping by Allie.
You certainly have permission to slow up. And if the family or anyone else starts to insist on daily updates you should get random. I’d start with shopping lists then move onto words that sound like they could be names. Later, you can hit them with “thoughts I have when I see the moistness of eyes”. Hopefully, they’ll get the message
I suppose it’s been worth the years of torment to hear you finally say something with a smidgen of sense.
And by hear I mean see, and by say I mean wrote. Obviously.
I’ve had a lot of time to give it a lot of thought.
And by give I mean sleep. And by thought I mean sleep.
Thank you for the post. When I started my blog, I assumed I had to center all my posts around writing since that was the catalyst. I found, though, that I wanted to do posts about all sorts of non-writing related things which made me feel guilty at first. My blog is much more interesting now, and more fun for me to write.
Hi Lisa.
I had the same issues, as a quick look through the archives will show you. These days I worry about it less. A writers life is full of all kinds of things so I see any subject as relevant. But I will try and cram something in about writing if I can.
The important thing though is to enjoy your blog. And if you enjoy writing it, others will enjoy reading it.
I’m something of a wayward blogger; however blog I most certainly do. I think people can be very dismissive of blogs as a medium, perceiving it as some kind of vanity trip. But each one is different. They have a unique tone, perspective and ultimate goal.
I’m a writer myself, so enjoy having the freedom to share thoughts, develop my own style and receive feedback on what I produce. I don’t pretend that it’s anything special, in fact I am the first to admit that it isn’t; however, I see it as vital in my own development, plus I enjoy it.
Naysayers might pour scorn on that concept, but bollocks to them. I can’t paint pretty pictures and hang them in a gallery, so I write words and chuck them on a blog. In both instances there’s no pressure to come and take a look, so if you don’t like something, avoid it.
My blog might not be ground breaking or earth shattering, but it is mine – a point missed by many I think.
Great post and thanks for sharing – always good to get things off your chest. I’m not even going to start on the social side as I share very similar views and could well get carried away.
HI Steve, thanks for dropping by.
You seem to have grasped exactly what a blog is supposed to be for and I agree entirely.
Interesting you say that you write because you can’t paint pictures as I’ve been known to say the same thing. I wonder if all writers are frustrated painters
The naysayers can pour as much scorn as they like, but as long as there are writers, there’ll be blogs. They’re the perfect way to not only practice your writing, but to find an audience. Even if it’s just an handful of people, it’s nice to be read. Before the internet, I could spend days writing stuff that nobody would ever lay eyes on; it all seemed a bit pointless for me. You can imagine how excited I got when the Web-Log was invented. And now I’m eyeing up e-books as way of putting together my own short story collection/e-pulp magazine.
What a great time to be writer.
What a great post! I’m sorry I only just found it.
I had no idea what I would do with my blog when I started it but now I find it a great place to ramble on about whatever I want to at the time…
Like you mentioned I did worry about the frequency of posts when I started as I have some big gaps between some of mine, but as time goes on I think you relax into blogging a bit.
Hi Rebecca
I think you’re right about relaxing into blogging. The problem, in the early stages, comes from not understanding what your blog is really for. You might think you know (I thought I did) but things change. Much better to not take your blog quite so seriously. Have fun, blog about whatever you like, whenever you like, and your blog will take its own shape.
Of course, the best thing about blogs is that if you want to take things in a completely new direction it’s so easy to start a fresh one.
Really pleased to see this post because I blog infrequently and when I do – it could be about anything. My business, my family, my travels. Sometimes it is very much purposed, other times it is just what took my fancy on the day. I have worried about not blogging often enough. Because I am a published (short story) writer, I tend to want to *save* some stuff up for my editor. It’s nice to know that I am not alone in this. My blog is where I want to be able to relax and practice my craft.
Hi Lesley, nice to see you here.
Your blog should be whatever you want it to be. Some people prefer an unstructured journal to a date specific diary and blogs are much the same.
Always do what works for you.