Blog Science: Blogging Less and Saying More

Hey gang! I know many, many of you are hip deep in A-Z madness, and I hope to make it to each of your blogs at least a few times over the course of the event. Really amazed by the creativity of everyone I've read so far. 

Seriously, it's staggering to see how creative minds can use such an open premise to such great effect. Sure, there are plenty of 'My Favorite Cat Names' and other frivolous topics (still fun), but I'm mostly reading great poetry, clever short stories and genius writing tips. 

So why am I not doing A-Z this year? Glad you didn't ask! I'll answer anyway: I had nothing to say. Yup, that's the dirty of it. And let's not kid ourselves, that is a 

D (dumb) 
I (irrational)
R (risky) 
T (terrible) 
Y (yucky) 

thing for a blogger/writer to say. 

It's our BUSINESS to have something to say. If we don't, we make it up. If we can't make it up we go find something, or poke someone until THEY say something, we can talk about. Why do we need to talk so much? Simply put, it's expected and it's part of the "formula" for success.

Do a quick Google search for top blogging tips. You'll find 'blog daily', 'blog frequently', or 'blog often' in the top ten of just about every list on the subject. While there is debate on the actual impact of post frequency on blog traffic, you'll certainly see a general consensus. If you're not posting, you're not getting hits. If you're not getting hits, you're not showing up in search engines.

Here's a nice rundown on the subject.

That doesn't even speak to the desires of those fickle followers out there. (Not you! Those other guys...) Some folks get a little antsy if you don't post often enough. How often is enough? Heck if I know, but I think it has something to do with Jupiter and Venus aligning, full moons, hormone imbalances and--suffice to say, it's important to some. 

Important enough they'll drop you like a Bieber paternity suit if you cross that imaginary line. (I'm here all week! Sorry, hadn't done a Bieber joke in a while.)

Yeah, so, I'm ignoring all that. 

BAD BLOGGER! *sticks out wrist--or bum--for chastising*

Yes, that's me being paddled by a leather-clad nun at a roller derby. Hey, it was in Austin, TX! If you've been to Austin this all makes perfect sense... My wife took the photo, so it was all above board. Mostly.

I'm ignoring all that for a good reason. It's for you. Honest. 

There was time when I blogged when I had nothing to say. The book said you were supposed to blog on a schedule and blog often. That's what I did. You can go read those posts if you'd like, but your time would be better spent flossing the cat or thinking about the color blue. Those posts were that empty.

At some point in the last year (or so) that changed. I made the decision to post only when I wanted to say something. Revelatory, I know. Sometimes it's once a week, other times it might be four or five. My reasoning was pretty straightforward: I didn't want to bore you. Even if it meant turning my back on the blogging gods and turning off a few followers. 

Sure, there were extenuating factors. Like me wanting to write more and blog less (they were beginning to cannibalize each other) and a shift in my perspectives regarding writing and publishing as a career endeavor. Basically, the game kind of changed for me, so I set about learning to play it in a new way. That impacted the things I wanted to blog about, and it impacted what I had to say. 

I know this might come of as a little uppity or highhanded, but it really isn't about me thinking I'm bigger than the game or anything. Last I checked that follower count on the right said 300-somehting, not 3,000-something, so I more than realize I'm no bigger than a minute.

In the end, I guess I just respect time. The time you give me, the time I spend doing this--just time, really. Yes, I've lost followers, and I hate that. Yes, I do wish I was more connected with a lot of the other bloggers out there, doing all those fun blogfests and whatnot. I fully realize that's cost me more followers.

Still, I'm having more fun and feeling more in tune with blogging now then I ever did when I was trying to do everything right. A wise follower once told me it was called "slow blogging" and it really stuck with me. It also made me realize that I love bloggers who have something to say, even if they don't say it often. 

What about you? Are you a stickler for the blogging 'rules', or do you go at your own pace?

~EJW~

  

Blog Science: Why People Quit on Blogs, RESULTS

Howdy Gang! Hope you all navigated the week of made up holidays without issue. Yes, I love loving people as much as anyone (check out my posts from last week if you don't believe me), but that doesn't change the fact that Valentine's Day is a fabricated money muncher foisted upon us by retailers the world over. Hey, I buy the chocolate, cards and flowers too--not judging anyone here. Just calling a sheep a sheep.

"Wanna hear a joke?" credit

A U.S. specific phenomenon is President's Day. Which, unless my memory fails, never used to be a big deal unless you were an employee of the United States government, a political prisoner or a kid in school. Now the holiday, originally concocted in the 1960s, has apparently gone mainstream Seems these days everyone is off work and/or having a sale of some kind.


While it wasn't originally intended to replace the respective birthday celebrations of two of our nation's finest men (Washington and Lincoln) that happen to be a week apart in February, it has taken on that significance for many. A day of great patriotism, as it were. I still think it's just an excuse to sell mattresses, cars and other big ticket items that beg for our hard-earned tax rebates. Whatever the case, I enjoyed having a rare breakfast meal with my wife on Monday nonetheless.


The grindstone returned Tuesday for many, and we've all got sore noses to show for it. Right? Right! (Just nod and agree even if you're still being a sloth. We'll never know...) As such, I thought it time to get back to the business of why people hate quit following our blogs.


If you'll recall, a couple of weeks back I had a two-part post on the subject (here and here) complete with fancy-schmancy survey. The votes are in, and frankly I'm a little surprised by the results.


There were 14 options to choose from (listed below) with an 'Other' category that allowed write-ins. You could vote for more than one category and as many times as you'd like, so this sucker is far from scientific. However, I tend to believe the votes are mostly genuine as 1) Why would anyone care enough about this to slant the votes? and, 2) I got an e-mail each time someone updated the survey and almost all coincided with a unique individual posting a comment as well.


Conclusion? This is at least as valid as a Florida election. (Probably more so.)


The premise was simple: Figure out why people quit following blogs. The choices were as follows:


1. Overall content isn't useful
2. Overal content is offensive
3. Don't want to be professionally associated with the themes or message of the blog
4. The blogger doesn't follow me back, or reciprocate my activity on my own blog
5. The blog is boring
6. Too few posts
7. Too many posts
8. Specific post offended me
9. Frequent mistakes in grammar, information, etc.
10. Formatting stinks (blog isn't attractive or simply cumbersome to navigate)
11. Consistent technical difficulties (pages won't load, videos won't play, etc.)
12. The blogger doesn't interact with followers
13. All of the above
14. Other


Here's how the votes came in:

Observations

- Don't be offensive or boring


By far the most common grievances. Both of these are tricky, because of their highly subjective natures. Me, for example. I'm easily entertained (LOL CATS FTW!), so you're not likely to put me off in that way. I also have a broad (crude?) sense of humor and am generally easygoing, so you could probably only offend me by being mean or stupid or both--with regularity.


There was a variation on the 'offensive' line as there was a choice for jumping ship if a specific post ruffled your feathers. It got a good number of votes, but I'd suspect that post would have to be pretty over the top in most cases. Could be wrong ... I read a blog a few weeks back where the blogger admitted to dropping people from Twitter, etc. because the talked about drinking alcohol. From my POV that'd be the equivalent of dropping someone because they like Lebron James. I think they're both issues of dubious moral logic. Valid, yes, but dubious. 


- Momma said to choose your friends wisely. You listened.


This one is interesting. Tied for 3rd most checked, it seems many people are cautious when it comes to the blog company they keep. Not sure if I'm surprised, as I've said many a time on this blog that folks aren't lying when they say the blog, writing and publishing worlds are punchbowl-small. I've read many, many agents say they are aware of what bloggers are saying--or at least check before taking on clients. I know author-bloggers talk a ton amongst themselves, and news travels fast.


Personally? It's a little disappointing. So long as you aren't vulgar and/or threatening I think you should share your opinions and be able (as professionals) to agree to disagree. That doesn't seem to be the case. 


This is one reason I can't advocate book reviews (some of you do awesome ones, btw) if you're an author (aspiring or otherwise). Seems like a lose-lose proposition unless you genuinely love the book. And if you're only 'reviewing' books you love, they aren't reviews, they're recommendations. I digress.


- Surprises


More folks are put off by too many posts as opposed to too few. Who knew?


- Reciprocity is king


If you combine them, by far the thing that you'll get you bounced the most for is ignoring your followers. I consider Doesn't Follow Back and Blogger Doesn't Interact to be branches on the same tree. Both got a lot of votes. The lesson? Love your followers, and they shall love you. Shun them and they'll kick you to the curb.


- Touchy!


Whomever voted 'All' has probably already quit following me. 


- Bug free is the choice for me


Another area that, if combined, generated a lot of hits was issues in formatting, technical aspects and overall user interface. Guess the lesson here is to occasionally go to your blog as a user would (through the browser, not the blogger dashboard) and make sure it looks and behaves correctly. Also, do it right after a post goes up. Check your links, videos, etc. to make sure they're behaving. A little probably goes a long way here. 


- The 'other' write-ins, because they were good


If the blog is a veiled advertisement or the content is idiotic; my interests have changed (IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S ME!); posts are too long (GULP). 


So what do you think? Do you disagree with the majority? Anything we missed?


~EJW~

Blog Science - Why People Quit on Blogs, SURVEY

Blog Science: Why People Quit on Blogs, Part 1

Hey gang! Hope your lives are chugging down the tracks at a comfy and productive speed. I've been going through some formal edits on a long-in-gestation project, and for the first time I'm actually enjoying the process! Probably only means I'm doing it right for the first time, however, it's still cool when you have those fleeting moments of, "I'm getting better at this writing stuff!"and your work actually reflects it.

Don't worry, it'll pass, and I'll get back to the writer default of "I'm worse than I ever imagined"as soon as the second round of editorial feedback hits my inbox. Until then, LET ME HAVE MY MOMENT! 

*stamps foot and demands applause like a three year old in a room full of busy adults* 

Anywho, as part of my Blog Science series I'm really posting today to get to the bottom of something: Why do people stop following blogs?

I posted waaaayyyyy back on my 100th post about the subject and (after re-reading) I think I summed up my personal feelings pretty well. Consequently, I'm going to re-post that post in this post. (Got that?)

HOWEVER, I'm really most interested in what you think. On Friday I'm going to post a survey (first ever for this blog, I think) as part 2 of this discussion. As such, consider this post a primer for that questionnaire. In the meantime feel free to let me know what you think in the comments.

Hopefully see you back here on Friday!

REPOST: How I Know I can Quit You

I'd like to continue my FOUR LETTER WORD theme for the week and discuss blog followers. Actually, I'd like to discuss how we lose them.  The word QUIT came to mind, because that's typically how I'd define the termination of my keeping up with a particular blog.

First, let's take a quick look at why people might follow a blog in the first place.  I follow blogs for a handful of reasons, which include:

They provide useful and/or interesting information - I'm a writer and like to read about, and learn from, other writers.  I also enjoy reading and seek out others who do as well.

An act of reciprocity - The blog world is a community, and the 'Do unto others..." guideline definitely applies.  You must follow to be followed--especially in the beginning.  Simply put: could you make friends and build relationships by walking into Walmart, shouting your name and telling everyone to meet you in in aisle 15 of the parking lot if they want to get to know you?  Heck no.  No one is going to care if you create a blog and start posting stuff unless you make a genuine effort to get to know them too.

For entertainment - Some blogs I follow have nothing to do with writing.  I follow them because they're funny, quirky or touch on some other aspect of life I enjoy.  Sometimes I follow for purely voyeuristic purposes, meaning it's somebody who has an interesting life or (more likely) interprets their ordinary life in a unique way.

Before I get into how to run people off, I'll qualify a few things.  I don't have a ton of experience in 'unfollowing'.  I started following blogs when I started blogging (about a year ago), and in that time I've probably quit following 3-7 blogs.  That's out of the dozens I currently keep up with.  However, I have noticed a pattern in my jumping ship, and that's what I'm going to share.  Reasons I quit following:

Lack of reciprocity - I've dropped a few blogs because I continually left comments on their posts and they didn't follow me (minor offense as I'm willing to accept that not everyone I follow is going to dig my blog and some folks like to keep their lists manageable) or didn't acknowledge my comments (major offense)--ever.  I don't expect every comment I post to receive a direct response, or even be read for that matter.  However, if I comment on your blog weekly over a period of months, at some point it would be cool if you answered my questions or responded to anything I said.  Followers of my blog get a ton of slack in this area, btw.

Continued posting of things I completely disagree with - I can probably be accused of this one myself!  :)  I stopped following a couple of major writing-related blogs because the blogger continually posted offensive content. I'm not talking about nude photos or anything, they simply kept posting things that made me bristle intellectually.  Not to mention one of the blogs posted an outrageous slam of pretty much half the human race and, when commentors began to call them out for it, they disabled the comments.  If you're going to say controversial things in public, you need to be able to take your medicine.  I might delete a profane response to one of my posts, but I'd NEVER prohibit people form disagreeing with me.  As a matter of fact, I think some disagreement is healthy.

Constant pandering to the publishing gods (or being a fake, phony, fake) - We all know this is a fickle business.  It's hard to get started and even more difficult to stay once you're there (so I'm told).  Spitting in the face of conventions is probably not the best thing to do.  That being said, I've dropped blogs because they were constantly trying to mirror things the "industry" seemed to encourage as opposed to being an organic representation of the author's voice and style.  In my somewhat limited viewing, I'd say prospective YA and young reader bloggers are far worse at this than many of the other writing groups.  I don't know if it's a voice thing, a market thing--or something else entirely--but it drives me a little crazy at times.  Don't communicate what you think people want to hear, communicate what you think and what they NEED to hear.  

Again, I'm sure I've done some of these myself.  I've lost a few followers over time, and I may lose a few over this post.  I don't think committing any of the 'offenses' listed above on occasion is going to necessarily lose you followers.  Unfortunately, it might over time.

What say you?  Do you monitor your following?  Do you notice when someone drops you?  Have you quit following blogs?  Why?

PLEASE DON'T QUIT ON ME!

~EJW~  

Blog Science - Who Do You Read

Howdy Gang! How're you coming on those resolutions? Me either... Still, it's times like these we have to remind ourselves: What would Brian Boitano do? Know what I'm sayin'?

You might (or might not) recall, not long ago I began a new reoccurring feature on this blog called Blog Science. (Guess I can't call it reoccurring yet 'cause this is only the 2nd post. I digress...) In this new feature we're basically going to take a hard look at blogging 'best practices'. Hopefully we can come up with some new ideas and/or insights that will improve our blogging. Or perhaps we'll just create a forum to bitch about the things we don't like. Either way, we grow, which is the point.

DISCLAIMER: I'm no expert or anything, but like most politicians I enjoy pretending I'm one. No, if you want blog expertise, go check out blogs with follower numbers in the Ks. In all seriousness, this is more about creating a dialogue between bloggers. So don't just sit there, tell us what you think!
  
Today's installment of Blog Science is going to examine the lucky few. The cream. The elite. No, I'm not talking about the the 1%, I'm talking about the blogs you actually read. I suspect I'm not alone when it comes to my blog diet: I've got many on my plate, but actually get around to eating only a few. My eyes are much larger than my stomach, as it were. 

Now before you get all 'hate crazy' on me, understand it isn't because of some kind of weird follower Internet ponzi scheme. I didn't just follow a bunch of blogs, hoping they'd follow back, and then completely ignore them.  This blog thang doesn't go down like Twitter, after all. 

(thanks be to God--mazel tov! mazel tov! Sorry, we caught Fiddler at the local theater a couple of weeks ago and it's been in my head ever since...) 


I can honestly say I've read at least a portion of every blog I follow and followed them because I truly enjoyed what I was reading. It is also a way I've thrown my support behind the friendly faces I've met around the WWWebs. Unfortunately, as I've said before, there are far more awesome blogs out there than there are minutes in the day. 

Chances are, if you've been blogging for a year or more, you've run into a similar predicament. This post isn't about solving that problem. There are far more organized folks out there who can tell you how to sort out and prioritize your Google Reader list. There are also far more ruthless folks out there who can tell you when/how to cut people off your blog lists to keep it paired down to only the essentials. 

What we are going to do is try to understand why we read who we read.  Essentially, who makes the cut and why? In order of importance, here we go:

Loyal Customers Get Dibs -
Okay, this one isn't rocket science. The blogs I most frequent, especially to the extent of leaving comments, are the blogs of people who visit my blog and leave comments. Call it reciprocity, brown nosing or whatever. The fact of the matter is that I favor people who acknowledge my existence. I think most bloggers do this, but if I only have time to read AND comment on a couple of blogs during the day, I usually track down the people who frequently visit my blog.

This doesn't mean they are the only blogs I read. It just means they are the blogs I go out of my way to read, if that makes sense.

The GOOGLE Made Me Do It - 
So I have the cute little iGoogle homepage thing going on. If you aren't familiar with it, you can basically create a custom Internet page with all of your favorite Web content on it. Why? Because it's awesome to be able to see your new e-mail messages, top stories on CNN, Twitter feed, Facebook updates, weather, etc., that's why. It's my homepage, so it's the first thing I see when I jump Online. You can learn about and get it HERE.

As part of my iGoogle page (at the very top, no less) I've got my Google Reader feed. It updates real time, so when someone posts a new blog update it pops up. It has become my blog lifeline. I know there are more efficient reader managers out there, but this one is the most convenient for me because I see it 10-15 times a day.  

The downside? I tend to only see the blogs that have been updated recently. So if you posted in the AM and I get on in the afternoon, your post is waaaayyyy down the feed. Unless I'm dedicatedly searching through the list (which I do from time-to-time) I probably won't see it. 

What I try to do is pick out a blog or two each time I'm on the homepage, that way I get a sort of eclectic mashup of reads from my blog list. Unfortunately, that means I don't consistently get to the same blogs.

Assuming again that I'm not the only person to use iGoogle feed lists (or something similar), here are some ways I choose which blogs to read:

Title of the Post: In my list I see the title of the post and the name of the blog. That's it. If I want more detail I have click the title (it then opens up in-page to reveal the entire blog post).  Thus, one way to make sure I read is have an awesome title to your blog post. Something to get me to CLICK. Granted, this will vary from the interests of the reader. Some people scour for ePublishing content, others for craft tips. So try to cast a wide net with most of your post titles. Enough detail to tell what the point is, but broad enough to appeal to many.

Opening Paragraph: I can usually tell from the opening paragraph of a post if it is going to be about what I was expecting from the title. Consequently, I read that first line or two or three to scrutinize the relevance of the post (or how the message will be presented). Sometimes it catches me with humor, other times with information. Either way, make your openings good and I'll read all of it. If I read all of it I'll probably jump to your blog and say so. I might even take it to the Twitters.

The Early, Middle & Late Bird Gets the Reader: Knowing that some people only see the most recently updated blogs, and that some people only look in the mornings, at lunch or in the evenings I guess it makes sense to stagger when our posts go live. This is something I haven't tried, but based upon my own habits I think it merits some investigation. I know it works for Twitter. (FYI don't Tweet at the same time every day, or only a portion of your followers are probably going to see it. Not everyone stays connected all of the time. Tweeps are creatures of habit, too.)

Frequency: Another easy one. The more you post, the more likely people are going to find you. The more people find you, the more likely you are to create...

BUZZ  - 
Hate this word? I kind of do, but it's probably relevant to this conversation. If I'm on the Twitter, or other blogs, I pay close attention to what my Web Friends are saying. If a trusted blogger or Tweep says, "CHECK OUT THIS BLOG! IT CHANGED MY FLIPPIN' LIFE!" I'm going to check out the blog. 

How do you get "BUZZ"? As best I can tell, two factors contribute greatly: 1) Write something worth reading. The good stuff has a way of getting out there. Study how to phrase your Tweets and blog titles. Learn how to share them effectively (What we're doing right here!) and fire with both barrels.  2) Do unto others. Help other bloggers get the word out. If you read something you love, share it on Facebook, Twitter, etc. They will typically treat you the same. If they don't, don't sweat it. Karma is as Karma does, momma always said. 

Those are the three biggies that sprang to mind. What about you? Who do you read? Why do you read? Share your tips and tricks or we'll hunt you down!

~EJW~

Blog Science - Blogging Like a Pro Even If You Aren't

It's beginning to look a lot... well, you know the rest. :) Have you nailed down your gift shopping yet? The crowds are likely going to be ugly this weekend, so for the sake of your sanity I hope so.  If not, grease your wheels with your favorite warm beverage, a good breakfast and get to it! Just play nice... It might be me you're cutting off and/or yelling at in the parking lot.

Like my waistline this time of year, I've let the old blog go a bit. As such, I'm looking for ways to inject new life into Ye Old Web Diatribe Device to start the new year off on the right foot. One thing I've decided to do is start a new regular (hopefully) series on the science of blogging. 

Not that I'm going to speak from a position of expertise. 300 followers do not an army--or a Kardashian--make, after all. I'm just going to talk about things I've noticed and/or tried in the name of blogging. Hopefully it'll prompt some discussion and we'll all learn something. At the very least it'll give me something to talk about on more than a semi-annual basis. (Okay, I haven't been THAT bad. But it feels like it.) 

First up: BLOGGING IS HARD

There, I said it. It's painful to admit, I think, because it isn't supposed to be difficult for a writer-type. Our lives are consumed with figuring out how to communicate thoughts and ideas via words. Consequently, filling a blank screen with a few paragraphs 2 or 3 times a week should not be difficult. Or at least it shouldn't appear to be difficult. There's proof. The best blogs seem effortless:

They are ALWAYS clever. 
They are ALWAYS important.
They are ALWAYS on topic.
They are ALWAYS on schedule.

To make it worse, the Web is chockablock full of these ace blogs. Don't know about you, but my blog reader list is absolutely running over with folks who make this stuff seem like cake. Seriously, I think some of you must have teams of ninja elf idea generators chained in your basements. Their only job is bring you great ideas for blog posts. If you don't like them, you feed them to the Kraken. (The idea, not the elf. This is a family blog...) You make it look that easy.

Me? I've got no elves or ninjas (or Krakens .... damn). I've only got me, a desk, a computer, coffee, two extremely lazy dogs and a HUGE small case of inferiority complex. My post generating process goes something like this:

Self - "Oooo, a new comment on one of my blog posts!" 

*Clicks to check e-mail*

Self - "That's really sweet, but I wrote that blog post like a month ago. This person is seriously late to the party."

*Hits 'reply' to fire off a thank you note. Types 3 paragraphs of exceedingly witty e-mail before realizing they don't have an e-mail account linked to Blogger. Curses. Decides to go directly to the blog post and click their profile to leave a comment on their blog. Realizes that month old blog post was actually the last time I posted. Curses.*   

Self - "I've got to post something new. Like now!"

*Checks Twitter feed for interesting topics. Spends 4 days drafting 15 page opus-post on the dangers of over-indulgent writing. Gets distracted reading other blogs. Realizes someone else said exactly the same thing about over-indulgence two days ago. Curses.*

Self - "Guess I'll blog about how screwy the publishing business is right now. Again."

My point is that this isn't exactly a painless process. I also suspect I'm not alone in thinking so. So if blogging isn't easy, but it's supposed to look easy, what's to be done? 

Here are some things to try that'll make people think you know what you're doing, even if you don't: 

(NOTE - I probably fail on some level at all of these. See # 5 to get the point.)

1. Read Other Blogs: Read the good ones. Read the bad ones. Learn. Learn. Learn. Don't just read for content. Read for presentation. Read to see how others infuse their 'voice' or style into their blogs. Good habits rub off, just like your momma said. Apply any and everything that looks like a good idea. The key to looking like a pro is emulating one. 

2. Routine: Yes, blogs can become stale very quickly (both in the reading and the writing of) when they get overly structured. (Think about bloggers who post daily and every day is dedicated to a specific thing. If you're not a content blogger, I'd advise against that.) However, having some sort of schedule or routine creates the feel of something dependable and professional. Pick at least one post each week that will have a reoccurring theme, refine it until you do it very well, and then never let it die. A percentage of your followers will come back every week just to read that one feature, and they'll typically look around to see what else you've been up to. (I know, because I do it as a reader.)

3. Title Your Posts Well, & They Will Love You: When you have 200 to 300 blogs in your reader list, you just can't get to everyone all the time. What do I do? I cherry pick, of course. Looking at most recent posts, I usually start with the bloggers I'm most familiar/friendly with and then I look for interesting post titles. I'm not suggesting utter sensationalism in your titles for the sake of getting a click. (I've seen this, and it ticks me off a little.) You have to deliver on what you promise in your titles or that one click won't yield a comment. Worse still, you might even lose a reader. Try for something catchy AND relevant.

4. Always Make A Point: Speaking of titles, always have a point to a post. I'm not talking about preaching, either. I'm talking about having a clear idea of what you're hoping to communicate when you start writing. It can be a GIGANTIC concept, or could be to simply tell people that you really loved the most recent book you've read. Either way, simply knowing what you want to say before you start will always yield a more polished result. Understand that you'll sometimes nail it, and other times miss. The effort you put into trying to convey a message will always be evident, however. 

When you're done drafting, re-read your post and make sure your point is conveyed.

5.  Never Quit: Blogging isn't an exact science. Readers are fickle. Some will leave you if you talk about having a martini, others will love that you're a wino. You're not going to fit everyone. The way to get around this is to keep putting yourself out there so the people you do fit can find you. You don't get to be a great shrimper by casting out your nets once a season, calling it quits when you only drag back an old tire and a handful of shrimp. You keep trying new areas, new tactics, until something works. Blogging is the same. You'll fall off the horse. You will. You just have to keep trying. Nothing says professional like persistence and dedication. After all, you can't raise a garden by sittin' in the shade. 

What about you? What do you do to make blogging easier? 

~EJW~

BlogOholics Anonymous: Are you an over-poster?

It's Saturday and I've got all my limbs and a few of my whits left.  That's a 'dem fine' week in my book!  (My Narnia peeps will get the 'dem fine' reference.)

Funny music videos aside, I've got something very serious to discuss with you.  Are you a blogOholic?  It's OK to admit it, this is a safe zone.  Anything discussed within this post, stays within this post.  Denial isn't healthy, after all.

What if you're unsure?  No worries, there are signs of blog dependency:

• Have you changed your blog design/theme more than 3 times in the last 3 minutes?
• Is Google Reader your homepage?
• Do you have more followers than you have money?
• Do you determine the day of the week based upon your blog schedule?
• Have you ever missed a wedding or funeral to write a blog post?
• Would you name a child after your most loyal follower? (ShagRat78 has a nice ring to it ...)
• Have you ever offered up your soul as a blog contest prize?
• Is your self-worth determined by the number of blog comments you receive?
• Do you have more blog accounts than friends?
• (feel free to keep this going in the comments)

If any of the above apply, you might have a blog problem.  

Perhaps the most serious indication of blog dependency is a condition known as Over-Posting.  It occurs when a blogger posts more content than readers can keep up with.  A typical over-poster will update their blog 7-15 times a week, and in severe cases more than 30.  Over-posters are notoriously clever, often disguising their frequent blog updates as required participation in various 'blogfests' or  stating that, 'something happened that I HAD to share with my readers'.   

In particularly desperate cases, the over-poster will give cute names to each day of the week in an attempt to validate their need to flood the internet with their content.  You may see the following tags accompany their daily blog updates:  'MEGA-MONDAY!', 'TIP-TUESDAY', 'WILD-WEDNESDAY', 'THRIFTY-THURSDAY', 'FABULOUS-FRIDAY', 'SUDDENLY-SATURDAY' or 'SUPERFLUOUS-SUNDAY'.  Regardless of the title, each post is a new mask for the shameful self-loathing and anguish they feel for indulging in their own illness.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?  First, let them know that  you care.  Reach out to the over-poster, and let them know that you're always there to listen--but only at 3 pre-determined times each week.  More than that, and you risk becoming an enabler.  Second, help the over-poster see the value in non-blog activities.  Perhaps you could lend them a good book, recommend a humorous television program or show them sunlight.  Lastly, you can resist feeding their habits by not-commenting on inane posts.  Sure, you may feel the urge to say "How fun!" or "LOL" at the picture of funny cats they just posted, but you're really only encouraging their behavior.  

If we work together, we can end over-posting.

This message brought to by Bloggers Against Blog Abuse (BABA) and readers like you.

ALMOST SERIOUS NOTE FROM EJ:

Clearly this is meant in jest, and frankly I've done most of these things myself.  What prompted this bit of frivolity is that I've noticed that if I leave my blog posts up for a couple of days in between posts, I get more comments.  There are undoubtedly numerous factors that contribute to this, the most likely being that it gives folks who use their readers to follow blogs the time to catch up to me.  Regardless of the reason, it got me to thinking about how often we post, and that maybe less is more.

What do you think?  Do you limit the number of posts you do each week?  Do you get more comments if you leave a post up longer?  Just curious...

Have a great rest of your weekend!

~EJW~

How I know I CAN quit you and my 100th post!

I'd like to continue my FOUR LETTER WORD theme for the week and discuss blog followers. Moreover, I'd like to discuss how we lose them.  The word QUIT came to mind, because that's typically how I'd define the termination of my keeping up with a particular blog.

First, let's take a quick look at why people might follow a blog in the first place.  I follow blogs for a handful of reasons, which include:

They provide useful and/or interesting information - I'm a writer and like to read about, and learn from, other writers.  I also enjoy reading and seek out others who do as well.

An act of reciprocity - The blog world is a community, and the 'Do unto others..." guideline definitely applies.  You must follow to be followed--especially in the beginning.  Simply put: could you make friends and build relationships by walking into Walmart, shouting your name and telling everyone to meet you in in aisle 15 of the parking lot if they want to get to know you?  Heck no.  No one is going to care if you create a blog and start posting stuff unless you make a genuine effort to get to know them too.

For entertainment - Some blogs I follow have nothing to do with writing.  I follow them because they're funny, quirky or touch on some other aspect of life I enjoy.  Sometimes I follow for purely voyeuristic purposes, meaning it's somebody who has an interesting life or (more likely) interprets their ordinary life in a unique way.

Before I get into how to run people off, I'll qualify a few things.  I don't have a ton of experience in 'unfollowing'.  I started following blogs when I started blogging (about a year ago), and in that time I've probably quit following 3-7 blogs.  That's out of the dozens I currently keep up with.  However, I have noticed a pattern in my jumping ship, and that's what I'm going to share.  Reasons I quit following:

Lack of reciprocity - I've dropped a few blogs because I continually left comments on their posts and they didn't follow me (minor offense as I'm willing to accept that not everyone I follow is going to dig my blog and some folks like to keep their lists manageable) or didn't acknowledge my comments (major offense)--ever.  I don't expect every comment I post to receive a direct response, or even be read for that matter.  However, if I comment on your blog weekly over a period of months, at some point it would be cool if you answered my questions or responded to anything I said.  Followers of my blog get a ton of slack in this area, btw.

Continued posting of things I completely disagree with - I can probably be accused of this one myself!  :)  I stopped following a couple of major writing-related blogs because the blogger continually posted offensive content. I'm not talking about nude photos or anything, they simply kept posting things that made me bristle intellectually.  Not to mention one of the blogs posted an outrageous slam of pretty much half the human race and, when commentors began to call them out for it, they disabled the comments.  If you're going to say controversial things in public, you need to be able to take your medicine.  I might delete a profane response to one of my posts, but I'd NEVER prohibit people form disagreeing with me.  As a matter of fact, I think some disagreement is healthy.

Constant pandering to the publishing gods (or being a fake, phony, fake) - We all know this is a fickle business.  It's hard to get started and even more difficult to stay once you're there (so I'm told).  Spitting in the face of conventions is probably not the best thing to do.  That being said, I've dropped blogs because they were constantly trying to mirror things the "industry" seemed to encourage as opposed to being an organic representation of the author's voice and style.  In my somewhat limited viewing, I'd say prospective YA and young reader bloggers are far worse at this than many of the other writing groups.  I don't know if it's a voice thing, a market thing--or something else entirely--but it drives me a little crazy at times.  Don't communicate what you think people want to hear, communicate what you think and what they NEED to hear.  

Again, I'm sure I've done some of these myself.  I've lost a few followers over time, and I may lose a few over this post.  I don't think committing any of the 'offenses' listed above on occasion is going to necessarily lose you followers.  Unfortunately, it might over time.

What say you?  Do you monitor your following?  Do you notice when someone drops you?  Have you quit following blogs?  Why?


PLEASE DON'T QUIT ON ME!


~EJW~