by Anne R. Allen
Welcome to all our new subscribers! We had one of those crazy lucky streaks this week when one of my older posts 10 Things that Red-Flag a Newbie Novelist, suddenly went viral. Somehow moving the blog from Blogger to WordPress made some of the old posts hit social media radar as if they were brand new. We had nearly 20,000 hits on the one post in a couple of days. Thanks everybody!
A viral post like that can really raise what marketers call an author’s “platform.” And whether you’re planning to self-publish or go the traditional route, every author needs “platform” sooner or later.
Sooner is better.
When should you think about your platform?
Definitely as soon as you’re ready to send out a story or submit a manuscript to an agent. I’m not saying you’ll automatically get rejected if you have no platform, but editors and agents will Google you, and if they can’t find you on the first SERP (Search Engine Results Page) they may send an automatic rejection. Not all agents and editors are that harsh, but I’ve heard from many who are.
On the other hand some authors obsess too much about platform and waste time on pointless overkill. (More about how to skip the time-wasting stuff in my post, 7 Ways Authors Waste Time Building Platform.)
But many writers ignore platform-building entirely, often because they’re not quite clear on what it means.
It’s true that “platform” isn’t easy to define. Jane Friedman, former Writer’s Digest editor has written extensively about it. She says when agents say they’re looking for author with platform:
“They’re looking for someone with visibility and authority who has proven reach to a target audience.”
This is especially true for nonfiction authors. But no matter what you write, agents, editors, reviewers and even bloggers you’re querying about a guest post are going to put your name into Google and hit the “search” button.
The results are a good indication of your platform.
If you don’t appear on that first page, or nothing comes up but your letter to the editor protesting the cancellation of Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23, or that picture of you partying at Señor Frog’s in Mazatlán on Spring Break in 2010, your career is probably not going anywhere.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but chances are:
- The agent won’t read those carefully honed pages.
- The blogger won’t invite you to guest post.
- The reviewer won’t read your book.
I know some excellent writers who never even get a nibble on their query letters, and will spend thousands on writers’ conferences and courses, but won’t put in even a few minutes a day on social media. They won’t bother with anything online because they’re “serious” authors.
Well, they’re probably going to remain serious, unpublished/unread authors unless they start doing something about their online profile.
Yes, I can hear the moaning, especially from my fellow Boomers:
- “But I’m still working on my first novel!”
- “I don’t have time for that social media nonsense. Nobody cares what I had for lunch!”
- “I’m a serious literary writer. I’m not going to waste time on childish things.”
- “I’m not going to take up blogging at my age.”
- “I’m already on Facebook. Isn’t that enough?”
But there’s something quick, easy and relatively painless you can do right now to raise your search engine profile that won’t take more than a couple of minutes from your writing time.
Ready for it?
Ta-da!
Comment on blogs.
With your real name. (Or whatever name you write under.)
Yup. Comments on high-profile blogs that are on Google’s radar get your name onto that search page. (Also on not-so-high-profile blogs that have been set up by somebody schooled in SEO.)
I’m not just talking about writing blogs like this one. Any blog that interests you will do (although I advise against anything controversial, unless you write about that controversy, because you’re going to alienate a big chunk of your potential readership and seriously diminish the number of possible agents.)
I know writers new to the world of social media and blogging have lots of reasons for not commenting. I hear them a lot.
“I can’t even find the comments half the time!”
A lot of newly retired Boomers find the whole concept of blogging weird and unfathomable. I remember being frustrated when I first started. Sometimes I’d find comments, and sometimes I wouldn’t. Sometimes I’d land on one post with a thread of comments after it, but sometimes I’d get a whole string of posts with nothing but a thingy at the end saying “37 comments”.
Here’s the little trick “everybody knows” so they don’t bother to tell you—
Click on the “37 comments” (or whatever number) and that will open the post in a new page where all the comments appear at the end of the post. Some blog formats make you hunt around in the sidebar for the “comments” link, but it’s there. Keep looking.
Some blogs, like this one, will allow you to reply to a particular comment if you hit the “reply” button under that comment.
Or you can leave a general comment if you hit “reply” at the bottom of the whole thread. (On some WordPress blogs the reply button is at the top of the thread.)
Click on the header (title of the blog) or the word “blog”, or or the “home” page and it will take you back to the comment-less stream of blogposts.
See? It’s not so hard when somebody tells you what to look for.
“Why should I comment on your blog, (or Kristen Lamb’s or Chuck Wendig’s or Jami Gold’s?) You guys never comment on mine.”
Jami Gold talked about this in her great post last week, “Writer Sanity: Recognizing Takers and Setting Boundaries.” Some commenters feel that high profile bloggers are obligated to comment on the blogs of everybody who leaves a comment. I’ve certainly heard from a number of them. They sometimes even leave a comment saying “I’m commenting here, so now you need to visit my blog and comment.”
This may come from a simple kindergarten sense of “fairness,” but Jami thinks it may come from a misunderstanding of the kind of advice I’m giving here.
So please! Don’t think I’m saying you should comment on big blogs only to get the blogger to reciprocate on yours!!
That’s not the reason to do it. You’re writing a comment to get the attention of:
1) Search engines
It helps you get the attention of search engines, so Google will know who you are
2) Blog readers
You get to network with other bloggers this way. If they like a comment, they may look you up and maybe even buy your book.
I need to apologize for our comment program here on the new blog. At the moment, it doesn’t allow you to click on a commenter’s profile and go to their website. Some programs do that and it’s really nice. But our webmaster is going through a major family crisis and that kind of thing is way above my pay grade. We do hope to add that function in the future.
On blogs with that kind of comment program, all a person has to do is click on your photo, and they can find out all about you. Thats a big plus for YOU.
A comment may also get the attention of the host blogger, which is a good thing, not so they’ll comment on your blog, but maybe you’ll be invited to guest post, or they might mention you in a future post.
However, there can’t be a quid pro quo for all comments, even though that might seem “unfair”. This is because nobody can read and comment on 10,000 blogs a day.
I do stop by the blogs of regular commenters when I have time. I don’t always comment, but I do try to keep track of you, but remember everybody only has 24 hours in a day and some of us occasionally require food and sleep and exercise and IRL contact with other humans. 🙂 Sometimes we even like to write the books that we rely on for income.
But here’s the thing: if you comment on this blog, or Jami’s, or Chuck’s, Google will notice YOU. Because this blog is on their radar, your name will become part of its “content”.
That means you get a bump in YOUR search profile. We don’t benefit that much from one more comment, but YOU do.
“I’d rather send the blogger a personal email and get a personal answer.”
Sure. That’s fine. Sometimes the blogger will have time to give you a personal answer. I try to answer all our readers’ emails, even though it gets pretty time-consuming.
But my e-mailed answer is no more personal than my answer in a comment thread, and nobody will see it but you and me.
Every week, dozens of people send me personal emails saying they liked a post from me or Ruth or one of our guests, and of course we appreciate it. We always like to hear that people are benefiting from our posts.
But many writers mention their own books and pitch them to me.
So let’s stop a minute and think about this: what’s better for YOU?
- Getting your book title in front of me, the world’s slowest reader, who has over 500 unread books in my TBR list?
- Getting your book title in front of the thousands of people who read this blog?
Are you seeing why it’s better to put your feedback (and name) into a comment?
Plus, if you have a question, you can be pretty sure other readers have it too. If I answer in the comments, rather than in a personal email, that’s helping ALL our readers, not just you.
“I can’t figure out how to leave a comment. They want some kind of ID and I don’t know how to jump through all those hoops.”
Okay: this is a biggie. New tech can be daunting, especially for Boomers like me. And nobody likes to be rejected, especially by a #%&! machine.
Blog software likes people who have blogs, so if you have a blog ID you’re in without a problem. (Usually. Sometimes there are tech wars and Google blocks WordPress IDs and vice versa. One blog I’ve read for years recently told me I’d been banned for life for spamming even though I’ve never even put a link in a comment. Then McAfee told me the blog was dangerous and I shouldn’t go there anyway. Tech wars are a big pain in the patoot.)
But there are two simple things you can do that will allow you to comment on almost all blogs even if you have no Web presence right now.
1) Get a Gravatar ID
Gravatar is a universally recognized avatar. If you sign up (it’s free), you can comment on any blog and people can find you.
It’s easy. Just go to Gravatar.com and post a profile. Have a short bio prepared (info on how to write an author bio here), and choose a photo from your files before you go. The best kind of photo is a friendly, smiling picture of yourself in tight close-up. If you don’t have an author photo, you might be able to crop an existing photo (You can crop for free at PicMonkey ), or even use a selfie, as long as it’s professional and friendly looking.
And please do use a picture of yourself. Not you and your hubby in fond embrace. Not your cat or a baby picture. It needs to be a grown-up, professional-looking picture of you. With clothes on. Beachy photos end up looking like porn spam in thumbnails. Even if you write erotica, save the skin for your website.
Here’s more advice on how to sign up for Gravatar from Joel Friedlander.
2) Join Google Plus
The “Blogger” blogging platform is owned by Google and Google is doing everything they can to force everyone on Blogger to join Google Plus. For people who blog on that platform, your “followers” now need to follow you on Google Plus instead of a dedicated Blogger feed. (At least when you start a new blog, which I just did.) They’re also making it increasingly hard to comment on Blogger blogs without a Google Plus ID.
Unfortunately, Google Plus has also rolled out an awful, user-unfriendly new format that may very well sound its own death-knell, but at the moment, the network is still mildly useful, if only to get your name on Google’s radar.
But before you jump in, make sure the name you’re using is the “brand” name you want for your writing career.
Start by Googling yourself (put your name in “quotes” for a more accurate search.) This will tell you if somebody is out there making a name for herself that happens to be the same as yours.
If your name is as dirt-common as Anne Allen, you don’t need Google to tell you there are hundreds of thousands of women with the same name as you. There are three Anne Allens in my small town doctor’s practice alone.
To stand out, I added my middle initial. Everywhere I go on the Web, I’m annerallen. There are other Anne R. Allens but not as many, and at the moment Google gives me top billing.
Making your name unique is especially important if you share it with somebody famous. So if your real name is Donald Trump, Kim Kardashian, or Justin Bieber, choose a pseudonym or trot out a middle name, initial, or use a nickname. Try Don Q. Trump, K. C. Kardashian or J. Montague Bieber.
You want to make this decision before you start to set up your profiles, or you’re going to be adding to the other Justin Bieber’s platform, not building your own.
And don’t use a cutsie moniker. Unless you plan to write all your books under the nom de plume “scribblersally” or “kitticatsmom”, you don’t want to comment on blogs with that handle. Use your professional name, because you’re building a professional platform.
Most people think of Google Plus as a slightly geeky version of Facebook, but you don’t actually have to use it for socializing. If you don’t want the hassle of dealing with another social media site, simply turn off all “notifications” and they won’t bother you.
Until recently, they offered a nice profile where people could find out about you, with links to your website/book pages/and any blogs you contribute to.
But the new Google Plus has no way for visitors to see your bio or website links, so it’s about as useful for networking as a dead mackerel. But being there is still good for SEO.
Make sure you put “writer” in your “employment” even if you’re not getting paid to write yet. If you flag yourself as a writer, that will come up in a Google search.
Here’s a video from Johnny Base that tells you how to sign up for Google Plus. He has you start by getting a gmail address if you don’t already have one. It’s a great idea to have a dedicated email address for your writing business, anyway.
Seriously, the only hard part of any of this is choosing a good password and then remembering it (at least if you’re a geezerette like me.) But that’s true of anything on the Web, alas.
“I don’t know what to say!”
I understand. Writers are shy persons. We’d rather lurk in the shadows. I lurked for about a year before I started commenting on blogs. That’s fine. Do lurk for a while if you’re just starting in the blogosphere.
But eventually you’ll probably feel moved to say something.
Most bloggers will put some questions at the bottom or the post to invite comments. Good questions will invite you to share your own opinions or experiences with the topic.
And read the comments. You may want to respond to one of them. That’s a good place to start.
You don’t have to heap praise on the blogger. Bloggers like praise as much as anybody, but it’s best to say something that adds to the discussion. That doesn’t mean you should be confrontational or put the blogger down, either. (That’s a good way to get deleted.) But say something like, “Love these 10 tips for getting your cat to eat dry food, and I’d like to add a #11…”
Or you can say, “I understand what you’re saying about blogging nonfiction only …but I blog daily cat haikus, and I have 400 followers who love them.” You can even include a link to the blog. One link is usually acceptable in a blog comment.
Every rule has an exception and if you’re it, let people know.
You can even say something like, “I’m glad you say it’s okay to be a slow writer. It took me 23 years to write Love is a Cat from Hell but I finally launched it last week.” Don’t put in a link to a retail buy page, but a mention of your book is fine.
Or start a discussion with other commenters with something like, “I love what ScribblerSally said about Maine Coon cats in her comment.”
This can bring the added perk that ScribblerSally might click on your name to find out more about you and your cat. If the blog has the right comment program (yes, we’re working on it) and you’ve joined Gravatar or have the old Google Plus, that will take her to a profile with an address for your blog and an email address. Then Sally may follow your blog or even buy your book.
You can also say, “I’ve quoted this post on my blog today and we’re having a lively discussion.”
The most useful comments add something to your”authority.” Remember what Jane Friedman said in her definition of platform. So if you can say stuff like, “I was in law enforcement for 20 years and this is what really happens when somebody reports a missing cat…” Or “I’m a health practitioner who also writes cat haiku and I have proof that cat poetry has healing properties.”
An added perk comes when that little fragment of text comes up in the Google search of your name. It will show your name and “I was in law enforcement for 20 years…” or “I’m a health practitioner…”
This is a huge help to agents, reviewers, and other people who are trying to find out if you’re a reliable person they want to work with.
A good blog comment can be anything from 10 to 300 words. I wouldn’t go much longer. If you feel the need to go on and on, you probably have a blogpost of your own there.
Other than that, almost anything goes in a blog comment, with a few caveats:
1) Don’t spam.
Bringing up your book when it isn’t relevant to the discussion is spamming. Ditto links to your website or buy pages if they don’t illustrate a relevant point. Begging people to read your blog is spammy, too.
2) Don’t be a troll.
Saying insulting things about the blogger or other commenters, or using language that’s inappropriate will get you deleted. Ditto political diatribes or religious screeds. Be professional and polite.
3) Read the other comments.
Sometimes there are 100s, so you’ll probably only be able to skim them, but do be aware of what other people are saying so you don’t repeat what somebody else has said. Comments are meant for discussion, so remember you’re talking to everybody who’s reading and commenting, not just the host blogger.
4) Don’t use emotional blackmail.
Don’t say, “I just followed this blog, so now you have to follow my five blogs, like my Facebook page, follow me on Twitter and get me a double decaf latte while you pick up my dry cleaning.” If you demand any kind of quid pro quo for a comment or a follow, you’ll look like a doofus to the whole community. Remember everybody who reads the blogpost will see your comment.
5) Don’t whine.
Dissing Amazon, agents, the publishing business, or trash-talking a bestselling author will generally not work in your favor. Ditto complaining about how nobody reads your blog. Getting your blog noticed by search engines involves many factors: SEO, tech savvy, Tweetable headlines, and original, general-interest content. Nobody owes you readership.
Besides, every author does not need a high profile blog. You simply need a place where fans can find you. High profile blogs have their disadvantages. Like pirates hijack your content and try to steal your traffic by rewriting links to your blog, which keeps happening to us.
That’s why I’ve started a cozy little blog for The Camilla Randall Mysteries. It’s a fun blog just for readers.
6) Don’t expect high profile bloggers to follow you back or critique your blog.
This isn’t because they’re snotty. But as I mentioned above, even bloggers only have 24 hours in our days. Most bloggers work for free, so we have to spend some of those hours doing stuff that pays.
How To Find Blogs Where a Comment Will be Noticed
To find the big blogs in the publishing industry, just go around to a few writers’ blogs. Many will have a “blogroll” in the sidebar.
On our “resources” page, you’ll find a list of blogs I recommend. But don’t feel you have to read them all. Subscribe to a handful and drop in on others when you see them mentioned elsewhere. Reading blogs can become a time-suck and writing your WIP has to be your #1 priority, always.
Followers. Blogs that have more than 500 followers have probably been around a while, so the search engines will have found them. Unfortunately, the new Blogger blogs don’t list blog followers. They only list Google Plus connections, which is pretty irrelevant. My new blog says I have almost 4000 followers, but only 27 people read it yesterday.
Comments. Blogs with a lot of comments are probably being read by many people, since less than 2% of readers comment.
But often top blogs don’t get many comments. Joel Friedlander’s and Jane Friedman’s don’t, but they’re a great place for Google to find you.
Check out the blog with Alexa. It’s the most-used website ranking system worldwide. Just copy the url (web address) for any website and paste it in their search window.
Or you can download an icon for your own toolbar (go to “toolbar” on the Alexa site and choose the one for your operating system.) It takes seconds to install, and then you can click on it to automatically see the ranking of any website you visit. Also, if you have the Alexa icon on your toolbar, your own site will rise in the Alexa ratings more quickly, because they’ll know you’re there.
Alexa lists the top 10 websites in the world as #1 Google, #2 Facebook, #3 You Tube, #4 Baidu (the Chinese language search engine) #5 Yahoo, #6 Amazon, #7 Wikipedia #8 Qq (another Chinese site), #9 Twitter, #10 Google India (no I didn’t know India had its own Google either.)
A blog with an Alexa rating of 900K or less is getting a lot of readers, since there are billions of websites. (Alexa measures all websites, not just blogs.)
But don’t just comment on the biggest blogs! Comment on the blogs that interest you. Comment on your favorite author’s blog. Comment on cat blogs. Or food blogs. (But avoid the snark-infested waters of political blogs unless you’re using a pseudonym.) Alexa ratings rise and fall, but your comment is forever. It may be picked up years from now by some search engine that hasn’t even been invented yet
And be aware that a smaller blog with an engaged audience can be much more useful to you in the long run.
For more info on how to research blogs, check out this great post from Brian Dean at Boost Blog Traffic.
Commenting on blogs is also a great way to make friends. And in the end, that’s what a platform REALLY is: how many people feel they “know” you well enough to want to buy one of your books.
Posted by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen) January 17, 2016
Anne R. Allen is the author of ten books, including the bestselling CAMILLA RANDALL MYSTERIES and HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE, co-written with NYT bestseller Catherine Ryan Hyde.
What about you, scriveners? Are you out there lurking, not knowing how to comment on a blog? Does this help? Does anybody remember when they made their first blog comment? Was it scary? How did you learn the basics of blogging? What writing blogs are on your “must-read” list?
BOOK OF THE WEEK
No Place Like Home
Available at all the Amazons and NOOK, Page Foundry, Kobo and iTunes It’s also available in paperback from Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Barnes and Noble, in regular and LARGE PRINT. LARGE PRINT is also available at Barnes and Noble.
It’s also available in an audiobook, narrated by Anne and award-winning narrator, C.S. Perryess. You can find it at Audible and iTunes UK. It’s also available at iTunes US
And NO PLACE LIKE HOME IS ALSO AN AUDIOBOOK!!
Nearly 8 hours of hilarious entertainment!Only $1.99 if you buy the Kindle ebook–that’s three bucks for both!
OPPORTUNITY ALERTS
If you have a win or place work with a publisher or contest listed here, let us spread the word! Send Anne an email and we’ll give you kudos on the blog.
Platypus Press. A new UK small press is looking for literary novels and poetry collections. No agent required. Though your manuscript must be complete, the first three chapters of a novel will suffice when submitting. It must be previously unpublished, but work posted on a blog or personal website is acceptable. Accepts simultaneous submissions.
Sequestrum Reprint Awards. Finally a contest that actually wants previously published short stories and creative nonfiction! Entry fee $15. Prize is $200 and publication in the Fall-Winter issue of Sequestrum. The runner-up will receive $25 and publication. Finalists listed on the site. Deadline April 30th, 2016.
WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST NO ENTRY FEE. Limit one poem with a maximum of 250 lines. First Prize: $1,000. Second Prize: $250. Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $100 each. Top 12 entries published online. Deadline April 1, 2016.
Win a Chance to Write where Hemingway Wrote! Enter the Florida Keys Flash Fiction Contest to win a three-week Key West residency at the renowned Studios of Key West between July 5 and July 31, 2016.Inspire your creativity by spending up to 10 days writing in Ernest Hemingway’s private study at the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum — and experience Hemingway Days 2016, celebrating the iconic author who called Key West home in the 1930s. Submit your finest flash fiction story, 500 words or less, between now and March 31, 2016.
The Poisoned Pencil: New YA publisher open to submissions! The well-known mystery publisher The Poisoned Pen now has a YA imprint. They accept unagented manuscripts and offer an advance of $1000. Submit through their website submissions manager. Response time is 4-6 weeks.
World Weaver Press: A small press open to submissions for the month of February 2016. They’re looking for sci-fi, paranormal and fantasy fiction: novels, novellas, serialized fiction, anthology proposals, and single author story collections. No zombies.
PSYCHOPOMP MAGAZINE SHORT FICTION AWARD $15 ENTRY FEE. Up to 6000 words. They’re looking for edgy stuff that “pushes the boundaries of genre or form.” First Place Award: $500 and issue publication. All finalists will be considered for publication. Deadline January 31, 2016.
Open call for the Independent Women Anthology: short stories (flash fiction included), poetry, essays, artwork, or any other woman and/or feminist-centered creative work. 10,000 word max. All genres but explicit erotica. $100 per short story, $50 for flash, poetry, and photography/artwork. All profits will be donated to the Pixel Project Charity to end Violence Against Women. Deadline January 31, 2016 with a goal of publication on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2016.
Anne,
A very insightful and helpful blog post. It never occurred to me to post comments as a means to build my social media. I will definitely follow up with some of your links here.
By the way, I found you through Tara Sparling’s blog, which I’ve followed for over a year.
Stanley–Welcome! I set the blog to go live at 10 AM this morning as usual,, but it seems to have reset its clock to east coast time instead of the time here in California. We’ve just moved the blog to WordPress and it keeps doing sneaky things to me. 🙂
Tara is one of my favorite bloggers! She’s so funny and she’s always got a lively discussion going. I’m sure being part of her community will raise your profile. And this comment will too. Being the first to comment on a post often gets recognition as well.
I never “expect” any blogger to return a comment–famous or not. I comment ’cause I liked what the person said or wanted to add to it or something.
Google Plus–hrm, I don’t think I can go down that rabbit hole yet. The interface is so miserable. And Iike you mentioned now ya can’t even find the persons links and stuff (not that is was super easy before).
HR–That’s how comments are supposed to work. People who are trying to control other people’s behavior are always going to be disappointed.
I’ve got to agree with you that Google Plus is clunky and getting increasingly useless. But it only takes a minute or two to sign up and then if you turn off all the notifications, you don’t have to mess with it much. And it will allow you to comment on all Blogger blogs. Plus every one of your blogposts you post there will rank high on a SERP, So I figure it’s a fair trade-off.
I have the old blogger profile still so I can comment without a problem, but I’m curious now if wordpress (not .com) post show up in the GooglePlus Profile.
I’ve managed to keep the old Google + interface, so both my WordPress and Blogger blogs are listed there on my profile. But the new Google + has NO profile, so there’s no place to list any website, no matter who hosts it. You don’t get to list any personal information at all.
BOO! 🙂
I signed up with Google+ pretty soon after it was first released, but I don’t use it very often these days because I cannot stand the changes made to the interface. I feel like I’m sitting in a pile of clutter every time I look at the website. I might start posting links to my blog posts on it again as Anne suggests, though.
annelise–I agree with you 100% about the awful new Google Plus. But it’s still worth it to post your blog links there. I started a new blog two weeks ago, posted it to Google plus and within days it came up first in Google search for my books. Usually it takes months, or a lot of traffic, to get a new site onto the first SERP.
G+ is very frustrating. I keep thinking it’s the best place to keep in touch with other writers, but changes keep frustrating everyone. Nevertheless, I’d rather spend time there than on Facebook, where my posts about my dogs gather much notice and my posts about my writing gather dust.
Nathan–You’re so right about FB. It’s all about the pets. 🙂 That’s partly why I asked them to put a cat on the cover of my latest mystery. I hope Google plus will get their act together. The hangouts are such a great idea and they allow business meetings. If they’d see themselves as a place for grownups to network instead of a failed teenager site, they’d be fine.
Hi Anne,
I’m commenting on your blog. You don’t have to reciprocate, but I love it when you do. I must admit, this post is one I should probably print out & hang somewhere. The “But what should I say?” question is the one I need to dpi something about. Typically, if I’m pulled into a post, I read it, say to myself, “Hmm. Interesting,” or “Yeah, right,” & move on. Not too smart, I know. I’m still waiting for responses to burble up from within. Thankfully, I’m patient.
CS–I usually comment on your blog because it’s such a great source of information. I love the WordMonger!
I’m always amazed at the time you spend replying to people, Anne. Mostly because I’m super lazy compared to you 😛 A prominent blogger once shut down the comments section because he said it was too much to handle, and directed readers to comment on social media instead. But it’s not the same thing. (It’s worse when said blogger is one of those ‘automate your tweets’ users.) A lot of times us commenters like to see the bloggers’ response, though we understand it’s not possible to reply to everyone.
Liz–I do try to respond to everybody. It’s time consuming, but I want people to know how much we appreciate our readers.
Welcome to WordPress, Anne. I have my website with integrated blog on WordPress.com, the free version. Although it has limitations — did I mention free? Often a writer just needs a dedicated online site, no big bells and whistles necessary. Thanks for the reminder to comment! I often don’t but I enjoy your blog immensely. So much good info for the writer.
Lise McClendon
http://lisemcclendon.com
Lise–Unfortunately this is a WordPress.org site with 10000s of moving parts that can and do go wrong with regularity. I have been happy for years with my Blogger blog–simple, free, and easy to use.
But it didn’t have enough security and we got hacked and pirated. So we had to make the move to the self-hosted website where we can have powerful security. Most of the tech stuff has to be handled by my webmaster, but he has a family crisis to deal with right now.
Meanwhile I have to reformat over 350 posts. Each takes over an hour to strip of formatting and rewrite. But I didn’t have a choice because of being under attack by these pirates. They’re still trying to get in here, with about 500 “new user registrations” an hour.
I have started another Blogger blog, though, and it’s so comfy to be back there!
Shame to hear. But moving to WordPress.org is smartest decision and you will be better off.
As far as reformatting articles, that’s not really something you should be doing at all. Hiring a Virtual Assistant is best for that. Your time is probably worth a lot more per hour than VAs hourly rate would be. And you’d be able to write instead!
Adrijus–I wish I could afford somebody, but right now, all my energy is going into this blog, which doesn\’t pay anything. If we ever get to the point where we can sell advertising, it might be worth it. I need to get back to my books!
Barter with some other writer or friend who could do it? Maybe that can be shorter hours and easier work for you but useful to them. 🙂
Also, an option: there is stuff that could be taken off of your articles and exchanged with sponsored ad by company like Scrivener, MailChimp or some designer working with authors etc. Not only that pays but it honestly would make website a bit more easier to use and read (it’s just that now there is way to much text after article). As Copywriting rule says ”Only one call to action per page”.
So that could be a win-win situation maybe. Could leave more attention to your books too if you only take off other alerts.
Hopefully, book sales pick up soon tho!
Our webmaster, Johnny Base, will be working on the advertising angle, but he’s dealing with a family crisis right now. He will also be fixing some of the bugs and glitches.
Anne, if you need help with WordPress while your webmaster’s otherwise engaged, I’m available. Designing WordPress sites is one of my hats.
Nathan–Hey, that’s awesome. I may take you up on it. I need to find out how he’s doing. I don’t want to step on toes.
I’m here if you need me. WordPress is like a big giant puzzle. In theory it all makes sense, but because so much is done with plugins, and each plugin developer designs things his/her own way, it often takes longer than it ought to to figure out how to do things.
Do you have an administrator account? There should be one available besides your webmaster’s, just in case.
Nathan–Thanks. I don’t think I’m an admin. But I get your point. Stuff happens. JB is at his mother’s bedside and she’s in hospice. Not a good time to ask him about work. But I’m hoping to hear from him soon.
One thing, Nathan–Do you know how to turn off “New User Notifications”? I get about 100 per hour. They’re 99.9% spammers, I’m sure. It’s driving me crazy having to delete hundreds every morning. Email me if you get a chance at annerallen dot allen at gmail dot com.
I completely sympathise with you: blogging can feel like a labour of love if you aren’t seeing financial results. But there are definite benefits – not least if you write great content that your readers appreciate, which in turn builds your own visibility / authority. That can lead on to other things – especially for non-fiction bloggers who can end up with paid speaking engagements, book deals, etc.
Anyway, I wanted to stop by and say don’t give up just yet! I really enjoy reading your blog and have linked to your posts in the past! (Not that you have to reciprocate in the least, but just to show that you aren’t writing “into the ether”.)
Clare
http://www.PublishingSpark.com
Clare–I\’m sorry if I gave anybody the impression I\’m a beginner. I was frustrated from having to spend 18 hours a day reformatting 7 years of posts because of the move. That meant I couldn\’t work on my paying gigs.
But I am a bestselling author with 10 books out. My nonfiction book HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE, which I wrote with Amazon #1 bestseller Catherine Ryan Hyde is a bestseller and steady moneymaker.
I already have paid speaking engagements and book deals. Wow. We\’d be awfully arrogant if we were dispensing this advice if were were the beginners you seem to think we are.
I\’m only new to using WordPress.org, which is very complicated and a family tragedy meant I was left alone without the webmaster before the site was finished. We have lost some readers in the move. We used to have 100K hits per month. Now we only have about 50K, but we\’re rebuilding fast.
I\’m sorry if my questions about tech led people to believe I don\’t know what I\’m doing in the publishing business! i was a little whiny and I apologize for that. But it was just because I was without a tech person at a crucial moment.
Sorry Anne – my turn to apologise! I didn’t mean to imply you were new to blogging (my comments about how it can have other side benefits were meant in a general sense – not aimed at you!) The same for the writing into the ether comment… This was something that I felt when I was blogging on a non-publishing topic. I’d blog week in, week out, wondering why I bothered. I’m sure this is something a lot of bloggers feel, but I wanted to say that it can – and does – pay off in the end.
Clare
Clare–No worries. Your comment made me realize that since we moved the blog, my bio isn’t in the sidebar anymore, so people don’t know I’ve been in this business for 25+ years. I need to put at least a one-line bio on all 350 posts. (And I just got finished dating all of them, because dates were lost in the move, too. Sigh.)
But your advice is spot on for new bloggers. It can feel so frustrating getting so few hits during your first year. Back when I started blogging in 2009, I had posts that got fewer than 10 hits. We have to be in it for the long haul.
Anne, I’ve recently moved to WordPress.Org too and was freaking out with all the attempted login attempts. Then I read about the plugin ‘WPS hide login’ with which you change your login URL from the wordpress standard one (which is what the hackers look for) to your own custom one. It’s easy and since doing it about three weeks ago I haven’t had an illegal attempted login since.
Hi Lise – I too use the “free” WordPress.com software for my blog/website and enjoy how easy it is to use, plus the stats. And I don’t have to be a rocket scientist to find out which phrases people are googling to find my blog, or spend a lot of time posting a new blog entry on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, etc. http://www.cherylmerrill.com
I do my best to visit everyone who visits me, but it is difficult. That’s why I only blog once a week. Then I can handle it. Of course, there are those who follow and visit just long enough to get you to do the same and then you never hear from them again.
Only two percent comment? Wonder how many followers I really have then? Is there a place to get a real tally? I know the GFC total and Google+ total, but how do I factor in all the other ways people follow?
And hey! The IWSG is listed on your resources page. Thanks!
The Insecure Writers Group is one of the best resources for new writers anywhere on the Web. I recommend it to ALL new writers. It’s safe and fun and friendly. And you have great anthologies! Congrats on running such a tight ship.
Alex–I almost added to the paragraph about how we only have 24 hours in our days “Unless you’re Alex J. Cavanaugh and know how to bend the time-space continuum.” 🙂 I’m always in awe of the number of blogs you comment on. And always with something interesting to say. You are a blog god!
As far as stats, I loved the way Blogger let me know exactly how many hits I got on each post. It was right there on the dashboard. WordPress doesn’t give much information. The dashboard only has one wimpy graph. Google Analytics is full of information, but not much that is helpful to me like how many people are reading in the rss feed. All I know now is the number of hits per day, plus the number of “conversions”. I think that means people who sign up for email notifications of the posts. Blogger used to have a widget for rss followers, but no more. So short answer, I don’t know. Two percent is a stat I read a couple of years ago and the link was broken so I couldn’t link to it here. So that may not be true any more.
Depending on your host, you can get some really detailed stats on your site. It’s in your host’s dashboard (or cpanel) rather than on the WP system.
Unfortunately, I don’t have access to that. Only the webmaster does.
Well, double boo! I’ve tried Google Analytics –there is a plugin for that too, but it’s not at good.
LOL No kidding about how Alex knows how to bend the time-space continuum. I still don’t know how he does it and stays sane.
I’ve come to the conclusion that most if not all statistics online, particularly those on the big social media platforms (FB, Twitter, etc.) are suspect. Last year I created a test by promoting a Rarely-visited-page on one of my websites on Twitter. According to the Twitter stats, there were no click-throughs. On Webstat, the analytics program I use on the website, the Rarely-visited-page leaped from oblivion to a top 10 page on the site overnight. maybe the Traffic Fairy did that for me, but I don’t think so. Now…thanks for the reminder about commenting! And the link to Gravatar.
Carol–My webmaster says only Google Analytics are reliable. But they’re so hard to read. And they don’t seem to tell which post is getting hits. Just the whole website. I wish I knew who to trust.
Hi, Anne. I’ve also started toying around with Google Analytics. It is rather confusing. But I’ve discovered if you go into “Behavior” and then “Overview” it should give you a list of the most visited posts for the established time frame. Hope that helps!
Well, maybe I’m deficient in the numbers area, but I can’t make sense of Google Analytics data. 😛 I prefer the dumbed down version that Squarespace gives 😛
I’m certainly a cybermoron when it comes to the murky numbers in Google Analytics. I loved the detailed stats in Blogger.
Awesome info, as usual! Thanks for reminding me the importance of commenting too. I haven’t done that in ages.
Sharon–I don’t comment that much either. No time! But once you’re established, comments aren’t as important. But when you’re just starting to build a Web presence, they can make all the difference.
Didn’t know about Alexa – will look into that. Thanks, Anne!
Re the benefits of social media: Back in 2009, I met another writer on social media who became a good friend, even though she lived on the opposite coast. Happened that she loved my brand of humour (I wrote comedy/standup.) When her publisher (one that gives very nice advances) was looking to add humour to their crime line, she pointed them to me. They got in touch with me, and my fourth book of The Goddaughter series comes out on Jan. 19th.
I absolutely attribute my novel writing career (11th book comes out in 2017) to social media.
By the way, Anne: two of my friends have bought your books this week because of meeting you through our connection on Facebook. (big happy face here)
Melodie–Awesome. That’s great to hear. Networking is what it’s all about.
Melodie–My current career is due entirely to social media too. In 2005, my career seemed to be over after my publisher went under. But I reinvented myself with this blog and it has been very, very good to me. That’s why I’ve gone through all this tech hell to save it. Congrats on the new book!
Thanks, Anne! Your blog is a gift to all of us. (No need to respond to this one 🙂
Platform sure isn’t well understood and tough for the fiction writers. I remember when the non-fiction writers started lecturing fiction writers on it. They would sternly say, “You need a platform. Be an expert in something.” When I’d tell them something like “I’m a fantasy writer. What would I be an expert in? Unicorns?” They’d huff and point to “You need a platform again,” as if I were stupid. Most of the recommendations seemed to be “If your book is a wine mystery, do a blog on wine.” It always assumed there would just be one book. Right.
For blog comments, be thoughtful, feel free to disagree (and I have disagreed with Anne and Ruth here!), and don’t be a cheerleader. The last is because I see blogs where a writer posts something, and everyone jumps in and says “This is a great idea!” and “This is just what I needed.” Cheerleading is not going to get you noticed. Thoughtful comments or different perspectives will.
I’ve gotten largely turned off of writing blogs though. Most of them are beginner and outline focused, neither of which apply to me. I usually end up being the one dropping in a blog to disagree with an outliner about pantsing!
Linda–You are so right. Don’t you hate it when people keep repeating a jargon word without explaining what it means? It’s like somebody talking to a non-English speaker and shouting in English as if that’s going to be more understandable.
For fiction writers, platform is about visibility. And blogs make you visible. But only if you enjoy them and write something relevant. Just blather-blogging does nothing for a writer. Same with blather-commenting.
I agree most writing blogs are for beginners. They’re the ones who need the most help. As we progress in our careers, we want to read about publishing news, but not craft. That’s why we try to keep a balance here. But some of our posts are going to be too elementary for you.
When I started following the blogs in early 2011, I noticed the comment boxes and started tentatively leaving a few words IF I could add something to the conversation (there are WAY too many comments saying nothing but, “Good post!”).
The boxes are there for your considered opinion on the topic – and I find them a wonderful place to talk to the other commenters on the post, be a part of the online community of writers, and practice writing short. On occasion, a comment I made has morphed into a topic for a blog post.
It’s important to use your best manner, spelling, and grammar – no one is going to follow you to your blog if you write ‘principle’ when you mean ‘principal.’ And now that my older fingers have gotten a bit less cooperative, I make sure I reread before hitting ‘Post’ or Submit.’
But I’ve met the loveliest people that way, including some of the bloggers. And I’ve asked for – and received – advice from a bunch of people I would never have had any way to contact otherwise. Some of them have even read my debut novel, Pride’s Children, and said very nice things. A couple have promised reviews!
Alice–You get the point exactly. Blogging is a social medium and the comments are where we socialize. In the age of the Internet, everything is about networking. Whether you’re looking for agents and publishers or editors and formatters and reviewers, networking is how it’s done these days.
Congrats on the debut of Pride’s Children!
Thank you, Anne – it’s been a blast, and I’ve blogged about every step (mostly as a record, and for the amusement of my followers).
It’s all new to me.
Alicia
PS Read your blog all the time; don’t usually comment because I almost always get to it very late in the day, and everything has been said!
Wow, this is just what I needed today. I went and changed my email address to my new one and photo on Gravatar. Forgot all about doing that. You and your great blog are always the most helpful place I can go on a rainy Sunday morning, Anne. Rain. Yes! In California at last. Whodathunk? Thanks again for a great post. Paul
Paul–I’m so glad to hear my post reminded you to update Gravatar. It’s an important tool.
And yes! Isn’t the rain wonderful!
Fabulous Anne. I’ll add this- you gave me a mention last month, and since then I’ve had my two highest-shared, highest-hit posts in history. Coincidence? Hah!
As a man of a certain age, I reflect that I left friends and family for work and love. Now I’m in a home-office, home-school, and the contact with other humans is not at a surplus. I love to read and comment on other blogs because I like people and this is the best (sometimes only) way to keep talking, hearing, story-telling, growing. All in favor of commenting on blogs, especially yours!
And what was that about too shy? Verily, it is to laugh! But even if, you can stay anonymous until you get comfortable. Highest recommendation- join the conversation.
Will–I’m so glad to hear it! Networking pays off! My blog would probably be limping along with a few hundred hits a week if I hadn’t got a major boost from uber-blogger Nathan Bransford in 2010. It changed the course of my career.
I agree: commenting on blogs is great for getting writers “out of the garret” as Blog guru Robin Houghton says. We get the human interaction we need, and we also meet people who can help with our careers.
“Well, okaaay, then,” said AVT (and dozens of Fargo characters), “You betcha, I’m shy. But now with this here comment, I’m about to become famous. Yahh! Thanks, Anne. Thanks a bunch. I’m kiddin’ ya, but I like this here fame, so don’t ya hesitate one bit on pluggin’ my name fame.”
Anthony–Yup. You’re famous now. Alrighty then!
What a great round-up of truly helpful info. I’ll be sharing, and saving to pass on to folks who come my way with questions. Appreciate your good work.
Phyllis–Thanks much for sharing the post! Welcome!
Thank you again for encouraging us to do what we really, really should be doing. I have to drag myself into the world of blogs. There is so much out there it boggles my introverted mind. I love your blog and a few others where I am taught and entertained at the same time. I can broaden my horizons. Yes, I can. I know I can!
Christine–It’s hard to make a habit of new tech, because it means you have to take time that used to be filled with other things. Like maybe reading, eating and sleeping. 🙂 And I realize it’s a sacrifice. But it is free. So if you compare reading blogs with what we used to have to do–go to Writer’s Conferences, take expensive courses, and buy huge hard-cover books like the Writer’s Market, then blogs are a huge bargain!
I agree, Anne. Gadzooks, I agree! ‘Comment on blogs. With your real name.’ I’m doing it here. I’m even adding some (mild) comment spam. Please forgive me. My site is Writers’ Village. It promises eternal youth, happiness and free food coupons. (Ah, no.) It also welcomes every commentator on its blog posts with erudition, wit and creative inanity. (Ah, yes.)
Will my Alexa rank now drop 1000 points, following my comment here? Nope. Will I earn Google juice? (Yuk, and no.) Will I be happy? Yes! Because I’ve had fun commenting. As you say: ‘Commenting on blogs is also a great way to make friends.’ Why else should we do it?
‘Be aware that a smaller blog with an engaged audience can be much more useful to you in the long run.’ Absolutely. Commentators at my blog are highly engaged. They even communicate with each other. Friendships result. Marriages, children… (True, I can’t verify the latter but I do know that the former happens, time and again.)
BTW: I agree with you about Google+. I’ve been on it three years, posted every week and – in that time – I can count the number of clickthroughs to my site on two hands. Sign ups to my email list? Let’s say one finger. Yes, Google+ is on its way out. (Why has Google never tried to monetize the site? Maybe it knows something we don’t…)
BBTW: You didn’t mention that some blogs let you drop HTML font enhancements into comments, like this. If you didn’t see that in Bold, or just saw some funny code, it just proves that not all blogs let you do it.
BBBTW: Commenting on great blogs, like this one, is fun! Everyone should do it….
John–Ha! Yes–everybody should go and check out the Writers Village now. I think I have it in my resources page. If I don’t, I’ll remedy that ASAP.
And if you weren’t a regular commenter here, you wouldn’t have the coveted guest blog post for March!
My old blog didn’t let commenters do anything techy at all. Fine with me because I don’t know much about HTML code, but for people who do, it’s very cool.
I don’t know why Google Plus is slitting its own throat. It doesn’t have to be stupid, but it is. And getting stupider. Still useful for a few things, though.
Hey Anne,
Nice to see you got your ‘new’ blog up and running like a well oiled machine.
This is really good advice and dang it, something I knew but have let slide, especially recently. As you said, we all only have 24 hours a day and one must pay the piper.
That being said, one of the problems I have with commenting on blogs is that often the posts don’t invite comment. I read some of the big blogs you mentioned and oddly, I sometimes find this especially true on these blogs. The posts are so definitive in their view that one might even be afraid to disagree. And the other issue is that often it seems like everyone is writing the same post, or latching onto the same story. (Not you of course) And how many times can you comment on the same things over and over?
Anyway, just my pet peeves I guess. Your point is well taken, yes comments, comments and more comments.
Have a good one.
Anita–The “well-oiled machine” is entirely the doing of Johnny Base, our webmaster. 99% of what goes on here is above my pay grade. 🙂
You make a very good point. Some of the big blogs are more like magazine articles than blogposts. They really don’t invite comment. And when a blogger only has one subject or pet peeve they keep writing about over and over, it’s tough to think of something new to say.
I don’t think people should comment just for the sake of commenting. You have to feel moved to join the conversation. If that’s not happening, move on. There’s always another blog…
So true. And great advice. One thing that is so difficult is that line between obsessing about platform and not doing enough.
Sarah–You’re so right. I know people who spend tons of money on FB ads just to get more “likes”. That kind of platform building doesn’t translate to book sales. Chasing empty numbers is a waste of time and money.
Kudos on your blog success! I found you through my friend Collette Cameron, and I always enjoy your posts.
Alina–Thanks! And thanks to Collette!
OMG, this couldn’t be more timely. I was just telling my writer’s critique group about the importance of commenting on other’s blogs and here you’ve gone and laid it all out. PERFECT! Thank you so much. I love that you put the gravatar info in there, too!
What do you think of “about me” https://about.me/ and the importance of that for commenting?
I also found it useful and easy to sign up for disqus https://disqus.com/profile/signup/. What do you think of that?
Oh and one last question. What do you think about adding a signature with site. Okay? or Spammy?
~ Tam Francis ~
http://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com
Tam–I’m on About Me, but I haven’t ever found it very useful for anything. Disqus is useful for commenting on WordPress sites. Some WP blogs use a Disqus plug-in. It has a lot of bells and whistles that allow you to follow certain comments in a thread. But if you have a WordPress ID, you can use Disqus if it’s the comment program on the blog where you comment.
A signature link is fine in this blog. We allow one link per post. Some don’t allow any, because of fears of spam.
I was a little on the fence with using Disqus on my blog, as I heard that some people hate using it, but now that I’m using it I have to give it thumbs up. It’s pretty to look at and it blocks most spam out. It’s especially useful for me because my URL has been banned by WordPress’ Akismet plugin who has insisted that I’m A spammer. Lurvely. Disqus doesn’t have that problem with me, so blogs with Disqus allows me to comment. Don’t you love the insanity of the Internet sometimes?
Liz
http://www.elizabethtai.com
Yup. Tried to leave a comment with my URL and it automatically marks me as spam. Anne, would you mind unmarking me as spam? Or else I’d have to email you about this again and again. And I hate bothering you :/
I’m not sure where you got marked as spam, but all your comments came through, so whatever it was fixed itself.
It could be that Akismet has finally removed the ban on me. A few days ago I whined on social media that I was banned by Akismet (basically the moment I put my blog URL on ANY comment, it would either disappear or be marked as spam). The only way to fix it is if Akismet dubs me okay in their database. Thanks Anne. Sorry for the bother.
As a published author and Camilla fan, I thank you for another insightful blog, Anne.
Gay–Thanks for being a Camilla fan! <3! Stop by Camilla's new blog sometime. I'll have news of new books and give-aways and that kind of stuff. I'm doing it instead of a newsletter. Kind of an experiment.
Great reminders to keep commenting on blogs.
Anne and Ruth,
All the very best to you both throughout 2016.
Jacqueline–Thanks much. Let’s hope the blog tech stuff smooths out soon. I’m not a big fan of tech. 🙂
I think according to your very informative post I am on the right track, though I have learnt heaps more that I will put into practice. Thank you, and WordPress seems far more friendly in comparison with some of the other sites. Congratulations on your new home ??♡
Ellen–I’m still learning how to use WP. I obviously don’t know how to make those cute little emojis. I just tried a heart on the last comment, but it didn’t come through. WordPress is supposed to be more friendly to comments than Blogger. It’s a lot harder for me “backstage” but I think it’s worth it.
Good advice to take. Commenting on the articles that I read is something that I’ve decided to work on this year. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of finding something to say to contribute to the conversation, and then remembering to post it.
L.K.–Commenting is time-consuming, and often we have to just breeze in and out of a blog. But for new authors without a platform, it’s a great investment of your time.
Anne, one thing that’s can be very helpful to authors who are WordPress blogger in this regard is the using the “followed sites” feature in the WordPress dashboard. Any WordPress blogs you follow can be accessed from there. You can scan through those daily looking for interesting posts by your favorite bloggers to read, like and comment on. The function also allows the blogger turned blog reader to ‘discover’ new blogs and it makes ‘recommendations.’
Anne–Alas, I don’t have that kind of WordPress blog. But Blogger has that feature and I follow tons of blogs through the “my blogs” rss feed on my Blogger site.
This is WordPress.org, not WordPress.com, so it’s a business site and doesn’t have that function. But I do follow hundreds of blogs through my Blogger site. I’ve been in this business a long, long time.
I used to blog A LOT. But then I landed a two-book deal (which later went on the become two three-book deals) and my blogging days pretty much disappeared. Part of that had to do with the shift of focus of my blog. Like most writers, I wrote about writing, so most of my followers were writers and not necessarily my target audience. I didn’t know what to post. The other reason I came to a dramatic slow down was because I would get 30-60 comments per post and felt that I had to reciprocate to each and everyone. So as you can imagine, this took me hours for every post I put up.
Now after reading this post, I realize I need to get back into blogging. Not necessarily posting three times a week, but at least commenting. And if no one reciprocates, I’m okay with that. Thanks for the great post, Anne.
Stina–I remember when you got that two book deal! Congrats that it has extended to six!
A blog needs to grow and change with your career, which is why I don’t recommend new writers start a blog like this one (or your old one.)
I’ve started a new blog just for my readers. It gets less than one percent of the traffic this one gets, but I enjoy it. I only post on each one once a week. I think once a week is all you need. Any more and you can’t write the books you’ve contracted to write. Not a good situation . 🙂
Another really helpful post, Anne. It took me ages to build up the courage to start commenting on blogs. As a “boomer” I’m still getting my head around sharing thoughts publicly to an audience rather than privately to an individual. All part of the learning curve. 🙂
Wendy–We Boomers do have a steeper learning curve when it comes to tech. This new blog drove me bonkers at the beginning. (We’re still squashing some of the bugs.) And yes, Boomers are used to keeping things private. The secret is to have an online persona. It isn’t exactly the “real you”, but it’s a polished-up, less warty version.
Maybe I’ll use Photoshop to add a bit of polish and remove most of the warts!
I always try to comment on the blogs I read, not for SEO (though it’s a nice perk)but because I enjoy connecting. I’ve met wonderful people over the years who’ve become good friends. Here are a few of my favorites that also happen to have huge audiences: The Kill Zone, StoryFix, Jami Gold, Yours :-), Live Write Thrive, Write to Done, Murderati, DyingWords, Murder Lab, Molly Greene, Writers’ Village, Venture Galleries…I could go on and on.
Sue–Once your career is established, the SEO part isn’t so important. But the networking is! The more people who recognize your name, the more are likely to pick up your book. I have a lot of those blogs on my blog list on the resources page. Great blogs!
Thanks for the shout out to my blog! I loved what you said about blog comments being a great way to make connections.
When I first started down the writing path, I hung out on one editors’ blog, and my first 3 friends in the writing world were fellow commenters there. I’m still in touch with all of them. Over the years, I’ve read, critiqued, and left reviews for all of them. On my blog, I’ve made friends of lots of those who leave comments. So that “connection potential” is a *definite* benefit that I’ve seen time and time again. 🙂
As you said, those who focus only on the short-term situation miss the bigger picture of all the ways we can benefit from leaving comments.
Jami–I’m trying to remember where I met you at first. It might have been here or it might have been on Kristen Lamb’s blog. Lots of great community-building there. You’ve become the go-to person for critique group info, beta readers and novel structure. You’ve made a great name for yourself through blogging.
I think blogs are a great way to network because we have more control. Forums are good too, but there always seems to be a troll or two.
Great point that it’s all about thinking long-term instead of expecting immediate results. And the most important thing is to be genuine, not obviously trying to game the system.
Thanks for your great post. It helped me establish some stronger boundaries. Some days I find myself doing nothing but answering questions for free and never getting to the work that pays the bills.
Hmm, I can’t quite remember where we first crossed paths either, but you might be right about meeting through Kristen. That, or I came across your blog through Twitter. Either way, your message about platform building and making connections holds true. 🙂
Heading to Gravatar.com now to set up a profile. Thanks for the tips!
Jennifer–It’s been many years since I set up mine, but I remember it being easy. And it made it possible to comment on any blog I wanted.
Hi Anne, I have been following your blog for about a year, and have always felt too much in awe of your expertise to leave a comment. But this post gave me permission! You will probably be inundated with writers who are trying to raise their profile. Thanks for telling us this handy tip, though it does feel a bit like ‘playing a system’ rather than actually engaging with people. Thanks for all your advice, on such a wide variety of writing topics. I have finally got a publishing deal under the pseudonym of K A Hitchins. My debut novel ‘The Girl at the End of the Road’ will be available in bookshops and on Amazon on 24 March.
KA–It’s not playing the system if you really have something to say. 🙂 Congrats on your upcoming launch!!
Ah, platform–something I’ve thought about, but have no idea what to do, so I appreciate the insights. I wasn’t aware the new Google + has no place for personal info. I didn’t upgrade, but I keep thinking WordPress is the place to be now anyway. So many writers I know have moved there. Thanks again, Anne!
Jan–I certainly couldn’t find a profile on the new Google Plus and nobody I know could either. I have no idea why Google would do something so silly. Maybe they figure now that FB makes you use your real name and personal info, Google Plus can be the place for pedphiles and drug dealers who want to stay anonymous 🙂 Somebody had to pick up the slack…
I still like Blogger better, because I hate spending so much time messing around with technical stuff, but WordPress does seem to be safer.
Ha! Yes, I guess someone had to pick up the slack. 😀 Ugh. I hate that tech stuff, too, but, deep breath, I guess, and dive in. Enjoy the week ahead. 🙂
That’s two of your posts I’ve liked in one week. I migrated to WordPress a few versions ago. Easier to use and broader distribution. Great info here. As you see, I am following your advice.
Steve–The move has taken a huge chunk out of my life for the past three months, but I hope at some point it won’t be so time consuming and I’ll be able to go back to writing books. What a concept! 🙂
Hi Anne. Thanks for another helpful post. Like many others, I guess I’m a typical writing ‘recluse’ when it comes to social media. I have a tendency to lurk and therefore don’t comment very often, so I really need to work on that this year. Thanks also for the information regarding Alexa. I haven’t heard of them before, so will be sure to check them out.
Debbie–I understand the urge to stay in hermit mode. It’s hard to work on your WIP when you’re also dealing with all this stuff. But it does pay off, I promise!
Once again, excellent advice and I’ll be re-reading this one a few times. I started getting into blogging as a staff member of bestgayblogs.com about fifteen years ago and I realized early on how simple, and important, commenting can be. People are curious. http://www.ryan-field.blogspot.com
Ryan–Being on staff at a big blog helps raise your platform a lot. I was at the Best Damn Creative Writing Blog for a while, and I know that helped get me going. We appreciate loyal readers like you!
I think sometimes we writers forget that we’re in this for the long haul, and making ourselves visible is just as important as paid advertising (if not more so). Who knows how many times someone will see your name in the comments before clicking on it, going to your website, and buying your books? Or recognize your name when you’re submitting somewhere and put in a good word for you? Building relationships with other authors and readers takes time, but the results can be invaluable. Thanks for this reminder!
E. D.–You’re so right. Advertising is mostly about getting your name and book titles in front of eyeballs, but you can also get your name in front of people with free social media. And sometimes it works better than paid ads. Some authors have made the big time with social media alone. Hugh Howey did.
One thing is a given about popular bloggers returning comments to your blog: If they like what they happen to read on it, they’ll do a quid pro quo (if I’m using the term correctly). I read quite a few popular blogs (like this one) and only a minute percentage actually return the favor of commenting.
As for Google+, I will never, ever use it. I didn’t like it when I was forced into it some two years ago (made the mistake of actually saying “yes” to a pesky question about changing my name on my YouTube account to match my Blogger account), and the few people who have attempted to add me have been politely blocked.
And another thing, I was able to check out a few spammer profiles on Google+, simply because they used their GMail account to do their spam with.
GB–Stimulating conversation is an art. If you’re not getting comments, it may be you’re not asking the right questions, or you tend to “pontificate” rather than offer opinion, as some of the big blogs with few comments do.
Google Plus is definitely spam central. I get so many phony profiles following me, I sometimes just delete ten at a time. Usually I can tell. They are usually male, pretend to be in the military, and say they were born in Sydney and go to college in Syracuse, or other unlikely geographical combinations.
I’m very guilty of reading your blog and not commenting. I love all the information but usually don’t comment. However, I always want to say “thank you” for all the help you’ve given me (and many others – duh) with regard to every subject on the planet involving writing and publishing and blogging and social media. You are my “go to” person and I bow down before you.
See you on Facebook.
Patti
Patricia–Honestly, Ruth and I are fine if you don’t comment. You share our posts on Twitter and Facebook that’s more significant for us. We very much appreciate your support!
Do people really say “I’ve commented so you have to come comment on mine.”????? Well, I shouldn’t be surprised. I had someone basically do the same on Twitter. They followed me and when 2 hours later I hadn’t followed back they unfollowed me and tweeted how sorry they were that I hadn’t followed back that they hoped I’d change my mind. I was like, “Yeeeeeah, that’s not going to make me follow you, buddy.”
Patricia–A lot of people have what I call a “Kindergarten view of fairness”. They can’t see the bigger picture. It can also be used by abusers–the kind who say, “I gave you candy kid, so now you owe me sex” or whatever. Those bratty and/or abusive Twitter followers are worth staying away from.
Thanks, Anne
I’ve explained many of these points to others over the years. Things like a Gravatar are basic stuff but not obvious when getting started. Yet not having one says newbie.
Expecting a return comment comes out of the very early days, much like a blogroll exchange. When I was getting started, commenting on other related blogs and expressing a bit of expertise is what brought much of my early traffic and subscribers. Commenting on unrelated blogs will bring less.
I’ve also made a few good friends this way.
Another way of saying Platform is on-line presence.
Fantastic, in-depth post Anne. In particular I’d like to vouch on the point of yours, that often, bloggers read other blogger’s comments. I gained many new followers who’ve liked or replied to me on a comment I’ve left on someone else’s blog. 🙂
DG–Thanks for all the shares of this post! And yes, you get your blog followers mostly from networking on other blogs. I wish people could understand that.
Well, perhaps you’re drill it in with this post. 🙂 And love sharing your great info! 🙂
I used to try following everyone that followed me. It worked for a little while. But, I had no real interest in their blogs and I was only doing it out of guilt. If someone follows me, I do check out their blog but if I’m not interested, I’m not interested.
Same thing for comments. I can’t comment if I don’t care about the subject. Well, I can but it sounds so phony to me that I just delete and leave.
But those are both about blogging and not about building a platform. I am far more likely to be interested in a writer’s advice blog like this one and more apt to be engaged. I’d never considered search engine results from blog comments. You’ve given me a lot to consider here and while normally I’d thank you for that, I should be writing and you’re helping me procrastinate. 😀
Frank–It’s true that social media can be a time-suck. It helps to limit yourself to a certain time limit every day. Then evaluate how valuable each aspect of social media is to you. If you don’t have a platform yet, commenting on blogs can be a great investment of your time. If you’re at the point where you get 60 pages of *you* with a Google search, then you’ve done that and it’s time to limit comments to blogs where networking is valuable to you.
Doing things out of guilt rarely helps your career. 🙂
Took your advice and checked out my site on Alexa. I’m around 22 million. Not unexpected, really, but the numbers are sobering. Thanks for all the advice.
Ken–You can raise your Alexa rating by downloading the Alexa icon. They give their followers higher ratings. 😉 It’s not 100% accurate because of that. But people still use it, so you might as well jump through their hoops.
Great advice!! I’m trying to get more out there with blog comments, it’s nice to see they do help!!
Traci–It’s a great place to start, and doesn’t take much time away from your writing.
Anne, I remember reading this one way back in the day!
I’m a writer with a blog, as you know, but am so self-indulgent with my blog. I blog when I feel like it and rarely about writing (unless I’ve found a whizz-bang new writer I just have to tell the world about) because others do it so much better than me. I love using images of my Australian surroundings and talking about this writer’s lifestyle. Not to get responses really, although it’s super when they do, but just to chat with the ether and whoever might emerge from it.
It’s like walking in a gentle sea mist – you toddle along with your dog and then someone emerges from the ribbons of vapour and you nod, begin to chat and suddenly you find you have a new kindred spirit.
I comment on blogs whose subjects interest me – writing and history, cooking and dogs, gardening, embroidery and BEING INDIE!!!
But me being me, I have never once wondered about hits, visits, sales of books, and so on. Perhaps I’m just incredibly naive…
PS: Love having your blog on WP now – I can comment without the whole fandango that went on before. Cheers and best!
Prue–I love your blog and it’s one of the blogs I read regularly, even though I rarely comment. But do know I always enjoy it, even though I’m working 18 hour days and can often only bop in and out for a moment. You offer the most wonderful window on a part of the world I’ve never seen. Plus I love your books.
I don’t think writers should start writing blogs unless they plan to write nonfiction writing guides, like my HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE. A friendly, welcoming place to learn about you and your books is much better. I’ve started a blog for my fiction that will hopefully be more like yours.
And I agree that worrying about marketing stats and all that is mostly pointless. it certainly is for an established author like you. My advice about commenting is for new authors who are just trying to establish themselves.
As always there are specialists on the publishing scene I never miss. But you, Passive Guy and Dave Gaughran are de rigeur! Thank you for your kind words.
I truly wish I’d known all this before my first book was published. But it’s never too late… thank you!
Kathy–It’s never too late. One of the great things about the ebook revolution is there is infinite shelf-space and your book will be there forever.
Comments are key, I totally agree with you, Anne – thanks for an excellent post making this point…plus some excellent pointers about etiquette for commentators (or does one say commenters? The two versions seem to exist and I don’t know which one is better!) I’ve always commented (I’m a irrepressible chatterer!) but I understand that for a lot of people, it’s hard to do. To all your excellent advice for newbie commentators, I would just add: jump in there as if you were talking. Make it a conversation. Don’t try for a fantastic piece of literature – and if you don’t like it, don’t worry, you can always remove it!
On another point: yes, Google+ is as dead as a mackerel, and yes, it’s still important for platform building. New sites are out there filling the gap, because Facebook, although it’s the elephant in the room, the biggest social network there is on this planet, it has drawbacks and limitations. Chief among them, it continues to focus only on one thing: the users, who they are.
Users on Facebook are in fact Facebook’s product!
That’s fine for your writer’s page, assuming that those who visit you are your fans and that you’re happy wading around with your fans – but if you want to reach out further and get new readers, Facebook is perfectly useless, it won’t do that for you. In fact, you have to think of the Internet as a series of islands in the sea: there’s an island full of writers where blogs like yours lead the pack, you’re tops here, on this writing island!
And the problems with Facebook is this: it does not allow you to swim from one island to the next…Because although writers are constitutionally big readers too, all writers dream of having readers who are not themselves writers! Therein lies the difficulty. How to jump from one island (of interest and expertise) to the next? As a writer, that is something you definitely want to do to find more readers!
This is why new social networks are rising in the void left by Facebook and one among them is Thingser, as I’ve told you – I think it’s one of the best, most effective at pooling people around a vast series of interests. I love it, it makes me see things I would never normally get too without wasting an incredible amount of time searching, assuming I even knew it was there!
Claude–Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Lots of good stuff here. I love your “island” metaphor. You’re exactly right. I have this big blog in the writing community, but it doesn’t reach the readers of my comic mysteries. Two weeks ago, I started a new blog for the books, but it gets less than 1% of the hits I get here. This kind of blog worked back in the early days of ebooks, because we all sold books to each other. But it’s very hard to expand outside the “writing” circle.
I do intend to check out Thingster, if I can ever get out from under the 12-18 hours a day I spend on this blog.
Question: How do writers with pen names comment? 😛 I know Anne is not a big fan of writters having one, but I had to create one for one reason or another. So now I’m conflicted between using my professional website (Elizabeth Tai), where I list my nonfiction and journalism portfolio and the fiction one, which I’ve just set up but have not started blogging under that one yet. I’m dreading it a little haha. I’m going to release my novels around April, and I thought I should start now.
I was thinking of only commenting on my favourite TV shows (too many to count) under my pen name as she writes science fiction. As Elizabeth Tai I usually comment on blogs about writing and non-fiction interests of mine. Any ideas?
Liz–One of the problems with pen names is each one needs its own social media presence and platform. So that means separate blogs, FB, Twitter, Google Plus and other accounts. Double your work. This is why I don’t recommend using a pen name, unless it’s the ONLY name you write under. Kristen Lamb has some strong advice on the subject. Google her name with “pen name”.
Yeah, I thought very long and hard about this. Unfortunately my name is the name I write as a journalist and my non-fiction with. My non fiction is about religion. My non-fiction has a far more serious tone than my fiction (which is all about fun adventures). It felt right to have a divide, but you are right. The amount of work that goes into building two platforms!
Anne, your posts are always helpful but this one is even more so! I was smug in my knowledge that I knew all there was to know about commenting on blogs, but I had never even thought about the Google factor! Thanks for bringing such a simple fact to my notice.
Gargi–You’ve been doing everything right and didn’t even know it!
Such an interesting post and one that I certainly need tuition in – if not a good talking-to. I have never been able to come to terms with Twitter and only retweet things that people say about me and put up links that interest me. But then, I’m not even a Boomer but was born at the beginning of the War and write mysteries in that time(as well as other things), set in London.
I wnet on a WP course and made a start but haven’t managed to get more than one post on my unfinished site – must get on to that some time.
Thank you for your valuable advice.
Julia–Twitter can be a time suck, so just using it to RT and post links to articles is fine. That’s mostly what I do. I love wartime London mysteries! Lots of good material to post on a blog about that time. You’ll probably find the blog is a lot of fun once you get it going.
Anne,
I always look forward to reading your blog. Thanks for writing about such timely topics that we writers learn from and appreciate.
Kay–Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Thanks for the advice in this blog, Anne. It will be such a help. I’ve been stalled on how to create a platform and your ‘prescription’ will get me moving!
Arlene–Every journey begins with the first step!
As usual, highly useful and succinct advice. Now I just need to act on it!
Seriously, I appreciate the tips and the references to the other bloggers, like the Insecure Writers Support Group and the Wordmonger.
I also have a technical question about all these different IDs. I have a Google + id which I got a hundred years ago when I considered using Blogger. Then I tried setting up a site on WordPress.com. I’ve finally landed on a hosted platform (Siteground) using WordPress. How do I link all those IDs? Or does it matter? I’m “Shelley Schanfield” (my real and pen name) on all of them.
Again, love your blog, Anne.
Shelley–I don’t think you can actually link the IDs. But the more you have out there the better. If you generally used your WordPress ID and it doesn’t work for a Blogger blog, then trot out the Google one. So glad you like the blog!
What awesome timing. This is just the area I’m foraging into. Thank you.
Redd–So glad it comes at a good time. Happy foraging!
Anne, this blog post is extremely helpful. Thank you. I’ve been working to build my platform and your suggestion to post comments on popular blogs is new to me. I just started a Google + page, and will hopefully start to see results there too. Things have been a bit backwards for me… I’m a drug prevention activist and advocate for families dealing with addiction, and I was published with virtually no platform. So I’m catching up! Really want to reach the families that need help.
Barbara–It’s tough to sell nonfiction without a platform. Blogs are one of the best ways to build that platform. Google Plus helps to promote your blog, but it won’t do much on its own. Visiting addiction blogs and interacting with people in the recovery community would be a great place to start. Then start your own blog and post information that will attract the kind of readers you want to help.
I have heard this advice before, moreso from an engagement standpoint than the impact on search results. It’s a win-win! I understand a similar logic applies on other platforms like FB and Twitter. On FB it supposedly results in better quality info flowing through your news feed, more relevant. Rather than just click the Like or the heart button, take a minute and tell them why you like it. The more you engage genuinely, the better for all.
Lissa–Yes. Comments show engagement to the algorithms that control all our social media interactions. The more comments, the more engagement.
Anne,
Thank you for the detail and helpful suggestions in this post. While reading it I had to keep flipping back to my own site to check on things you mentioned here and make sure I was doing them properly. I will admit I have been ignoring my google+ account and I had no idea that it could hurt/help my google rankings. I’m going to post this blog link to my facebook page as I think everyone in my critique group could benefit from it. Most of them haven’t even started an author blog, twitter or facebook!
Logan–I’m glad to hear the post helps. Most people ignore Google Plus, which is too bad because now Google Plus have done all these stupid things to pretend they are Instagram or Pinterest or whatever and they’ve lost sight of what they’re good at, which is being a cross between FB and LinkedIn for techy business people. It really does wonders for your SEO!
Thanks for sharing it!
I’ve read something like this before…some article about SEO, I think. Or maybe a session at a conference. Anyway, I always MEAN to leave more comments on blogs. I read so many.
And I review the books I read on Amazon because I know what that means to writers (anyone leaving a review on my books always makes my day…heck, my WEEK). Which makes me wonder: since I use my “author name” on Amazon & Good Reads reviews, does that count toward my SEO? I never thought about it before.
Thanks for the advice!
Stephanie–Bless you for being a reviewer! We need more readers like you! I’m not sure if it helps with SEO though. At least I’ve never seen an Amazon review on a search results page. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t do something. I’m not an SEO expert. But keep writing those reviews anyway. They may not help with SEO, but it’s good Karma!
I’m all about the karma 🙂
Hi, Anne – After a short period of visiting maybe a year ago, I’m back. I see you’ve gone to WordPress. Great move. I’m sure the transition was difficult, but it’ll be worth it in the end. All the best, Nathan
Nathan–Welcome back! The move is just about killing me, since I have to reformat every one of my 350 posts and each one takes hours, but I’m getting there. It’s taken about four months out of my life, but I hope at some point the webmaster will be back and able to take on some duties. There are so many things I just can’t figure out. I would prefer a site I could control myself, but then I’d have to deal with the damn pirates. Sigh.
I’ve read your blog for awhile and really appreciate your insights. Many thanks! This post has particularly resonated as you describe the task of “building a platform,” something that’s come across to me as inauthentic or requiring countless hours scrolling the internet to find “my people”, as manageable and a nice way to connect with other like-minded readers/writers. I can look forward to this! (But need to finish the latest draft first.) Thanks again, and congrats on your new views.
Jen–I always like to hear that the blog is helping my fellow writers. I agree that most of what we hear about building platform is about being phony and manipulating people. Not my thing either. But commenting on a blog when you actually have something to say is pretty painless, and it does help get your name out there. And doesn’t take too much time away from finishing that draft!
Once more, I think it is cyclical, I came across articles and posts about why building an online platform is pointless and twitter (or insert social media here) doesn’t sell books. I think the people who write those articles view everything from a linear, direct approach and often forget that we are selling ourselves. Sometimes a failure f social media platform is a failure elsewhere.
I recall specifically how one of these articles was about how the author’s Facebook page didn’t help him sell his diet book. I looked at his diet book on amazon and the price for the digital book was over ten bucks a pop. I think he priced himself too high. Maybe I’m wrong, but I can’t imagine spending that much for an eBook.
Jesse–You are so right! Everybody who thinks social media can be used for direct marketing is completely missing the point. It’s for networking! It’s like going to a Chamber of Commerce mixer, not hawking your wares from a pushcart.
You’re right about the books that don’t sell having other problems. Often the bio is amateurish and whiny or the blurb is incomprehensible. And indies who overprice their ebooks are slitting their own throats. That’s the one advantage they have over the guys who get reviewed in the NYT, so they need to take advantage of it.
Thanks for your wise observations.
Anne: I am a unique story. About a year ago, one of your blogs played a small role in my decision whether to self-publish or to continue riding the query-go-round with agents. I’ll try to keep my story brief (of course, that will be hard. . . I’m a writer (ha, ha). I was truly blessed to enjoy an amazing as a sportswriter. I met countless Hall of Fame athletes and coaches, covered Super Bowls and Final Fours. When I retired, I added it up and was stunned my career took me to 80 of the country’s 90 professional sports venues in addition to 50 college campuses. But now that I’m in the early stages of my second career writing mysteries with female lead characters it’s been very humbling to discover how much I have to learn about trying to gain visibility, i.e. platform, as a self-published author.
After retiring from the newspaper industry early last year, I spent the entire year writing two novels which I self-published in 2015. I’m currently marketing the second one (DREAM KILLER). It’s invigorating to experience a new frontier. I’m really excited about going on my first Virtual Book Tour that starts Sunday.
So far I’ve written only one Blog on my website (mikebaldwinbooks.com), but it’s a mind-blowing blog how I recently found a 20-year-old, 400-page manuscript in the back of my closet. That manuscript instantly became my next WIP I will self-publish late this spring, but the blog is more a story how I put my “writing a novel dream” on hold for 20 years. The blog hopefully inspires a would-be-novelist to never give up on their dream. Keep writing!
The reason I’m posting on this blog is despite years of being in the “media spotlight” I’ve painfully discovered it’s EXTREMELY difficult to gain visibility in a world of 1 million eBooks. This blog suggested I go sing up for a Gravatar ID which is what I did five minutes ago. THX. Anne.
If a writer needs the inspiration to keep writing, or they simply want to read: “A Day I Will Never Forget,” the blog about finding that 20-year-old manuscript in my closet, here’s the link.
http://www.mikebaldwinbooks.com/mikes-blog/
Anne: Thanks again.
Mike–What an inspiring story. Best of luck with the “lost” manuscript. I had a friend find one of my lost treasures behind some drywall when he was remodeling his house. It became “The Lady of the Lakewood Diner” Thanks for sharing your story!
Very useful post! I’m going to be sharing it on my facebook here in a minute and hopefully will be able to employ some of these tips, thanks!
Madilyn–Thanks for sharing the post! Building platform doesn’t have to take all that much time from your writing. 🙂
I think it’s a good idea to begin building platform long before a manuscript is complete, though it can be a challenge to keep one’s primary focus on the writing and not the platform, especially social media. All of this is evolving, so the norms keeping changing.
Valorie–Most beginning writers need to spend their time learning to write first, and most first novel manuscripts never see the light of day, so I don’t think people have to start thinking about platform when they are taking their first baby steps as writers. But once they’ve got some skills and they’re ready to think seriously about a career, they want to start in with social media. Commenting on blogs is a good first step.
As a busy guide for authors, I am always in need for quick helps for them and for me…and I’m a little lazy when it comes to building platform. Thank you, Anne, for fun, easy tips that I can put into use TODAY!
Donna–Commenting on blogs is an easy painless way to get your name out there and network with people who can help with your career. Glad I could help!
As a fiction writer, I knew platform was important before submitting (after all, we want some kind of foundation when someone looks us up), but I hadn’t realized that commenting on blogs could add to our platforms.
Great advice, thank you. I’ve been following you for about a year now I think, and I always learn something useful.
Carolyn–Thanks! I’m glad you’re finding the blog useful. Yeah, commenting on blogs. Easy-peasy. The spammers know this, which is why they’re constantly trying to comment on this blog. We get 100s of attempts per hour. Luckily the spamblocker keeps most of them out.
Irony: the posts which get the most comments are the posts which emphasise the importance of commenting on posts.
Iola–I don’t think that’s irony. I think it’s a simple case of the power of suggestion. 🙂
Great info, Anne! Thanks so much for the time and effort you put into this comprehensive post. I have printed it out to be able to refer to it again and again! I’ve been an author for fifteen years and have written 28 books. But back in the day “author platform” wasn’t so critical. You could get by with a few media interviews, press releases, and book reviews. But then it became more relevant and supposed experts said your platform needed to be largely comprised of social media efforts. I am not good with social media except for my blog and podcast. I am not consistent with Twitter or Facebook and you really have to be. So I really appreciate you pointing out that there is much more you can do besides tweet! Building your brand and platform is so very important these days as the field gets more and more crowded with books and writers. Thanks again! Terrance Zepke
Terrance–I think there are as many ways to “build platform” as there are authors. The thing is to reach your readers–wherever they are. If they are kids who love Snapchat, be there. If they are older women who love recipes on Pinterest, be there. If you can reach them with a blog, then forget the rest. Do what works and don’t listen to the noise. 🙂
Ah, Google Plus – I tried it but got bored, so I stopped using it but I didn’t deactivate my account. I love to read blogs. You learn so much and meet new friends that way. Bloglovin is another great way to find blogs and forge connections and relationships. Twitter is pretty cool, too, since there’s not much to maintain.
Just the other day my dad was talking about how little traffic he gets on his blog. Unfortunately he’s so busy he barely has time to write, but I did tell him finding and commenting on blogs in his niche is the way to go. And that was before I knew Google cares about our name showing up on high profile blog comments.
Normally I raise money for charity with Good Search, but after reading your article, I decided to see what Google has on me. My own website isn’t on the first page, but everything specific to me is just what I would want. Thanks for the heads up!
WordPress is great both as a content creator and as a reader. I can’t tell you how frustrated I’ve gotten with blogger sites. Finding the info I need can be so difficult I just give up. Glad Google didn’t punish you for the move. 🙂
Cheri–Most blogs fail because of non-engagement with other bloggers. Blogging is a social medium and we need to be social. 😉 But we also need to be aware of SEO. Not so we fill our posts with phony links and repeated words, but we do need to use keywords, clickable titles, and get Google’s attention.
The move has been pretty tough, but I think we’re seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
It is tough to move. I kept everything the same at first, but getting off wp.com onto self hosting was as mentally stressful as moving a house. I’d imagine your situation is worse!
You’re right about SEO. I started my blog linking to reputable websites just because that’s what a good researcher does. No one should be expected to believe me just because *I’m* the one saying it. Later I found out this is what Google loves. There are two articles I’ve done that have ranked right at the top on Google for a couple years because they answer the question people ask better than anyone else and link to lots of high quality websites.
It would take a little more work if you’re a fiction or “expert” writer, but it can be done. Just don’t use WikiPedia as a link, people!
“Clickable titles”? I’ll have to look into those.
Cheri–It’s like moving house, only when your furniture arrives, it’s all in a broken jumble and you have to reassemble it again with no directions.
I did the same thing with links. I linked to authorities to prove my point. (Like footnoting, being a good academic) and my blog took off like crazy. I had no idea why until much later.
Jon Morrow at Boost Blog Traffic has lots of great info on how to title a blogpost.
Brilliant post! I’ve just started blogging and need all the advice I can get about this wonderful and wacky new world! Thank you.
Ellie–So glad to hear this helps!
This is so helpful. I’m coming out with my debut novel Feb 28th and I could do with all the help I can get. Thanks.
TP–Best of luck with your launch!
Handy advice, even for the younger writers. I think it goes for anyone just trying to build a platform. I’m under 40 and I still find being “social” a challenge online. It’s not just an issue for the older writers… what is it with writers and shyness?
What caught my attention was the point about comments. That actually surprised me (and it looks like I’m not the only one surprised!), and I guess my habit of lurking isn’t the best policy.
Kristan–Welcome! See, de-lurking isn’t hard, and it really works! Spammers know this and are constantly trying to get their comments on this blog. But legit comments do wonders for your SEO. Writers ARE shy, but this is one way to put ourselves out there without too much anxiety.
This post has been very helpful. I’ve been trying to get myself out onto social media, but I’m cautious of anything that I post online. Thank you!
Hi Anne, I’m trying to implement your wonderful suggestions. I have a sneaky suspicion one of your older posts “10 Things that Red-Flag a Newbie Novelist”, suddenly went viral due to it being reblogged over at https://kawaneehamilton.wordpress.com/2016/01/13/10-things-that-red-flag-a-newbie-novelist/ and over at http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2016/01/14/10-things-that-red-flag-a-newbie-novelist/. I’d love to know your thoughts on what you think of reblogging others posts. Some authors don’t like it, some do. Thanks, Anne. 🙂
Tracy–Thanks for telling me about the bloggers who shared that post! That explains it. WordPress tells me about some “pingbacks” but not all, apparently. We LOVE it when other bloggers share our stuff. That gives us sites “linking in”, which is great for SEO and spreads the word about the blog. I can’t imagine why anybody wouldn’t be thrilled, especially when a major blog like Story Reading Ape posts a teaser and then links back here for people who want to read the whole post. It’s win-win for everybody. As I said, we got 6000 hits in one day. A Wednesday at that, which was kind of baffling. Very, very nice for us. I’ll have to go thank Kawanee Hamilton! I appreciate the heads-up.
I am about to publishing a book, and have spent a ton of time getting to speed on, well, essentially everything about book marketing. I have heard that commenting on blogs is important, but your blog here explains why quite clearly. And clarity is always preferred! I also appreciate your list of suggested blogs to follow. Doing a google search on blogs can be overwhelming with all the options and then subsequent need to sift through it all. So thank you for all these suggestions.
Isabelle–I’m so glad this post helps. You’re right there are a million blogs out there, and it’s hard to find which ones to follow. Lots of marketing blogs aren’t aimed at authors, so they can steer you wrong. It’s best to listen to people who are writers themselves, rather than people who make money from authors. Welcome to the blog!
Hi Anne
I’ve only just come across this post, but wanted to say hi. I’ve read a lot of info on building your platform, but hadn’t come across the point about how commenting on larger blogs helps google to notice you. That had never occurred to me before, so have self-limited my responses on my favourite blogs (eg Chuck Wendig’s) because I had no expectation of them being able to have the time to reply…
On that point, can I just say how impressed I am that you have replied to nearly every comment on this thread – there are 199 comments showing as I post this, and you have taken the time and effort to engage with each commenter. That’s inspirational!
Al–Thanks for stopping by! Yeah, I might be a little nuts. We didn’t have as many comments when we were on Blogger so it wasn’t such a big deal to reply to everybody. But now that we’re on WordPress, it’s much easier to comment. so the numbers are getting up there. Still I want to engage with all our commenters as long as I can.
Many many thanks for saving me from the shame of periodic blogging. Like finding out that there is a name for the disease you have …. “slow blogging.”
More time for that WIP!
Rona–Slow Blogging rules! I’ve done it for 6 years. (And ten books!)
Anne,
Thank you for this – it’s been an eye-opener. I’m an author of science fiction and found you via a guest blog written by Laurie McLean at Fuse. I *know* I have to build platform and I know *some* of what that entails but it’s a face-blanching prospect for some reason. What do I say? etc. etc. All of your observations were spot on. Like Stanley B. Trice before me, I never thought of commenting on Blogs as a means to an end. I suppose that, by doing so, I might just figure out what it is that I want to say myself. Wish me luck!
David–Welcome! Laurie is one of the most forward-looking agents out there. We’re always honored when she guest posts for us.
“Platform” is a mystery to most writers. SEO people and spammers know all about the power of the blog comment, but for some reason, nobody tells writers about it. But it’s very important. Start commenting regularly on big blogs and then Google yourself. You’ll be amazed!
Thanks for the encouraging post. I’ll be bookmarking it for reference, though I already subscribe to many of the practices you list. Keeping up with it all can be a bit challenging, but focusing, networking and luck are all part of the picture – and a positive attitude is key. Even baby steps add up eventually!
CA–If you’re already commenting on lots of blogs, you’re doing everything I recommend in this post. It’s only telling people to comment on blogs. I do have other posts on building platform using other methods, but this one recommends one simple thing anybody can do: comment on blogs. And here you are doing it! 🙂
As a new author I often wonder why anyone would want to read my blog. All I can really add at this point in my career is “I wrote a hundred words today” type posts. But the one thing I have is an overflow of questions. I’ve found that I DO have something to say on other people’s blogs, and most of them are legitimate. So, if I have a question about DRM on Kindle, I try to find someone blogging about it and (assuming they didn’t answer my question already) I use their blog as the place to a) interact and b) contribute something useful to the community at large. You take a little, give a little. This has resulted in very small lifts in traffic to my site, but they are much more valuable to me than the scant traffic that comes in from places like Twitter. Bottom line, go in and engage, don’t just say “hello” on 1000 blogs so your link shows up, and then leave. That may get you a little link love, but not much in the way of reader interest in who you are, or what you write about. Thank you.
eeisherwood–This post isn’t meant to be a comprehensive piece on blogging. I have written a number of posts on what to blog about on your own blog. (I don’t recommend talking about wordcount, since as you say, it’s not of interest to many people).
The most important thing to remember about all social media (and blogging is a social medium) is that it is SOCIAL.
You’re using comments exactly the right way–to socialize with people. When you’re starting out, you want to engage with people on many topics, not just writing and publishing. And you’re right that a comment that just says “great post” is not going to do as much for you as some thoughtful, input into the discussion.
Sometimes when you’re writing a long comment, you’ll realize that what the subject needs is a full blogpost. So there’s the next post for your own blog!
This is the first post I’ve read by you, Anne, and I’m impressed! You have a new subscriber.
I’m on Google + but really don’t know what to do with it other than post with it. It’s not very user-friendly. If you have experience with it, a post on how to use it would be appreciated.
Ann Marie–I wrote about Google + two weeks ago. It’s almost impossible to use right now, so I suggest just posting news of your blogs and books and maybe join one or two groups. Here’s the link https://selfpublishingsites.com/2016/02/authors-google-plus-google-awful.html
Thanks for this post. I have lots of homework now, that’s for sure!
Jen–Not really. See how easy it is to leave a comment? Leave a longer one on the next blog you visit and make a habit of commenting whenever you visit a blog. There. You’re building a platform. 🙂
Just a note for future updates: Alexa mentioned under “Check out the blog on Alexa” is retiring in May 2022. (Hmmm, noticing that it is now “an Amazon company” and realizing that Amazon has some kind of thingamajig with the name of Alexa, maybe they have other plans for the domain…. nah, I’m just being cynical. It’s just a coincidence)
Eric–Yes. Sob. Alexa is getting cancelled. Just when we made the top 100K websites. I will miss it. But you’re right that Alexa is way too popular a name. I met a woman last week whose name is Alexa and she’s not pleased with all these machines stealing her name.