by Anne R. Allen
Ooops. I seem to have missed my 10-year blogiversary! I posted my first attempt at blogging on Friday, March 13, 2009.
Yes, Friday the 13th. Apparently I have a need to tempt fate.
But I immediately lost the blog for about three months, and didn’t write my second post until June 20, 2009. It was a post on Writers Conferences.
After that, I posted pretty regularly, so I figure today is my real 10-year blogiversary.
I knew pretty much nothing about blogging at that point. I simply wanted a place to put the unpublished columns I had written for Inkwell Newswatch, a Canadian writers’ zine that stopped publication in January 2009.
So after somehow finding the blog again, I fumbled around with Blogger and started posting my unpublished columns on my new blog.
It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t know how.
I settled on putting up weekly posts on Sunday at 10 AM. I can’t remember why. Maybe I pictured my fellow writers relaxing with a cup of coffee on Sunday mornings and surfing the writing blogs the way I did.
Later I read that “the rules” of blogging say that Sunday is the worst day to post to a blog.
But this blog has never followed the rules. And that’s probably the most important of the 10 things I’ve learned:
1) Question Authority
“The rules” will come and go. So will gimmicks and tricks for SEO, ROI, SERP, and LMNOP 🙂 . The only thing that stays the same is the value of good content.
When I started out, “the rules” said a blogpost should be 300 words long and you should blog at least twice a day. Yeah. How many successful authors do you know who do that?
We were also told that an author blog should follow the same rules as a blog about make-up tips for teens or how to make decorative pillows out of dryer lint.
And we were supposed to run advertising all over the site. I remember reading that the #1 failure of new bloggers was “failure to monetize.” (I had to look up the word “monetize.”)
How many successful author blogs are peppered with irrelevant advertising these days?
Also, you needed a niche. You could only blog about jelly doughnuts or training your cat to use the toilet. Otherwise, readers would get confused.
Rule-makers are always underestimating readers. I slowly found out an author can blog about anything. We’re blogging to attract readers who will like our books. So we can write about anything those people would like to read about.
We simply have to make sure that what we say is honest, well-written, and helpful.
2) You Get By with a Little Help from Your Friends
My blog never would have taken off without the blogfriends I made early on. A lot of them are members of the Insecure Writers Support Group, which I think is one of the most useful groups in the writing community. Do check out their blog. (And check out the contest for their new anthology in the OPPORTUNITY ALERTS below.)
Friends who Tweeted my posts and shared them on other social media made this blog. I’d be nowhere without them.
Guest blogging for my friends got my name out there and brought in more readers.
And friends I made through blogging asked me to join anthologies and group promotions that raised the profile of the blog and made me a lot of money in book sales.
Most of all, my idol Ruth Harris became a friend through this blog and joined as a partner in 2011. No way would I have made it this long on my own.
And Ruth and I both owe a lot to our friend Barb Drozdowich, tech guru and social media whisperer, who saved our bacon when the blog almost died in 2015 after a tough move from Blogger to WordPress. (Check out Barb’s books and services. If you need help with a website or building your platform, she’s the one to call.)
3) Commenting on Other Blogs is the Best Way to Build Your Own Blog
Reading and commenting on blogs is the best way to start building your author platform. Commenting allows you to…
a) Get cozy with search engines
The first time I made it to the first page of Search Engine Results (the SERP) was with a comment on a popular blog. Search engine spiders will find you on a popular blog much more easily than they do on your own—especially if it’s brand new, or doesn’t have much traffic. Because the spiders go where the traffic is.
Turns out one of the most important aspects of “SEO” is getting something called “backlinks” and every comment links back to your own blog. I didn’t know that for years, but I did know my traffic grew when I took the time to read and comment on other writing blogs.
More on this in my post on How to Build Platform Without Really Trying.
b) Meet other blogging authors
No blog is an island. You need to become part of the “blogosphere.” You want to reach other bloggers and blog readers. They might just check out your blog too if you have interesting things to say in your comment.
Most of the important contacts I’ve made in my career have been through commenting on well known writing blogs. Bloggers know who their commenters are, and if you say something smart, they’ll remember you. They may even ask you to guest blog. That’s how I get most of my guest bloggers.
Author marketing guru Penny Sansevieri recommends commenting on blogs about 5 times a week. It doesn’t take much time and it pays off, big time.
4) Your Commenters are Your Most Important Asset.
A blog is nothing without readers. And readers who comment are giving you a lovely gift. Even if they disagree with you.
Answering comments quickly and honestly is one of the best ways for a blogger to get commenters coming back. (Although I have to admit I’m going to be away from the computer for a while today. But I will answer all your comments by the end of the day. )
Responding to comments acknowledges your readers as your equals. You’re not supposed to be sitting on a blogthrone waiting to be adored. You’re exchanging ideas with your peers.
I met Ruth Harris as well as two of my publishers when they commented on this blog. Plus I get some of my best ideas for new blogpost topics from the comments here.
5) Cyberia is Full of Scammers and Trolls. Be Vigilant, but Don’t Engage.
A swarm of trolls from the Goodreads bullies gang hit this blog early on, complete with emailed death threats. Yeah. They threatened to “take me out” and included a photo of my house. Because they misunderstood a blogpost. Hairraising. Now I know I should simply have deleted their ridiculous comments before things escalated, but I was all into “free speech.” (Which I forgot doesn’t apply to private property like your blog.)
We need to treat trolls like rattlesnakes. They may be right in your path, but find a way around them. Never engage. If they’re on your blog insulting you or your readers, delete the comments. If they’re challenging you on another blog, leave.
You can write a blogpost showing how wrong and awful they are, but don’t mention any names.
And as for Goodreads, don’t go there. Thar be dragons! Self-righteous, semi-literate dragons. As Buzzfeed said this week, they “weaponize the language of social justice” to attack pretty much everybody.
But also remember you’re a blogger, not the Pope. Infallibility is not required. If you’ve made a mistake, own it. Don’t get defensive. We learn from our mistakes. I’ve have learned a ton from the people who have corrected me here. And I’m so grateful for all the readers who have caught typos, so don’t hesitate to point them out.
When it comes to crooks, keep vigilant to protect yourself and your readers, but don’t try to battle them all. You have better things to do.
When somebody steals your content (as happened to me this week) ask them firmly but politely to take it down. If they don’t, send a DMCA to their Internet provider.
If they’re in some third world backwater where they can’t be reached, let it go. Maybe they’ll make enough money off your content to feed their family today. Or pay for a bus ride somewhere with better jobs. And maybe your words on their blog will inspire somebody who never would have seen it otherwise.
6) Keep to a Schedule.
People like to plan. It’s in our nature. Let people know when you’re going to post and they’ll show up at that time to enjoy your company again.
That doesn’t mean you can’t write blogposts when you feel inspired. Just post them at the same time every week or month or whatever. It’s better to let them rest a couple of days and proof them again anyway. You’ll catch a lot more of your typos.
Keep to a schedule because the blog isn’t about your needs: it’s about your readers’ needs.
7) An Author Blog is Not a Business Blog.
Business blogs are for selling stuff. Author blogs are for communication. They’re simply a place for you to get in touch with other writers, readers and potential readers and exchange ideas.
So the most important thing is to be real and entertaining, not hype-y. A blog is a place on the Web where people can come and hang out with you.
Pushy, “buy my book” posts don’t get traffic. And following all those complicated business blog rules will exhaust you and drive away readers. You don’t sell books like cat-carriers or Ginsu knives. Hammering readers by endlessly screaming your title at them does not make people want to relax and hang out with your work. It makes them want to block you.
I’ve watched a lot of author-bloggers give up because they tried to blog so often it became drudgery. An author doesn’t need to blog more than once a week. You want people to read your books, not daily reports of what you had for lunch. Besides, when you’re bored and miserable, your readers will be too.
Have fun with your blog. and when it isn’t fun anymore, take a break.
8) Don’t Badmouth Fellow Writers.
(And remember reviewers are writers too.)
Dissing celebrities is a fun game people love to play. Hey, they’re celebrities. They’re crying all the way to the bank, right?
But writers, even famous ones, are your colleagues. You may not be an unknown forever. What if you get a big book deal and meet Famous Author at a party and you’re the one who made that Facebook meme, showing him as a chimpanzee pooping out a book. Do you want to spend your first big publishing soiree hiding in the bathroom to avoid Mr. Famous?
Plus you never know when you might be invited to participate in a charity event or anthology edited by Publishing Superstar. Yes, it happens.
Do you want to be the one who Tweeted “@PublishingSuperstar is a talentless has-been. Who will stop him before he writes again?”
Good luck getting into that anthology.
If you’re a book blogger, I’m not saying you shouldn’t give negative reviews. But personal insults always backfire. I’ve watched it happen to some snarky authors (who have since disappeared from the scene.)
9) The Most Important Rule is the Golden One.
Be nice. Be positive. You catch more flies with honey. Yeah, all the things your grandma taught you are true.
Okay, I’m not going to pretend a little negativity in the header won’t boost traffic. We usually get more clicks on our “How Not to Write…” posts than ones labeled “How to Write….”
But you need to make the overall message of the post positive. Always add a strong dose of hope to anything you blog about. Whining about how the publishing industry is “rigged” or how all agents are scammers will not win friends or influence readers. And dwelling on bad reviews and rejections makes you look like a loser. Do your mourning offline.
No advice is less helpful than “everything sux” or “it can’t be done.”
Negative clickbait headers may get temporary traffic, but our most popular posts have been positive. The most popular post by far this year has been Ruth Harris’s wonderful piece on Good News About Procrastination.
10) We’re all Bozos on the Blogging Bus.
Probably only my fellow Boomers will get that reference to a comedy album from the Firesign Theater circa 1971. (Further made famous by Wavy Gravy, who said: “We’re all Bozos on the bus, so might as well sit back and enjoy the ride.” Mr. Gravy, aka Hugh Romney, also said in 1989 that the 90s were going to be the 60s upside down, one of my favorite prophecies ever. )
But what I mean about us all being Bozos is that we’re all winging it out here. There are no hard and fast rules. What works for one author won’t work for another. Chuck Wendig uses foul language and talks politics and does all the things you’re not supposed to do–and he has one of the most popular and effective author blogs around. Nathan Bransford dropped his blog for at least year, and so did Joe Konrath. But they are back—and readers are too.
Remember nothing is set in stone. What works today may not work tomorrow. If what you’re doing isn’t working, do something else. Blogging is always growing and changing.
Follow your own red nose, drive your own clown car, and do something screamingly different. It just might work.
by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen) June 23, 2019
What about you, scriveners? Do you blog? How long have you been blogging? What have you learned from blogging? Do you think blogging has helped your career?
BOOK OF THE WEEK
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OPPORTUNITY ALERTS
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The Moth Prize for short fiction. €3,000 (approximately $3,380) and publication in the Moth. 2nd prize: a weeklong retreat in Missé, France, and a €250 travel stipend; 3rd prize: €1,000 and publication. Kit de Waal will judge. Up to 5,000 words. €15 (approximately $17) FEE. Deadline June 30
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Congratulations on ten years! (I hit my ten years in November.) Sunday is great for you because it’s great content on a day with little competition.
Thanks for mentioning the IWSG as well.
Comment on other blogs and be a nice person – so important! Basically, be a good friend. Stop by and show support. Be friendly.
It helped when I found my groove within the first two years. I focus on geek stuff – movies, music, games, and other geeky pursuits. I write science fiction so writing about geek stuff fits. And once a month about writing – IWSG!
Alex–You certainly practice what you preach! And you are a great example for all authors who blog. You blog about a whole lot of things–but they’re all things that appeal to your readership. That’s how to do it right!
Anne, as always, you deliver common sense for today’s author with a giant helping of humor and experience. I’m in absolute awe of your ten years and the impact you have had on so many of us, guiding us around the rattlesnakes and trolls.
I especially want to underscore #1 and #9. I just celebrated my 7th anniversary as a published author and the “rules” have changed every 6 months or so it seems. We’re now swimming in an ocean of content and what worked 7 years ago has been washed away by the waves. The blogosphere is huge, but by thinking “community” and treating people as we want to be treated–professionally and thoughtfully–we can make a go of this crazy business called writing.
Thanks for all the great posts and cheers to another 10 years!
Carmen–Many thanks! It really is all about community, isn’t it? Treat people well, and doors will open that you may not even have known existed.
Oh, I love your blog. I eagerly look forward to reading it – it is so full of practical advice. And your links are the best. Thank you – thank you. And congrats on the anniversary with many more years to come.
Brad–Many thanks! I’m glad you find our advice useful.
My sentiments exactly, Brad!
Anne—Thanks for the kind words! No wonder you’ve created such a successful blog! I learn something from every one of your posts—and from those contributed by your smart, savvy guests.
Ruth–Thanks for being my blog partner for 8 of those years! It’s amazing we’re still at it, isn’t it?
Hi Anne – Congratulations on the ten-mark! There’s been lots of “rule” changes over the decade but I think you aced it with honest, helpful and well written. Looking forward to another ten years of ten am on Sunday mornings 🙂
Garry–Many thanks. I always appreciate your comments and Twitter shars.
Congratulations from another Sunday blogger. And I agree we’re all follow our own path. Wishing you many more blogging years.
Leanne–You’ve been blogging at least as long as I have, I met you early in my blogging career. I remember you interviewed me back then. I really appreciated it!
Congratulations on a decade of excellent blogging. I follow your column faithfully, even though I am (blushing with shame, here) usually too much in a hurry or too busy to drop a comment. The toughest piece of advice for me to follow is to blog regularly. My good intentions often bump up against the realities of life (the latest one being a move from the USA to Canada). Once the unpacking has been mostly completed, I hope to be able to set up and maintain a writing and blogging routine. I now have a ‘real’ office with desk, bookcase, file drawers and everything. No more excuses.
Please keep up your wonderful blog. It is an inspiration as well as a source of helpful advice.
Phyllis–Congrats on the move! I admit to some “Canada envy” so it sounds like a smart one. Blogging when you’re moving isn’t possible. Well, doing anything else when you’re moving is pretty tough. I hope you’re enjoying settling in. Having your own office helps. You can “go to work” every day.
“Follow your own red nose, drive your own clown car, and do something screamingly different. It just might work.” This needs to be a tee-shirt. LOL.
What you say is true, oh great one. I’ve been blogging for years and have seen all the rules. None of which worked for me, by the way. And honestly, I haven’t really blogged for quite a while due to the weariness of it all.
Yet, this post has got me slightly inspired now. Thanks for that.
Annie
Annie–Might make a good tee-shirt. I’ll think about that. 🙂 Yeah, when blogging is wearying, it’s time to take a break. I’m glad I’ve inspired you to try it again!
I’d buy that tee shirt!
Happy #10 Blogversary, Anne, and here’s to many more! Great tips as always offered with wisdom and affection. Thanks for keeping me motivated-:D.
Cat–Thanks! Keep up the good work.
Congrats on 10 years of blogging. I’m at year 8. I so agree with everything you say about blogging. I have more recently connected with the IWSG and really like it because it’s so helpful and everyone seems committed to blogging. I’ve seen so many other people just give up on it.
And visiting blogs and commenting is a great way to build your own blog. Thanks for sharing all your great advice all these years.
Natalie–Literary Rambles is such a great blog! I’m glad you feel the same way I do about the IWSG. I recommend all new authors join up. Such good people. And hardly any drama. 🙂
Anne, congrats on your tenth anniversary, that’s fantastic and it’s a great blog, as good now as when it started. At least, as far as I remember it! I think I began to read you regularly around 2010 or 2011, so full of good advice for your fellow writers, very generous of you, I’ve always felt…
Yes, when I look back, I’ve learned so much from you over the years. And how the years have flown, they’ve gone by at top speed, wow! I started a blog at about the same time as you did, but my blog is dead now. It was written under a pen name (Claude Nougat) that I have abandoned. I felt it was a ridiculous name, the implicit reference to a gooey sweet didn’t reflect the way I write (or what I wanted to write about). I made a mistake when I started that blog, picked the name as a lark, then grew tired of it. Grew tired of publishing books under that name too.
Beware of pen names, they can kick you in the back!
Actually the blog isn’t totally dead (never let anything die!). I just renamed it, gave it my own real name and I’ve stopped publishing blog posts as such. I basically signal to my readers that I’ve published a new article on Impakter, the magazine for millennials (and older people like me too!) where I’ve been working as senior editor since its foundation (2014). And, the great thing is that I have the freedom to write about all sorts of stuff that interests me, social issues, politics, tech things like, this week, Facebook’s new cryptocurrency (Libra) and having an incredibly good time of it. So rewarding.
So you’re right, there are no real rules about blogging! My blogging was never a success, but it led to Impakter and Impakter is definitely turning into a big success, so that’s very exciting! And fulfilling!
Happy Blog Day!
Claude–I remember meeting you back when you were named after the candy. I think all authors think about using a pen name at some point.
I used to write under the name Andree Antiphon when I was in my teens. I wanted to be enigmatic and silly at the same time. I ran into a clipping of one of my poems from some newspaper with that name on it. I’d totally forgotten. I’m so glad I dropped it.
Impakter sounds like the perfect venue for you and how fantastic it’s such a success. Congratulations!
Badmouthing other writers – or reviewers – is like shooting yourself in the foot. If you’ll talk bad about one person, you’d talk bad about others, and writers and fans will start to avoid you.
I’ve blogged since 2005 and not once have I ever considered monetizing my blog.
Diane–I remember when I only knew you by your blog name! I didn’t know you’d been blogging that long. You got into it at the very beginning! Congrats on keeping it going.
I’m glad to hear you’ve never monetized. That’s probably why you’re still going strong. We tried to attract some advertisers when we first made the move to WordPress. What a ridiculous amount of work for almost nothing. I gave that up fast.
What a day to be getting dragged around the neighborhood looking for cat-scratchers and bird seed! I nearly missed this frabjous day- congratulations Anne. I am sharing this immediately, it’s all you from top to bottom.
Will–I hope you found the cat-scratchers and bird seed. Sounds like an interesting hunt. 🙂
Great stuff, as usual Anne. And brava to that Golden Rule.
CS–Yup. That’s the most important rule of all!
Lovely journey into the early development of blogs. I’d forgotten all the ‘rules’ people were suppose to follow then.
Marsha–Every so often I run into a new blogger who has got one of those books on blogging from 10 years ago. That’s like “Blogging for Dinosaurs” in tech years. It’s a looooong time ago.
I almost choked on my coffee when I read #8, Anne. 🙂 The meme example is priceless.
Did the unnamed pirate site take down the content they stole from you?
Re SEO: I believe a post should only be as long as it needs to be to convey the information. Like many busy people, I tend to avoid anything longer than 1000 words, especially when the blogger has added unnecessary padding just to meet a perceived “necessary” word limit. In my view, quality supersedes quantity. One of my posts, less than 600 words, comes up on the first page at Google (in second position as I write this comment) when I search for tips for remembering story ideas. I have had similar results with other websites — I just used mine for an example, because it’s easy for me to find short posts on my own site.
Did you notice the [space] [em dash] [space] combo? I’ve switched to the AP style since last Sunday.
Blogging twice a day, even with 300-word posts … the stuff of nightmares. Brrrrrrrrr.
Thanks for another excellent post.
Kathy–I have to admit I laughed out loud when I invented that meme. I hope somebody doesn’t decide to do it for real.
This week’s pirate took down my posts right away after I asked them to. Just clueless, I think. They thought you could take a whole blogpost without permission if you gave attribution.
I haven’t decided about AP vs CMOS for the blog. But as I said, my publisher wants it for my books. Looks better on a Kindle.
I’m glad the clueless people took down your posts.
Congratulations, by the way, on ten years of blogging! I got so caught up in the content I forgot the main reason I popped over here.
Hi Anne, thank you for sharing your important blog message today. I found you through author, Cat Michaels, and I believe, I’ve seen you on another site, which the name escapes me now. “Indies Unlimited,” maybe?
I enjoyed all your information here, from the Golden Rule to what you said here, and I quote,
“Remember nothing is set in stone. What works today may not work tomorrow. If what you’re doing isn’t working, do something else. Blogging is always growing and changing.”
This couldn’t be more true.
Thank again!
Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday,
Rosie
Rosie–Welcome! Cat is great. I think Indies Unlimited sometimes runs some of my posts. That’s a great site.
Yes, blogging is constantly evolving. And people are always saying blogging is dead. Haha. Nothing is constant but change.
Hi Anne – Thanks for the compliment! We love your site, too, and have referenced it numerous times on Indies Unlimited. And whenever I teach self-publishing, I include your blog as one of the resource sites for authors. Thank you for all you do!
Happy blogiversary! This was a wonderful post. I agree with everything you said.
I would be curious to hear more about Inkwell Newswatch, though. How long did you write for them? What sorts of stuff did they publish? It’s a shame they no longer exist.
Lydia–Inkwell Newswatch was the newsletter of the Freelance Writers Organization-International. They were on the Writer’s Digest Best 101 sites for writers for a number of years. But the editor moved back to the States, and the tech guy and mastermind, Rowdy Rhodes, finally had to let the site go. It was a lot of work. They had a fantastic database for freelance writers.
A decade of Sundays helping writers! Yayyy!
Your timing is perfect for me — after watching CNN morning shows and being ready (usually) to go screaming out into the front yard — bing! — your blog pops up on my email alerts and I leap for it. Instantly — I’m transported into the common sense and fun world of Anne and Ruth, where you guys make me cackle and smile, and in literally every post, I find something I relate to, have just encountered, or want to alert my writer-pals about. It’s great — Sunday just wouldn’t be Sunday without your blog. :O))
Maria–Thanks! Ruth and I are happy to be part of your Sundays!
Hi Anne
Thanks for the memories and the usual good advice. I started blogging in the fall of 2007. At first, it was like talking to myself. But then I started commenting on related blogs and those authors on mine. That drew a lot of new traffic and subscribers. Most of those blogs are gone now but some of the subscribers remain. So yes – I quite agree with #3.
I agree on trolls. And it took me a few months to clue in that if the comment had links but no real reference to the article, it was probably spam. (eg: “very nice article” with a link to their dodgy web site)
I’ve never used a schedule but more recently, I have moved away from posting articles in waves. The content of some got lost when several were posted at once. 🙂
Firesign Theater! Dave’s not here!
btw – I’ve also discovered content theft. One site was copying everything, mixing it randomly with other stolen articles to get Google ad revenue. I realized it wasn’t worth my time chasing it all down.
I was already cross linking articles a lot, so any stolen articles always had links back to my content. I just made one change – putting my name at the end of the content, in the content. This discouraged scripted theft as they got the name then too. 🙂
A lot of the content thieves aren’t worse chasing. I get tons of Google alerts from those college essay writing sites that have used my content or even just my name to get some kind of Google love. They’re mostly in India and my anti-virus program tells me not to go there. I hate it that my name is being used to lure victims into some kind of scam, but there’s not much I can do about it.
Dave–But I’m Dave! Oh, wait, you’re Dave 🙂
Those spammers were kind of heartbreaking early on, weren’t they? You’d think you finally got a new commenter. Who thought you had a “very nice blog.” but then there were those links to fake viagra sellers…Sigh.
Congrats on blogging for 12 years! They say most blogs only last 3.
Great tips! I got a little freaked out by the Goodreads one!!! That’s awful – I’m so sorry you had to go though that. Horrible!
There really is no rule better than the Golden Rule!!
Cheers to another 10 years 🙂
Jemi–Goodreads was a real cesspool back in the early days of self-publishing. Some authors were shameless in their self-promotion and very unprofessional in their interactions. So a bunch of author-haters got together and battered authors with horrific bullying. Finally Goodreads kicked out the ringleaders. But there’s still an anti-author sentiment there. Only go with your reader hat on, not as a writer.
Wow. Mob mentality at its worst. Scary stuff – and sad. I will tread very quietly!
So glad you’re sticking it out and loving it! So many of my author friends have abandoned blogging and now only post on FB and Twitter. Good luck finding any of their long, thoughtful posts. The platforms bury them. I’ve stepped back from blogging a bit as I’ve focused on my art, so I post once a week with the stuff I’ve drawn that week, or art I like. Not many comments, but people click over to see the pretty pictures. 😀 I’ll go back to writing actual posts eventually, I’m just trying to survive a new baby right now and lack brain cells.
Kessie–How wonderful you can keep up your blog with artwork! There’s nothing wrong with switching media, as long as you can stay creative. And it sounds as if you’re doing that in spite of the new baby (Congratulations!) Painting can be more right brained. That may be what you need right now.
Congratulations on your first decade blogging. Here is to ten more!
I learned so much from your posts.
I had been blogging for only three years and I have still yet to make my first professional sale after 4 years writing. Nonetheless, the more i learn about the writing craft the closer I get to my goal.
Thanks again, Anne for everything you do for the writing community.
~Ingmar Albizu
Ingmar–Blogging may not get you professional jobs, although the contacts you make might set you on the right road. But it sure gives you practice in writing professionally. Four years sounds about right. If you’re not sending work out regularly, it might be time. Best of luck!
Thank you for 10 years of excellent advice. I love your columns. They calm me down when I’m feeling anxious.
Softsenta–I’m so glad my columns help you with anxiety. I’ve suffered from anxiety all my life, so I totally relate. Thanks!
Congratulations on your blog birthday (a real one and an official one then – like the Queen).
As a newby, I’ve learned some of the points above over the past year, but you’ve included some truths I was beginning to suspect and am glad to have backup for.
This was one of the first blogs I signed up to when I began writing – which was some time before I dipped my own toe in the cyberpond – and it’s still one I know will be good value to click on when it pops up in my inbox.
Cathy–Yes, I’m just like the Queen 🙂
It’s great to hear that our blog has helped you and you continue to enjoy reading our Sunday offerings. Thanks!
I’ve been blogging for about 11 (2008) years. One of the reasons that I started blogging was dealing with censorship issues in the chat rooms. Started moderating some several years ago while I was dealing with trolls/.spammers.
One piece of advice I would give about blogging is to not constantly change your blogging presence/platform. Fastest way I that I know of to lose readers. Got burned out with my original main blog and ultimately made a new blog on the same platform. Never truly recovered from that semi-lethal hit and permanently hurt myself by switching to a non-use friendly blogging platform. I’m back to the platform that I’d originally started at, but the reality is that I’m never going to reach that height of solid readership again. if I hit even one-fifteenth of what I originally had, I’ll consider myself to be extremely lucky.
I’d agree, GB. I’ve seen several writer-bloggers change several times, effectively starting from scratch each time. You can build it up again but it takes some consistency (at least in presence) and some of the tips Anne has shared. Party even from the perspective of search engines.
However, you can migrate your platform with little loss if it’s an improvement for readership and its done carefully. For example, I went from free to paid WordPress about half-way along. This solved several problems and opened up the possibilities considerably.
GB–We lost a ton of readers when we moved from Blogger to WordPress. All the people who followed us in an RSS feed lost us. We had to make the move because Blogger wasn’t secure enough and all our content had been pirated and we got locked out of our own blog, but it was a huge mess when we moved and we never got back the numbers we had originally. So I totally relate.
Sorry to hear Anne. And surprising. You’d think if they were paying attention, they’d just update their feed. But given the move was essentially forced, you didn’t have the same time for planning, notices, forwarding, etc. I find it much easier to comment on your new platform.
I lost a few with the my platform change but gained many more.
One of the biggest challenges some have is not owning their web site address (domain). Thus, their site address changes when they change platforms. But if you have a domain name, you can take it with you when you change hosts, platforms, or whatever.
To prepare for the change, I added a domain to my free WP site to start migrating readers in advance.
Although I will say that with todays requirement for SSL, it’s not as easy to migrate unless you buy a certificate for both the old site and the new site. No gradual changeovers otherwise. An https address doesn’t work for a site without a certificate so all the links go bad…
Ah the joys of technology….
David–Our robot overlords don’t want to make anything too easy for us. They need us to know who’s boss. 🙁
Hi and congrats on your 10th blogversary. Took me years to work out what to blog about until I settled on what it’s really like to be a writer: the fears, the imposter syndrome etc. that writers think goes away when you’re published. Well no, it doesn’t says the voice of 90 books. I only blog on the first Monday each month – the advice that you “must” blog twice daily, weekly, whatever also deterring me for a long time. As you say, consistency is what matters. And I love interacting with followers. Raising a glass to another 10 years for your wonderful blog!
Valerie–I think blogging once a month is fine for an author blog. In fact, some of your followers will thank you that they only get that notice once a month. That way they can be excited when you appear. I think the old song about “How Can I Miss You When You Don’t Go Away” is true of blogs and newsletters too. 🙂
Definitely!
Happy 10th Anne! And thanks for sharing your blogging journey with us. I’m with you on all points. 🙂
Debby–Many thanks! And thanks for sharing this blog on social media so regularly. We appreciate it!
My pleasure Anne – sharing the good stuff! 🙂
Congratulations Anne!! I enjoy your posts and look forward to them every Sunday. I believe I’m a better writer because of your blog so Thank You for keeping it going for so long.
I’ve not blogged myself for a year and a half and I appreciate that you added above that it’s ok to take a break.
In my case, moving twice plus major surgery can really put a dent in your blogging schedule.
Cindy–There’s nothing like moving to put a dent in all your writing! Shrinks say a move can be as disruptive as a death in the family. So doing it twice is a very good reason for a break. Surgery is too. But you can get your readership back if you start up with a schedule again.
10 Years! That is a stellar accomplishment. Don’t you just wish we could go back 10 years with the knowledge we have now about the industry, Anne? I started a year after you, and I should have started sooner. Your advice about posting the same time every week is something I’ve fallen from, but will try to get back on that horse.
Thanks for so many years of wonderful posts!
Melodie–Oh, my. If I knew then what I know now. So much wasted time and energy. You have had a reason to take a break. When you’re ready, you can start posting regularly again. Your post at Sleuthsayers today on why not to marry a crime writer was hilarious! You might repost it on your blog. 🙂
Congratulations on 10 years and with a lot of success to show for it! I’ll have to see “I Think We’re All Bozos On This Bus.”
Stanley–“We’re all Bozos On This Bus” was an LP. I think it may be available on CD now. Stoner humor. Very 1970s. Cheech and Chong also recorded some of their sketches. 🙂
Congrats, Anne! You inspire us with your honesty, consistency, and kindness. That’s why I especially endorse #7, #9 & #10 on your above list. Blogging involves a conversation with people you’re chatting with, not selling to, in a kind, weird way. Why not? Especially when authors keep coming back to this art form.
I’m in month 13 of this journey on my blog, http://www.RoadBroads.com, about old women writers crafting extraordinary stories about ordinary journeys. Or so our logline reads…
Thank you for leading the way for we readers of your words…
Melanie–I’ll have to check out RoadBroads. I love the concept! 13 months is a good solid start. The most important thing is to enjoy the process. Sounds as if you do. Congrats!
10 years of blogging is a great achievement. Congrats! Great lessons learned as well, thanks for sharing! Agree on not following the “rules” too much and doing what feels right. All the best for the next 10 years!
Marko–Many thanks! Yeah, question authority. Don’t follow leaders. Watch the parking meters. Profound advice from Mr. Bob Dylan. 🙂
Thank you for ten years. Thank you for writing a wonderful, useful, interesting blog for all that time! I’m always recommending your blog to people! And it truly is amazing what you can do when you’ve got no idea what you’re doing (I raised two kids that way and they turned out okay. Lol!).
I love the IWSG! And I know that commenting is a good thing. Thanks for the reminder that I should do so more often.
Here’s to ten more years!
Merry–Thanks for commenting. The IWSG is the best way for an author to join the blogosphere. Alex and his team have been helping writers for some time now. Thanks!
Congratulations on your tenth anniversary. I hit mine in February. You have such good and thoughtful tips here. Sometimes I wonder if I’m some kind of dinosaur with my blog, but then I see the people who have kept at it, like you, are the ones who take the time to write helpful, thought-provoking posts. Best to you and wishing you another ten years.
Liza–Congrats to you too! People love to say blogging is totally over, and they’ve been saying it pretty much since it started. 🙂 But I think the blog will outlast the newsletter, which has become so overhyped that readers hate them. Many thanks!
Anne we agree on email newsletter strategy (or lack thereof LOL) and it looks like we also agree on blog strategy. I’m dying to know how you lost your original blog?
Lissa–When I started the blog on that fateful Friday the 13th, I forgot to bookmark it. And since it had no traffic, Google didn’t know about it, so there was no way to find it. Finally it got a few comments and Google found it. That’s how I got it back. 🙂
Congratulations on the anniversary, no matter when the exact day was! And thanks for the post. It’s exactly what I needed to get my blogging act back into gear. I’ve kind of allowed my blogging schedule to wither down this year, with the majority of my posts coming on the first Wednesday of the month for my IWSG post.
There’s so many good points in here I’ll have to bookmark this post. Thanks again, Anne.
Chemist Ken–The IWSG keeps you blogging, though, doesn’t it? Another reason to join. Putting more energy into your blog will bring more traffic, and that will give you more energy back. You’ll get back into it!
Thank you for writing your blog every Sunday because I look forward to it. Everything I’ve ever read is helpful to me as a writer and the tips and advice are wonderfully on point.
Happy Blogiversary! Write on!
Patricia–Many thanks! And thanks for being one of our regular commenters. We always appreciate your input!
Love your blogging tips, Anne! Happy, happy anniversary!!! You’ve done an amazing job with your blog. Every time I visit I learn something new. Thank you for so many wonderful years. You and Ruth are bright stars in the blogosphere.
Sue–Many thanks! You have a fascinating blog too. In fact your website is a great example of how to do an author website right. Congrats on all your success!
Happy Blogiversary, Anne! 🙂
KS–Many thanks!
Happy blogversary!
A couple years ago, I stopped replying to comments on my blogs and just stuck with visiting back. The main reason was because of health. The fatigue I get from chronic illness meant I didn’t have the energy to do both, so I had to pick one. Maybe I can give it a shot again (because I’d like to) since I’ve found a schedule for me that keeps the fatigue at bay most of the time.
Patricia–I know how health issues can cut into your blog time. I’ve been having a few myself and I was lucky enough to have two fabulous guests step in this month. It is hard to keep up. But I think responding to comments is worth it when you can. It keeps people coming back. Good luck with the fatigue stuff. I know that makes everything tough.
Happy Tenth anniversary!!! I feel I’ve been reading your blog for ever. So much great information. I link to your blog so often… I should probaly rename my blog roundup the Anne R Allen Ruth Harris fangirl diary.
xxx from NZ
I’d be happy to attend the meetings!
Maureen–You have a fantastic blog, and it’s been fun to watch you soar in popularity. You’ve found the secret to getting a blog on the map quickly. A link round-up gets the attention of every one of those bloggers you link to. They start sharing your posts and everything expands exponentially. Thanks for your fantastic weekly round-ups. I always find something there that I’ve missed. .
awwwww blushes madly! xx
Congratulations!! 10 years of wonderful, inspiring tips and help and all sorts of goodness! Thank you 🙂 Looking forward to more.
I’ve been blogging on and off since 2008, ‘lost’ my way many a time, listening to the ‘wrong’ people, not realising they were all about business and the hard sell – so not me! Your book, ‘The Author Blog’, has been an immense help, thank you.
Many times, I feel I’m talking to myself but I keep going only because I enjoy blogging 🙂 And its a neat way to have my ‘stuff’ in one place. One thing I will make more of an effort to do is to actually pop my head over the parapet and comment on blogs instead of lurking in the background – old habits die hard 😉
Joy–I’ve seen your name around the blogosphere for a long time. It is indeed easy to “get lost” when we’re told to do so much and follow the latest shiny thing as well as write. How wonderful to know my book helped you get back to blogging! Great to hear.
Thanks for de-lurking. 🙂
Anne, you have no idea how happily over the moon your reply has made me, that you’ve seen my name around the blogosphere! 🙂 Thank you!
Congratulations on ten years! I’m a long time reader, but I don’t believe I’ve ever commented. Gasp!
I’ve been blogging for almost ten years, and I’ve always enjoyed it, but I’ve been slacking off lately, not feeling much blogging/creative spirit. This post, though, has reminded me of what I liked about it so maybe I still have some of that oomph after all. 🙂
Madeline–I think because blogging isn’t the latest shiny thing, a lot of authors have let their blogs go. But I still think it’s one of the best ways to get your name out there. Thanks for de-lurking and best of luck getting your “oomph” back!
Happy Anniversary!
I’m a huge proponent of your blogging style and advice. I just need to remember to get out there more, and participate more with the IWSG!
Morgan–Many thanks. I’m so glad to hear my advice helps. And yes, the IWSG is a fantastic place to network. And all online marketing is really networking.
Great post – and it’s always good to see fellow bloggers hitting the double digits!
Catherine–We’re the survivors! It takes some work, but a blog can work for us long term.
Just a quick congrats on your blogiversary, and many thanks for all your wonderful posts!
Maureen–Many thanks! And thanks for taking the time to comment.
Great points as always you guys. Lots to think about. Blogging sure has come a long way in 10 years, huh?!
Rachel–Blogging has gone through a lot of changes. Not all for the better. When Google was still supporting Blogger, it was a fantastic free platform. Now it’s kind of fading, and that’s too bad IMO.
This post has inspired me to keep blogging and writing articles. I’m nowhere near as proficient as you but I too believe in being positive and nice to people. I write to a niche market – historical fiction set in New Zealand – and sometimes it gets lonely, so I appreciate your tips and thoughts.
Many thanks
Vicky–Blogging and writing articles is a great way to reach a niche audience like yours. Getting articles into local magazines about the history of those places will definitely interest locals and travelers alike to read your fiction on the subject. Best of luck with it!
Congratulations! I hit the same milestone this month with my own Fantasy Author’s Handbook, and know how time can fly when you’re having fun. https://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com/2019/06/25/ten-years-of-fantasy-authors-handbook/
Philip–Congrats on your own blogiversary!
Congratulations on your ten year blogiversary!
I always say that if we were forced to choose just one social media platform, I’d choose my blog.
Blogging will grow and change, for sure, but I think it is here to stay, for a long time, hopefully…
I agree! My blog is my social media platform of choice, although I am using Facebook and Twitter as well.
Michelle and Liz–I agree! I think a blog is the most important part of your platform!
That’s good to hear, Anne!
Thanks for an excellent post. I just revived my blog, so the info here comes at exactly the right moment!
Donald–I’m glad this post helped you revive your blog. Best of luck with it!
Ten years! Quite a milestone. I enjoyed your post today, especially the warning about Goodreads. I’ve had my doubts about its usefullness. My suspicions get aroused when the theme seems to be how fast or how many of something someone can do. In the case of Goodreads it’s read books. Maybe they’ll have a reading contest next to the July 4th hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.
Ray–LOL! I agree about the hot dog eating contest mentality. I think writing for Goodreads readers is probably like cooking for hot dog eating contestants. Nuanced flavors, creativity and innovation are not exactly what they care about. Thanks for the laugh!
Congratulations, of course! Ten years is a lot of constancy. I began in September, ’09, but I took a hiatus, so cannot really count it as ten years. In fact, the information about Nathan Bransford, I find encouraging.
Keep up the amazing work. We need you so much. <3
Katharine–I think a good percentage of bloggers took a “hiatus” too. The popularity of email newsletters made everybody drop their blogs and go for that direct mail marketing. But recently, email marketing has waned due to oversaturation and the fact that most of us send all those newsletters to spam. But the old blog turns out to keep chugging away, bringing in NEW readers instead of just hammering the old ones with “buy my book” emails. Congrats on getting back to your blog.
I am so glad to hear you say this, Anne! I’ve been resisting the conventional wisdom (dictum?) that says I must build an email list with a newsletter.
Hi Anne. Congratulations on your tenth blogiversary! I’ve been blogging for about the same amount of time and there has certainly been plenty of trial and error (I’m still working on point No.3). 😉 There have been times when I’ve needed to take a break, but I agree with Michelle and Liz, that despite the other platforms, blogging is my social media of choice. Thanks for sharing your words of wisdom!
Debbie–Congratulations to you too! And yes, sometimes we need a break. And that’s okay. We can get guest bloggers, or just put up a notice that we’re “writing now–back later.” It’s all okay. And your blog will still be here. I think you’re doing it right!
Congratulations, Anne! I’m a bit late getting here, being in the throes of overhauling my hot mess of a blog for the third (fourth?) time this year alone, and this time it’s from the ground up. I started on Blogger about fifteen+ years ago for myself and organizations, and have been on WordPress for the last nine. Some of those blogs were great, others died right out the door. So much depended on timing and getting in front of the right eyes–and being clear on my intent. At one time I had four different blogs simultaneously–I think that’s when I found yours, which was an eye of calm wisdom in my self-imposed hurricane. And even after all that time, all those experiences, I still come back here every week to get updated and re-centered. Thank you ever so much for your consistency and sense of humor, and, yes, friendship. You know what I mean–I think a lot of us who don’t actually know you in person think of you as a friend. Onward and upward, Anne, and here’s to the next ten!
Meg–Many thanks. That’s a great thing to hear. Regular readers like you are what keep us going. And I do think of you as friends. Thanks for saying it. That kind of makes my day. 🙂
I’ve always preached that it’s best to only have one blog, although in the past couple of years, I haven’t practiced what I preach.
I’ve had a Blogger blog as well as this one, mostly just as an insurance policy. Every so often, hackers try a “brute force” attack on this blog. So far they haven’t managed to get past the host’s security, but I fear they might get in sometime.. That’s when a back-up blog might come in handy.
But generally, I feel one blog should be enough. Mostly because authors have to actually author books, and we also need lives, when we speak to our families and stuff like that. Blogging is awesome, but only when it’s manageable.
BTW, I love the look of your website and blog. Very eye-catching and memorable. Your covers, too.
I create a WP backup file every time I update my blog.
Liz–Our blog is backed up too, but if hackers take over the entire blog and shut us out, we have no access to any of our files. They essentially take over your WP identity. They only do this to high profile blogs in order to hold them for ransom. It’s a terrifying thing when you’re under attack. Sometimes the host just shuts down the blog when the attack is really fierce. It happened about 5 times last year. This blog simply disappeared for 12 hours. It’s only happened once this year that I’m aware of. But that’s why I have the other blog now. So people can find me on the Web if this blog is stolen.
How dreadful!!