Thinking of starting a blog.....but a question

[Mira]

Hi all,

I'm thinking of starting a blog, because it sounds like alot of fun. It would also be outstanding writing practice for me.

But here are my two concerns:

1) What if nobody comes to see what I write? What if no one comments?

Seems likely this will happen. Does anyone experience this and does it matter?

2) Why do you have a blog? I'm not doing it for social media, but......I'm not sure why I'm doing it. Why do you have a blog?

Appreciate anyone's comments! Thanks!

[Margo]

I think just about everyone starts out talking to themselves on their blog. Until you get a certain number of visitors, the blog won't even show up in searches. However, if you post here in the "Do you have a new blog post?" thread, you'll at least get the start of an audience, I'm positive.

Then, as you comment on other people's blogs, if you say something interesting, people who see the comment will go look at your blog and possibly become regular readers.

Then there are blogfests. People sign up for the event (which could be a one-day event or a whole month) and try to visit all the other blogs that have signed up. Big blogfests, like the A-to-Z Challenge that just happened in April, do wonders for blog exposure (if you can keep up). More than a thousand people signed up for that one, if I recall correctly. I think I more than tripled my readership/followers just in that month. Some people have said they gained 100-200 blog followers.

You can also get connected with people on Twitter and tweet when you have a new blog post. If people think it's good, they might retweet the announcement to all their twitter followers (possibly gaining you blog followers and twitter followers).

Yes, I am distressed that I know all of this.

As to why I blog, I'm paying forward all the opportunities I've gotten and hoping to help others avoid the pitfalls that trapped me. I am compulsively helpful. One of my grad school professors teasingly called me Capt. Save-a-ho. Plus, it became really fun once I had regular readers who came and commented. We have running jokes and visit one another's blogs and try to be supportive. The majority of the people I'm especially active with online are other Bransforumers.

[maybegenius]

Margo covered all the big stuff

Everyone starts out with no audience or a very small audience. Everyone. Unless they were already well-known/famous for something before they started the blog, but I digress. It takes a while to get exposure and have people start following. Many people won't follow newer blogs just because so many of them are abandoned in the first six months. True story.

The best advice I can give a new blogger is to do it because you think it will be fun and you have something you're passionate about that you really love to talk about. Start there. Just write regularly and have fun and enjoy yourself. Link your blog in your signature, share new posts in the thread here like Margo recommended, and follow and comment on other blogs. Try not to think about who is and isn't following you or how many comments you're getting.

If you stick with it, they will come

P.S. - I blog because I absolutely love talking about writing and YA literature. So I like to talk about what I know and have discussions about the questions and ideas I think are most interesting.

[Claudie]

I started blogging because I found the online writing community - both here on the Bransforums and elsewhere - to be absolutely amazing, and I wanted to be an active part of it.

Steph said it: in the first six months, you won't get a lot of traffic. That's normal and okay, don't worry about it. Keep posting regularly, and link in the New Blog Post thread here (and on twitter if you have it). People will come, sooner or later. Most of my early traffic was from a) fellow Bransforumers and b) fellow Wrimos.

Have fun while you blog. It's important, because otherwise you'll run out of topics you want to talk about. Choose subjects you like to talk about. Readers will come to hear of them, and you'll be happy to provide. A win-win.

[Sommer Leigh]

1. Oh everybody starts out with out anyone reading or commenting on their blog. If you do decide to start, you'll have one step up from most people in that you have a big community of people here that like and know you and will come read. The bransforumers are pretty awesome about supporting each other outside of the actual forums. But yeah, everyone starts out silent. You grow the more you participate outside your blog.

2. I blog because I have a lot to say and I like sharing what I've learned. I like paying it forward and helping people where I stumbled. I LOVE meeting new people and building relationships with complete strangers through our blogs. I know more about some bloggers I read than I do about my friends and family! I do a lot of research into things I don't know enough about, and it feels like I should do something with all that research, not just keep it in my head.

3. I have a whole bunch of posts on beginning blogging here: http://sommerleigh.com/college-of-blogging I have a couple of new ones I posted last week that need to be added to this list. *I* think they are helpful, but then I am biased

If you do start a blog, you must tell us right away! I would come read it.

[bcomet]

I have a few questions too!

1. Every time I ever post anything on line, it seems that then I see my typos or other things in need of tweaking.

So, if you edit something you've already posted on line, does it annoy the heck out of the readers or do they NOT see that?


2. Just curiosity, but since I notice a lot of folks read a blog and don't "follow" it formally (or for a while anyway before they "follow" it), how many page hits a week would be a good thing for a new blog, a month old blog, a six-month old blog?

[Sommer Leigh]

I have a few questions too!

1. Every time I ever post anything on line, it seems that then I see my typos or other things in need of tweaking.

So, if you edit something you've already posted on line, does it annoy the heck out of the readers or do they NOT see that?


2. Just curiosity, but since I notice a lot of folks read a blog and don't "follow" it formally (or for a while anyway before they "follow" it), how many page hits a week would be a good thing for a new blog, a month old blog, a six-month old blog?

I'm a terrible speller and I'm always in a hurry, which means things get through. I stopped sweating it a long time ago. I read through every post about once, sometimes twice if I'm less sure of myself on the content, and that feels ok. I feel like it is a blog, not a job. I'm more interested in great content and great discussion and no one has ever called me out on it, even though I know it has happened on occasion. Sometimes it will bother me so much that I'll go back and change it, and most of the time not. Some people might disagree with me, that good grammar is sacred and holy, but I don't care and I also suspect most of those people who would disagree with me don't keep up a daily blog. You get pretty forgiving pretty fast when you realize how timing consuming it is.

2. This isn't really a question that can be answered since it depends on what you are looking for in your blog. If you're looking for lots of comments, good discussion, and great blogging relationships, then page hits don't matter. If you want to be read by many and don't mind not so many consistent contributors, then you want a lot of page hits. I have had my blog for over a year, but it didn't really start getting a lot of traffic until about six months in. Now I average about 200-250 unique hits a day, and almost all of my posts have at least a couple of comments. I'd rather have good comments than hits though. I've become fast friends with my regular commenters. However, I also know some book bloggers who've been blogging about as long as me or a little longer who average 4000-10000 hits a day, but their content is very different from mine. So really, it depends. It depends entirely on how you feel. Which isn't much help, but only you can decide the level of success you are having, and it's different for everyone.

[oldhousejunkie]

You have to start somewhere. I started blogging just a.) to get my name out there in case of this writing stuff worked out and b.) I find it fun to share my thoughts.

As others mentioned, as you comment on people's blogs to raise your readership. That has worked a little for me. I got nominated for an award and that drove a few people my way. Working the writing forum circuit helps as well, especially if you put your blog address in your signature. That made a big difference to the amount of traffic I got. I'm sitting at 24 followers which is way more than I ever thought I would get. I doubled my readership when Nathan highlighted one of my forum posts in his weekly round-up, and then I picked up some more when he highlighted another post. It wasn't intentional by any means, I truly wanted feedback, and was shocked when I saw it listed! Personally, I don't like that some folks have started showing up here, flogging their blog posts simply to get the exposure, but not contributing to any conversations. BTW, that's not directed at you because I've seen you around.

Just jump in...it's fun and gets better as you pick up steam. Nothing makes me happier than when someone comments about how they relate to what I am saying!

[hektorkarl]

I'm sitting at 24 followers which is way more than I ever thought I would get.

Now you have 25.

[trixie]

Me too!

[Mira]

Thank you all so much for the suggestions and support!

I really appreciate hearing about your experience and learning from it. Thank you!

[Craig J.]

I've also had these questions, so I was happy to see some good answers!

Additionally, though, I'm wondering how time consuming people find blogging to be--the whole process I mean: conceiving posts, following other blogs, self promotion, etc. I don't think I'm quite ready for a blog, but I've noted a growing curiosity in myself about it recently. And for those of you who are bloggers, where are you finding the dividing line between the more enjoyable and intrinsically motivating part of the venture and the drudgery part--"must self promote..."?

[Margo]

Additionally, though, I'm wondering how time consuming people find blogging to be--the whole process I mean: conceiving posts, following other blogs, self promotion, etc. I don't think I'm quite ready for a blog, but I've noted a growing curiosity in myself about it recently. And for those of you who are bloggers, where are you finding the dividing line between the more enjoyable and intrinsically motivating part of the venture and the drudgery part--"must self promote..."?

It's different on different days. It can be too time-consuming. It can turn into a joyless exercise in callous self-promotion. Sometimes I really need a break from it. I know a LOT of bloggers from around here who have taken at least a week or two away from blogging in June/July, myself included. I've almost quit blogging several times in the nine or so months I've been doing it. But then something happens that reminds me it can be fun, and I'm good for awhile.

[GKJeyasingham]

I've also had these questions, so I was happy to see some good answers!

Additionally, though, I'm wondering how time consuming people find blogging to be--the whole process I mean: conceiving posts, following other blogs, self promotion, etc. I don't think I'm quite ready for a blog, but I've noted a growing curiosity in myself about it recently. And for those of you who are bloggers, where are you finding the dividing line between the more enjoyable and intrinsically motivating part of the venture and the drudgery part--"must self promote..."?

I've been blogging now for about three weeks, and it's pretty fun. I always get excited when someone posts a comment (especially since I started off with no followers whatsoever), and it's cool being able to post on other people's blogs too. I've heard that some people, when starting out, go months without any followers, so I'm glad I've managed to get even a few so far. I guess the tricky part, when you're starting off, is finding the motivation to post when you know that no one's reading. You will think you're going crazy, but just keep at it. It's a test of endurance mostly.

Another thing that I've been struggling with is finding things to write about. I'm starting to learn that the key is to look everywhere and anywhere for topics, even in the places where you think there's nothing interesting. But yeah, I'm still learning.

As for the dividing line between self-promotion and personal enjoyment, I haven't found that a problem yet. At this point I honestly have nothing to promote. I haven't published anything - heck, my current WIP will be the second thing I'll have written (I've written other things, but they're incomplete and I've buried them away for a time when I can write better). For me, blogging is just a great way to connect with and learn from other writers. At some point down the line self-promotion will no doubt come into play, but as of now, it's not my concern.

[Leila]

Mira, I have to tell you that I always enjoy reading your posts here and in the daily comments threads. You have a wonderful way of going wide on so many subjects in a respectful, non-judgemental manner. If you started a blog I'd love to read it, and recommend it to my friends!