Blogging

As embarrassing as it is, I must admit, I forget to blog here at Voice from the Heart for a couple of months.

I go and check on my fellow bloggers. I look at the site, and think, “Oh, I’ve got to get my blog done.” But do I? No, I forget.

Life takes over, people get married, kids graduate from High School, the dog needs a bath, laundry needs to be done, and of course there is eating, which often requires cooking. Sounds like an author’s regular excuse not to write. It does transfer over for those involved in blogging.

There is always an excuse to forget and not put your butt in the chair and write. The dog is a good reason not to find a subject to blog about, or the kids and cooking. Then there is the big question mark as to why the blog isn’t successful, and you’re not published. It’s like talking about what you’d do with the money you’d win in a lottery, without actually playing.

You have to play to win at anything, it doesn’t magically drop out of the sky and land in the lap and there is instant success. You get a million hits on the blog, and the book hits NYT list. Nope you’ve got to blog, you’ve got to blog about subjects that people want to read, and you’ve got to write, a lot and all the time.

 Blogging is something I do a lot. I’m with The Naked Hero, www.thenakedhero.com and The Writers guide to E-Publishing, www.thewritersguidetoepublishing.com To say I shouldn’t be forgetful about my commitment to blog here at Voices from the heart, is a understatement. Every week, I come up with two blogs sometimes more often if I’m covering for a partner in one of the sites, or guest blogging somewhere.

Blogging is a commitment that has to be upheld if the blog is to be successful. I can’t say how many times I’ve never returned to a blog, when I noticed it hadn’t been updated at least once in a month. To keep my interest it has to be at least once a week.

When blogging first took hold, I heard many authors say, “I’m not going to bother. It’s just another fad.” Well that ‘fad’ is bigger than ever. Everyone seems to have a blog, celebrities, politicians, sport figures, newscasters, and of course writers. There are absolutely millions of them. So how does one stand out against the others? Commit to a subject manner, stick to it, and be honest. The competition for readers is thick. It’s like being a in a foot race with an Olympic runner, and you haven’t trained in ten years. Does sound discouraging, but keep it up, and you’ll attract the right people over time, who like what you have to say, can relate, and will come back.

Blogging isn’t for everyone. You literally have to come up with something to say about something, know what you’re talking about, and don’t hurt anyone’s feelings. Sounds easy, but it’s not always. So I’ll try harder, because this blog does mean something to me. How long did it take me to write this, maybe 20minutes.

So do you blog? Is it like trying to write a novel, with plenty of excuses?

What You Should Know Before Joining a Group Blog

I feel very fortunate to be part of two successful group blogs, Voices from the Heart, and The Lady Scribes. I can take no credit for their success. In both cases, hard-working, talented writers put the blog together, and I was lucky enough to be invited to participate. But through their efforts, I have learned a bit about group blogging.

If you’ve never participated in a group blog before, you might wonder why you would want to join. Like everything else on the internet, it’s a promotional tool, a way to build an audience. Some agents and editors prefer an author who has an online presence. They want to know 1) that you can handle the technology, and 2) That you can be trusted not to embarrass yourself online.

Blogging is not for everyone. Some feel that blogs are outdated, and they prefer to use social media such as Facebook or Twitter. Personally, I think a combination of all three works best. You want some content backing up your tweets. I’m also a firm believer that you’ll be most successful doing what you enjoy. If you don’t like blogging, don’t do it.

But if you think you’d like to give it a try, a group blog is the ideal place to start. You can team up with more experienced friends who will help you learn the ropes. You’ll automatically have a bigger audience because every member brings their readers. With a group blog, the time commitment is minimal, so it won’t cut into your regular writing time. The other members will also keep you motivated and hold you accountable for blogging regularly.

Here are some things to consider before you sign on:

Choose your members wisely. The more members you have, the less often you’ll need to blog. The minimum number is probably about four and the maximum around thirty. But choose those members carefully. You don’t want someone who’s going to post something that will embarrass you. And you want people who can be counted on to post regularly without being reminded. Be aware of potential conflicts. For example, inspy writers and erotica writers may clash because they’re aiming for different audience.

Focus. Your blog will find its niche more easily if you focus from the outset. This is easier if you’re all writing the same sub-genre. What audience are you trying to attract? Look at similar blogs and see what works. What can you do better? Are you blogging for readers or for writers? The difference is significant.

Rules. The best way to avoid conflict is to agree on a set of rules and a schedule before you start. These might be as simple as ‘No politics. No book reviews.’ Give your blog a movie rating—G, PG, XXX- so you can communicate easily to guest bloggers what you’re looking for. Decide in advance what offenses will be cause for removal from the group. Decide what will happen if someone regularly fails to blog on their appointed day.

Invite others. Plan days for contests, interviews, and guest bloggers. All these things will bring new visitors to your blog. If they like what they see, they may become regulars. Create a plan for promoting the blog.

Evolve and innovate. Be prepared for change. You will want to stop periodically, re-evaluate, and change direction. Disagreements will occur, but remember everyone wants the same thing, a successful blog. And if the day should come where you part ways, it will be much easier knowing it was not personal, only business.

So there you have it, my tips for joining a group blog. Did I leave anything out? I would love to hear your advice on participating in group blogs.