Fogcon panel notes—No Blah Blog
15 Mar 2011 01:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
firecatNo-Blah Blog
In 2011, many authors are not just writing stories, novels and articles. They’re blogging. How do you create a blog readers will want to return to again and again without sacrificing your other writing projects?
Moderator: Amy Sundberg (The Practical Free Spirit)
Panelists:
Erin Hoffman (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ea_spouse, Erin Hoffman)
Gary Farber (Amygdala, Obsidian Wings)
Carolyn E. Cooper (Carolyn E. Cooper)
The panel was somewhat presented as a Q&A session but I reorganized some material to make it fit better into that format. This report includes highlights only, not everyone's comments. I paraphrased heavily and welcome corrections.
Attendees/panelists, please add anything else you thought was relevant.
As a writer, why have a blog?
CC: I don't blog publicly but I teach online marketing classes to help artists promote themselves. For writers, purposes of blogging are to differentiate yourself, reach and relate to your target audience, establish authority, offer fresh content, improve search engine optimization (SEO), interact.
Agents google you if you approach them with a book proposal.
How is a blog different from an online journal?
AS: My LiveJournal is about my life, about personal topics, spending time with friends. My blog is more formalized, I update on specific days of the week, I have target topics, I plan what I will say. I blog to build an audience, help find myself as a writer, and feel like a writer. I want to communicate with people. I don't share my fiction online.
Audience comment: A journal is confessional; a blog is for asking questions and creating conversation.
GF: Blogs have become mainstream and professionalized. But now there are so many blogs it's hard to break in as a blogger and hard to keep up with all the blogs out there.
What are strategies to build and retain readers?
GF: Strike a balance between new stuff and too many items per day.
CC: Consistency.
Offering freebies (e.g., useful PDF articles for download). Example: Chris Guillebeau's The Art of Non-Conformity offers an article called "A Brief Guide to World Domination."
Soliciting feedback. Jennifer Crusie's Argh Ink asked her readers about a disagreement she had with a marketing person at her publisher's. Readers want to connect.
When you solicit feedback, be open-ended or keep it short.
How do you blog consistently?
EH: Set expectations and exceed them.
AS: Make a realistic commitment.
How do you find and keep an audience?
CC: Find where your target audience hangs out. If it's at some other blog, try to guest-blog there and leave comments on that blog. Exaggerate your voice. Promote people who promote you, find their comments and provide positive reinforcement. This helps build a community.
Avoid making a blog that does nothing but promote yourself. The Internet hates that.
AS: Best blogs are interactive. Give so that people give back to you. For example on Twitter if you retweet someone's post they might like you.
EH: Audience doesn't want to "feel like an audience."
GF: Write simple and controversial things. Create blogrolls, use tools to ping/get listed/get mirrored. People are interested in strong personalities and unique voices, but if you go too far you'll piss people off. Know your goal and comfort level.
As a writer, what should you blog about?
Audience comment: Some writers write about writing, some write to fans, others write about pop culture.
CC: Stay focused: stick to 1-3 topics so that people know what your site is about.
AS: Sometimes it's good to stick to a few topics, but fiction writers might not be obligated to. Some people are interested in the writer's voice and doesn't care what they're writing about. As long as people know what to expect, it's OK to write about multiple topics.
Can you lose audience by what you say in your blog?
GF: If you have a large audience you're guaranteed to piss some people off. Different blog communities have different tones. Your community can create some social norms; let that happen and don't be a heavy-handed rules lawyer. Moderate gently.
EH: "How to fail" conversations are important. Also, if you take a stand you might lose some audience members but gain others. Blogs build your personal reputation. Think of the cost of what you say, be passionate but don't hurt others.
CC: If you're angry, write about it, but wait a day or two and then go back and add "I feel" and other framing. But be bold and stand for something. Don't say "on the other hand." Say "This is why I feel and believe."
How do you build self-confidence? What if you don't feel like writing?
CC: Pick something you feel compelled to focus on.
AS: Fake it 'til you make it.
CC: You can cheat a blog post by linking to other sites, especially prominent blogs. They might comment back.
How do blogs interact with social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook)?
CC: Among people under 20, 25% use Facebook fan page exclusively. But the purpose of Twitter and Facebook can be to direct people back to your main site. Create an interesting profile. Be useful.
EH: There are two different approaches. One is "consistent destination" (direct people back to a blog that is updated regularly). Another is "high spike"—if you make a blog post, use social media to direct to it. But establish yourself in social media first.
AH: You don't have to blog if you hate it, and you don't have to tweet if you hate Twitter, etc.
GF: Social media is inward looking (everything stays within the site, e.g., Facebook; posts can be locked to a specific set of readers). Blogging is open.
CC: You don't have to do everything. Use tools. Figure out your comfort level. Blog doesn't have to be written. You can post photos, cartoons, artwork.
Audience question: I write in a niche market—queer feminist fiction. How much effort should I make to educate my audience?
EH: Use Pages to create FAQs.
CC: You could create a series of voiceover videos, or PDF files ("Free download!"). Repurpose documents.
AS: Think about audience. Some people might not watch videos.
In 2011, many authors are not just writing stories, novels and articles. They’re blogging. How do you create a blog readers will want to return to again and again without sacrificing your other writing projects?
Moderator: Amy Sundberg (The Practical Free Spirit)
Panelists:
Erin Hoffman (
ea_spouse, Erin Hoffman)Gary Farber (Amygdala, Obsidian Wings)
Carolyn E. Cooper (Carolyn E. Cooper)
The panel was somewhat presented as a Q&A session but I reorganized some material to make it fit better into that format. This report includes highlights only, not everyone's comments. I paraphrased heavily and welcome corrections.
Attendees/panelists, please add anything else you thought was relevant.
As a writer, why have a blog?
CC: I don't blog publicly but I teach online marketing classes to help artists promote themselves. For writers, purposes of blogging are to differentiate yourself, reach and relate to your target audience, establish authority, offer fresh content, improve search engine optimization (SEO), interact.
Agents google you if you approach them with a book proposal.
How is a blog different from an online journal?
AS: My LiveJournal is about my life, about personal topics, spending time with friends. My blog is more formalized, I update on specific days of the week, I have target topics, I plan what I will say. I blog to build an audience, help find myself as a writer, and feel like a writer. I want to communicate with people. I don't share my fiction online.
Audience comment: A journal is confessional; a blog is for asking questions and creating conversation.
GF: Blogs have become mainstream and professionalized. But now there are so many blogs it's hard to break in as a blogger and hard to keep up with all the blogs out there.
What are strategies to build and retain readers?
GF: Strike a balance between new stuff and too many items per day.
CC: Consistency.
Offering freebies (e.g., useful PDF articles for download). Example: Chris Guillebeau's The Art of Non-Conformity offers an article called "A Brief Guide to World Domination."
Soliciting feedback. Jennifer Crusie's Argh Ink asked her readers about a disagreement she had with a marketing person at her publisher's. Readers want to connect.
When you solicit feedback, be open-ended or keep it short.
How do you blog consistently?
EH: Set expectations and exceed them.
AS: Make a realistic commitment.
How do you find and keep an audience?
CC: Find where your target audience hangs out. If it's at some other blog, try to guest-blog there and leave comments on that blog. Exaggerate your voice. Promote people who promote you, find their comments and provide positive reinforcement. This helps build a community.
Avoid making a blog that does nothing but promote yourself. The Internet hates that.
AS: Best blogs are interactive. Give so that people give back to you. For example on Twitter if you retweet someone's post they might like you.
EH: Audience doesn't want to "feel like an audience."
GF: Write simple and controversial things. Create blogrolls, use tools to ping/get listed/get mirrored. People are interested in strong personalities and unique voices, but if you go too far you'll piss people off. Know your goal and comfort level.
As a writer, what should you blog about?
Audience comment: Some writers write about writing, some write to fans, others write about pop culture.
CC: Stay focused: stick to 1-3 topics so that people know what your site is about.
AS: Sometimes it's good to stick to a few topics, but fiction writers might not be obligated to. Some people are interested in the writer's voice and doesn't care what they're writing about. As long as people know what to expect, it's OK to write about multiple topics.
Can you lose audience by what you say in your blog?
GF: If you have a large audience you're guaranteed to piss some people off. Different blog communities have different tones. Your community can create some social norms; let that happen and don't be a heavy-handed rules lawyer. Moderate gently.
EH: "How to fail" conversations are important. Also, if you take a stand you might lose some audience members but gain others. Blogs build your personal reputation. Think of the cost of what you say, be passionate but don't hurt others.
CC: If you're angry, write about it, but wait a day or two and then go back and add "I feel" and other framing. But be bold and stand for something. Don't say "on the other hand." Say "This is why I feel and believe."
How do you build self-confidence? What if you don't feel like writing?
CC: Pick something you feel compelled to focus on.
AS: Fake it 'til you make it.
CC: You can cheat a blog post by linking to other sites, especially prominent blogs. They might comment back.
How do blogs interact with social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook)?
CC: Among people under 20, 25% use Facebook fan page exclusively. But the purpose of Twitter and Facebook can be to direct people back to your main site. Create an interesting profile. Be useful.
EH: There are two different approaches. One is "consistent destination" (direct people back to a blog that is updated regularly). Another is "high spike"—if you make a blog post, use social media to direct to it. But establish yourself in social media first.
AH: You don't have to blog if you hate it, and you don't have to tweet if you hate Twitter, etc.
GF: Social media is inward looking (everything stays within the site, e.g., Facebook; posts can be locked to a specific set of readers). Blogging is open.
CC: You don't have to do everything. Use tools. Figure out your comfort level. Blog doesn't have to be written. You can post photos, cartoons, artwork.
Audience question: I write in a niche market—queer feminist fiction. How much effort should I make to educate my audience?
EH: Use Pages to create FAQs.
CC: You could create a series of voiceover videos, or PDF files ("Free download!"). Repurpose documents.
AS: Think about audience. Some people might not watch videos.