Blogging is a free and easy way to connect with already established and/or potential new readers. If you want some tips on blogging, click here. I've also got some blog design tips (for non-designers) if you click here.
When Should Writers Start Blogging?
If you decide you should be blogging or even if you're just curious about blogging, then the appropriate time to start is now. Don't think about it or debate it.
Either start up a blog here on Blogger or use Wordpress. Either is fine, and both have supporters. Both are free and easy to get started. You could literally have your blog created and first blog post up in an hour or less.
How I Got Started
This is not my first blog. I started off with a MySpace blog before ending up here. I also have a very popular poetry blog on WritersDigest.com titled Poetic Asides. In each case that I've started a blog, I only had a vague idea of what I wanted to communicate.
I just knew I wanted to connect with readers and share information. Over time, I've experimented with content with some major successes and minor failures. In fact, the good thing about blogging is that most failed experiments are minor, though successful experiments can yield great returns.
An example of a failed blog would be my Telecommuting Parents blog. I still think it was a good idea, but I just didn't have the passion and energy to commit myself completely to the project. I probably only lost 5 or 6 hours of time and energy, though it was still a good learning experience.
One example of a blog that really performed well for me is the Poetic Asides blog mentioned above. My blogging on that site has helped me make connections and share inspiration with thousands of poets and even helped me earn the 2010 Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere title from BloggingPoet.com.
So don't delay. Get started today.
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Follow me on Twitter @robertleebrewer, or connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.
Plus, be sure to sign up for e-mail updates over on the right.
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Want some more resources on blogging? Check these out:
- Blogging for Dummies
, by Susannah Gardner and Shane Birley
- Create Your Own Blog: 6 Easy Projects to Start Blogging Like a Pro
, by Tris Hussey
- ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
, by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett
10 comments:
Love the post! Very relevant for newbie bloggers like myself :p I just wrote a post yesterday about blogging and also recommend the book Google Blogger for Dummies. It's a couple of years old (2009) but a lot of the info is still very useful.
Stop by my blog sometime! :) Have a great weekend! www.cateemond.blogspot.com
Hi Robert,
Just stopping by to politely inquire what's going on with the Poetic Asides page... maybe I'm hallucinating, but it seems to have undergone a dramatic overhaul, and the last month of postings are, well, missing. o__O Any word on this?
~ Joseph Harker
Thanks, Cate!
Yeah, Joseph, they changed quite a bit on the Poetic Asides blog, including the look, the URL, and it only saved up until the past month of blog entries. I have to re-add all of them manually--once I can get my password to the site. Sigh. Hopefully, I'll be able to get everything caught up soon.
Your blog tips are great. I have a few more on my blog under the heading "How to Blog, Part Duh" I think all writers need a blog, to be a kind of "brand central" where people can find you and interact.
I advocate "slow blogging" for beginners, so the blog doesn't take over your life and keep you from your serious writing. Have one blog and blog once a week on a regular schedule and you can have the same impact as a daily blog.
Good tip, Anne! I agree. I always advise writers to start slow and build over time. Of course, the important part is taking that first step.
I will take my handful of readers who respond to me over thousands who just add and go any day.
It truly can be quality over quantity. I just want my handful to be a tad bit... bigger. lol
I was so glad to read this post. My blog is slowly getting off the ground, but I find myself worrying if I should have even started one yet. This made me feel much better. (I also referred to it in my blog today in a list of the best blogs I read this week.) Thanks for the encouragement.
Wanted to let you know that you inspired me (and many others, I'm certain) to start my own blog last year. Your hard work is admirable. You seem to be all over the place! Plus your poetry is so bomb. ;D
Thanks, Colette! I used to have a fanzine in high school called Faulty Mindbomb in which I shared poetry, so it makes my day to hear it referred to as such. :)
Cool, I have been trying to really start off my blogs.
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