Most Popular NOT BOB Posts for Writers 2011

From the birth of my first daughter to self-publishing (and selling out) two poetry chapbooks (and so many other great events), 2011 has been a really great to me in so many ways. I know I've still got a few very big weeks left, but I wanted to go ahead and collect the most popular NOT BOB blog posts for writers of 2011.

The two most popular posts are actually lists:

• Best Blogs for Writers to Follow. This list needs updated, because some of the URLs have changed, but it does include some very good blogs for writers to check out. Look for the updated list in the beginning of 2012.
• Best Tweeps for Writers to Follow 2011. This is my second annual list of great tweeps for writers to follow on Twitter. It's still relatively new and very useful.

The lesson here is that there's nothing more popular than shining the light on your fellow writers and publishing folk.

Beyond these lists, there were 20 writing-specific posts that rose above all others. Here are the 20 most popular NOT BOB posts for writers in 2011 (in order):

1. 11 Google+ Tips for Writers. It's still fresh and new, but it's the emerging social network at the moment. In fact, I'm looking forward to learning more about how Blogger and Google+ are going to work together later this week.
2. The 8 Jobs of Modern Writers. This post is less than a week old, but it's already skyrocketed to the top of this list. And the comments are as valuable as the post.
3. 11 Tips for Writers to Find Success. I posted this list to celebrate 11/11/11, but it is interesting that two of the top three posts have 11 tips.
4. LinkedIn Tips for Writers. The more professional social networking site, I've found that each recommendation I've received on the site has made my entire week.
5. Impact of eReaders on Writers. I wrote this post in the first half of the year and already so much has changed in the publishing world.
6. Social Media Etiquette for Writers. This post shares the simple basics of social media etiquette, including things like not being a pest and following the golden rule.
7. Revision Tips for Writers. It's one thing to write good, but to write truly great, writers need to be able to revise good as well.
8. Speaking Tips for Writers. Over the years as an editor and poet, I've been blessed with quite a few opportunities to speak and listen to others speak. This post collects some of what I've learned.
9. Negotiating Tips for Writers. I wrote this post from the unusual perspective of an editor--and no, I didn't advise writers to always take what an editor offers without question.
10. Are You a Specialist or Generalist? This is one of my question posts for writers, but it digs at an important question that will help writers figure out for what type of writing they're best suited.
11. Build a List for Success. From making lists of goals to submissions, lists are often an important tool in the successful writer's toolbox.
12. Don't Wait for X to Do Y: Platform-Building Traps for Writers to Avoid. This post has, perhaps, the longest title of any post on this top 20 list, but it's only because it has a subtitle.
13. How to Deal With Problem Editors. I'm sure there are times when even I fall under the problem editor category. After all, we're still human--well, most of us anyway.
14. Quick Tips on Submitting to Literary Magazines. I cover the what, when, where, why, who, and how in this post.
15. Top 5 Pitch Tips for Writers. These are five areas that I've found as an editor could use some attention from many writers.
16. How to Protect Your Writing From Natural Disasters. It doesn't happen often, but losing all your data is devastating. Don't let yourself become a statistic in this area of the writing life.
17. Top 5 Creative Writing Tips. This was my first real post for writers of 2011, so I'm glad to see that it just snuck onto this list.
18. Two Rules for Successful Writers. They are simple, but they're also effective.
19. Why Writers Should Care About SEO. For those who don't know, SEO is short for search engine optimization. This post tackles why it's important for writers to understand.
20. Just Write Something! What a perfect post to round out this Top 20 list. After you're done reading about the writing life, be a writer and just write something.

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Check out the Top 3 Not Bob posts unrelated to writing:

• Remembering 9/11 From the Midwest. I'm not sure why, but this post gets double digit traffic every single day.
• My Movember 2011. Watch the post that chronicles my moustache growth through the month of November.
• The Golden Rule to Everything. This is the rule that helps guide me, and I think the world would be a much better place if everyone tried their best to live by it too.