I've been blogging for a year now and I have a wonderful list of followers- 104, YAY!! I am very excited about my list and I never ever ever thought I would have that many. I like to think that I am somewhat interesting to read about and that people enjoy sharing my journey!!
But then I think about other blogs....and their 300-400 followers. I wonder what I'm doing wrong that my numbers aren't that high too.
So what do followers really look for in a blog to follow???
I see many of the bogs I follow....probably 95% are fellow writers. And so many of them give out writing advice. Some of it is invaluable and I am grateful for these bloggers! Is this something that followers look for in a blog?? Are they looking to learn something, not just read someone's journey??
I tried a few times to give writing advice and what it boils down to is this: I am a nobody. Yes, I have had some small successes in the publishing world and yes, I have been through many many rounds of copy edits for my debut, A Bitch Named Karma. I tried my best to share what I learned along the way...but I'm just getting the hang of all this. I don't feel qualified to give out advice.
On another note, In less than 24 hours, I will be on my way to Allentown, PA for The Write Stuff writers conference and I am so so excited! Am I ready....yeah....not really. But I'll do the best I can!
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That's all you can do, is the best you can.
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree. I like well-rounded blogs for the most part, for example if someone's a writer and all they talk about is their writings and writing in general, that's boring to me. Informative, but most good advice you can find anywhere and I want to know there's a person behind the blog. Even the agents I follow don't ALWAYS blog about agenting. I do have some blogs that I follow purely for the single purpose they were created for (Writer Beware, a bead blog and a cooking blog are the three I can think of off the top of my head), but for the most part I'm looking for a person. I like trying to get to know the people I follow a bit, even if I mostly lurk :)
ReplyDeleteSo I'm one of those who dishes out writing advice and has almost 400 followers. I am also a "nobody" in terms of publishing credits. And I don't hide that fact. However, I'm sharing what I learn as I research the craft for myself. So any posts I do that are writing advice related--I'm using valid references to pull the information from, it's not advice off the top of my head.
ReplyDeleteNow, having said that, I think once I had a book to sell, I would probably make my topics more generic and appealing to a larger audience. But for now, I enjoy what I'm doing. And I think the reason I've been lucky enough to build a good following is because I offer a take away in most of my posts. People walk away with some tidbit of information or a review or whatever.
Also, as a tip, I've gotten into Twitter and that has brought me a good number of new followers. A few of my articles have been picked up and retweeted, one of them landing in a Writer's Digest post, so it increases exposure.
But I think you need to do what feels natural for you. I lean toward teaching because that's who I am. If I tried to do something that didn't fit my personality, it wouldn't come through as genuine. I think your blog topics are great and have always enjoyed stopping by. :)
Elana Johnson had a great post on this topic today! You should definitely check it out.
ReplyDeleteAnd I agree with the above commenter: I like to find a personality in the blogs I read. I'm not really looking for a how-to guide, but if a how-to guide is written with a lot of panache, I'm probably going to follow anyway.
My own blog is definitely a hodge-podge, but I write what I like to write, and if people like to read it--more power to them! :-)
I think you have good advice! I follow a fellow writer when they share they journey through writing. I like to think I have friends walking with me by my side. :)
ReplyDeleteI follow (well, subscribe to) blogs I find interesting. Period. Whether it's writing advice, or just someone journalling the journey, or whatever...I subscribe and scan the posts in my reader.
ReplyDeleteI try not to give actual writing advice - I just share what I'm going through, and invite people to share their experiences too. I do share advice on networking, because I know as much about that as anyone else.
When I was at blogger, I think I was developing sort of an "unhealthy" attachment to my followers widget - understandably so, since it's "out there" for one and all to see. Now that I've moved off that platform and most of my subscribers/followers aren't visible on the blog, I've relaxed a lot, and worry far less about how many other people are reading. While I appreciate anyone who subscribes to my blog, those who comment are the ones I get to know personally. That's what matters to me - building relationships. :-)
i pretty much follow anyone who's mildly interesting. Which can cause problems (a lot of blogs to read) but also has pluses (a lot of reciprocal followers)
ReplyDeleteYou are too qualified to give out advice! You are only as qualified as you see yourself. I always think I'm not qualified, either, but then I give out advice anyway because I can't stop myself. And people respond to it, and then I learn even more from everyone else, and myself, surprisingly!
ReplyDeleteI follow someone if they show a genuine interest in my blog and comment, and if I like their blog and the personality that shows through. :)
THANK you so much for your comments! They really mean a lot to me!!! I think we're all in this boat together!!
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