Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Why Blog?

I've been blogging daily since last August at my personal blogspot, http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/, but before that I blogged weekly right here at Acme Authors Link.

Blogging takes a bit of time, not only in thinking up a topic, but also in making it sound intelligent and appealing to readers. Preparing the blog isn't all there is to it. After that, there's the business of getting everyone in cyberspace to know it's available. Depending on my subject matter, I send short messages to egroups I belong to, as well as ping.fm, mybloglog.com, and pingmyblog.com. Sometimes I don't get to all of the spots due to time constraints.

Right now I'm getting Killer Career ready for publication. With a full time job, my time is really limited. After it's ready, I still have lots of marketing ahead of me. I keep thinking I'll forget something important and it will be my downfall.

I've got Book Place to maintain and am a bit behind on that score. Also, I have a Library List to get out for MWMWA. With all that going on, I still take time out to blog here, at Make Mine Mystery and my daily blog, as well as at The Blood Red Pencil.

Why? For one thing, I enjoy blogging. I like visiting and meeting new friends and commenting on their blogs, although lately I haven't been able to do that as much as I'd like to.

Blogging is a great way to maintain discipline and keep up a writing habit. I believe that any type of writing helps develop skills and keeps the brain moving, sometimes in unexpected directions. Also, blogging gives me lots of Googles and lots of web presence.

The downside is blogging does take away from my manuscript writing time. Because of that, sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the wrong thing by blogging so consistently. Other times I think I'm doing the right thing because I'm doing what I want to do and when it's time to finish a manuscript I'll know it.

What about you? Is blogging a good or bad thing? Why do you blog? Please share

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blogging definitely takes time and commitment to be successful, but the rewards are many - not the least of which is, if your blog becomes popular, you have a growing loyal readership that is more apt to buy your books when you release them.

The Old Silly From Free Spirit blog

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Blogging is more fun now that I'm on a schedule. (Thanks, Marvin!) I've had my blog for several years, but only in the past six months has it gained momentum. I have A LOT of social sites I visit as well, plus add all my physical stuff, especially my speaking gigs, and it gets tough sometimes...

L. Diane Wolfe
www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
www.spunkonastick.net
www.thecircleoffriends.net

Kim Smith said...

Blogging is my way of keeping in touch with the world. I post a lot of stuff, blogging nearly every day with one or two days a special something.

I dont think I could NOT blog.

Unknown said...

I've been known to blog a bit. It's a way to get some of my weird stories out as well as host many authors on VBT's.

You've visited my blog and I try to catch yours (very interesting ones I might add), when I can.

Margaret Fieland said...

When I started writing more seriously I decided I needed a website -- and of course being over 35 and thus, at the time, fairly clueless about such things, I turned to one of my kids to help me set it up. He used Wordpress, and thus I ended up with a website and blog. So I started blogging. I haven't been particularly disciplined about blogging lately -- but I do post author interviews and the like, plus blog on topics about writing.

Something else to put on my to-do list, I guess -- blog more regularly.

Deb Larson said...

Morgan:
I wish I had your dedication to blogging! I always intend to do
more - but it doesn't happen. I'm thankful I'm a part of this blog site-you've done a wonderful job expanding and letting our site grow and flourish!!
Keep it going, girl!
DL Larson

Margot Justes said...

Blogging takes time away from writing, yet as a writer we need to do it. The old Catch 22.
I'm also grateful to be part of this blog, once a week is good...
Margot Justes
www.mjustes.com