To Blog or Not To Blog: That is the Question
When I spend 90 minutes to 3 hours working on a piece for this blog and there's one or two or three entry views, it's very discouraging. I've actually avoided looking at the "statistics" cache for this blog, because I didn't want to know. But I'm spending a lot of time on it. And I love writing it. It probably does more for my writing than for anyone else's. But if what I need to do is write for a couple hours each weekday, I could be working on my novel, my next play or something not yet conceived.
My brother asked me why I decided to write five days a week. I told him that when I researched marketing my novel, I learned that a good way to get attention for the book was to write a blog, bringing potential readers to my Web site. What was key for me was that the blogger/writers wrote that the blog had to be written daily or at least frequently. If I didn't blog each day, readers would only check occasionally, since they wouldn't know if there was anything new to read.
Except for one night when we had a power outage, I have written every weekday (and the first weekend I began this blog) since December 24, 2009.
I need your help. All three of you. In reviewing my statistics over the last two weeks, I'm finding that the entry views have declined. I know I could get more readership if I wrote more controversial pieces like the Harlan Ellison piece, but it's not the theme of my blog. I understand that we all go through periods of sustained interest in something and then it wanes (or snows) and we get distracted by life.
Here are my questions:
1. Is five times a week just too much to have to read?
2. Should I pare down my blog to two or three days a week on specific days?
3. What types of pieces should I avoid writing (based upon my historical menu)?
4. What types of pieces are the most interesting to read?
5. What types of pieces are the most beneficial to read?
6. Am I just a whiner?
I want to write every day. I just don't want to write something that is not beneficial for me and an audience. Please comment--even those of you who never comment.
Thank you for reading.
My brother asked me why I decided to write five days a week. I told him that when I researched marketing my novel, I learned that a good way to get attention for the book was to write a blog, bringing potential readers to my Web site. What was key for me was that the blogger/writers wrote that the blog had to be written daily or at least frequently. If I didn't blog each day, readers would only check occasionally, since they wouldn't know if there was anything new to read.
Except for one night when we had a power outage, I have written every weekday (and the first weekend I began this blog) since December 24, 2009.
I need your help. All three of you. In reviewing my statistics over the last two weeks, I'm finding that the entry views have declined. I know I could get more readership if I wrote more controversial pieces like the Harlan Ellison piece, but it's not the theme of my blog. I understand that we all go through periods of sustained interest in something and then it wanes (or snows) and we get distracted by life.
Here are my questions:
1. Is five times a week just too much to have to read?
2. Should I pare down my blog to two or three days a week on specific days?
3. What types of pieces should I avoid writing (based upon my historical menu)?
4. What types of pieces are the most interesting to read?
5. What types of pieces are the most beneficial to read?
6. Am I just a whiner?
I want to write every day. I just don't want to write something that is not beneficial for me and an audience. Please comment--even those of you who never comment.
Thank you for reading.
I enjoy your blog (although the comma series did become a bit old). It seems that five entries a week might be unnecessary, particularly when you could be devoting time to other writing. I think three times a week on specific days is enough. The blogs I have most enjoyed have been the ones on writing in general -- surprising yourself, bringing dead writing back to life, etc. When you discuss your process is when I have most fun reading it, as well as find it most inspiring. And, that seems to be when you are funniest, as well. My opinion, for what it's worth.
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Your opinion means a lot to me. And thank you for commenting. This will help me. Onward!
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I think about three times a week works well and that is often enough to keep readers popping back by to check for new stuff. Active commenters seem to garner more readers, but then the whole commenting thing gets to be a bit much. As far as content goes, I like reading original writing and occasional pieces on the process. My take anyway.
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Thanks, FJ, for your input; I appreciate it.
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I agree with Marri's comments about frequency & content. FWIW, I find myself falling behind in following other media, too (newspapers, podcasts.)
There was a point many years ago when I read all the week's newspapers on the weekend in one or two sittings. Thankfully, I'm beyond that now.
By the way, I subscribed to your blog, so I receive it by email. There may be thousands of readers out there who read, but don't comment. Sort of like the people at comedies who don't laugh on the outside, but laugh on the inside.
Are you a whiner? I don't know - ask your wife. : )
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I asked my wife if I was a whiner. She said I could be president of Whiners of America and if there was no such organization, I should immediately form one. Thanks for your input and encouragement.
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