Giving My Readers the Business
Over the past month or two, I have experimented with the format of my blog. I’ve varied my style of writing and the types of stories I post. Through series entries, I’ve been able to stretch my writing muscles and better exercise my own abilities. Personally, I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve picked up some new readers, and others have opted to look elsewhere for daily doses of bloggity entertainment.
Looking ahead to the new year, I always institute a few sweeping changes, and I’m starting to consider those now. In evaluating my readership and response, here’s what you seem to be telling me by how you interact with my blog:
- My readership falls off dramatically on the weekends, and I can only take that as a sign that maybe I don’t need to post new content on those days. I try very hard to give the diehards something creative and engaging every day of the week, but I’m not going to lie. It is demoralizing to write a post like yesterday and have so few people see it. (More on that below in the Facebook section.) While I will always post every day, I am considering changes to my weekend content. Please, oh valued Diehard Readers, give me your thoughts and feedback on that possible change. Will you keep reading if I shake up the weekend content?
- I have attempted to change my blog such that a summary of the post is shown on the home page, with more available by clicking on a link to read. If I do things this way, it will impact the way the blog comes by email, as the entire text of the post will not display but will instead require a click to the blog to finish reading. From the number of people who come to my home page and read every day, I would have a better sense of which posts are actually being read, and that gives me a better ability to structure content to respond to what engages readers going forward. I can say from my own experience that I don’t care how the post displays, but you may, Dear Reader. Please give me your feedback – whole post displays on the home page, or an excerpt displays with a link.
Until we are compensated for our writing, the best payoff we can get as bloggers is people reading our posts and endorsing them by sharing them with others. Several bloggers have expressed an interest in mutual promotion of each other’s blog posts. Given the recent changes to Facebook, I am happy to try to start that discussion with those who are interested. I will share the following about my own experiences in recent weeks. No matter how many times or ways I promote my blog in a day, I get about the same number of impressions on Facebook, and it is about a third of what it was before the changes. Because a lot of my blog traffic came from my ability to post titillating teasers that caused people to click when they saw them, readership of my blog has suffered. I am not alone. I have talked with several other bloggers who have experienced the same thing.
If you are interested in participating in the mutual promotion of one other’s blog posts throughout our individual networks, please indicate that in a comment today. Once I can gauge who may want to participate, we can message one other privately and construct how to best construct it to benefit everyone. I am happy to promote anyone in my blog roll – particularly writers who are trying to gain a larger readership – to my social network (about 5,000 people across all platforms) in return for reciprocal sharing of my posts. We all benefit by helping each other.
And maybe, just maybe, we can beat the latest round of Facebook changes.
I’m happy to explore engaging in some kind of exchange – after all, if Kate hadn’t mentioned you I’d never have come over here! Although I’m not a very ‘agressive’ blogger…
Must admit, I’m not really ‘into’ the whole social networking thing – I don’t/won’t do facebook and have a twitter account but still only with 13 followers as I don’t really ‘get’ it! Who to follow? Why would they follow me? *sigh!* Also I have limited interest in it I guess…
I find my visitors tend to drop off somewhat on Saturdays but otherwise it’s a relatively consistent flow. My stats haven’t honestly evolved that much since I started in January! Although I know if I ‘go out’ and visit more or join promt sites I get more return visits – but not necessarily regular readers.
I found getting emails for the blogs I follow incredibly stressful so I simply read wordpress blogs I follow under the ‘read blogs’ tab at the top of this page when I want to (I check regularly) and I keep a list of the others (blogger etc) which I check probably every two days or so.
I suspect I’m not your average blogger but if that helps in any way you’re welcome!
Earlybird, I think we can all work together to come up with a way to benefit everyone who wants to participate. I enjoy your blog and its glimpses into your life in Provence so much. I will put you on the list, and we can see who else we get in the coming days.
A lot of people still put great stock in Twitter, and it used to be my favorite social network. I’ve made so many friends through it. For instance, next weekend, my friend Jackie is coming to visit us from Montreal, and I met her on Twitter. In the early days, it was easy to make those connections. Now, with all the noise, it is much, much more difficult. I still think Twitter is great for seeing breaking news stories, but much of the rest of it is maddening noise. The changes to Facebook mimic that. Google+ is really awesome and easy, but you probably won’t find anyone you know there right now (except me. And, Kate joined it also.)
I do find that Sundays tend to be a bit better than Saturdays myself. Good to hear how others are seeing it. I am a voracious reader, so, unless I am ill or off the grid, I do read the blogs to which I subscribe daily. It is an eclectic dose of reading material for me. I do a mix of e-mail and reading on WordPress, though I also read several Blogger blogs and fear I miss those more often than I would like.
I enjoy seeing the Quuen A post daily and certainly understand if you would like to re-format the weekend to a different mode or run “oldies but goodies” from the archives.
I do notice that us diehards will be commenting daily no matter what unless we are indisposed for some strange reason. Since I don’t write a blog…nothing much interesting to say about myself, you can ignore my particular demographic in making your decisions about the blogger to blogger network.
I will say that I have found some very interesting bloggers over the past couple of years thru your links and that has been fun to follow some other folks. I notice that most bloggers do about 3 posts a week and hardly ever on a weekend, maybe that’s the best time to re-charge and not be so pressured by getting a post out daily.
As to Facebook changes, I have no idea how that is affecting the bloggity world in terms of hits other than to notice various comments about it. I have personally done much less FB since the last round of timeline and ticker issues; just can’t find folks or keep track of where the heck I left off. Consequently, I have been just clicking the close friends link and just checking their posts. I do prefer a lot of Google+ modes, but, not enough people there yet to be there much more than a quick check once or twice a day.
Soooo, in a nutshell, you need to do whatever works for you and us diehards will be there for you.
Oldies but goodies is one approach I may take with the weekends in the coming year. I certainly have enough content.
Posting every day doesn’t cause any real writing pressure for me. The follow-up creates the pressure. My biggest problem is that I miss seeing people when they’re not here. I miss that interaction and watching the conversations that unfold on my blog.
I suspect you are not alone in spending less time on Facebook. I know I don’t go over there much anymore, either. That probably accounts for some drop-off. So far, I’ve been able to do things to keep my readership pretty steady on weekdays. But, yesterday, Facebook only gave me six – SIX – impressions of my blog. I sat all day and wondered – does my post suck this much? – when really it was just that nobody saw it. I have no control whatsoever over how many impressions Facebook decides to give me. Although, I know they’re getting ready to give me the opportunity to pay for more…………………but, what does THAT really mean for me? I almost feel like I’d be better off to go a different route, and I’m exploring that now.
Andra I get your e-mailed post and I’ve enjoyed that, but then always click through to the blog anyway, so a truncated post via e-mail will work.
And yes, re-purpose content if you like for the weekends, or just take a holiday on the weekends.
I’m with you on Facebook and their annoying algorithm changes that now determine what “top stories” I should see. My own personal Facebook page interactions have gone way down.
I like the bits of writing you’ve been doing, however, I know that I miss a bit of your personal insight / memoir style writing too…so mix it up, but sometimes, come back to mining life for insight. It helps me in my life (does that make me selfish?)
It’s good to hear this feedback, Cheryl. Thank you. In person, people usually tell me how much they enjoy the newer things because they are less “ME” centered. And, since “ME” hasn’t been in a very good place in my “ME” own head of late, doing some of this other writing has been a gift to “ME.” Really, people don’t want to read my journal. Still, the coming week is not going to be a series, because next week is going to be one about my Dad.
Telling me some of my writing helps you in your life does not make you selfish, Cheryl. Some writers struggle entire careers to have someone feel that way, and they never attain it. Thank you.
Nice! Weekends are slow for me also. I have no choice in the matter of what I post because I’m posting a year by year journal that started in 1969 and, presently, is at 1980. I’ve only got a few more years left, though. I stopped traveling then and began to raise a family. It’s been fun, though. If it weren’t for postaday, (I don’t do facebook) nobody would have ever read anything I’ve ever written (except the teachers who got paid to read class assignments), so I’m a pretty happy fellow!
I will put you on the list. Interesting to hear how many people in this stream don’t do Facebook. And, I can’t say I recommend anyone start now. It’s dreadful.
I’m on board for all of this… and am considering implementing number two. I have many email subscribers who rarely comment and I can’t tell if they are reading for not. My concern, though, is having the post excerpts in Google reader. (I’m not sure if I can pick and choose.) I like being able to read full posts in Reader and then clicking over if I like to comment. Need to think more about this.
As a die-hard reader, I find it difficult to read and comment on posts 7 days a week. That’s just me. I do believe your readers are loyal enough to go with whatever changes you make. We are in this journey with you.
I would love to cross promote and am open to your ideas. I have removed links to other blogs from my sidebar, only because it takes up a lot of space (and that plugin I used was suspect) and it’s hard to keep it current (some people stop blogging for months, etc). I’m thinking about creating a “my faves” page or something… again still thinking.
Again, we’re here with you. Yesterday’s post was beautiful and I’m glad I didn’t miss it.
Number two would really, REALLY help me know what posts are being read. My home page is my biggest read. I don’t know how many people have told me they came across my blog and started reading, and an hour later they were still sitting there, reading.
Knowing which posts are read the most would help me craft more stories along those lines or in those formats, especially since I have jumped off the deep end into full-on creative writing in public.
I will put you on the list.
Hi Andra! Write on! So what if it dips a bit on the weekend. Don’t get disheartened. People like me go back and read blogs as sometimes the day is just tooooo all consuming!
Valerie!! Good to see you here. I wasn’t sure whether you set up a blog. Now, I can go check it out. Thanks for commenting.
I have quite a few readers who consume my blog in chunks, because that’s what works best for their schedule. That’s always fine with me. Several of them even comment on older posts. I never close comments.
You are getting some good feedback this morning Andra. I read all of your blog posts but I do not always have time to respond to them. As a matter of fact, I REALLY look forward to reading your blog posts. I have three or four blog posts that come to my inbox. I ALWAYS save those blog posts for the very last so that I can take my time and really enjoy what they have to say. Sometimes I read them three or four times so that I can “get it”.
Personally, I love all your writing. I am hoping that you will mix up your blog posts with the old style “insightful” personal posts with your newer “theme based” writing. As for the format, I prefer that the entire post comes to my inbox without having to click through. I know that is selfish of me, but I usually do not go to your blog unless I want to comment on a particular post. I have had your blog URL on my blog roll for a long time now. Because of my busy schedule I do not have the time to blog very often. I think I post one or two items per month so I do not expect anyone to list me in their blog roll for that reason. As for Facebook, I am sorry that it has impacted your visibility. I am not sure what to say about that other than FB sucks horribly. LOL
Oh, last but not least. I agree with Lou that it is OK for you to give yourself a break once or twice a week and post something from the archives. I also do not think that you should force yourself to write fresh content every single day of the week. That makes my brain hurt just thinking about it. I know you are very talented and that you love to blog and we all appreciate you immensely. So, feel free to take a break on the weekends. Maybe you could just post something really really short on the weekends or have guest bloggers? Or…… I dunno…. I think I need to drink my coffee and quit blathering at this point. LOL Hugs to you and MTM.
If I end up taking a break on weekends, and I haven’t decided whether I will or not in the coming year, it will be to repurpose content into stories that I sell on Amazon and B&N. A total break would help me focus on that, but I have several other ideas for weekend content that wouldn’t require the focus of, say, yesterday’s post. (I wrote that post sitting in an airport, at 11pm, in about 35 minutes. So, while it may seem like I spend tons and tons of time doing this every day, I really don’t. I spend more time following up with readers, talking to them, encouraging community, and so forth. I dearly love that part of blogging.)
It is good to know my recent writing hasn’t alienated you, James.
The weekend crash is palpable although my readership is all over the map anyways and I have not been able to find a pattern (except Lady Gaga and Occupy Wall Street really kicked up readership). I agree take it easy on weekends, perhaps marginalia that was left behind or a few aphorisms…
Not sure I can add much to your readership with my social networks…but perhaps we will see.
And forgot to mention, I click through so truncated does not matter…I want people to know someone visited even when I don’t comment.
One of the things I think we can accomplish with this cross-promotion effort is a weekly wrap-up of blog posts we enjoyed from the participating group – one per blogger in a list with links. Huge social networks won’t be required for something like that.
Also, I think the social network promotion could be an opt-in for those of us who want to do it. With the way Facebook has changed, I can talk about my stuff all day long, but they are giving more weight to others sharing it. I have two or three lovely people who share my posts over there almost every day, and I never even asked them to. Those shares have led to other people finding my blog and reading it. I can scroll through my FB Author page and see where people come from (Karen Snyder, Lori O’Leary, Lou Mello, Michael Carnell, Leigh Anne Wills, and Angie Mizzell – you all deserve special stars for that one.) If we could coordinate one or two posts per week that have some degree of virility, the whole participating group would benefit, I think.
I love your blog. It is my daily dose of New York City, delivered through a very personal lens. I would miss it if it weren’t there.
Oho! I see what you’re talking about now. So, a share now and then on FB would help.
I’m trying to picture what a blog post every week about the same authors would look like. Am I misunderstanding? Sharing on Facebook has a very different feel than writing a deliberate article; although it would be wonderful if everyone in this guild were equally jazzed about the other members’ writing, is that realistic?
[OuchieOuchOuch, that hurt to write.]
Roxanne
There are several ways we could do Facebook shares without annoying our networks to death. But, in the end, they have to be done after the manner I did your last one: I read this article, people, and you should read it because (something you really mean.)
If I do a weekly round up of blog posts I really enjoyed that week, it would be along a similar vein with a link. “I really liked The Good Luck Duck’s take on toilet humor in this post. Laugh out loud funny, and informative to boot” from your series on composting toilets, as an example.
Ooh, you did that? That’s why my impressions went up! Thanks!
Yeah, that all makes sense.
I shared your link once on Facebook, with a heartfelt personal endorsement, yes. You’re welcome.
Once in awhile I’ll read your entire post in my email inbox, but even when I do that, I always move to the actual blog and read it again (sometimes more than one trip, in order to absorb it all) because I also want to read the various comments, which almost always add to my initial enjoyment of your work.
Although I already knew the ‘surface Andra’ before subscribing here, the short time I’ve been reading has 1) revealed so much of the ‘inner Andra’ I didn’t know; 2) sent me in new directions, off to read and meet new bloggers; and, 3) unleashed a tad of my writing urges (only as to commenting – I don’t think I have the desire to blog, but it’s nice to have an outlet to exercise my thought processes and interact with folks outside my immediate circle).
So, no matter the format you choose, nor the days you choose to use it (frankly, with your level of activity and interests, I’d think you could use a day or two each week to decompress), I’m committed to be here for you. And, as I noted the other day, you’ve already led me to several other blogs, at least to sample them, so if you and other bloggers commit to cross-promotion I’d think it could only be a good thing in the overall.
I learn something new from (or about) you every day, or you stir some long buried emotion or memory; so, whether it’s 7 posts, or 5, or less each week, Just, Keep. Posting!
Karen, this is one of those examples that warm my heart. I am so glad we reconnected on Facebook, but spending time with you on the blog is so meaningful to me since I can’t see you every day. Every time I see you here, though, I see your smiling face from work years ago. You were always, ALWAYS, smiling, even when I was usually anything but.
And, I won’t stop posting. Don’t worry about that.
Such a lovely thing to say, thanks. I surely do NOT remember always smiling in those days, only worrying as to whether I’d ever really fit into that niche I was trying to carve for myself there. That was a very uncertain time for me, so I’m glad I didn’t radiate that uncertainty to the world.
One day is like another for me. I see my readership fall off then, too; I picture my friends at work Monday through Friday, trawling Facebook and going OH THANK GOD something stupid to read. On weekends, they’re inventing their own stupid sh¡t.
I think I almost never read in email the blogs I follow. I follow them in so many different ways that email will get ignored. Your blog, for example. I see it come up in my Facebook Parade of Stuff, so I might click there, or I see you on my blogroll, so I might click there. Truthfully, if I’m thinking about it shrewdly and with calculus, I click from my own blog so that you can see where I came from. Cunning, no?
When I click on an outside link to your newest post, I’ll want it to be at the end of that clicky rainbow in its entirety. Am I making sense? So, if I see you in my blogroll, I’ll want to click once and have all the ready goodness pouring out at one time. Part of that is insane laziness, and part is the extreme variability I’ll encounter in connectivity. An extra click in the Sonoran Desert at two minutes per page download might be the difference between reading and not that day. Because I am just that impatient. Obviously, this is not a typical reader problem.
I don’t understand Facebook. Suddenly, my “impressions” (what the heck is an impression?) are doubling, which doesn’t increase my comments at all. And, it’s not because people are liking me up; you’re one of three people who ever “likes” a post with your clicking finger.
Do you have ideas about how we can all better cross-promote? And, have you ever explored BlogHer? How might syndication there boost your readership?
Roxanne
Haha! I wondered whether the clicks from The Good Luck Duck were you, Roxanne. Now I know.
And, now I know where my impressions went. YOU STOLE THEM. (I am kidding.) I went from getting 1,100 – 1,200 impressions per day to about 450 on average, no matter what I do. You are a math whiz, so run the statistics on that one.
During the week, I’ve been able – through my sheer cleverness HA – to maintain most of the momentum I built with my first series several weeks ago. Weekends since the change have been bombs – except for the Quaddafi post, which did very well.
Your comment on clicking through is duly noted.
Yes, I have several ideas about cross-promotion. I’ve put a couple of them in the comments above. Take a read and see what you think. I will put you on the list, and we can discuss it as a group by e-mail.
I activated a BlogHer account a while back, and then got distracted and never went back to it. I scrolled through some of the content, and it seemed like a lot of women who talk about their kids (which is fine but I tend not to be good at joining those conversations) or fashion (also fine but same deal for me.) I need to dig into it more to try to decipher whether or not there are things there I actually want to read, which will give me a good gauge of whether anyone would want to read me, if that makes sense.
Using my mad skillz, I detect that your current impressions are … less than before. I can’t cipher why mine would go up while yours go down. There’s no substantive change with either of us, other than the Facebook rubric.
I shamelessly share my own stuff. I post it on my page, then share it to my personal wall. Not all of my real life friends “like” my page (what kind of friends do I have, anyway??), so I make them see it whether they want to or not.
When I created my Author page on FB, I promised my friends I would not share the links on my personal page. Until the changes, I adhered to that promise. Now, I’ve gone back to putting them in both places most days, because like you, some of my friends aren’t FRIENDS enough to like my author page. Going back to the personal page has been one of the ways I’ve kept my readership up.
Incidentally, I also made a verbose and lengthy complaint to Facebook about these changes, primarily because I have created a business page to promote my writing, while many other businesses have personal pages to promote business things. If they are going to require businesses to operate under some other paradigm on Facebook, then they need to deactivate all personal pages that are really businesses posing as people.
Andra, I agree! If FB would delete “profiles” for “people” who are actually businesses, I would be happy. Like you, I try to obey the rules of the road and get penalized, and they flout it and occasionally are penalized, but not as frequently as should happen.
Cheryl, you should send them a message and complain about this, too. The more people who complain, the more likely they may do something about it. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to see most of my ‘potential friends’ be businesses disguised as people. Those businesses need to put up or be shut out if Facebook is going to start charging for more impressions, as I know they are set to announce in the coming days just by looking at their new insights.
Yes, there is a lot of that mommy blogging stuff. I’ve found a few blogs that I like, and it seems like you would be the sort of writer they might like to syndicate. Still, I don’t have any sense of whether syndication would significantly boost your clicks (IF you know what I’m sayin’). But, then, how could it not help?
Thank you for prodding me to go back there. I will do it this week. Syndication of my blog would be a dream come true for me.
Gosh Andra, your blog is one of the first things I read every day. I always click through to the home page as I like the font and layout better. Although I am a serial commenter on Facebook, I don’t always comment on your blog. I guess I only comment when the writing particularly moves me. I feel like I have made friends with Lou, Carnell, Cheryl and Angie through this blog and have started reading Angie’s blog because of yours. I don’t comment on hers because she really doesn’t know me but I enjoy her writing. Personally, I enjoy your ME posts the best. For some reason, they resonate with me and cause me to feel a powerful connection with you and the other readers. And, even if I miss a day reading, I always go back and read the post. Keep up the great work. Hope to see you soon, Jill
Wow. Thank you, Jill. You are such a sophisticated reader. I am honored that you grant such a place to my blog.
It is good to know another person who enjoys the ME posts. Those are really the hardest ones to write. How much do I say? When does it turn into a journal entry that isn’t readable? Or, is too emotional and revealing? Although, I think I combined old and new pretty well with Friday and Saturday’s posts this week. It is sort of freaky to have complete strangers come up and say, “Wow, I read your blog, and I can’t BELIEVE some of the stuff you share about yourself on there.” I mean, there’s LOTS AND LOTS I don’t share, but dang. I never know how to take that one.
I also think you should expound on Sat.’s blog post and submit it to Modern Love column in the NY Times!
I have so many ideas for Modern Love submissions, Jill. That one will not be one, because it would mean, on some level, talking about a former relationship. 1. I don’t want to relive that relationship. 2. The last time I submitted something to a newspaper that tangentially mentioned that relationship, it got printed. He saw it and complained, even though the mention was oblique. 3. I would prefer to submit something about MTM, because he is the love of my life.
Thank you for reminding me that I have another publication credit about which I forgot!!
Jill, I’m still planning to find a way to live in Asheville and you and my friends Elizabeth and Marie who are already up there can all show me the ropes! Of course, I’m not sure if the time frame will fit my number of years allotted to me…it might take me a long time to get this to happen.
We just need to start a commune on our dirt and pool our money.
Hey now, I like the commune idea, when you and MTM, known henceforth as the “Dirt Dogs”, finish the work, we’ll all hang out on “our” veranda.
Lou, at this stage, I would do almost anything short of raiding our retirement savings to put something on our dirt besides a hole. But, you and Miss TK are welcome to go sit in the hole in our dirt and have a picnic any time.
Dirt has river access.
Hey, can I come sit in the hole too? I will bring a spoon and help dig…
I don’t care who goes to sit in the hole. There’s no view until we cut down a handful of trees. Or, this time of year, when all the leaves are down.
Incidentally, the hole is the only level spot on the property. Because we dug it. With shovels. I cannot count the times I asked The Architect why we didn’t rent a backhoe……………
Well hello there! Now I feel like I am under pressure to say something intelligent and insightful. Not sure I can pull that off.
You know that I, like Lou and some others, will be here by your side no matter what you choose to do. Well, as long as you don’t start writing a self-help column anyway. Your blog, and the comments, are my daily water cooler. On weekends I may get here late, or occasionally not at all (sorry), but that has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with dealing with family instead of work.
I love all your posting styles by the way. What I really love is seeing you flex your literary muscles and go beyond the norm. I would venture to say the harder it is for you the more I get out of it. When you write what is hard, true, or beyond your comfort zone, that is when we get to see the real you. Even in fiction.
Oh, and the occasional guest post by MTM is fun too.
Let me state emphatically that I don’t care how anyone reads my blog – in chunks, every day, etc. I hope I don’t come across as whining in this post. This year, my questions about changes are more complex than last year – i.e. what do I call my blog in the new year? – and I wanted to start getting reader feedback without doing a whole series of navel-gazing posts about blogging. Please do not feel badly if you don’t get here for a day or several. I’m still surprised anyone reads this thing.
The events of the past week or so, which I am NOT going to write about here but will be happy to cry with you over lunch one day, have caused me to think about a lot of things with my writing. I have created a lot of stuff here that I could refashion into Kindle shorts and things like that, but it would take focus and time for me to rework it into writing that is at the level I want to achieve. If I took weekends off, that’s what I’d be doing. I also have at least one book of short stories in this blog, if I care to go back and edit some of them into that.
At the base of it, though, I suspected others were having the same issues since changes in Facebook, and many comments today have confirmed that. I mean, as an example, Heather Solos (http://www.home-ec101.com/) has complained about it vocally, and she’s trying to make money with her blog. These changes came at the worst possible time for her. If I can help other bloggers who have talent and who I enjoy reading enough to visit them every day, I want to do that by forming some sort of collaborative promotional process. I might benefit from that, but so would the group.
Yes, but Heather Solos complains about everything! (Actually, not true. I just wanted to say that in case she reads this.) Seriously though, to me FaceBook is becoming the new MySpace. Eww….
Look at me, begging people to use Google+ today. They should give me blog impressions on Google for how much I’m trying to sell them………
I identify with what Lou, Cheryl and Jill say above. I look forward to reading your post each day, although some days I don’t get to it until evening, after work. The abbreviated version in the email alert (like I saw today) doesn’t bother or deter me; sometimes I read the full post within the email message, sometimes click on the link, and other times I go to your blog directly (as I have it bookmarked now). I also don’t comment most days, so I’m probably not helping your metrics; happy to do whatever does help, however. I am not a blogger myself, so I’m not a candidate for sharing links, but I do appreciate your openness about that. I have discovered some cool blogs through yours, in fact.
If you decide to take a weekend break, I will cope and think most of your regular readers will, too. I feel I enjoy your blog chiefly for three reasons: One is entertainment. Another is that I’m a writer (just don’t blog) and it’s both refreshing and helpful to read another writer’s style because it makes me better (or least makes me want to be better). And the third reason is that having met you and MTM earlier this year, it’s fun to keep a connection by reading what you write, although we live in different states. You’re two cool, hip people. )Well, maybe not MTM so much, but he’s smart and all, and hasn’t been arrested lately that I know of.)
Keel, I love it when readers comment, but I don’t expect every one of them to comment every day. It helps me know who’s reading, and it contributes to the various entertaining and sometimes wacky conversations that get started, but it isn’t required. I love it when people Like my posts, because I know they’ve been here. It’s quick and easy. On other blogs I read, sometimes I don’t comment, but I usually Like to let the blogger know I stopped by.
And, MTM is cool and hip………and sick as a dog right now. I am trying to stay away from him, because I have two slammed weeks of work interviewing people and focus grouping all over the Southeast, and I cannot afford to be sick.
I am looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks and hearing about how your book is progressing.
Kind words Keel! Thank you. I just like where Andra takes my brain.
…and don’t get me started about Facebook. Oy!
I’ll say it again. Google+.
Hello Andra, I’ve finally managed to get to your part of the blogosphere and leave a comment for you. I’ll be reading more of your posts over the next few days or so… I’m kind of caught up in a weird time vortex at present, and everything seems to be passing me by at great speeds,so I have to take time out. I’ll be back! (Now, who said that…?)
The Terminator. Oh my……….
I have enjoyed your blog for a while now, Tom. The rambunctiousness of your mind is a marvel. I will include you on the promotional discussion, simply because I could have a field day promoting some of your posts.
I vote for weekend ripostes (pun intended). Not out of the selfless desire to have you give yourself a break, but out of the selfish desire to rediscover the too-easily forgotten gems that populate the history of this blog. Even with the Featured Posts tab, the blog format makes it difficult to go back and find and re-read posts that are as relevant and evocative today as they were when you wrote them.
Ohhh… I like the idea of weekend re-posts, too! What a great idea to take those “old gems” off the shelf and dust ‘em off. Thanks for the inspiration, MTM!
I vote that MTM has to write the weekend posts!!
We don’t want MTM writing, unless he really wants to do it. He takes hours to write a blog post, and that takes him away from me.
Well, I will make that your bloggity assignment. Go back through and make a list of possible reposts for me, and we’ll see how I use them in the coming year.
Really pleased to read this post and know that we are coming up against similar challenges/opportunities. I would love to cross promote. Let me know what ideas you have. I am always happy to work with other bloggers in this way. Sometimes the whole experience feels a bit lonely, but when we can come together it really enriches the whole experience for me.
I love your blog so much, Dena. I share it all the time now. I will include you in the interested group. I hope you’re staying warm with all that snow. xo
I’m relatively small time, but for what it’s worth, I’m in
So many amazing writers around. It makes me wonder whether a new kid on the E-magazine block is in order.
Yay! I will include you in the list, Kate.
And, no one is small time on this list. I have found so many new, amazing bloggers through you, and thank Brett Myers for a random share of one of your blog posts that I happened to notice on Facebook (pre-changes.)
Kate, if you are small time, I’m somewhere close to Planck scale. I barely crack double digits as a daily average, forget about 4 places to the left of the decimal. Granted I also appear to be doing things in the inverse, as usual. I post only on weekends because that is when I have the time for the indulgence. I post my links on FB and Google+, then listen to the wind blow and crickets chirp. If an individual post cracks 50 views in its lifetime, it is a hit in my little world. And as you know from being one of the few to read any of it out of either genuine interest or kind support, I can sometimes wear my demoralization on my sleeve. Funny coincidence about that recent, relevant post: the jungle picture I used apparently showed up high in the search rankings for anyone who searched for most things “jungle” over a few days last week such that I have this towering spike of a few hundred views to my home page. Not that it did me very much good to have people pop on to a post of me cussing and ranting into the electronic void.
I still keep questioning myself about why I am doing this and weighing the return on time investment, considering so many responsibilities. But I mean what I say about being amazed and thankful for the quality of people I seem to have engaged to keep coming back, more so than the quantity. That’s a theme that seems to run through most of my social life. Enough ego-centrism. To your point…
I always click through blog emails so that people get the view count, empathetically understanding how important that feedback can be. I am tending towards reading blogs in batches when I have the time. I save all the emails away then try my best to get caught up as time permits. Kate can attest to that, as I am often annoyingly dropping comments on something 2-3 weeks old. FB has indeed become too similar to what MySpace looked like when I jumped ship. What deeper reading content that still gets posted often just ends up as fodder for tribal, pet dogma arguments or snarky insult contests. Oh, joy! I have debated starting a separate ‘fan’ page, but wonder of the futility of it at this point. Shoot, I am right back to self-absorptive complaining again. Did you say that WordPress links the abbreviated format in emails to the abbreviated format on the homepage? I am curious and considering switching to that on my homepage and such, as well.
I don’t know if I offered much of value here, but I would be very much interested in supporting deserving others and enabling more exposure. Bloggers can often appear to be the only ones reading each others stuff, but I wonder how much of that can be the fact that they understand the value of giving/getting a ‘like’ or a comment, while those who don’t just read (email or otherwise) and move on. I will say any ‘likes’ or comments by me are genuine, and not gratuitously related to marketing me or them (at least consciously). So yes, please count me in on how I may be of service in getting some of you talented writers in front of people who can appreciate what you do. Sorry for the somewhat winded reply, Andra…
Brett, I will include you in the list. I was hoping you’d want to do it.
Here’s my two cents on a fan page: hold off. Facebook is supposed to be announcing more changes in the coming days, and who knows what that will mean for pages. Let everything fall out and see if Facebook is even somewhere you want to be in a few months. I’m investing more energy in Google+.
I’m trying to get a few things done so I won’t go long form with this but definitely want to give you some feedback
1.) I have always been amazed at how much content you produce. I have not really seen any other blog with as much feedback and/or posts as you do. Typically a few posts a week for your type of blog is more then generous. If you cut back posts you would not be hurting the blog as you already put out so much more than many others.
2.) posting the full post/vs click through – I have never understood how exactly giving the entire post away through RSS/email helps the blogger (even when I was trying blogging myself!). It seems like you would have to make people come to the blog to try to make money/expand readership etc. I say do whatever helps you and works!
3.) blog consortiums seem to really help bloggers out, with many blogs getting big and then even sucked up into some other site full of blogs, so I definitely think it behooves you to team up and don’t think it takes anything away so go for it!
I changed the e-mail delivery method today to be short blurb and click through to the blog to read more. We’ll see how that works.
Producing the content isn’t a problem. I always want it to be great. Sometimes, it is better than others, but it’s like musicians who decide to write a song a day. A few are hits. Others are dogs. Bits go on to make better music down the road. If only I could write haikus or short poetry like my friend Steve………but I cannot.
Thank you for taking the time to post this feedback.
you always have my ear Andra, you are extremely giving of yourself and your time and the least I can do is answer a few questions for you!
I read blogs at the weekends as well as during the week, and I’ve noticed there are about half as many posts then. I can understand your not wanting to waste good posts. I don’t know about other blog readers, but if I miss a day I’ll read it the next day. It depends what you change weekends to as to whether I’ll read them or not
but it wouldn’t stop me reading your regular posts.
I use the wordpress blog reader (although it annoys me) so I get to scroll down a list of posts from all wp blogs I read in more or less the order they were written. They give the title and blogger, a pic if the post contains one and the first few lines of text, based on this I decide whether to read the post. I keep scrolling down until I recognise the posts are ones I’ve read yesterday. So I never end up on your home page except if they mess the link up (which has been known…) As I click to open the blog post in a new window, it should show up on your stats that I read that particular post.
The WP blog reader annoys me, too, Knotrune. Half the time, it doesn’t work on my phone when I click Like on a post, and I end up never getting back to it on my desktop.
Thanks for your feedback. Always great to hear from you.
Not really anything different to add, just some “ditto” comments really… Most annoyingly, I have to agree with Carnell while also agreeing with Cheryl and Lou is easier on the soul. I get your posts in email but at some point always click through to the blog to read the comments. And weekends I do often drop off and then try to catch up on Monday ( as today). I vote for you taking the weekends off! The only blog posts I write are techie ones and rarely at that, so I can’t weigh in on that subject, but I do know I have told you I am enjoying the mix of content and styles lately…
Thanks for adding your thoughts, Amanda. Happy Halloween to you and the family. I can’t wait to see pictures of their attire.
Sharing is caring… although your 5000 readers sounds a little big next to my readership (me + my mom+ sometimes the fruit stand owner from down the street)!
Let me clarify – I DO NOT HAVE 5,000 READERS of my blog. I have around that many connections in my various social networks, and maybe a percent or three of those pay attention to anything I say.
And, you’re not being fair to your blog. I know you have more readers than that. I will put you on the list. There’s nothing like spreading hilarity when sharing love.
I almost always click through because I can’t always view the picture in my email format, and also because I like to read the comments so much.
I work most Saturdays and read those posts. I tend not to read on Sundays because I am making an effort to unplug a bit during my time off. If I get online, it’s hard for me not to check my email – and inevitably there’s some anxious or angry client issue in there that could/should have waited until Monday, but I end up worrying about it while I am trying to relax, then lose all my recovery time to that idocy. Since I don’t have the self-control, I am trying avoidance.
I would be perfectly fine with your not posting or re-posting on weekends. I always enjoy reading you blog, but I have to admit I save it up during the workday as a reward for myself when I have finished some unpleasant task, so I would miss it less on weekends.
I am of the camp that really enjoys your more literary writing, and the new series are fantastic, but I find myself more engaged with and enjoying more the you-based posts. Looking back on when I comment, it’s almost exclusively on the personal posts, though I try to tell you when I have been moved by the others.
As long as you keep writing in one form or another, I’ll be happy
Really, I know I just need to write more posts about food. You ALWAYS comment on the food ones, though I know it is a function of where you are.
Thanks for such a lengthy comment, Amber. I hope to see you in the morning.
I would be interested in discussing/implementing ways to promote one another’s blogs, though like Earlybird, I’m not an agressive blogger. Since most of my content is poetry or short fiction, it takes me a bit longer to prepare a post, and even longer if the work goes out for consideration of publication or contest first. I would love to have more readers, but I’m so busy with the actual writing that I haven’t really concentrated on how to attract folks (and don’t really know what to do).
I love to read your posts daily, Andra. And if it weren’t for kate, I wouldn’t have found you, so blogger reccomendations are crucial! I admit that occasionally I miss a day here and there, but I always try to go back and catch up. Weekends are very busy, and I often skip a day then. I also find my own blog hits go down on the weekends, but mostly in the summer months.
I don’t mind the new format at all (having to click to read the rest of the post). It gets me in position to comment! Regarding comments, is it better to “like” a post as well as comment, or does it matter in your stats? Let me know how I can help, and I will pitch in!
I will put you on the list, Elizabeth.
One very simple thing I think we can all do within this group is what WordPress already does for us. On most of my posts, WordPress adds three or four “posts that are similar to this one.” We could do something similar at the end of a post, only it could be “posts I recommend” from other bloggers. It could be in italics before or (probably best) after the story. We’re all reading other bloggers we like, so it wouldn’t take much extra time or effort to insert plugs for others.
I found your blog through Kate, and I’m so thankful for it. Reading talented writers enriches my own writing.
I get your e-mails every day about your posts. Until the last couple of days I would read the e-mail and then I would still go to the author page to see the picture you post and to read the comments. Now I click on the link and go directly to your author page and can see everything at once. I actually like that better.
Sometime life and work get in the way and I don’t get to read your posts for a couple of days. But I always go back and read the ones I’ve missed. If you decide not to write a post on the weekends, I’m ok with that. I like MTM’s idea of re-posting so we can “rediscover the too easily forgotten gems”.
Debbie, MTM is on the task of making a list of those ‘forgotten gems.’ I have no earthly idea what’s a gem and what isn’t. He’s more objective. And, he wants me to rewrite and refashion several things and submit them places, and I need to carve out some time to make him happy.
Whether your idea was the impetus, or Paula is simply like-minded, I thought you might be interested to see (if you haven’t already): http://paulatohlinecalhoun1951.wordpress.com/2011/10/31/monday-joy/
I THINK I found her blog through Kate’s, but am not positive…not being a blogger, I’m not necessarily keeping track of that type statistic.
This is one of many possible examples of what a blogging group could do to help one another, Karen, without detracting from their own writing or style.
I’m interested, but I don’t think your readers are interested in my material.
yaakov…
Yaakov, I sneaked a peek at your blog. I’m now following, for what it’s worth…
I will include you. As you can see from Brett’s response, you never know.
Hi friend,
I’d love to do some mutual promotion if you’re so inclined. Great idea !
I will put you on the list, Dear.