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About the author and blogger ...

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.
A prize-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize.
Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of award-winning short stories.

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Balancing promo, helping others and self-indulgence in an author blog

14/1/2019

6 Comments

 
Many of us do it, but what’s the point of an author blog? Is it to promote our writing, to pass on our accumulated wisdom or to indulge ourselves in a less pressurised mode of publication without worrying whether it gets read? Perhaps it’s all of these in different proportions varying according to who we are and who readers are and our priorities at different points in time. When the balance is right, blogging is highly rewarding; when it’s not it can be a frustrating chore.
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Platform and promotion
 
Some authors feel bullied into starting a blog by their agent or publisher: a daunting task for a fledgling author when so much else is new. While selling is as much a part of the job as writing, there doesn’t appear to be any evidence that blogging creates more sales than anything else. If you have a full-time job and a family, plus a book to promote, blogging might not be worth your time and stress.
 
On the other hand, a blogging platform isn’t going to reduce your sales. Unless, that is, every post is some not-so-subtle version of BUY MY BOOK! So if you can blog, do it! Especially if you find your feet and connect with readers before you have a book to promote. Starting before you’re ready to publish, enables you to develop your voice and learn the mechanics in a more laid-back manner, but you must still present yourself professionally. You might not have more than your blog to promote right now, but you’re building your fan base and selling your future books.
 
If you’re too busy to run one of your own, you could find a slot in the blogosphere by guesting on other blogs. But do approach potential hosts with the respect you’d give to any other submission; few would welcome a guest who hasn’t read their blog. And if you haven’t the time, or the inclination, even for that amount of research and your agent or publisher is still on your back, why not turn the tables? Ask them to make a recommendation or, better still, invite you to guest on their blog. Haven’t got one? There’s your answer! Perhaps, deep down, they’ve decided it’s not worth the trouble.
 
Serving others
 
Writers tend to be helpful people and, if you’ve learned something you think would be of use to others, it makes sense to write a how-to post for your blog. But, unless you’re willing and able to do this big time and become, like the wonderful Emma Darwin, the go-to blogger for writing advice, I’m not convinced it would have much impact in terms of sales. Prestige in one area doesn’t automatically transfer into another.
 
The best way – and perhaps the only way – for a fiction writer’s blog to translate into book sales is if you are, or can become, an expert in some specialist area you write about. It’s so obvious, I’m almost embarrassed to state it, but if you can hook readers seeking information about a particular historical period, setting or scientific fact, and prove yourself to be not only an authority in the area but able to write about it in an engrossing and entertaining way, then they might, just might, decide to take a chance on your novel on the same topic.
 
But is this what you want to do? I blog now and then about mental health matters and attachment, common themes in my fiction, but not often enough or upbeat enough to bring me many more readers. And while a couple of people have been kind enough to say that they appreciate my reviews for keeping abreast of contemporary fiction, there are a lot of other book bloggers they could go to. I’d have to work an awful lot harder than I’m willing to do to distinguish myself in any of these areas.
 
Self-indulgence
 
If you’re similarly a generalist, is it most realistic to conceive of your tiny section of the blogosphere as self-indulgence, albeit one that will do no harm in terms of sales? When, about a year into blogging, I shared a post about sharing a post that wasn’t good enough, the responses were interesting. Other bloggers seemed less uptight about the business than me. Over time, although I hope I’m still perceived to be professional, I’ve probably become more relaxed.
 
We can blog to clear our heads before moving on to the day’s “real” writing. We can blog on the days our minds are too sluggish for the serious stuff, but still obey that oft-repeated injunction to Write Every Day. We write about our own confusion; we can rant about the issues most dear to our hearts. We can ask for advice, ideas, support; we can share our achievements, large and small. We can blog with no idea why the hell we do it; we can blog to forge connections with friends we might never meet. We can blog to bypass the publishing bottleneck, to feel a sense, however illusory, of control.
 
So please don’t blog because you feel you have to! Yes, keep in mind your prospective readers, but don’t take on an author blog because someone said you must. Even when it’s fun, it’s still work.
 
But you may not agree with me. Do share your thoughts on how to balance promotion, helping others and self-indulgence in an author blog.

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I drafted this post a few months ago after speaking to a writer who felt pressurised to blog. As this week marks my sixth anniversary of beginning Annecdotal, and Charli’s also written about knowing why you’re blogging, along with this week’s flash fiction prompt on the theme of enrichment. I don’t think my 99-word story is particularly enriching, but I must acknowledge it being partly influenced by a novel I’m reviewing tomorrow.
Hobson’s choice

He could try kittens chasing coloured ribbons, but they’d have to buy a litter tray, and the baby was allergic to cats. He could film the baby learning to feed herself, chocolate sauce smeared across her cheeks, but, oh, the mess.

Or he could go the other way, pandering to prejudice, make himself the mouthpiece of those who feared foreigners and benefit scroungers had brought country to its knees.

His blog was at a crossroads, he had to feed his family. He tossed a coin: heads for vitriol, tails for cosy comfort. Did it matter if neither was him?
Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
6 Comments
D. Avery link
15/1/2019 12:46:48 am

Happy Anne-i-versery, Annecdotist!
Huh. See, I didn't really know about any of this when I started up my site. I think of these more like yards, like the connected backyards of childhood. It's fine to play in someone else's yard but it's good to have one of your own to hang out in too. It's a place to play.

Reply
Anne Goodwin
15/1/2019 05:55:18 pm

Thank you. I didn't know about any of this when I started either! And it's a good analogy you make – it does feel like playing a lot of the time to me.

Reply
Norah Colvin link
15/1/2019 09:35:49 am

I always enjoy your reflections, Anne, though I'm not sure if you've resolved the question. (Thanks for linking back to your 'good enough' post. It's interesting in itself but the comments are amazing!)
I smiled at your flash. It's very appropriate, to me anyway. I'm struggling with my blog at the moment and questioning my purpose. If it wasn't for Charli's prompts, I'm not sure what I'd do. But as D. says, the connection through playing in others' backyards is the pleasure for me. It's feeling a little less like play in my own. It's an adjustment I need to make.
Congratulations on your sixth anniversary! That must mean mine's coming up soon too. I'd better not abandon it. It may feel rejected or neglected. :)
I think promotion of one's books is a great purpose for a blog, but how do you do that and not shout 'Buy my book'? I like the way you have your books neatly listed in the sidebar. It makes them easy to find for those who might be interested.
I am enjoying 'Becoming Someone' immensely, savouring each story as I read. Some I have read before, some are new to me. Some I know I've read before but remember them a little differently. I'm wondering if they are a little changed, or if my recall is faulty. I might ask you about this sometime. :)

Reply
Anne Goodwin
15/1/2019 05:55:38 pm

Thanks, Norah, it’s interesting that you point to the marvellous discussion in the comments of that previous post because they use to happen much more in the past than they do now. I do sometimes wonder if I’d get more engagement if I switched to WordPress but my blog is secondary to my other so I’m happy enough playing quietly with a few close friends. My flash is probably more a reflection of where I am with my fiction but I doubt you’ll get any cute kittens from me soon!
I’m glad you’re enjoying Becoming Someone. In answer to your questions/musings, all of these stories were of course edited, some more than others. Mostly it was about precision and economy of the words, but there were a few where Sara wanted a bit more in the resolution. I think the one I was most pleased about in this regard was “Habeas Corpus” where, with a bit of needling, I realised it worked better with an extra section, only about 200 words, where the character uses his camera to come back to himself. (In fact, now it’s in there, I’m amazed anybody wanted to publish it without that!) Another that I’d already changed myself not long after it was first published is “Across the Table” where it went from first to second person. But I’m also intrigued as to what changes – real or imagined – you discovered!

Reply
Charli Mills
17/1/2019 12:25:54 am

I feel a bit like we tag-teamed the topic of blogging this week, Anne. But like you and Norah, I think we've given thought to why we blog and how. I think most bloggers do it because they have something to say, or a need to connect, or a topic to pursue.

As an author, I agree that there can be much pressure to blog. Although I see that shifting to guest blogging as an acceptable choice. However, a website is essential and to keep in the SEO rankings, one has to freshen content at least monthly (so why not blog?). Also, Google rewards lengthier content and that's a consideration, too -- post something 2,000 words once a month for G+ rankings or post five 200 word posts a day? One has to have a goal for their tactics, and as I'll reinforce, a vision to direct goals.

But evolution is important, too. I can go back to my early archives at Carrot Ranch and see my evolution clearly. More clearly than what I was trying to resolve and establish. Play became a theme -- playing with words, playing with story, playing with craft. I wanted recess from my longer or paid work.

Does it sell books? I'm not sure anything digitally sells books unless one has pushed through that bottleneck you speak of. But one's digital platform is just that -- a springboard from which selling activities can take place. A blog is space we own, and as you point out, a place to practice our voice and measure reaction to it. Elmira Pond was where I used to practice my in-the-moment nature writing voice with creative writing. It sold nothing, but gave me valuable experience and lots of material that I continue to repurpose for publication elsewhere.

Reply
Anne Goodwin
17/1/2019 09:24:53 am

Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Charli. I think you’ve cracked that blogging lark, even if your posts don’t seem like blogs!
I appreciate your point about 2000 word posts to please Google. I’d actually forgotten about that – and I generally try to keep my posts about half that length so as not to test readers’ patience. I think the risk of long posts is it extends the bounce rate – I wonder whether that cancels out the length advantage? Perhaps there’s a 2000 word post on it somewhere! It’s tricky to get the balance right between blogging for fun and optimising your chances of an audience.

Reply



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