tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post7117698261314203066..comments2024-03-28T02:00:11.260-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: The Short Of ItJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-76515064791798274112008-02-27T22:36:00.000-06:002008-02-27T22:36:00.000-06:00I have a "Talking Dirty" group of posts that cover...I have a "Talking Dirty" group of posts that cover topics like my search for male erotica writers, to the fiasco about a dog's scrotum in a children's book, to the funny mating customs of ancient civilizations, those sorts of things. Which is why (I now see) I am getting a humongous amount of hits from porn and hardcore sex searches. LOL<BR/><BR/><B>Defining the topic</B> (rather than trying to be clever) would probably help me in that regard...? Ha. Thanks for giving me a clue. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-15163435010439230872008-02-27T13:35:00.000-06:002008-02-27T13:35:00.000-06:00I think author interviews are both good and okay.T...I think author interviews are both good and okay.<BR/><BR/>They can bring new visitors to your blog, which is good. Some folks will poke around, read other entries, and perhaps become longtime readers.<BR/><BR/>But being a good interviewer isn't easy. You can either disappear altogether, or make it too much about you, which looks bad. it's a fine line to walk.<BR/><BR/>If your interviews are focused on something that ties in with your platform, I say do it.<BR/><BR/>If you're randomly interviewing authors just because you know them, to give them a chance to pimp their work, you're probably not doing either of you any favors.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-34765419902584297692008-02-24T08:14:00.000-06:002008-02-24T08:14:00.000-06:00Thanks for the article Joe.What’s your take on blo...Thanks for the article Joe.<BR/><BR/>What’s your take on blogs that feature author interviews? <BR/><BR/>I have done a few in the past, mainly because they gave me an opportunity to converse with an author whose work I enjoyed. <BR/><BR/>But I noticed that interviews don’t spark as much conversation in the “comments” area.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-26302491654579899552008-02-22T17:27:00.000-06:002008-02-22T17:27:00.000-06:00Thanks for this advice. I am trying to keep all th...Thanks for this advice. I am trying to keep all the balls going in the air at once (i have two blogs and one group one with others) and it gets nutty sometimes. Good to hear from you on the subject.Kim Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13933746166088034102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-16882560914972028202008-02-22T12:28:00.000-06:002008-02-22T12:28:00.000-06:00Another post with fascinating content, Joe. And I ...Another post with fascinating content, Joe. <BR/><BR/>And I agree with Steve, Rob and Rebecca--participate in the comments, get a conversation going, if possible.<BR/><BR/>I have a question for everyone, every blogger: How do you find time and energy for all this? Joe, you're amazing in your productivity with the books and promo, and well all of it. But I struggle with getting my writing done, doing my day job, and be effective with my blog.<BR/><BR/>How to balance it? Be productive? Effective?Conda Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12972790965426924941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-5805390501857173672008-02-20T15:22:00.000-06:002008-02-20T15:22:00.000-06:00Usually I just write shit, ya know?That said, I re...Usually I just write shit, ya know?<BR/><BR/>That said, I recently wrote a 9-part series on "Freelance Writing For A Living" and watched my hit count double.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, when I mentioned my 9-part series on John Scalzi's blogpost about "the writer and money" my hit count tripled.<BR/><BR/>So maybe the key is to announce something really useful with a link on somebody else's really popular blog.Mark Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410424046477699059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-92090264903870416632008-02-20T14:49:00.000-06:002008-02-20T14:49:00.000-06:00Brilliant tips as usual, Joe!What I need next are ...Brilliant tips as usual, Joe!<BR/><BR/>What I need next are some key techniques to get reader interaction happening. I've often struggled to get insightful and interactive comments. I invite them and occasionally a reader pulls a rabbit out of their hat but much of the time comments simply reaffirm what I've covered.<BR/><BR/>I'd love to develop the blog comments on my blog so that readers are interacting WITH EACH OTHER and not just with me or the post I wrote.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and I also agree with Steve's praises. ;-) I love that you only post when you've got something brilliant to add. Having you in my reader means I can always keep up with your posts and not fall behind like I do with MANY other blogs.<BR/><BR/>I also ALWAYS enjoy reading whatever you write. I love hearing about your personal successes, your progress, and the tips you share that have helped you become the writer you are today.<BR/><BR/>Thank you for all you give back to the writing community and beyond. :-)<BR/><BR/>Sincerely,<BR/>Rebecca Laffar-Smith<BR/><A HREF="http://www.writersroundabout.com" REL="nofollow">The Writer's Round-About</A>Rebecca Laffar-Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18085299881243825229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-51737607989661092632008-02-20T11:35:00.000-06:002008-02-20T11:35:00.000-06:00I agree with Rob agreeing with me. There's a coup...I agree with Rob agreeing with me. There's a couple writer's blogs I read where, even when asked a direct question, they never post a reply. It makes them look as if they think they're above you, that you're lucky just to read their thoughts.<BR/><BR/>And by the way, about #1 on your list, defining the topic works great. When a friend of mine was doing one of his first library readings, I sent him a link to your post on how best to go about them. He said it was like a customized guidebook that gave him everything he needed (except for the scotch).Steve MChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15026970188928733645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-56723035079906209532008-02-20T09:47:00.000-06:002008-02-20T09:47:00.000-06:00Me, I keep coming back in the hopes there will be ...Me, I keep coming back in the hopes there will be a NEW short story to access somewhere...Mariahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11234907275906877802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-17042518959676313722008-02-20T00:57:00.000-06:002008-02-20T00:57:00.000-06:00Steve hit the nail on the head, although it's buri...Steve hit the nail on the head, although it's buried in the last graf:<BR/><BR/><STRONG>Participate in your own blog's comments.</STRONG><BR/><BR/>These things are supposed to be conversations between people. And that means our obligation as bloggers doesn't end when we hit the Publish button.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-46265613774992792722008-02-20T00:34:00.000-06:002008-02-20T00:34:00.000-06:00Interesting article there - I was the first to rev...Interesting article there - I was the first to review "They" on Amazon, so it was good to see it mentioned.<BR/><BR/>About the secret to blog posts, what's kept me coming back here is 1) you write clearly and entertainingly, 2) you post only when you have something worth saying, 3) you shoot from the hip and keep it all real, and 4) the sense we get that you're down here in the trenches with us, trying to make sense of it all.<BR/><BR/>The short of it is, you tell it straight, whatever situation has us all befuddled (or you at least give us new ones to befuddle over), and just when you've spelled it out so clearly that it all seems hopeless, you give us a carefully considered course of action, or simply a way of looking at it that keeps one sane.<BR/><BR/>And finally, you invite reinforcement, rebuttals, and questions from your astute and experienced readers (hey all), which you actually answer, which leads to a general sense of community without having to go down to the local coffee shop.Steve MChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15026970188928733645noreply@blogger.com