Thursday, February 3, 2011

Grow Your Blog


There are a couple events coming up that offer really GREAT opportunities to increase your readership. First though, while I KNOW I am preaching to the choir, I thought I'd link to a blog this week that did a GREAT job delineating WHY we (writers) blog...


We do NOT blog to reach readers. Book readers (and buyers) don't cruise blogs to find new authors. They MAY, though, cruise blogs of BOOK REVIEWS. They ALSO may read a few blogs by authors they are FAMILIAR with.

As bloggy, writerly types, WE are blogging (aside from the 'for our health' part) to grow our NETWORK... to make friends with other writers, with book reviewers, with people who KNOW STUFF, so that we can 1) increase our knowledge (works well that way) 2) make friends (works well here, too) and 3) GROW OUR MINION BASE, so when the time comes that we NEED the help of our bloggy friends, we have enough good will banked to ask our friends for a hand.

So Go READ VR Barkowski's blog—she says it better than I just did,,,


And in the SPIRIT of growing that Network... Two Opportunities...



The Blogger Crusade

BECAUSE NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH INQUISITION! *cough*

erm...

Rachel is making her second run here... it is a BUNCH of blogs signing up... following each other, adding each other to blog rolls, visiting each other... to get a feel for who 'fits' int the long run... It is a nice way to meet a LOT of bloggers in the short run, and several of the relationships stick in the long run. I definitely recommend it. Go check it out. It starts tomorrow!



Blogging A to Z

This was one of my biggies last year, and Lee is hosting it again. April has 30 days... the alphabet has 26 letters,... so at 6 days a week, you can get through the alphabet. It is nice as a prompt, but it is GREAT as another of these blog events where we meet a whole bunch of bloggers and several of the relationships stick...


And just because I CAN... the reason these promos WORK, in my opinion... is we get a concentrated month teaching us the POWER of reciprocity. It would all be lovely, theoretically... to write and have people flock at us... but unless you are an AGENT or FAMOUS... chances are you need to also go OUT THERE and read if you want people to keep coming back to see YOU...

So there...

33 comments:

I Must Be Off said...

Hey. Yes, great opportunities. Thank you for the info. I'll be giving it a go.

Alison Pearce Stevens said...

I confess I haven't been good about taking advantage of opportunities like these. Mainly because I feel guilty about not being able to visit every blog that participates. But I'm determined to work on that, and I'm in for both. :)

Misha Gerrick said...

Great opportunities. In fact, I think I followed you here from Lee's blog...

;-)

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Well put! I'm planning on following these fests/carnivals...always a great way to find new blogs and writers!

Jan Morrison said...

Good ideas, tartlette! I might do the Lee thing...I can't blog six days a week I don't think - or at least not on purpose so...

Old Kitty said...

I'm all for going out there NAKED and making new friends! Take care
x

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That's right - no one espects the Spanish Inquisiton!
The A to Z Challenge made all the difference for me. Although I've never thought of my followers as minions...

Hart Johnson said...

YAY! Some takers!

Alison, when I don't participate, often that is why. It's not just a NOW commitment, but an ongoing one, so I hear you!

And Misha-WELCOME! Love new faces around here!

(And familiar faces!)

Jan, I thought you DID blog 6 days a week! You know you COULD do a little combo.

Jenny--last year I did the alphabet of lovely man butts, so Naked is definitely fair game!

Hart Johnson said...

Alex-I figure we're all mutual minions... but as leader of the Naked World Domination movement...

Sarah Ahiers said...

i'm still trying to decide if i want to do the A-Z challenge this year. I regretted missing it last year, but if i participate in 2011, it's really going to cut into my writing/editing time...

Colene Murphy said...

Too true! I have learned so much and met some amazing people blogging! Wonderful opportunity to grow as a writer. Well said! Thanks for the link to the fests!

Terry Odell said...

So many blogs, so little time. Thanks for these links.

Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Very well said! I like the last line about unless we are famous or an agent we need to be out there.. I am always amazed at those who think all they need to do is post and the world will flock to them. It's a two way street. It's called "social" media for a reason. I'm joining the A to Z challenge this year too, didn't do it last year and was amazed at those who did so thought it would be a good discipline for me. Great post today, Hart!

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

I really missed not being able to read my favorite blogs (and the new ones) with this crazy storm cutting me from the world.
I missed Alphabet Blog last year but I'm looking forward to it this spring.

Hannah said...

I love a good diabolical laugh. I'm doing April because i missed last year and i plan on scheduling everything ahead of time! lets see if that plan works...

Patricia JL said...

Checking out your links because I would like my blog to grow and to do that I must feed it new readers... wait did I say feed, I meant show it new readers... yeah. ;)

VR Barkowski said...

You said it better and far more succinctly than I ever could, but thank you for the shout-out, Tarty. Can't wait for Lee's A to Z! I was sans computer last year. This year, I'm on it. Time to get naked.

Michael Di Gesu said...

Thanks, Hart,

I've already signed up. I guess I'll be running into a lot. It works for me! You can never have too much of the "Tart!"

Michael

LTM said...

omg! *snort* that LOL cat looks just like FLOWER!!! And that's exactly what she would be doing, too... :D

holy blog fests, batwoman! I'll check these out~ xoxo

Southpaw said...

I feel a lot like Sarah. I worry it will cut into my actually writing time, not the actually posting but the followup.

SY said...

thanks for the tip... going there now! :)

CA Heaven said...

I've been considering joining the A-Z blogging, but have decided I don't have the time. Maybe next year. I'll try to follow some of the posts though >:)

Cold As Heaven

Carol Kilgore said...

Great post. I heartily recommend VR's blog, too. I'm still undecided about the A-Z fest. Writing the posts isn't my problem. Getting to even some of the other blogs in addition to the ones I regularly follow - which IS the underlying purpose - is next to impossible right now. But it sounds like such fun. So I'm still on the fence.

Regina said...

Great links and great opportunities. Thanks for the post!

Golden Eagle said...

Great post. I'm part of both the Blogging Crusade and the A-Z Blogging Challenge--looking forward to them!

Ciara said...

I signed up for the A-Z blog and convinced 5 others so far to join. I'm excited about it. I'll check out Rachel's now.

Hart Johnson said...

Sarah-it definitely CAN--I sort of look at it as an investment, but if you are on a roll...

Colene and Terry-Thank you! And You're welcome! HA!

Karen-I know--it's funny what people have in their heads before they dive in, but I am even more baffled by people who don't LEARN. (that is the nice thing about the fests, i think... good teaching ground)

Mary-were you buried? We got it, but not as bad as a lot of places... Glad you're joining!

Hannah-BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (me too) Glad you're joining too!

Patricia-A YUPER! (that is Michigan Upper Peninsula to the rest of you)- welcome! feeding... yeah, you and I are going to get along just fine.

VR-how did you live with no computer?! ACK! Glad you can join this year!

Michael-I know, right... running into each other everywhere!

Leigh-*snort* i can just picture JRM egging on the cat as she leaves rude comments.

Holly--it's true... cuts in... they don't come along too often, though...

SY-excellent! Glad you're joining!

CaH-fair enough--you know your schedule, best...

Carol-oh, come on! All the cool kids are doing it! (it's true though, that getting around is consuming...)

Regina-Welcome to you, too! I don't think I've seen you here before.

Hart Johnson said...

Golden Eagle-excellent! I'll be seeing lots of you, then!

Ciara-good recruiting, you! And definitely join the Crusade, too!

Patricia JL said...

Hart you forgot to say eh after yooper. ;) Those two come hand in hand.

Rachael Harrie said...

Hey Hart, thanks for the shout-out! I've signed up for A-Z too, should be fun :)

Hugs,

Rach

Arlee Bird said...

Preach it sistah! Thanks for the mention and to anyone who's still on the fence, "Get off before you fall off and get hurt!" Great testimonials above--that should be enough to convince anyone.
This post will be linked to my next "Thank You" feature.

Lee
Tossing It Out and the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2011

Kristal Lee said...

Fellow Crusader dropping by to say hi. I'm signed up for the A-Z fest too. A newbie to both. Now I'm off to check out your other links.

Amanda Milner said...

I love a good bout of diabolical laughter!
Bwa Ha Ha!
Ok, just a fellow crusader dropping in to say hi and nice to meet you. So-
Hi:-) It's nice to meet you!