Why would you blog?

EileenG

I must be missing something, because I can't see the point of a blog.

If you just want to give strangers the benefit of your opinion, there are plenty of boards (like this one, for instance) where you can rant and rave. If you have written something that is genuinely creative and might one day be salable, then having already published it on the Internet seems like a good way to sabotage a sale.

seriousfizz

I blog just for fun really. I enjoy writing and when I put the effort in my friends enjoying reading my stuff. Some people have blogs for specific things, but my blog is just kind of generic, although I do try to emphasize humour, because who doesn't want to laugh?

EileenG

But if you are putting effort into making it unusual and funny, why not sell it?

aidan_walsh

You assume that people will want to pay for it. It might not be of as much commercial quality as you might think.

Also, free writing online can whet an appetite and lead to commissioned work, or act as an additional portfolio when you do try to sell something. Not to mention build a fanbase who would be there to buy what you may eventually sell.

seriousfizz

EileenG wrote: »

But if you are putting effort into making it unusual and funny, why not sell it?

I wouldn't necessarily say it's that unusual, not unusual enough that I'd imagine people would buy it. I'm young, I use the blog just to improve my writing for the moment.

I like to write poems, and maybe if I improve I could try and sell some of my work, but I can't see anyone paying for an average guy's blog. I can link you to my blog if you like, it doesn't really deal which much in particular and is aimed at my group of friends mostly, so I don't think it would sell at all.

Hope this helps

EileenG

aidan_walsh wrote: »

You assume that people will want to pay for it. It might not be of as much commercial quality as you might think.

Also, free writing online can whet an appetite and lead to commissioned work, or act as an additional portfolio when you do try to sell something. Not to mention build a fanbase who would be there to buy what you may eventually sell.

But does this actually happen? Most of the people I know who have blogs only get a handful of friends or family reading them. I've never heard of an editor who had so few submissions that she was trawling the Internet looking for more.

Also, most of the blogs I've seen are not that good. People write to them much the way they'd post to Boards, so they are getting the point across, but not necessarily in the best way possible. They certainly don't get the editing and polishing you'd give a piece you were trying to sell, but there are still out there, available to the public as your standard of work. Is this the portfolio you'd want to show to a potential publisher?

pickarooney

EileenG wrote: »

But does this actually happen? Most of the people I know who have blogs only get a handful of friends or family reading them. I've never heard of an editor who had so few submissions that she was trawling the Internet looking for more.

Also, most of the blogs I've seen are not that good. People write to them much the way they'd post to Boards, so they are getting the point across, but not necessarily in the best way possible. They certainly don't get the editing and polishing you'd give a piece you were trying to sell, but there are still out there, available to the public as your standard of work. Is this the portfolio you'd want to show to a potential publisher?

On boards you're not the centre of attention and on a blog you can edit other people's comments. There are about 6 blogs from the eight trillion currrently active which are worth reading, but the writers of the other ones don't realise this.

I don't think the notion of money enters the minds of most bloggers, to be honest.

dawvee

EileenG wrote: »

But does this actually happen? Most of the people I know who have blogs only get a handful of friends or family reading them. I've never heard of an editor who had so few submissions that she was trawling the Internet looking for more.

Also, most of the blogs I've seen are not that good. People write to them much the way they'd post to Boards, so they are getting the point across, but not necessarily in the best way possible. They certainly don't get the editing and polishing you'd give a piece you were trying to sell, but there are still out there, available to the public as your standard of work. Is this the portfolio you'd want to show to a potential publisher?

It definitely does happen. The cases where it does are people blogging on a specific topic, about which you, the blogger, are particularly qualified to speak - a constable blogging about his work life and its frustrations, a rare left-wing redneck decrying the current state of his culture, a doctor calling out examples of pseudo-science and other quackery, and so on.

The general rule is that if your blog has a point, and you can write in a consistently entertaining style, publishers may be interested. And they won't necessarily care if it's all on the internet, because having written the blog, you've shown that you can write consistently, and therefore can toss off an extra chapter or two to sell it in print. Most of the most entertaining non-fiction books I've read in the last few years have started as blogs.

LegacyUser

I've just signed my first book deal and my publisher is actively encouraging me to blog to "maintain an online presence" and "increase the marketing platform" for the book and stuff.

lmtduffy

Im agreeing with Eileen on this.

First of all editors of anything worth being in do not need to look for submissions.

If you do put something good on a blog, editors may not accept it as it already counts as published- look at the submission guidelines of different publications they often specify this.

If you are some one who is "qualified" to write about a particular topic then your qualification should help you get what you write on to a professional format.

There are no barriers to writing a blog it is as much a portfolio as having written your stuff down with pen and paper.

Blogging is for most people an online journal or diary and that will generally be the extent or your writing life if that is what you do.

If you have something of worth putting it on a blog provides very little benefit and makes your piece by and large unusable in the future.

LegacyUser

There are lots of reasons why people blog. For feedback, to entertain, to sell something, to promote something, to create a community of like minded people, to sell pay per post reviews, etc.

There are blogs that have been made into books, there are people who earn money from their blogs, there are published authors who use their blog as a platform to promote their work and reach their target audience, there are unpublished writers who use blogs to practice the habit of frequent writing or to look for input on their work thus helping them improve.

But most blogs have a specific purpose in a niche subject. They give information, how to help, reviews, tips and a lot of other things. Anything is possible. For example, there are lots of literary agents, publishers and editors with blogs. Most of them provide helpful information on submitting, query letters, blurbs, etc.

Most regularly updated blogs have more than a handful of visitors to their site every day. When I blogged (back in the day) I had hundreds of unique visitors every week and that was a small blog. A lot of bloggers give up before the 3 month mark so there are empty blogs all over the place, maybe these are the types of blogs you've seen?

I can't say I know anyone who started a blog with the intent of posting creative fiction that they want to sell. I really don't know where that is coming from. Although most authors now have blogs (and many of them post short stories or edited sub plots that are relevant to some of their books) and rightly so, it's a valuable tool. Also, people can subscribe to blogs on kindle - for a price of course.

dominiquecruz

I don't think vary many people blog with publishing contracts in mind; they're designed for the cyber-savvy Anne Franks of our generation. Just a platform for sharing opinions or random personal musings.

I'm inclined to believe that, unlike boards, theres a bit more egotism involved in a blog. Rather than a private journal, people put their thoughts online for some kind of bizarre validation.

Despite this, many blogs are just sharing information - food, gossip etc.

EileenG

writingwriting wrote: »

I've just signed my first book deal and my publisher is actively encouraging me to blog to "maintain an online presence" and "increase the marketing platform" for the book and stuff.

This is a very different matter. Once you have a book deal, you want to generate as much publicity as possible. Are you going to do a website as well?

DarkBlue_18

I honestly just write to my blog to have somewhere where my friends can read my poetry...I write for fun and because I enjoy it. I don't believe that I could get published anyway but I still like my work and like to have it read so therefore I have a blog.

EileenG

That seems to me to be a good reason to blog. If you have something you'd like people to read but know you won't be able to publish, then blog. But I see a lot of aspiring writers spending a lot of time blogging that I'm convinced would be better spent writing and rewriting and editing.

dcmu

You should ask Diablo Cody why she blogged. She's the stripper/blogger who wrote about her escapades in a strip club, she didn't garner any money from it, just thousands of fans. One of whom got her a book deal, she went on to write the movie Juno, and a Stephen Spielberg produced, award winning TV series, amongst other projects.
While you posed the prospect of scuppering your chances of making money by writing a blog, you can probably gather this girl is now quite well off. Had she not written a blog? She'd probably be an unknown.

That's not the reason people write blogs though, and having an obvious love of writing, I'm saddened you don't get what a privilege it is to have a medium in which you can write and -- get this -- also be read, regardless of subject matter, or luck, or an editors whim, or God forbid, talent. you can just write, and be read. It's a far, far better way of expressing oneself, than the thousand of battered, but unread notebooks, or hard drives filled with stuff no one will ever read.

And tbh, it's the future. Hop on and enjoy the ride.

EileenG

While there may be the occasional blogger who gets read by more than friends and family, and an even smaller percentage who actually gets some sort of deal out of it, I don't believe blogging is a good way to get widely read.

Maybe I'm being extremely mercenary, but if I write something that I think is worth being read, I'll submit it to a paper or magazine. That way, it gets widely read, and I get money!!!

earnyourturns

Sorry this is writingwriting only I've logged in this time

The sales reps for my publishers have also told me that they're more likely to sign a writer who's easier to promote/has some sort of following, be that online or otherwise. Publishing is a business, bottom line. Of course the writing has to be of good standard but what they want is a marketable commodity and if you have a blog which regularly attracts traffic that's a big point in your favour.

Insect Overlord

EileenG wrote: »

Maybe I'm being extremely mercenary, but if I write something that I think is worth being read, I'll submit it to a paper or magazine. That way, it gets widely read, and I get money!!!

There's no "maybe" about it...

EileenG

Insect Overlord wrote: »

There's no "maybe" about it...

So you'd rather blog than get paid?

Insect Overlord

EileenG wrote: »

So you'd rather blog than get paid?

I'd rather have the option of being able to blog as a hobby, when I feel like it and with my own motivations and choices of topic, than to have that hobby belittled simply because it doesn't line my pockets. I'm an amateur writer at the moment, and more than likely will remain so, but at least I can appreciate the word's connotations with "love" rather than focus on the fact that I am not a paid professional.

Aoibheann

This will end in me rambling, a warning.

When I last had a blog, it was essentially used as a diary. Most of my entries were friends-only and the odd few were entirely private. So I clearly wasn't writing with any intention of getting paid for it - I'd nearly pay someone to get rid of that utter crap at this point. But I've kept it all the same as a reminder. Keeping a record of the past is interesting for me, but it's not the sort of writing I'd ever want to get published!

My serious writing and my blogs/online journals are kept pretty much entirely separate, the odd bit of poetry aside (though that's usually just kept in a notebook) and that's the way I'd like to keep it. My blogs are for me (and my friends to a lesser extent) - I don't want some strangers opinion on them. If I want someone to critique what I write, I'll ask a friend, or back in the day I'd put it on deviantart, maybe.

I don't think all of us are necessarily actively trying to get their writing published, nor are we actively trying to catch anyone's eyes with our blogs. A blog can be a means of keeping other people up to date with your life, or it can just be a record. It is what it is.

miec

That's not the reason people write blogs though, and having an obvious love of writing, I'm saddened you don't get what a privilege it is to have a medium in which you can write and -- get this -- also be read, regardless of subject matter, or luck, or an editors whim, or God forbid, talent. you can just write, and be read. It's a far, far better way of expressing oneself, than the thousand of battered, but unread notebooks, or hard drives filled with stuff no one will ever read.

And tbh, it's the future. Hop on and enjoy the ride.

+ 1. I think sometimes people see blogs through a very narrow lens, yes they can act as personal diaries but blogs can be used for a variety of reasons, some give advice and some are a mixed bag of ideas.

I set up a blog late last year for a few reasons, I wanted to share my views on a variety of topics, improve my writing ability, find my authorial voice and have fun with it.

For me the blog is democratic and allows anyone to express a view, they are the equivalent of when the printing press went mainstream. During the 16th and 17th century anyone with an opinion on the state of their country, society, etc could produce a pamphlet and share that idea with their contemporaries and other interest parties. A huge number of great authors / poets such as Milton, Defoe, Swift, etc, wrote pamphlets and they created a flourishing of ideas and creativity along side a plethora of dross as well. However, the ordinary man or woman had an avenue to express their views, thoughts and ideas. Publishing was no longer the remit of the elite and rich only.

For me the blog is a 21st century version of the pamphlet, it allows any joe soap to express their views and it is much more egalitarian. The downside is you don't get paid but for me that is not why I set up my blog and I accept this. I think it is great that I can put up articles of my choosing and if I get an audience then fantastic and if not, I have the fun and joy of putting my ideas forward to a potential audience. Before blogs were invented, I had no avenue to freely publish my work and ideas. The internet is transforming the way books are being published and I personally feel it is better to go with this revolution than cling to the old ways.

On a final note a number of bloggers have become published authors and it shows an ability to produce work and it gives a potential editor some idea of your style, authorial voice and how you present your ideas.

lmtduffy

miec wrote: »

+ 1. I think sometimes people see blogs through a very narrow lens, yes they can act as personal diaries but blogs can be used for a variety of reasons, some give advice and some are a mixed bag of ideas.

I set up a blog late last year for a few reasons, I wanted to share my views on a variety of topics, improve my writing ability, find my authorial voice and have fun with it.

For me the blog is democratic and allows anyone to express a view, they are the equivalent of when the printing press went mainstream. During the 16th and 17th century anyone with an opinion on the state of their country, society, etc could produce a pamphlet and share that idea with their contemporaries and other interest parties. A huge number of great authors / poets such as Milton, Defoe, Swift, etc, wrote pamphlets and they created a flourishing of ideas and creativity along side a plethora of dross as well. However, the ordinary man or woman had an avenue to express their views, thoughts and ideas. Publishing was no longer the remit of the elite and rich only.

For me the blog is a 21st century version of the pamphlet, it allows any joe soap to express their views and it is much more egalitarian. The downside is you don't get paid but for me that is not why I set up my blog and I accept this. I think it is great that I can put up articles of my choosing and if I get an audience then fantastic and if not, I have the fun and joy of putting my ideas forward to a potential audience. Before blogs were invented, I had no avenue to freely publish my work and ideas. The internet is transforming the way books are being published and I personally feel it is better to go with this revolution than cling to the old ways.

On a final note a number of bloggers have become published authors and it shows an ability to produce work and it gives a potential editor some idea of your style, authorial voice and how you present your ideas.

but do you accept that if someone is serious about writing that they are better off getting it published by a magazine known for its quality, likely to be read by many in the writing industry and possibly getting paid and gaining a solid credential as a writer than putting it on their blog?

EileenG

miec wrote: »

On a final note a number of bloggers have become published authors and it shows an ability to produce work and it gives a potential editor some idea of your style, authorial voice and how you present your ideas.

Certainly, but the number is very small compared to the number of journalists, feature writers, even research writers who have not only got a portfolio of printed work, but earned a reputation as someone who can produce professional work consistently.

pickarooney

EileenG wrote: »

Certainly, but the number is very small compared to the number of journalists, feature writers, even research writers who have not only got a portfolio of printed work, but earned a reputation as someone who can produce professional work consistently.

Or increasingly as someone who can copy and paste successfully from a blog and ride roughshod over such trivialities as copyright or original ideas.

Blush_01

Perhaps the fact that you have written for a living colours your opinion of writing Eileen, but some people use a blog for a number of reasons - including for fun, and to maintain a certain amount of discipline by writing regularly, even if that writing is for fun.

As other posters have mentioned, many blogs are rubbish (mine certainly is). That doesn't stop me from getting great enjoyment out of it. I blog because I want to. I blog because it's a way of expressing myself and I don't care who reads or doesn't read it. Likewise, nobody tells me what I should or shouldn't blog about, nobody edits my blog except me.

On boards, as with almost everywhere else, there's a certain amount of (often very necessary) censorship. There are certain things I want to say, for myself, which don't warrant a thread in any of the fora I frequent. There are things I want to say that I don't want to say on boards, or the other websites I visit, but that I want to say. I don't care if anyone ever reads them.

I blog because I can, and because I want to. Why not?

lmtduffy

Blush_01 wrote: »

Perhaps the fact that you have written for a living colours your opinion of writing Eileen, but some people use a blog for a number of reasons - including for fun, and to maintain a certain amount of discipline by writing regularly, even if that writing is for fun.

As other posters have mentioned, many blogs are rubbish (mine certainly is). That doesn't stop me from getting great enjoyment out of it. I blog because I want to. I blog because it's a way of expressing myself and I don't care who reads or doesn't read it. Likewise, nobody tells me what I should or shouldn't blog about, nobody edits my blog except me.

On boards, as with almost everywhere else, there's a certain amount of (often very necessary) censorship. There are certain things I want to say, for myself, which don't warrant a thread in any of the fora I frequent. There are things I want to say that I don't want to say on boards, or the other websites I visit, but that I want to say. I don't care if anyone ever reads them.

I blog because I can, and because I want to. Why not?

I think the major part or this discussion is about those who want to write in a more professional manner.
I understand the idea of blogging but its jsut people who have romantic notions of been picked out of the internet and published or people who have good work and dont do their work or themselves justice by putting it on their blog that I dont get.

Blush_01

lmtduffy wrote: »

I think the major part or this discussion is about those who want to write in a more professional manner.
I understand the idea of blogging but its jsut people who have romantic notions of been picked out of the internet and published or people who have good work and dont do their work or themselves justice by putting it on their blog that I dont get.

Forgive me for thinking that this was a public forum.

lmtduffy

Blush_01 wrote: »

Forgive me for thinking that this was a public forum.

No sweat!

miec

but do you accept that if someone is serious about writing that they are better off getting it published by a magazine known for its quality, likely to be read by many in the writing industry and possibly getting paid and gaining a solid credential as a writer than putting it on their blog?

I think a person who loves writing and is serious about it can use a variety of mediums to have their work published and I deem myself a very serious writer, if I was concerned about someone using my work for other purposes I would only send it to a magazine, anything I put up on a blog is at risk of being copied (I flatter myself, I doubt anyone would, but they are welcome to it). However, what I have written up there I take seriously in the same way that any posts or threads I start here are taken seriously but I have different expectations.

Would I post my novel that I have just completed onto a blog, well the answer is no I wouldn't because I want it to be published in hard copy.

I understand the idea of blogging but its jsut people who have romantic notions of been picked out of the internet and published or people who have good work and dont do their work or themselves justice by putting it on their blog that I dont get

I differ because the blog is a new medium in the same way the pamphlet was a new medium when the printing press was mainstream.

lmtduffy

miec wrote: »

I think a person who loves writing and is serious about it can use a variety of mediums to have their work published and I deem myself a very serious writer, if I was concerned about someone using my work for other purposes I would only send it to a magazine, anything I put up on a blog is at risk of being copied (I flatter myself, I doubt anyone would, but they are welcome to it). However, what I have written up there I take seriously in the same way that any posts or threads I start here are taken seriously but I have different expectations.

Would I post my novel that I have just completed onto a blog, well the answer is no I wouldn't because I want it to be published in hard copy.

The idea of someone stealing your work from your blog is pretty far out.
But otherwise I dont see you disagreeing with me, in that you do thing with different expectations, though I cant imagine expectations of blogging being very high.

I differ because the blog is a new medium in the same way the pamphlet was a new medium when the printing press was mainstream.

It really isnt so new anymore, and pamphlets did and still do give lots of people voices; blogging furthers this but thats of little consequence to the writing industry.

SirJolt

It's strange to see the different attitudes that people have to writing here. I write for a living, it's my full time occupation. My work dictates what I do and don't write about, it's all very specific.

Still, I enjoy creative writing, so that's what I do with my free time. I am paid to write the content that other people want me to write, and I'm cool with that. In my free time, I write what I'd like to write, on topics I feel I'd like to write about and in a style I couldn't use at work.

I don't take issue with giving my work away for free. Do is take time and effort to produce? Undoubtedly. Does it give me anything at all for people to read it? Certainly not. Do I enjoy the idea that someone might stumble across something I've written and have it brighten their day in some small way? Yes.

For me there's no question. I write for my own enjoyment, having it on a blog simply means that that content is available so that people can read it for their enjoyment. It's a net gain.