Some of you may know that I am part of a large community known as Romanceland. It’s a strange and unfamiliar country at times, but there are always pockets of warmth, like friendly all night restaurants for weary truckers.
But there are some parts of Romanceland that are clearly war zones, neighborhoods of decay and degradation. Areas that have been impacted by what I call Blog Blight.
I have a blog on my personal website. Others who blog here do as well. It seems to be a required part of having a web presence these days. Authors use them to offer their fans peeks into their brains in between releases, something that keeps loyal readers coming back until the next book is out.
I post on my blog once a week, maybe twice if I’m particularly inspired or talkative. I usually post a writing related quote or news about my own works. You’ll never see me telling you where I went on vacation, or with whom. You’ll never see me telling you what I did, or whom. Some people don’t seem to adhere to this, and I wonder why.
I’ve seen some Blog Blight out in Romanceland over the last few weeks that makes me wonder how some authors get books written or publishers get books released on time. I’ve read blogs that made me wonder if the blogger forgot to take their medication, or at the very least forgot that the Internet is not private.
How much is too much? How much do readers really want to know about authors or editors or reviewers? Authors, how personal do you get on your blogs?
My blog is pretty personal, primarily because to me its not primarily a promotional tool. My website is, my blog, not so much. Maybe if I had more books out, I'd have more book-related stuff to talk about. But if I limited it to writing and books I'd probably only do a post a month. I have to save my writing related posts for BIB! -lol-
I've been on the web for a long time, and have posted on a lot of boards over the years. I have folks visiting my blog from places other than Romancelandia. I do talk about books and writing, and even post an occasional review. (Okay, one review, but I do plan to do others, Sharon Cullars! -lol-)
My blog is pretty eclectic, I post pics of my son, and talk about issues as diverse as breastfeeding, the environment and even an occasional jab at some political issue or another. I even give romance advice from time to time. (I've been doing that forever, people would have my head if I stopped.)
I feel very comfortable talking about my life online, but only because I've been doing it for a long time. If I was just coming on board I'd probably be a lot more hesitant, and I definitely have implemented some rules since I became a published author. For one thing, though I'll post all kinds of kudos about a book I like, I'm absolutely mum when I don't like a book. I would never complain about readers or writers on my blog. (I've complained about a publisher on other blogs, but I probably wouldn't do that again, either. Unless they really pissed me off, and even then I probably wouldn't name names.)
Like Roz, my blog is not All About My Career as a Writer. I'm a reasonably interesting person, but frankly, I don't have a whole lot to say on this subject. I'm a slow writer, and two books a year is probably my maximum output. As the heading to my blog says, I talk about anything that's on my mind: Politics, holidays, TV, my observations in general, and even, occasionally, writing and publishing. But I don't say anything on my blog (or on anyone else's blog, for that matter) that I wouldn't want to "get around." As I said once in one of my posts, there's a fine line between being open and honest and putting your personal business out there.
Bettye Griffin
http://www.bettyegriffin.com
http://www.chew-the-fat-with-Bettye.blogspot.com
The romance community has let the fan on and everything fly with their blogs lately.
I don't post my really personal biz, which seems to be what they're attacking each other over now.
An entertaining blog draws visitors. But I agree putting your personal biz out there can be dangerous.
I've been blogging for a few years and recently went on hiatus. My blogs are for entertainment purposes only–whether it be about the latest news item, my books, or anything in general. Like Bettye, I don't put anything on the blog, I don't mind getting around. I keep my real personal business to myself.
Hi Seressia,
In American culture, I think it's the norm for readers to want to know more about the author than the actual written works. I've read interviews from authors outside of the U.S. who found it awkward. It may be because many readers want to be writers themselves and want to know all the steps authors have taken to achieve the goal. It could be some fans want to live vicariously through the authors. I've had many book signings and appearances where people wanted to know more about my personal life and my journey to becoming an author more than they wanted to know about the books I've written. Does it help you sell more books? You betcha. People feel better buying from people they know (or at least feel they know).
On my personal blogs (one on writing, the other on cold calling strategies) I try to keep it about the work. You'll find book excerpts, reviews, essays, etc. on the writing blog. You'll find excerpts, appearance dates, and blog posts on becoming better at cold calling on the other. If someone wants to know about my sex life, where I ate dinner last, or the color of my last bowel movement, they'll have to seek it elsewhere because they ain't gettin' all up in my Kool-Aid.
I guess there are no rules to what you can write on a blog. Some choose to be personal, others professional. It all depends on your purpose.
Thanks for the interesting post.
Take care,
Emanuel Carpenter
Author of "Dead Guys Don't Buy"
http://coldcallingnow.blogspot.com
In my opinion, the best author blogs combine both aspects. Of all the blogs I read I think Tess Gerritsen has the best. She talks about writing from her very expert point of view, but she also shares about her family and her travels.
Personally the ones I can't stomach are entries about how cute and smart their pets are. Ugh! Readers want to know about the author's everyday life, but we shouldn't get too personal or too snarky on business matters because it can come back to bite us.
As an aspiring author with a blog, I've been thinking about this lately. Generally, my blog is about writing — things I've learned, challenges I'm having with my current wip, questions I'm interested in getting answers to (I have readers who are both published and unpublished.)
I've been wondering how personal to get. I've shied away from doing that, although occasionally I'll mention my husband or children. If I do get more personal, I'll try hard to respect their privacy. I think folks need to remember whose story it is before sharing other folks' stuff. And then, one has to keep identify theft in sight.
I get it. Folks like to "know" other folks, especially those who are succeeding on public platforms, which is why there is an insatiable hunger for celebrity news. There are definitely limits to what is in good taste but I think how much a person chooses to share is, well, personal.
I think it's kind of like elementary school. There's the kid who won't shut up and tells everything. The one who tells about everyone else but rarely about herself. The one who is shy but when prodded reveals himself in bits and pieces. The one who is friends with everyone and seems to hit just the right balance of exposure vs. privacy. The one whose lips are sealed no matter what. We each choose which one we will be. And often a group of best friends will be made up of every kind.
This is an interesting question. I post poetry on my blog, some is a reflection of my thoughts or experiences, others purely fictional. But poetry, by its very nature, can be personal. I try to maintain some borders, though. I don't mention my children to often, NEVER by name and NEVER mention their friends or other children in our worl. I never really mention places either. I have found that some of my readers visit the blog for information, they will say that they enjoyed "getting to know me." I don't mind that, but try hard to keep up some safety measures also…