An important element in a writer’s arsenal is a blog. It proves to publishers we have an audience and we’re capable of communicating with them. It also provides us a pure, unfiltered format for our words.
However, building and maintaining a blog that is consistent, noteworthy and timely can be time-consuming. That simple fact was why I set parameters for my own blog. 250 words maximum. Post on Fridays. Always about “composition.” These guidelines have allowed me to keep it simple, and each week I learn to eliminate excess words. I delete stuff. I simplify.
Even so, I’ve missed a few Friday posts. (Hang head. Shame.) This week an editor and I were chatting about the blog she’s had since 2001. She told me that when she doesn’t post it’s “partly for lack of discipline, partly out of self-consciousness, partly for lack of focus/purpose.” Exactly.
Well, dear editor, I think readers will forgive an occasional blog holiday. Their inboxes need a break from us, too. Yes, I think the “guidelines” are important to give us direction, but we should concentrate more on what we hope to contribute long-term through the life of the blog. Inspiration. Perspective. Information. Sometimes a little entertainment. A blog is a journey, not a destination.
What blog parameters have you seen that are helpful for authors?
(FYI, this post: 226 words.)