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Hi Allison,

Would you consider the fiction equivalent to platform building akin to attending conferences or networking in genre specific group, for instance RWA, or entering writing contests, short story, first chapter, etc?

In those instances, do you have to walk a fine line between the value and exposure of those experiences against allowing those venues to keep you from finishing the novel, or the query, to ultimately get you published?

-Suzanne

I think my experience writing about the South Jersey shore was a big part of me landing a book contract to write about the South Jersey shore. Those clips (and my time editing a magazine about South Jersey) showed that I knew the area, and that I knew how to write about it. Even though I'd consider my history of going down the shore every summer since I was born better validation that I knew the area, if I were the publisher, I'd be more interested in my experience writing about it.

That being said, I didn't write those magazine articles with the book in mind. But for what I hope to be my second book, I'm pitching articles about the topic while I'm writing the proposal. This not only builds platform, but allows me to do research for the proposal and get paid for it at the same time.

I guess having a bit of a platform (probably a 3-inch one at best!) helped me get an agent and a book deal with my nonfiction--but sadly, all my (and my coauthors') connections and publishing experience didn't really translate into book sales. The experience with my forthcoming fiction has been completely different. Specifically, I didn't have a platform (at least, not one that could be used to market these particular books), and the deal was based almost entirely on my writing. I guess we'll see what happens with those sales soon enough! :-O

Thanks for the reply, Allison. I guess I should've mentioned that I'm a fiction writer with non-fiction creds in trade mags. I'm hoping to leap from mags with a circ. of 50,000 to ones with a circ. of 1/2-1 million (i.e. Elle and the like), so perhaps this was advice specific to my situation. I agree with you though on the chicken/egg thing. I'll be honest and say I'm trying my hand on both things and for me, finding an agent is feeling much easier than breaking into the well-paying women's mags. Though maybe your more recent tips on being aggressive will help (I am with agents, just not with editors... go figure).

Hi Mary! Thanks for dropping in. Yup--three Long Historical GH finals with my westerns and one Single Title final with a romantic suspense. In 2006 I was likely one of the most decorated and frustrated writers you could hope to meet *LOL* For all those other decorated, frustrated writers out there, PERSISTANCE is everything. Keep writing, keep putting it out there. Lightning will strike :)

I know what you mean about promotion being out of your comfort zone, Mary. Same here. Petticoats & Pistols was the first blog I'd taken a crack at, and I was terrified! But it's the readers and authors (like you--whom we lassoed up *g*) who make it fun and reminds me that romance readers and writers are the best people around :-)

Stacey, what a fantastic article. Thanks for all that information! You're a source of infinite wisdom, my friend! And congratulations on Maverick Wild - what a fantastic read! I love a great Western historical and I'm so happy that Harlequin are continuing to support the genre.

Thanks so much, Stacey, for the great advice. My first novel, A Dangerous Dream, was released in January and I've been working hard on marketing and promotion. I'm eager to learn more and your article is wonderfully helpful!

Anna! Thanks for stopping in :)

I'm reminded of another great promotional tool, and that's cross promoting with friends. Swap bookmarks and note cards with your pals so that you can tuck a few extra goodies when sending out prizes and such to your readers.

Thank you, Anna! And right back atcha--Avon is lucky to have you ;-)

Mary C. - trying to get one column a week ready for my library readers is challenging enough thanks. LOL I don't get extra pay for the column but I think most people in town know who I am. Makes going out and getting wild a bit of a challenge. ;-)

Congratuations on your fist book Mary! Thansk for stopping in to post :-)

LOL, Wanda! I'd buy a ticket *g*. Sounds like something they'd host at RT ;-) I sure wish I could go this year!

Hi Stacey!
Thanx for such a great list! I'm another of those "Oh crap, I have a book coming out" so I really appreciate you providing such great ideas!

All you'd have to do is email it straight to my editor. The same one you're doing now, Francesca.
Uh......I haven't exactly ASKED her about it.

Hi Aunti Cin!! If ya gotta have an "Oh crap" moment..."I have a book coming out!" is an awesome sentence to follow ;-) Woohoo! No doubt that book will make a splash--I can't wait :)

I'm not a writer, but I am a reader! ;-) I LOVE Stacey's books!!!

Stacey sent me some of her bookmarks, one of the things I love most about hers are the book cover art is on the bookmark. So when I am reading somewhere and have the bookmark sitting in front of me people notice it and see the hot cowboy ;-) and they ask me about it, then I can tell them what a great book it is. And if they are interested in getting a copy they remember what the cover looks like so it is easier then me telling them a name and them looking for it in the bookstore. I know personally, if I know what the cover looks like it is easier for me to find it. LOL
I also love the magnet she sent. I have a thing for dragonflies too. :-)

I first found out about Stacey's books when she had a contest with her friend Tawny Weber. I went to Tawny's website, saw the contest, and I had to read an excerpt from Maverick Wild to find an answer for the contest. Once I read the excerpt I was HOOKED!!! So I think having contests, and blogs, etc. are really great for finding new readers! :-)

GO WILD!!! Woo-Hoo!!! ;-)

Hi Missy! Thank you for sharing some reader insight :) I'm thrilled to hear my bookmarks work so well. And hooray for cross promotion!! *g*

Tawny Weber and I are good pals and we were excited when we found out we both had a January release. We write completely different genres, Blaze (sexy contemporary) and western histoircal (but we both had HOT overs *g*) and figured a joint contest would be fun for mixing it up -- and we shared the cost ;-)

Thanks for stopping in, Missy!

911Stacey,

Fabulous post. Your promotional tips were excellent. And it's a pleasure to see someone so talented achieve success. Keep up the great work!

As for group blogs, we're having a blast doing that at the Romance Bandits. Given that there are 20 members, it makes contributing managable. I started doing a personal blog, but found it impossible to find the time. I highly recommend teaming up--not only do you have the support of your group members, you have diversity and a variety of topics.

Looking forward to seeing you in San Francisco!

KJ

Hey Kim! ROMANCE BANDITS is a super fun blog :) Love hanging out with the Banditas--wish I could get over there more often. Y'all really know how to keep a group blog energized, and the support of your group is amazing ;-)

Thanks for dropping in to share!

Great tips, Stacey! My first book comes out in November so this is all very timely for me.

Stacey, awesome info. Thanks for sharing.

Renee

Wow, Stacey, great information on promotion! I'm saving it for when I finally get one of my books published LOL.

Fantastic, Gina! Wishing you much success with your debut release :)

Hey Jo :) Print it---because that day will come! Keeping it crossed that day will be SOON.

Hi Renee! Thanks for stopping in :)

Thanks, Stacey, that's a wonderful pr starter kit.

My pleasure, Misque Writer :-)


Thanks to everyone who stopped by to share their thoughts on promotion--and huge THANK YOU to Kim and Jessica for inviting me over.

Thanks for the great tips. I'm still learning the ropes of book marketing. I've put together a list of 3 pages of sites you can upload your book information for free at: another resource for marketing your book. Just go to Marketing Your Writing Online and clikc on the "Free Book Listing Sites" link. The more resources, the better.

STACEY,..thank'a you information
trim's MBAK STACEY... infonya boleh juga ..
apalagi gua baru ngembangkan gratisan mulai dari game ampe music ...
sekali lagi thank's -ya....
from ctoz

All great ideas, Stacey! Congrats on all your success. One thing I do is have several thousand bookmarks printed and visit bookstores and ask if I can slip them inside books in my same genre. 9 out of 10 store managers say yes.

Something I received from another author was a small bottle of lotion that had her book cover on the sticker label. I used that lotion for a couple of months and was always reminded of her book.

I wish I could have seen these in the store. All they ever have is Spongebob and Looney Toons. Liam would have loved these for school!

I love your baking theme work!

Those are all brilliant. I agree with Kim, it's so refreshing to see some really original, adorable Valentines for a change.

I love your lion and mouse baking, super cute and well done, as usual.

Happy valentine Jannie! These are all so cute!

I agree with Kim and sketched out...i'd love to see in the stores...super cute!

btw, you are tagged for the "love and peace" meme...

happy valentine!!!!

Ack! What an adorable mailer that is. I love the chicken valentine too, how appropriate.

Nice work!

i love the birdie

what a great post Jannie...so cheery and so sweet....

your work is adorable and I love popping by here...

Hope you had a wonderful day...

Cheers,
Diana

aww jannie :D am really happy you liked it :D thanks for displaying it here *hugs* what a terrible player birdie is *giggle*

Your work rocks! Go chickengirl, go chickengirl...

What a great Valentines mailer you've created, it's a hit! Happy Belated Valentines Day!

oooh, cookies!! so cute! i will have to ask you more about your promo card, i tried to do one and totally dropped the ball, i have so many in the air! ; ) finally getting to the post office tomorrow!!

a : )

I loved Could You? Would You? Thanks for the book recommendations. I'm going to search out Fox--it sounds like a good book for talking about friendships with my girls.

Could You? Would You? is going to be featured in The Martha Stewart Show this afternoon. I hope you get a chance to check it out.

And yes, Fox is a great discussion-starter for issues of friendship with young people. Please let me know what your daughters think of it!

Lucky thing! Those of us who can't make the trip are relying on you to give us all of the gory details on the conference! Sounds like quite a group of you meeting up too! Enjoy.
I love you new business card by the way! Good luck with everything.

You're ready girl!!!! You're very professional and a talent illustrator, you're ready for everything you propose!!!
By de way your bussines card looks great!! More mature ;) jeje
Good luck!! (^v^)

Love the new card -- looks like you're really going places! I hope you post about the conference. I just joined that organization last fall, but am no where ready to attend a conference. I'd just like to watch from the sidelines.

the new card looks great - good changes with making 'chickengirl' more subtle, but still fun!

i'm going to the nyc conference for the first time as well - i'll definitely come say hello. are you going to friday's intensive?

Beautiful business card! Thanks for the printer link... I may have to look into this :) Good luck at the conference - hope you post about all the details!

You're never too old to be a chickengirl!
Love the new look and have a blast at the conference.

Hi Jannie...

congrats on heading to the SCBWI...great to hear...

Love the new Business cards...very creative and colourful!!!

Have a wonderful day!

Cheers,
Diana

Oh! I wish I could go to this SCBWI Conference. I'm sure it will be great. And please, don't think you're no enough good.... I think your work is great. I love it very much!!
Ah! The new cards are great!!

Love the look of the new card, really compliments you. As far as the Chickengirl name, I think its perfect. Don't change who you are, its what will help separate you from the others, that and last time I checked Dr. Suess was silly too and you know how successful he was.

I love your new card! You are sooo ready to go to the conference. I never would have guessed that you have only be at this for 3 years!Good luck and be sure to post about it when you get back.

Love the card! You better keep chickengirl... It certainly fits your work and it makes people want to know more about you. Thanks for your post the other day to my blog... I am in the process of re-doing it. I put a link on my blog to your site, hope that's cool. keep inspiring.

Thanks everyone and for ALL of your encouragement!!! I'll be sure to go and report back here with all the gory details!

Gina-I look forward to meeting you...yay!

I'm sure you are ready to achive anything want...you are so talented and professional...and deserve the best!

Chickengirl is a very interesting name...it must be a keeper ;)
Love the new card...it's just perfect!

-I sent you a little package yesterday, as it's certified it must get there safe and sound...so sorry for the delay..hope you like it ;)

Chickengirl . . . you are way more than ready to take the SCBWI conference by storm. You're amazing! (Could it be, you were just being a little chicken?) I love both business cards, actually, but I do like the emphasis on your name so everyone will remember exactly who you are. Think of how far you've come in 3 years. You've accomplished many goals, made a place for yourself in the children's publishing world and have inspired others too (me, for instance). Anyone that serious about illustration definitely deserves a trip to the NY conference! Now pack your chicken duds and get ready for a spectacular experience. I'm sure you'll have a super terrific time. You've earned it!! Bawk! Bawk! GOOOOOOO Chickengirl! (And no, you shouldn't stop being Chickengirl. It's way too fun!)

woohoo, chickengirl! you are going to the BIG one! good for you! of course, you are ready, you silly chicken!

as for the chickengirl branding, you and i have chatted about this before. in your heart, you know you are a chickengirl forEVAH, so go with it! :) every time i get that nagging feeling that i am not really a princess and should name myself more "appropriately", i am quickly reminded that while that is true, i am AM a princessttomato- girl, so i don't see me changing anytime soon, either.

I LOVE your new card design. it's POIFECT!

xoxo
teri-tomato

I think it's really important for a writer to invest in their career financially in this way.
I go to retreats and conferences and I hired an outside publicist (Goldberg McDuffie) to work with me and my publisher's publicists when my hardback came out.I'd do it all over again the same way. A separate publicist was invaluable fto help me learn how to navigate the system. I think it's really important for authors to understand what publicists can and can't do and how much and what type of promotion works best. There is no guarantee but I think it IS helpful for debut authors to talk to other authors in their genre to get a feel for what works and what doesn't.
It's interesting you considered an agency publicist...I think your website and blog are a better investment IMHO. I think conferences and writers magazines are great promotional opportunities.

orion, you say your outside publicist helped you "navigate the system" but isn't that what an agent is supposed to do? What else did this publicist do for you and how much did it cost?

Well, it never occurred to me that an agent would bear any publicity costs. I assumed you all were the brains of the operation, juggling things back and forth between publisher and author, hearing cool stuff and passing it on. That kind of thing.

As a new author trying to put together a reasonable promotion package, I'd like an agent to give me an opinion about what actually works. Those of us who are computer-savvy can tap into any number of loops and blogs and come up with recommendations from both published and unpublished writers. The problem is, they don't agree. Go to conference; don't go, they're a waste of time. Buy ads in major publications; no, they're a waste of money. Mass-mail postcards; don't bother, because people don't read them anyway. With a small advance, how do we put our resources to the best use? I don't ask that an agent do it for me, but please point me in the right direction.

Sheila328 -- Let me be the voice of dissent and possibly discouragement. When my book (I write kidlit) came out last year I did some of those things you're angsting about -- the postcards, the targeted marketing. I even sent out many of my own books to organizations who worked in the environment that the book was about.

I think it pretty much accomplished nothing in terms of sales and cost me a lot of money I didn't really have.

Yet I've seen similar good books, with writing similar to mine, sell like hotcakes right out of the gate. What made theirs take off while mine barely got on a shelf at Borders?

Two words: Publisher Publicity.

If publishers pay a lot of money for your book they are going to promote the heck out of it in order to make that money back. In turn, from all the publicity, the book will SELL.

Not fair, but it did set my mind right as to how the industry works. Sometimes all you can do is work on your next book.

With my four published non-fiction books, the funds for publicity tended to dry up as we went. My first book was about a well-known entertainer and we got $50,000 for publicity; that meant cross country trips, national tv shows, etc. The second book was about a national tragedy with international implications, and that was more limited since we were dealing with national/international news but not big name movie star. This included a couple of cross country trips, and several national television shows. The third book also dealt with an incident that got international publicity in the news, but even less money for publicity from the book publishers. This meant one trip to NYC for television and radio shows and that was the extent of the publicity. The fourth book was a true crime and there was no funds for it, although, it had international publicity.

So, I guess I say all this to point out it depends on the publishing house and how much they think they can make through the additional publicity other than reviews; all four were reviewed extensively.

This is just one person's experience, and all the costs were carried by the publishers, who would reap the most benefits from the dollors spent in airfare, hotel costs, etc.

Hope this helps someone.

This is an real interesting subject. I personally don't think an agent needs to get very involved in an author's publicity other than to advise about what works best, and to buzz about the book inside those industry circles unavailable to the author. When the author's book does well, earning out its advance and going back for second and third printings, the agent benefits as well, so that's something to think about. But I don't think the agent should fork out any money to help make this happen. That just doesn't make any sense considering what her ROI would be.

Buzz sells books, period. Ads don't, blog tours don't, newsletters don't, postcards don't, and the promo goo-gaws everyone gets so excited about (bookmarks, key chains, pens, etc.) are a complete waste of money. If you write a great book that gets talked about, there you go. Getting the word out, IMO, via reviews is probably the most helpful. If your agent can get you reviewed more, all the better.

Books with larger print runs & good distribution tend to stand a better chance of doing better.

No amount of p.r. in the world will do any good if a book is not in the bookstores.

It seems to me the agent's job is to GET A BOOK DEAL ... THE BEST BOOK DEAL POSSIBLE, FOR THE AUTHOR.PERIOD.

When and If ... no,WHEN ... I am ready to seek representation I want the agent who is going to get me the best book deal, and I consider publisher promotion a big part of the deal.
My job is to write; someone else's job is to promote. I'm not naive and understand my responsibility to promote my own book and will do whatever the promotion department of the publishing house my excellent agent, the one who got the very best deal for me, suggests I do to promote the book ... as long as it's ethical and legal, of course.
Anonymous ... for Now!

I only have any experience in the romance genre, but in that field I'm skeptical that anything authors do really helps sell their books. I do the things I enjoy and can afford, because I'm not quite brave enough to do nothing. And some of it I find fun, which is reward in itself. (May as well enjoy this author gig as much as possible!)

I don't think reviews, at least in the romance genre, sell books. I've had friends with great reviews--including great PW reviews--not sell well. Most of what I think works I have little to no control over--good print run, good distribution, good cover, and, perhaps most important, coop--the publisher paying for good space in the bookstore (eg. up front, on a center kiosk, etc.). I've found as my books sell well, I get more publisher support.

I also wonder if the subgenre makes a difference. I write historicals, but perhaps folks who write paranormal might get more mileage out of on line stuff like booktrailers because their core audience might be more attuned to that medium.

And if your agent tells you you have to do X because X definitely works, get a new agent. He/she is delusional. (All right, if Jessica told me to do X, I might, unless I hate to do X and doing X would make me miseable.)

anon 805:

Not to answer for Orion . . . okay, to answer for Orion . . . I think you may be confused as to what "navigate the system" means in this case.

An agent works within the publishing industry. Sells your rights to publishers. Sells your foreign rights. Deals with contracts and is the middle man when it comes to finances. An agent can also even help you with the manuscript itself.

An independent publicist works outside the publishing industry. ie in the field of PR. They get articles about you into magazines, get you on the air (both radio and film), help book personal appearances and also do a lot of out of the box stuff (which I can't elaborate on because I am very much still in the box).

Now the publisher's publicist, if you are lucky, is already doing the stuff the independent publicist would do for you, but chances are the publisher's publicist is also working on many other books and with many other authors. Some publishers have very little budget for publicity. Some a lot. It all depends.

Hiring an independent publicist guarantees you get personal attention. Like with everything else, some are better than others. But in theory that's the idea.

They navigate the complicated system of self-promotion. Agents don't do that (as this blog post has just explained).

It seems to me the agent's job is to GET A BOOK DEAL ... THE BEST BOOK DEAL POSSIBLE, FOR THE AUTHOR.PERIOD.

When and If ... no,WHEN ... I am ready to seek representation I want the agent who is going to get me the best book deal, and I consider publisher promotion a big part of the deal.
My job is to write; someone else's job is to promote. I'm not naive and understand my responsibility to promote my own book and will do whatever the promotion department of the publishing house my excellent agent, the one who got the very best deal for me, suggests I do to promote the book ... as long as it's ethical and legal, of course.
Anonymous ... for Now!

Thanks Adrienne!
anonymous 8:05- The financial aspect is a personal question and varies depending on the contract you negotiate with the publicist.
It can cost anywhere from a thousand a campaign to several thousands a month depending on the publicist and length of campaign.
My publicist was able to get my book profiled by USA today, Redbook, Good housekeeping and helped me determine where to go on tour for the most bang for my buck.
Yes I agree. There is no telling what works and what doesn't.
Going to Seattle on a book tour got me on a bestseller list for August at Elliot Bay Book Store which got me placement in the store. It got me coverage in the Seattle times. Did it sell more books than I would have anyway? I don't know. But I will tell you this. Each time I go into an independent book store and sign stock they hand sell my book and order more copies.
Doing nothing? Well that's just not my style.

I want my agent working on getting me the best deal possible, which is something tangible, not publicizing my series--advertising is not her field but the business end of the contract is. I was lucky enough to help launch a new line with my publisher, which got me a lot of "general" publicity up front. When my first books released, I paid for my own ads, worked very hard on getting my name and titles in front of the public via online chats, and continued writing stories that I knew would appeal to my readers, who then go out and talk about my books, resulting in more sales. My publisher began to pick up more of the promotional costs once I had proved myself as an author. My agent benefits from my efforts, just as I benefit from hers. It really is a partnership and I don't begrudge one penny of the 15% commission my agent earns doing her job. In the long run, I like to think we both benefit by holding up our own ends of a mutually agreed upon bargain.

Wow! Great discussion, all. I'm the anonymous poster of that "interesting thought" and am delighted to see it spark so many more interesting thoughts! Promotion truly is an art, and until the industry as a whole figures out how to identify and analyze metrics around promotion, I'm sure debates on what works and who should pay will continue to abound. Of course, we may never figure out how to measure public appeal, eh?

Kate and Orion, I especially appreciate your thoughtful remarks.

On another note, I find it quite heartening that Jessica actually reads the comments posted! Not sure why I posted that one anonymously - probably just too lazy to sign in :o)

And I know 15% is far too little to begin with! I think I just meant that the agency wasn't having to pay anything extra out of their commission, while the author/publisher pays promotion costs out of their royalties/profits.

I'm still on the fence about the agent helping to bear the cost of building an author's brand. If the agent is helping guide the author in their writing career, does the agent stop short of promoting the brand author and agent are both gambling on? I suppose that's why some agencies do have their own full-time publicists or other people on staff to help build author websites, set up reviews, etc. But, as someone else pointed out, if the ROI isn't there, then that's bad business. See, still on the fence!

Phoenix, to comment on your comment (ah, the joy of blogging!) I prefer to have my publicity under my control and don't feel that I would be comfortable with my agent taking on that part of my career. Publicity is, to me, a very personal part of the business aspect of my writing. When my publisher promotes (and believe me, they do a lot behind the scenes to further my career) it's generally done with the imprint in mind as much as my books. When I promote, it's all about me--I promote my name as much if not more than my books, because I intend to be writing long after my series ends. Even replying to blog posts such as this is a form of promotion that keeps my name in the public eye--people may get sick and tired of "Kate Douglas," but they'll recognize the name when they go into a bookstore! (Oh, THAT pain in the ass...)

I can't help wondering, if an agent spent part of their commission on an author who eventually became successful and then changed agents, would that come under justifiable homicide?

I gather to be an agent and be taken seriously by major publishers and editors you have to work full time. It's not like being a writer where you can have a day job. In a sense the successful authors are subsidizing the newbies by paying most of the overhead. If agents did spend money publicizing authors, I suspect it would go to those who I consider the wrong people.

kate I think you bring up a really good point. Much of the publicity from my publicist focused on me and my career and the publicity from the publisher more about the book.
My publicist was fabulous at saying what she thought would work for me and what she thought wouldn't. They were even more careful of my money than I was...
The thing is. You are only a debut author once. You can't do back and do it all over again with a publicist after the fact.
You have to buy that LOTTERY ticket before you even have a chance at winning...er...well...it worked for my dad...

I never really thought an agent would do my adverstising for me but I would hope for some guidance in what would be good for me to try in way of promotion. (being a newbie) I mean, wouldn't they do that so the book suceeds for both of us?
I see a lot of author's I know doing many things on their own to self promote. The question I have is this; what really works? And what is useless?

I started out in epublishing where, in most cases, ALL promotion is up to the authors. I learned that anything that got people talking about my books was good advertising, and using resources online worked really well. The whole point of viral marketing is to get word of your product to spread across the Internet, voice to voice and completely beyond your own efforts. I signed up for Google Alerts which tells me where I'm being mentioned in blogs and chat rooms, and believe me, it's amazing where you find folks discussing your books! I also use book teaser videos, as they are a good fit for my erotic paranormal stories.

I'd just like to add that while I've taken care of my own promotions (ads, mailouts of ARCs and excerpts, etc), Jessica has gone above and beyond for me in a lot of ways. Since I live in Canada, many things are awkward to do, because of border issues. Jessica has done many things I never expected an agent to do to ease my promotional way.

But as has been said, what I want my agent to do is be "publicizing" me to the editors. Making them excited about my work, so I'll be getting that great book deal.

And having an industry professional to give her two cents on what she's seen work and not has be incredibly valuable.

My agent gets me great deals that are backed by publicity budgets, and that's enough for me. I'm not interested in having him be part of my publicity staff, and we actually disagree quite a bit about how my publicity should be handled. To be perfectly frank, I think his ideas about publicity are utter crap. He makes a great agent, though.

I don't expect my real estate agent to know the finer points of interior design. Same thing goes for books.

Also, I don't think an author can do anything to make a difference in sales. Only publisher push in the form of distribution, buzz, and co-op, can do that. I've had books reviewed in all the major newspapers and then I've had books that got a trade review or two, but if the publisher buys co-op, the titles sell equally.

Thanks for the support on my original comment, Jessica. I consider this to be the real meat of the problem in front of me right now.

I'm a self-published author, and I'm trying to generate as much buzz as I can. My fans do a great job of that, which is why I keep in touch with them. It's helped me quite a lot.

I'm also a consultant to a small publisher on how to sell books over the internet, and I'm trying to whip up a proposal right now (as an atheist, I work over Xmas). On the internet it's all about buzz, and I hope I can apply what I've already learned.

But the real question at the heart of it all is one of timing. Does a big splash really matter in the long run? I can't point to a controlled experiment on the topic, nor is one easy to do. But my gut says that in this changing world, we have to know what we're getting for large expenditures on PR and whether or not the old channels (newspaper, etc) are still effective, if new channels are more effective, or if ANYTHING is effective at all.

People tell me this industry is all about money. Great! I'd like to make some - I have a mortgage. But I see it run through a balance of habit and fashion than any real analysis of the situation.

There are many ways that this industry is simply not responding to changing markets, but to me this is the most potentially damaging. It involves a lot of money spent on PR, and the buzz that is needed to sell books in the first place utterly depends on it. I think we need good answers to the questions I posed in October (and a bit earlier on my own blog).

I love author web sites, even if I don't visit more than every other month (with the exception of Janet Evanovich, who posts new stuff every week). I like to learn a little more about the author or the book, and will check in after several months if I hear rumors that there is a new book coming out.

I'm not a big blog fan. In fact, this is the only blog I visit religiously. What is sad is when you see the fizzled-out blog: the blog that launched a week before the book came out, then was posted to daily, then weekly, then just died off. Sadder still is when no one else is posting comments, which makes it look like no one is reading the blog at all.

I think the reason why the Bookends blog works is because it is run by people committed to offering topics that allow a community of readers to ask questions and respond to each other. Unless an author wants to keep that kind of conversation going, a weekly or monthly update to the web site would probably do the job just fine.

I have found that author blogs are the ones that I unsubscribe from the first. I subscribe because I like their work, but unsubscribe because they come to seem trivial or too try-hard. I am going to just stick to their novels from now on.

I prefer blogs that either give me a real laugh or those with an incredible 'voice', or those that teach me something professionally.

Have a look at the French Laundry Cookbook blog. Great voice, laughs, learning.

My life's just not interesting enough to put a new post out every day, or even every week for that matter. Instead, I go for quality over quantity.

I'm not into author blogs so much, but there are a few agent blogs I try to hit every day or once every weekend, just to catch up. Besides yours, there seem to be two or three I visit daily. And if a blogging agent has my partial or full (yeah!), I'm also a faithful visitor. Hmmm...that reminds me, I gotta go!

I love blogging. It's fun for me. I don't tend to blog too much about the details of my personal life (although for reasons I still can't fathom, a post about my terrible winter dry-skin problem last year got more comments than I've ever gotten). Mostly it's my opinions, and stuff about writing and publishing. I did a series about finding a reputable epublisher over the summer that did extremely well as far as hits and links went but I have no idea if it made a difference in sales.

I blog regularly on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and Tuesdays at the League of Reluctant Adults which is fun.

But I honestly don't know if any of the blogging has mattered in sales terms--my gut feeling is it's maybe helped a little in terms of getting my name out there, but not enough to make it a necessity. I just like doing it, so that's why I do.

And I love agent and editor blogs, too. I love all blogs.

I know nothing about blogs selling books, and I gave up my own blog a year ago when I realized I had nothing to say :-). But I can give you a very powerful example of what good can be done with a blog.

There is a woman who writes knitting books, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, more commonly known as The Yarn Harlot. Her blog can be found at www.yarnharlot.ca. Steph firmly believes in the good work being done by Doctors Without Borders. She encourages people who read her blog to donate to them, then let her know how much was sent. She keeps a running total of the donations on the blog, to show how much the blog community has given, total.

Last year, on Dec. 15, she issued a challenge to her readers. Over the years they had given $120,000+ to DWB. She wanted to double that amount. The call went out on her blog.

On Dec. 19 - just 73 hours after issuing the challenge - it was met. Yes, in just 73 hours, by the power of ONE blog entry, another 120,000 had been given to DWB.

And the giving continued. And continued. At the moment, if you check the total on her sideboard, the community that reads the Harlot's blog has given over $434,000 dollars to Doctors Without Borders.

That's a whole heck of a lot of goodness being wrought in the world - all because one woman wrote one blog entry that shared her dedication with her readers and challenged them to pitch in.

I read some author and agent blogs. Mostly because I write. Konrath, Mark Terry, Spyscribbler (and Bookends) I check with my morning coffee. Mostly because they talk about the publishing/writing biz and often have good tips. And yes, this makes me buy their books. When I see something is coming out I can put my order in. I read agent blogs for the same reason. To get information. There was one agent I've decided not to submit to due to the ego that came through her blog. (Not you Jessica! Although I think Jacky might be more in my genre-hopefully you'll see it by spring) I have a blog but it is hard to think of something to say every day. These things are work! I work in a weird industry in my real life so there are seasons when I barely have time to think, let alone blog.
Now seeing what Kris said about the Doctors without boarders I'm wondering what I could do for the Humane society????
What a great idea!

I've been blogging for a couple years now and although I wouldn't call lit a big time-suck, I wouldn't call it a particularly effective marketing tool, either. I enjoy doing it. I like reading other writers blogs and I honestly never know which type will catch and keep my attention. Author blogs that I checked daily I rarely check now, although some have held on.

My take on it for writers is, do it if you want to, don't sweat it if it becomes a chore.

I had to laugh, because I went through one of many periods of "let's-ditch-this-pain-in-the-butt-blog-and-get-on-with-my-life" and asked a bunch of authors why they blog.

I thought the most honest answer was by filmmaker, novelist Keith Snyder, who said, "I like to write about myself."

I read some author blogs, but more emerging authors than NY Times bestselling authors. I like when authors write about writing and publishing - and sometimes about other things. As a published writer and one-day-published author, I like to follow these authors' paths.

I have my own blog, and I have for two years. I don't write much about writing, but it was how I started writing again after a 15 year hiatus.

My goal for 2008 is to write a bit more about writing -- but my blog tends to be a leisurely read for those who stop by -- not an information source. So I think in blogging you have to pick your way of communicating.

It doesn't hurt anyone to blog - or to try it. If your posts are substantive enough - once a week is really enough.

This is me: Kvetch Blog
www.OrthoticContessa.com

I read many writer's and industry blogs, mainly for information, tips, writing advice.
I prefer those I can learn from, though some I read for humour, or for the pleasure of their prose, as Christine describes.
I enjoy blogging. I believe the discipline of discussion helps develop skill.
I have bought books based on blogger recommendations and certainly my blog has sold a few.

I read lots of author blogs. I've made a lot of very cool contacts and hopefully have been able to spread the word about lots of neat authors.

The one thing I have to confess to not being a fan of, though, are the group author blogs where the authors talk about nothing but the technical end of writing. You can only read so many posts about how to create a good character before your eyes glaze over.

I like it when the author puts more of him/herself into things and makes it fun.

Blogging is an excellent way to reach readers...IF you're suited to it. If you're not, you'll turn them off.

For the authors who are trying to figure it out, I suggest visiting some good authors blogs.

Patricia Wood, author of LOTTERY, keeps an excellent one.

pkwood.blogspot.com

Michelle Moran, author of NEFERTITI, travels too much for regular commenting, so she keeps a read-only blog.

michellemoran.blogspot.com

Pat can give you a taste of Hawaii. For a taste of the East Coast, try the blog of Gwyneth Bolton, author of SWEET SENSATION.

gwynethbolton.blogspot.com

For authors who can't make the time or who don't feel suited to their own blog, try a group blog. Here is one for Science Fiction Romance:

aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com

I've been blogging for over a year now and have written a couple of articles on what I've learned from observing authors. Click on my username and go to my Star Captains' Daughter blog. On the right hand side, you'll find a link entitled 'Wooing Readers.' Those articles have more information on this topic.
;)

I read a lot of writer blogs and have bought books based on those. However, most of these are blogs by writers for writers. It's important to remember that any blogger must identify their audience and play to if they want return readers.

I don't blog and don't want to. I'm not that interesting and am more of a private person by nature. Some author blogs are incredibly well done, but I find I don't actually care. It's like watching a favorite actor -- I don't want to know who they are married to, what they ate for breakfast, or the name of their child's grade school. I want the read the BOOK, for the book's sake, not think about the author.

I read the Bookends blog, Kristen Nelson's blog, and Nathan Bransford's blog, and the Blueboards at Verla Kay's (I'm a YA writer) everday as part of my ritual of internet stops before I commence with my own writing. These sites do an incredible job of making me feel like I am not so alone in this lonely business.

I enjoy so many different authors' works, that it's hard for me to remember them all. If they are on my blog-reading circuit, then I remember when they have a new book out. Otherwise, I rarely visit an author site.

As far as discovering new authors go, about 90% of the new authors I've tried in the last year or so have been from bloggers.

I regularly read agent blogs but only read two author blogs regularly. Agents update often and are providing great information and tips. I read author blogs if the provide the same thing, i.e. writing tips, publishing info, their path to publication, their writing process, etc.--things I can use. I get bored super fast with authors who ramble about their boring daily life.

My cousin, an aspiring writer, writes about her daily life but it's interesting because she had to move to Mexico over a year ago and writes about all the weird, odd-ball stuff she encounters there--plus she's funny.

When I started my blog I took a tip from JA Konrath and gave my blog a specific topic (the journey of writing a novel) and have not ventured into personal unless it absolutely pertained to writing (well expect when I was tagged :).

I find that blogging helps keep up the discipline/habit of writing regularly.

It's not so much that I talk about my own personal life, but I do talk books and writing in a strong voice (hopefully funny) voice and am not shy about offering a strong opinion. I mix it up with book, writing talk, and reportage from my writers groups, especially sharing what ever advice a guest speaker had for us.

I think being consistent is more important than daily, as long as you establish an average number of posts/week or month and stick to it, you should keep readers.

While agents may not actively read author blogs, I think they google a potential client, and blogging will provide you with a ton of google links. I call it the "Paris Hilton effect" creating the illusion that you're a "somebody" - it's a sad fact, but hype seems to matter these days.

I prefer individual blogs to the groups, and I like industry tips more than personal stuff (a lot of male authors talk politics on their blogs - it's a big turn off for me - I'd rather hear about their path to publication or tips on surviving the book biz) - and agent blogs are the best - my most favorite and the ones I read the most often.

I have a blog, but I don't put personal information on it. You'll never see me posting pics of the boy, or ranting about the man. I do occassionaly post writing life stuff, but 97% of it is writing related, not writing life. I might post once to twice a week. I don't get a lot of traffic and I don't expect a lot.

Authors or anyone for that matter who puts up anything personal in minute detail is a turn off for me. I don't need to know the writer to love the book. My TBR pile can attest to that!

Most of my reading is done by list, and I only comment where I feel strongly enough in my thoughts. Even posting comments to the blogosphere where anyone and their uncle can see me, gets unnerving. So even if I'm not commenting, chances are, I am reading.

I do read some author blogs...but beware! I have stopped reading and lost interest in buying authors' books because of some posts. Sounds superficial...however, too much political debate or ranting can really turn me off. Better to stick to writing topics and your books...stay away from taking sides.

I've been doing an author/life blog for about a year (http://beckylevine.livejournal.com). I really enjoy it, but I do think that most of my readers are other writers! I try & keep the writing & my process at the forefront, but life does slip in!

I have a strong sense that when my book gets out there, the blog will need to change. As I said, right now its mostly for other writers. The book I'm trying to sell is a mystery for kids, and I'd like the blog to turn into something they'd like to read. I'll post entries about the town where my characters live--a very fun town, so there should be lots of material. I also want to start reviewing other kids books, for my readers--I'd really like to have a section called FUN BOOK ALERT, where I talk about books that are just that--really well written, but just a great, fun read, without any particular message.

Lisa Yee (http://lisayee.livejournal.com) blogs often--some stuff about her appearances, some stuff about her writing process (always funny), but a lot of stuff for the kids, too. (She blows up Peeps candy.) I think she does have a lot of kids come to her blog and read and comment.

I love author blogs too! I read them, not as much as agency/publishing blogs, but quite a bit. I most enjoy when the authors blog about their writing and books they enjoy. Melissa Walker, author of "Violet on the Runway", blogs about marketing and publicity for her books as well as events in her life that connect to her novels. (MelissaCWalker.com) I also love Shannon Hale's blog (squeetus.com).

I love reading Meg Cabot's blog, Melissa Marr's and also Cynthia Lord's. A little personal info mixed in with the writing stuff is nice, in my opinion.

I "subscribe" to some blogs, even though the posts are irregular, but not many. (If you don't know about subscribing and feed readers, there's some information at the end of this post.) I used to have a personal blog, but I will be retiring it at the end of this year. Now I blog with a group of women at Women of Mystery and when we started blogging, we decided to limit ourselves to writing posts that somehow relate to writing.

But that means we've had posts on health, on the weather, on the economy--all those things affect our writing in some way shape or form.

I don't think it's possible to write on a regular basis without offending someone unless the posts are so bland as to be virtually meaningless. But that's apt to be true in books, too.

I don't believe blogging sells books. In fact, I've posted on that fact a couple of times. But I think it helps to keep in touch with readers you already have, and it gives you a public face in case someone "Googles" you for any reason. (Which is a good thing, provided you're not insane.)

Besides, I'm a writer. I write. So it's natural that I also blog!

Dianacastilleja --

Re: people blogging about "The Boy" or "the Man" in their life... I completely agree -- for the love of God and all that is pure, I hate that! It's like every dang writer is trying to copy everyone else and make themselves out to be some goddess contsantly referring to the alternatly annoying/charming/sex-god/asshole in their love life.

Sorry, people's relationships just aren't that interesting, and even less so when you don't actually know them...

There have been several occasions where I've subscribed to the blog of an author I'd never read, because the blog itself was fun, and later bought one of that author's books. There have also been occasions where reading an author's blog made me less interested in their books (generally because of political ranting).

I mostly stick to LiveJournal blogs, because they are convenient to read and I don't have to remember to visit them--all the entries are listed together on my friends page. LiveJournal is probably the way to go for anyone who's not planning to post daily. I read only a handful of non-Livejournal blogs.

I have to admit when I started my author's blog, I was hazy on what it was really for. Pushing my own book? Bleah. Rambling about my day? Please. Not even my dog is interested in my day, not unless I have leash in hand and am heading for the door.

I post about what interests me, which is mostly writing and the the publishing process. Over the last couple of months, I've written about editorial letters, revisions, copyediting, titles and covers, etc...and I'll have a new post this week on first-pass pages. The blog is also a great venue to post pics of book events.

Daily posts sound great, but I knew I couldn't keep it up -- not with book deadlines looming -- so I didn't start that way. To be honest, I don't have enough material, either. Many of my favorite blogs don't post daily, and I'm OK with that. I want to be consistent and keep having fun. So far, so good.

Let me say that while I like a lot of agent blogs, there are a few popular ones that I can't stand. And I'm at a complete loss as to why any writer would query those agents.

They ramble about their stupid cat or are constantly telling their blog readers how gosh darn busy they are but took time to attend a writer's conference anyway, as a form of "giving back" (which is in its own way of saying, see how IMPORTANT I AM?) More than once these aforementioned blogs have (in backhanded ways) referred to their own clients as if they are something they "have to deal" with.

Not good advertising.
Thank the stars I already have an agent.

Jessica,

I use Google Reader to keep up with the various blogs that I am subscribed. That way I do not have to physically go and see if any have been updated.

I'm grateful that Blogger now allows for follow up comments to be sent to my inbox. Previously I had to consciously go back later to see if a conversation in the comment trail had developed which was worth watching.

I have over one hundred blogs that I follow and they cover a wide variety of subjects. Frankly, unless there is something substantive in a post I am quick to go onto the next one.

That means I wind up skimming posts when I have twenty or so updated at any time. I do not care for people updating daily unless there is something worth reading.

I hate it when bloggers post just for the sake of posting. Too much of that and it will lead me to unsubscribe as a reader. I don't care for blather and the cult of celebrity is nothing that I am interested in.

BTW, my two favorite author blogs are J.A. Konrath's and Tess Gerritsen's. I learn a lot about the industry from them as well as rethinking my assumptions of what life is like for full time authors.

Linda

P.S. I would also like to mention my favorite blog for writers on the craft of writing. That distinction belongs to Anne Mini's "Author!Author!" blog.

www.annemini.com

If you have ever wondered exactly what constitutes standard format for manuscripts and whether or not you need one space or two spaces after periods, you should check out her blog.

Anne goes into great detail about things that while they may appear to be arcane might be the difference between having your work read or summarily dismissed due to it looking wrong to professional readers.

Linda

For me, personally, blogging is more about networking than promotions... I've thought about how it is I would use a blog to promote book sales, once I get there, but the truth is, my blog mostly covers writing and books. And, as Jaye Wells said earlier, writers are not my audience.

Eventually I'll want to think about a website and regularaly post there about the book and odds and ends for my readers, but I don't think my writer's blog will be of much interest to most of them.

Now, I have bought a number of books based on recommendations from other bloggers - so I do think blogger reviews are a good thing for authors. And I know a number of people have bought books from my recommendations. I just hosted a book club blog on Lottery by Patricia Wood, and Ms. Wood was kind enough to participate... I just emailed her through her website to ask permission and she offered to participate which was great.

I don't know how much it amounted to for her in sales, but I know the first entry had almost forty comments, and the second and third were widely read as well... in essence, I think blogs can be a great way to interact with your readership, which is a great way to build permanent readers.

Very interesting post, Jessica. I belong to the Killer Fiction blog: http://killerfictionwriters.blogspot.com where I post every Tuesday. Yesterday my post on was on Lap Dancing and Sexy Santa Underwear. It’s not what you think. 
I'll be honest, I hadn't planned on becoming part of the blog universe. And yet, I've been pulled into it hook, line and sinker. I got invited to join a group of Dorchester writers and after giving it some thought, I decided to go for it. Blogging once a week seemed much more doable than trying to do something daily. And because I write for magazines, a lot of essay type of pieces, which basically is what most blogs are, I found it fairly easy to write the posts. I even did a humorous column for a national publication for two years, so writing the humorous pieces, which match the tone of my book, isn’t too much of a stretch for me.
But does blogging really make a difference in the big scheme of things? Probably not that much. However, I know that on most Tuesdays my post gets over a hundred hits and at times I’ve gotten as many as 50 comments. I know that I’ve been asked to guest blog at over five review/reader websites, most of them asking me after they stumbled across my regular blog. Tomorrow, I will be guest blogging at http://novelthoughts.wordpress.com.
I know that my book has made it on a list of the top 100 selling romance novels two weeks in row, and has since been taken back by Dorchester for another reprinting. Again, I don’t think blogs played a big part in this, but maybe combined with the other promotions it helped a bit.
I think the key to blogging is the same key to writing essays—meaning to find the universal appeal/universal emotion. But I know for some writers, blogging may be too time consuming and I think every author needs to find what works for them.
CC

Wow, my blog's already been mentioned here. (Hi Jenna!) As she said, I'm an aspiring writer and started my blog a few months ago for several reasons.

I'm writing my memoir about my life since my husband & I moved to Mexico, and so many bizzare-o things kept happening I needed an additional outlet.

This outlet now keeps my family in the loop on what we're doing, which cuts down on repetitive emails to all of them.

It keeps me writing every day. I write my blog in the same style as my book, so it helps keep me focused while editing.

And, as someone else mentioned, I like to write about myself. My husband is mentioned now and then, but only because he's the only other person I know down here.

I read 10-20 writer/agent blogs daily (including BookEnds & Nathan Bransford) but I get bored, too, with the writer blogs that turn into a whiney mess.

I find that my blog definately increases sales. When I was nominated for best lit blog two months ago, I sold several copies. However, I'm self published, so with a total of 712 sales or so every bit of PR makes a difference to me.

I write something 3 times a week, and I try to make it particularly interesting and relevant. I started doing it for the small fan base I have here in Saint Paul; it keeps me in touch with them and offers something up to keep them interested. That's important to maintaining a reputation at my stage.

I do not use the blog to relate just how many cups of Prince of Wales tea I've had. I explain my peculiar outlook on life and solicit comments back. These posts are meaty and from an unusual perspective. I use the authors den site because it allows space for articles and stories as well as a nice plug for my book.

Having said all of that, it's at http://www.authorsden.com/erikhare To get to the blog part, there's a tab at the top.

I have an entire page of my yahoo "home" dedicated to blog feeds. Some I visit the minute I see a new post (BookEnds, Kristin Nelson's, Flogging the Quill). The multitude of other blog feeds are author blogs or group author blogs. I read a few of them during the week, but it depends on the title....if it engages me. If I'm in the mood. (If I feel the overwhelming urge to procrastinate just a little more on my work.) But it's rare that I read those blogs every day.

That said, I started my own, which I'm still a little befuddled as what to do with. Given my own practices in reading them, I have to wonder at my sanity at starting one.

I used to read a lot of author blogs but realized I was spending far too much time on the Internet. And frankly, most blogs are kind of dull. (I'm not interested in reading about an author's search for the perfect pie recipe or the antics of their cat.) I enjoy Tess Gerritsen's, Mark Terry's, and J.A. Konrath's because they focus on the writing business, and I always learn something.

I was invited to participate in a group blog with other writers, but I'm still unpublished and honestly, I'm not that interesting. So I declined.

Great post, Jessica. Lots of different perspectives from the other posters, too.

I agree with Jaye Wells - identifying the audience of your blog (or book) is crucial to its success. Readers (I mean "pure" readers and not readers-who-also-write) aren't interested in industry stuff, just as readers-who-also-write usually aren't interested in the strictly-for-the-fans type of posts.

And as for Christie Craig's molestation of Santa Claus...girl, seriously, you should be ashamed! LOL.

Faye

I usually read blogs when I'm trying to blow off a little steam before writing, or when I'm relaxing after the kids go to bed. They're fun, but I'm only a regular visitor here, at The Midnight Hour and over at Killer Fiction blog. Otherwise, it's hard to find time.

And yes, I have bought books based on hearing about them here, or on the other blogs. It's a great way to learn about new authors. I also appreciate getting a reminder when someone I read and like has a new book coming out.

I bought a copy of LOTTERY b/c of the author's blog, which is just terrific (the book and the blog) - but I don't think blogging is a good idea for most authors. I think she's more the exception than the rule. And I hate to say it, b/c it sounds mean, but I agree with anon 11:27.....almost all of the agent blogs are terrific - even when they don't talk agenting....but there is the one - the one with the cat - that would turn me off if I was querying....which is unfortunate, b/c I'm sure she's a fine agent, and a nice person, but maybe she shouldn't blog as an "agent"....

I enjoy reading author blogs. I don't think I would have come across the book I'm enjoying now (Enchanted, Inc) had I not come across the author's blog. She was upset about the covers looking like a different genre, and I have to admit, if I saw this in a book store, I wouldn't have picked it up because it doesn't look like my type of book and wouldn't have caught my eye, but after reading more about it on her blog, I went to the Simon-Schuster website, read the first chapter, then drove over to Borders and picked up the series.

Plus, reading other people going through the same thing helps keep me writing!

I have an author blog that I post to a minimum of twice a week, and a small but lovely group of readers (most of us all are part of the same region in the blogosphere, and we go back and forth reading each others' blogs - LOVE the blogging community!).

It didn't take me long before I realised that I didn't have enough material for a daily blog, and that if I kept up at that pace my entries were going to start to come across as trivial.

What I decided was to write entries that for the most part would have been entries I would have wanted to read (and did read) when I was aspiring to be published. I wanted the inside scoop, I wanted to know what it was like to be a published writer, what the publication process was like, what was going on tour like . . . etc.

As such this is what I look for in other people's blogs as well, and to be honest I get turned off (even by agent blogs) if things get too personal. I am really a glutton for insider information. Love that stuff!

At any rate, I don't think a daily blog is necessary, but I do think you have to post a few times a week at least. And also respond to comments. The act of blogging is engaging in a dialogue. Besides it is so cool hearing from people from all over the world!

I blog for the practice, to get a feel for what works and entertains and what doesn't, so that in the future when my site generates regular readers I have had the experience and don't let them down. Plus, it's a great place to have up for in the future, where you have a history of posts behind you.

I completely agree with everything you said, Jessica. I've also had people argue with me over your exact points.

I just don't think a blog should be a journal. Too personal. There are some that I love for informational purposes (like this one). Others I'll visit because the person is a good friend. The rest I leave alone.

I don't understand the disregarding of aspiring authors as readers for authors' blogs.

The simple fact is writers have lots of friends and love stories. This means when they love your story, they're going to be talking to their friends about it.

Ka-ching!

I read your blog and Janet Reid’s blog (she may have laid the Miss Snark moniker aside and moved from Brooklyn to Manhattan but she still has the wit.) But that’s it. There is really nothing else out there worth reading. I think Nathan Bransford is a crashing bore. I have never seen anything on his site worth reading, and scratched it off my list long ago. As for “writers,” I don’t read their books, let alone their blogs. I’d much prefer to watch movies. The screenwriting may be dreadful beyond description, but at least the actors have talent and they frequently save the show, as do the directors and editors. Movies work because there are few produced in a year and because they are a collaborative effort, meaning some hack writer cannot screw it up single handed. Movies are much better than books can or ever will be.

I agree with anon 4:51 about Nathan's blog - I deleted it months ago.

Janet Reid is a Miss Snark wannabee, trying desperately to be funny, but she's not. Give it up Janet. You're not the snark.

I ready this blog because it contains very good info.

Agents who talk about their personal lives (mostly) should not blog as agents. It's a huge turn-off and very unprofessional.

So there.

I guess I like reading author blogs because I'm an author and it's kind of solitary. It's nice knowing there's folks down in the trenches with me *smile*
I used to blog pretty regularly but because of issues I've really cut back and the only two places I'm consistent are the two group blogs I participate in ( http://naughty-and-spice.com and http://southernfriedchicas.com )

I've definitely bought a new to me author because of their blog and like others have stated, been turned off (and not bought) because of an author's blog.

I also read agent and editor blogs --obviously!--but I use Kinja to track them so it's not near as much of a timesuck as it used to be.

totally agree on bransford. the guy is on a major power trip. people think he's so clever and witty and everything he says is funny just because they want to be published. and he makes them fawn over him. that's what the blog is for.

so many of these agents are nothing but a big power trip.

Isn't it curious that Janet Reid does NOT permit anonymous comments. What is she afraid of?

I like this blog because they're smart, they write well and they're not afraid to hear criticism, thus the opportunity to post a comment anon.

I agree that many others are just on a power trip. I sometimes wonder if they have forgotten why they have jobs.

And the poor, fawning writers who come to the blogs thinking their grovelling matters. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with being a nice person, but writing a great book is what will get you an agent, not a bunch of kiss-up comments (although I'm sure the Nathans of this world love those comments.)

I read quite a few blogs, by various kinds of people, as well as a fairly huge number of journals on various journaling systems. I've bought books because I heard about them online -- usually because someone whose taste I trust recommended something, or because a writer I know and like mentions on her/his journal or blog that she/he has something new coming out.

About posting frequency, though, I actually prefer it when people don't post every day. It's one thing if someone can be funny and interesting and informative every day, but I really don't need to know what someone's doing in their everyday life, every single day. I read a lot online and if I see that someone posts every day, I'm much less likely to add them.

And if you're manually checking someone's blog every day to see whether they have something new, you're doing it wrong. :) That's what feed readers are for -- subscribe to someone's feed and there you go. Whenever they do post something new, you get it automatically.

I have to main blogs in my pro-writer persona -- the one I link to most of the time, which mainly talks about writing and sometimes related news or subjects, and my more official writer's blog which is mainly announcements right now. I haven't done much with it, so I don't advertise it very much; I only have two shorts and a novelette out and that's not much to work with when it comes to Cool Stuff for readers to want to follow on a regular basis. Once I have more material to work with, I'll do more with it and get it out there more. For now, my more nuts-and-bolts blog will do, and it gets a decent number of comments. :)

Angie

I write maybe 3 posts a week usually on the writing process or a book review.

I try to make it pleasant to the eye - thats why I like blogger - livejournal - sorry is a turn off for me. I like being able to add widgets that provide great info and its easy.

I stay away from "having" to post every day because I don't want to right about my personal day to day life - it ain't that exciting.

But I read several agent blogs daily and I seem to rotate thru a slew of authors but always keep them in my favorites.

I've picked up great books to read that were suggested on different blogs and it's helped in the idea area, it's neat to see what others are into in the writing realm.

I also like to see what authors have blogs that are represented by agents I might be interested in - you never know what little bit of info you might pick up.

As an aspiring author, I read several agent blogs, particularly Jennifer Jackson, Jenny Rappaport, Bransford, and Reid. All of them provide great insights into the biz. The only author blog I've found that I've stuck with is the one by Cherie Priest. She is interesting enough, even without a lot of mention of her writing, to hold my attention.

I'm a new nonfiction author, and I try to post something to my blog at least twice a week, but I'm sensitive to the fact that most readers don't really care about the details of my rather boring life. Fortunately, I write about medieval history and literature, so that's what I blog about. My online readership is always growing, and I doubt I'll ever run out of material.

Has blogging sold any books? Yes, definitely, but most of those sales have been indirectly related to blogging: someone finds one of my blog posts because they follow a link from Google or Wikipedia, for example, or someone in my blogroll suggests that I give a book-talk at a school. In fact, those real-world connections are one of the most satisfying consequences of being an author who blogs. I've had a blast participating in an online community of medievalists that's broad enough to include nonfiction authors, novelists, scholars, teachers, historical re-enactors--and, of course, ardent readers.

Author blogs do sell because I've bought several books this year because I liked an author's style!

I don't read any author blogs on a regular basis, though I have certainly bought books after reading the recommendations of other blogger/writers.

Personally, I don't want to read about the intimate details of others' lives, but I enjoy reading about screw-ups and personal foibles. I write my blog for my own sanity, and because I want at least SOMEthing I've written to be read. I read the blogs of other author-hopefuls because this is a solitary business and it helps to connect with others in this world.

And may I just say to your anonymous blogger/s that their comments would be taken much more seriously if they were backed up by a name.

I wanted to reinforce Jeff's comment because it was due to the blogosphere that I discovered his blog and his book.

I stumbled across a link to his blog one day, once there I followed a link to his website describing his book, I ordered it from my library, then afterwards I liked it so much I bought a copy for to always have on hand for reference.

I read and post on Jeff's blog regularly as I do on this blog.

His posts are targeted to an audience interested in medieval history and Charlemagne related items. (BTW, his book was just released in paperback on Tuesday of this week!)

I would also like to concur with Mary Witzl regarding some of the nastygrams written by anonymous posters showing disrespect towards Nathan Bransford.

Honestly if you do not care for someone's style that your perogative, but it is in poor taste to insult someone in public. Especially in a forum where the hostess has specifically singled someone out for praise. It's like going to a party and openly complaining about the food being served. It's just rude.

For the record, I like Nathan. I met him in person this past year at the San Francisco Writers Conference and he is friendly, personable, and enthusiastic about his job. All are admirable qualities.

I also read Nathan's blog because I enjoy his insights as well as his humor.

I post once or twice a week on the blog I started when my first book was released. I try to avoid boring personal stories, but can't help talking about my neurotic dog.

If something inspiring or amusing pops into my head, I jot down a note to myself and post. I don't know how much traffic I have. I average about 6-8 comments per post, and I do know that visitors have ordered my book. Whether they liked it or not is another matter!

I've signed up for a group blog that I'm very excited about. It's due to launch in January.

I regularly visit a half dozen or so blogs - John Robison's, Pat Wood, Church Lady, Holly Kennedy, dear Bernita, Adrienne, Lynn Price and the Canadian Writers' Collective. All offer advice, inspiring stories and companionship.

The important thing is networking - to visit and comment on other blogs, whether they be writing blogs or just interesting people blogs. That brings readers back to you and possibly a new friend or a sale.

It also helps to title your post with a catchy phrase that'll show up in search engines.

One thing that I think people are forgetting about is that your GENRE matters a lot as to whether your blog is effective. Without having any numbers in front of me, I would hazard a guess, for example, that science fiction or young adult would generate more sales from blogs than say, literary fiction.

We're pretty much all writers here, so of course we're interested in blogs that talk about the writing process, but I think there are certain kind of readers who DO want to get to know their authors . . . like teens, who are just more plugged into the blogosphere in general.

*Anonymous because I haven't updated my blog in a month after writing religiously every day for a year, and I'm embarrassed!*

Nathan Bransford is young and young is a very good thing.
;)

vdfldtmWow this is amazing. I had no idea author blogs were so controversial!
Why do I blog? I enjoy it. I post approx. three times a week -- because to me the comments are a continual conversation and I like to extend it- I enjoy the networking. I generally stick to writing, the publishing process, and my muses (Touloose has literary aspirations). Because I know my father, relatives, editors (foreign and US), agent and all respective assistants read my blog I am very very careful.
You will not hear me moaning about how i hate a particular cover or in any way skewer somebody.
I try to show the humorous side yet remain professional...BUT it can suck enormous amounts of time out of your writing life. I hope it sells books but yanno that's not the real reason I do it- it's to get to know other writers and readers...
anon-4:51 to 7:37 Being disparaging about other blogs is unnecessary. It's easy - Just don't subscribe or read them. There are plenty of blogs for all tastes. I for one found all agent blogs interesting as it allowed me to see they were people and understand the phrase "I just didn't love it..."
Why I read bookends? When I read hooks/queries it allows me to see the mistakes I make and lets be go back to my writing refreshed. Even though I have a great agent I read other agent's blogs so I get familiar with what's happening.
Much aloha to you all - fyi it's 78 degrees here.
( I was compelled to say that)

Kimber An,

I didn't mean to disregard other writers in promotion, most of the writers I know online are a very supportive group and when they like a book by a fellow blogger, they're the first to write up blurbs to help in any way to promote.

I only meant that my key audience wouldn't be interested in my writing blog, and I think a lot of readers don't necessarily want to read about writing... but I'm writing middle grade fiction and my blog deals with writing process and a lot of adult fiction...

And I have to say, I was a bit disgusted by all of the snipey anonymous comments the last time I stopped in, but I love that so many of you, signing with your real names, responded.

There is a way to criticize without having to hide your identity and if you fear what you have to say might damage your reputation, then perhaps you should spare us the trouble of reading it...

And I agree with Mary Witzl, when I read those comments by anonymous posters they carry absolutely no weight. I've read Janet Reid, and I like her blog. I read Nathan fairly regularly and I know a good many writers who have queried him and find him to be the nicest guy ever. And agents don't have to blog, I think it's great that so many take the time... if you don't like their subject matter stop reading them... but a lot of very savvy writers want as much background about an agent as possible to decide if they would make a good working match.

I was going to keep my mouth shut, but I just can't anymore.

I'm really disappointed to see the derogatory comments regarding other agency blogs. Fact is, these are busy professionals who take time out of their day to shed light on the inner workings of the publishing industry. If you're not a fan of the tone, then why don't you just stop reading? There's no real justification for bashing them in an open forum.

I, for one, will continue to read Nathan's blog every day. I've never met the guy, but he's posed some really thought-provoking discussions that I've found refreshing and enlightening. I often find myself wishing I'd thought of his topic of the day. I'm always looking forward to hearing what he will say next....

First off, thanks so much for the shout out, Jessica! I appreciate it, and needless to say, this is a daily stop for me as well.

And if any of the commenters here who don't like my blog would like to e-mail me about what turned them off/how the blog could be better I'd really welcome their feedback! Please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. Honest thoughts welcome.

L.C.McCabe does not know what she’s writing about. Nathan Bransford is a bore and a snore. I just visited his blog and, as usual, THERE IS NOTHING THERE. Nothing at all. If L.C.McCabe does not know what she is writing about to blogs, what does that say about her commercial writing?

I think she is Bransford’s secret identity.

Gotta love it when the spiteful anonymice start accusing other people of being sock puppets. [eyeroll]

Angie

Wow, this went to Hell in a hurry!

I think a discussion of blogs brings out the worst in people because they are so very trendy. There's a competition inherent in trendiness to be one step ahead of the other person, and that includes being more "genuine".

I realize that there are a zillion things that someone is supposed to do to promote blogs, including catching titles and digg buttons and all the rest. I want to let all of you in on the secret of being cooler than everyone else:

Don't care.

That's right, it's High School all over again - and most writers weren't members of the elite posse so you may be unaware of the rules. But what counts is doing your own thing and not caring the slighest bit about what people say about you.

If you're out there begging for links, you're just not cool. If you're doing a lot of stuff to "promote" your site, you're never gonna be A-List.

And dissing other bloggers? Sheesh.

Now, I realize that by part of my definition I staked a claim as one of the cool kids, because I clearly don't care about anyone except my fans and they find me on their own. So let me renounce that claim now: I'm not cool, and I never will be. But dumping on other people is way, way not cool.

Just have a good life and enjoy it, OK? I've been at this internet thingy for 22 years, before it was even called the "internet', and I was blogging before that word came around. I'm too old to be cool, but some of you are too freakin' spastic to hit the mark.

I think the thing is to not engage the anonymous individuals who choose to disparage rather than participate in what is an interesting and informative interchange. I enjoy Nathan's blog because I am a published author and see the usefulness of not only his blog posts but the comments as well. The same can be said for all the other agent's blogs. When you learn more about a person you start to sense their likes and dislikes. If someone blogs about their cat - send them a non-fic proposal on cats or a cat cozy mystery...someone blogs about wired or reality shows or manga? Well, use it to your advantage.
AND IF IT BOTHERS YOU?
DON'T READ IT.
Okay. There.
My rant is done.

Just a quick note:

I used the word "spastic" in my previous rant because it is used as the opposite of "cool" by local High School kids. I hear this all the time at my local coffee hutt (and am frankly surprised that this aspect of their language is little changed from my day - I am 42).

Please forgive any slights felt above and beyond its use as generic lingo by kids. They were unintended. My methods of writing are akin to method acting, and when I get into character I often say things inadvertently that I regret later. This is one of them. I regret any hurt I may have caused.

I don't tend to read personal author blogs as they usually don't have enough to say of interest, and with people I know fairly well, I feel like I'm eavesdropping! So I might drop in occasionally to see what they are up to, if I haven't been by for a while.

My favorite blogs are the group blogs, which are often fairly personal but include regular topics of interest or guest authors - harlequin authors pinkheartsociety.com and Blaze authors loveisanexplodingcigar.com are two that I regularly visit.

I've read somewhere that in a few years nobody will be blogging anymore! I know quite a few fave blogs have died off becase the author felt they had no more to offer. A regular website format with a 'news' page would be much better in these cases.

cheers
Helen

It's nice to learn about the news, but sometimes author blogs need to be about more than the author or the newest book. That's what makes them not as good as most blogs.

"totally agree on bransford. the guy is on a major power trip. people think he's so clever and witty and everything he says is funny just because they want to be published. and he makes them fawn over him. that's what the blog is for.

so many of these agents are nothing but a big power trip."

I'm quite sure you aren't interested in querying him. I hope not anyway. (I suggest trying a few capitals here and there when you do query your agent of choice.) I enjoy his blog because, in addition to some valuable insider views, he also does it in a light-hearted manner.

Do I need to fawn over him to get him to read my manuscript? Not so much, since he plainly says, "When in doubt, query." Will me reading and commenting in his blog occasionally get me signed? Hardly. If you read his blog, you would notice several people who comment there are ones he rejected.

My book will sell because it's a good story and written in an interesting fashion. It's not going to sell because I haunt an agent's blog.

Now that I have vented, let me ask a question if anyone is still reading.

Do blogs help writers who are just starting out?

I think the comments made about what you all look for in a blog are interesting. I'd like to see more of that. Not because I want to do the "cool" thing, but rather because my curiosity is piqued now.

Regarding commenting on blogs to get an agent's attention -- well, I still comment on agent blogs after they rejected my work because I'm interested in what they have to say.

I comment on agent blogs when the agents don't represent my genre because I like their style.

I visit blogs because I'd like bloggers to visit me in return. Okay, it may be high school all over again. It's fun, unlike high school.

An anonymous poster suggested earlier today that I did not actually exist except as Nathan Bransford's secret identity.

As if I were merely a "sock puppet," but since we are talking about Nathan it would be more appropriate to say "sock monkey."

Ahem. For the record, I would like to state that I am a separate entity from Nathan.

I don't understand the animosity being expressed toward him, but I must say that this Anonymous poster did not seem to read the entire comment trail or s/he would have realized that I had posted previously on this topic and praised other blogs.

I shall at this point restate the ones I recommended as well as their links to ease anyone finding them.

As for author blogs who blog about the craft of writing and the business of publishing, I enjoy:

J.A. Konrath's
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/

Tess Gerritsen's
http://www.tessgerritsen.com/blog/

Anne Mini's
http://www.annemini.com

As for an author blog whose topics deal with the subject of his book, I enjoy reading Jeff Sypeck's blog about Medieval culture and literature:

www.quidplura.com

His book Becoming Charlemagne was just released in paperback on Tuesday of this week and if you look on Amazon.com you will see that I posted a review of his book last July. That would be difficult, if not impossible, to create retroactive dates for reviews if I was merely a phantom sock monkey knitted today on the sly.

In order to make this post into something more than a matter of Revising and Extending My Remarks in the Blog Record I shall mention how an author's website actually led to a book being published. That same author then created a blog to help promote her book and because of her blog she was interviewed on ABC's "Nightline."

The author? Joan Price.

The book? Better Than I Ever Expected: straight talk about sex after sixty

I blogged about her speaking to my writers club nearly a year ago. Hers is a great success story about why it is so important for writers to make themselves available for the proverbial Opportunity Knocking at your door.

She was ready and prepared when those knocks came. Here's the link to that post entitled "Sex, Blogs and National TV"

http://tinyurl.com/ywy93v

That's another piece of evidence against the idea of my being Nathan's sock monkey created only to defend himself in this forum because that would mean he went to an awful lot of work. Because I've been blogging for just over a year now.

Isn't it easier to believe that I chose to stick up for someone who was being treated with discourtesy? Or is that concept so foreign to you because you have never been willing to defend anyone but yourself? Possibly even worse if in your lifetime no one has ever come to your aid.

In this holiday season I hope that you will find some happiness and joy. Assuming that you are a writer, I wish that your muse will treat you well. I also wish that you will let go of your anger. It is unattractive and detracts from whatever message you are trying to impart.

Be well,

Linda C. McCabe

To: Anonymous 2:09pm

Darlin', you need to shut the fuck up.

And I say this with all due respect to your right of free speech, AND with only your best interests at heart. Because, I KNOW you write better than this.

Don't waste your God-given talent demeaning other people.

So cute, I love the little ghost behind the tree and the red tennis shoes!

so cute.

~ Diane Clancy
www.dianeclancy.com/blog

naughty kitty, he don't even scare at that huge spider! :D cute illo Jan!

Wonderful! I love the stripes on the costume.

This is really adorable!

CUTE! Love this one! That spider is too friendly to be scary :)

It's perfect! So sweet...I love the costume and the little red converse shoes going with it! :)

Thats so sweet, Jo! Love that little kitty :)

cabanadigital.com

Another great illustration. Do you ever have an off day when you just can't draw? It doesn't look like it.

sweet and innocent....

Very cute!!!

Röckin like Dokken!
I only wish i could zoom in to a higher res version :-(

http://johncoulter.blogspot.com/

your work is always so charmingly detailed (look at that zipper, for example!)... what a great illo... wonderful little smiley characters, all!

~kim

sweeet! can't decide which one is scarier, kitty or the spidey! :o)

Always cute! Love how he seems so happy to see his spider and ghost friends.

very sweet and happy illustration. I love the cat costume and the red shoes.

oh boy, you have a great blog! I just found it on JacketFlap and had to read through a ton of your posts because they are so great and entertaining. Thanks!

jannie, this is so great!

teri

I have bought many toys for kids from CouponAlbum and ToysRUs at CouponAlbum with great discounted prices..