The Perils of Blogging!
Yeah, some days it’s like that!
Rebecca at Dirty Sexy Books wrote a genius piece back on February 23 entitled -
The Ten Biggest Mistakes Authors Make On Their Websites.
You can check it out here: (and I asked her permission to quote her, thanks Rebecca!)
The first mistake she mentions is the lack of a website. I have to agree. In this internet age I’m shocked when I try to find information about an author and her books and google turns up bupkiss!
The second mistake? No blog. She’s right - every single day isn’t necessary but a once a week would be nice. I do get frustrated when I hope to hear what other authors are up to and they have a site, but the last post was a year ago. Where are you, my friend?
Uh-oh, the third mistake is to bury our stuff under a nest of links. Guilty as charged? I try to keep my links to the side but sometimes I wonder if I have too many - but I love those links! Each one means something to me. I’ll try to keep in mind, simplify and minimize!
Fourth - link bait for bloggers - Ladies, we need a hook so bloggers find us interesting, you know, like a freebie, a short story that ties into our upcoming release, a freebie for readers and fans. Okay - workin’ on it!
Five - ignoring your website - that kind of ties in with Mistake Number Two.
Six? A picture of myself? Are you effin’ crazy? I have deep and abiding personal reasons for NOT having a photo. I do have an icon. I know it’s not exactly me, but my icon is a smiling redhead, like me! If you read Captured, you know what I look like and you know what kind of potty mouth I have.
Seven is very important, IMO. Mistake Seven - They don’t promote anyone but themselves. This one is of such significance that I think I’ll quote it in its entirety:
Your website is one of your best marketing tools, and so this statement might seem counterproductive, but don’t always talk about yourself. That’s right, talk about other books, places, and people too. It’s uncomfortable to visit a site that sells itself too hard, so to avoid that trap, spend some time promoting your favorite authors. I love to visit Charlaine Harris’s website because she blogs about what she’s reading every few weeks. Maybe you’re wondering, what if I read something that stinks like a road-kill skunk? Then preserve your reputation and don’t mention it (let an asshole like me stomp on it), but be sure to give props to the books that you DO like.
Mistake number Eight - We forget to mention and/or link to the reviewers who review our books. Rebecca suggests a separate review page that contains links to all our book reviews. Again - workin’ on it!
Number Nine - Author’s don’t interact with their fans. Well, I do and most authors I know do. My fans are precious to me. If they take the time to comment or email me, I will reply. I’ve been on the non-receiving end. I’ve written to authors to tell them how much I enjoyed their books and I never hear, so…their books come to mean less to me. On the other hand, when an author responds, his/her books come to mean a great deal more.
Last but not least - Number Ten - We don’t offer a high-resolution image of the cover. Sorry, my website won’t always support a high res cover image and I suck at sizing. Some authors are really savvy. They know exactly how to fix these things and they are on my most admired list.
I am terrible when it comes to taking advice - stubborn, headstrong, impulsive, but Rebecca has made some excellent points. I’m trying to learn how to learn when it comes to this blogging stuff. Thanks!
In other news - Beauty and the Feast - waiting for your recipes and go visit with the delightfully irreverent Chris and her kitties at Stumbling Over Chaos to see how to win a copy. http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/
Brynn Paulin is hosting me over at Wednesday Wonder Writers: http://brynnpaulin.blogspot.com/
Stop by!
Author Donna George Storey has a great little novella in The Cougar Book - Comfort Food. I have a copy of the book to give away, signed by me cuz I have a story in there too - great minds think alike! Speaking of websites, here’s hers -
http://www.donnageorgestorey.com/
Okay, done for the day! Julia
P.S. Just finished: Game Change. Just started: The Lady in the Tower.
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March 10th, 2010 at 7:36 am
Hey sweetie! You’ve been tagged. Come see my blog for details.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:36 am
These are great! Thanks for sharing.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Sounds like it was definitely a good post! I’d also include “don’t do insane things online (blog, twitter, etc), because nothing goes away on the internets…”
March 10th, 2010 at 9:45 am
OMG, Chris! You are so right! If you do something idiotic, someone will always know! It’s like Big Brother/Sister is watching!
March 10th, 2010 at 9:46 am
Such smart advice. I like to think I already do most of this stuff. What really strikes me is the thing about promoting other authors besides YOURSELF. Nothing is more annoying than the ‘it’s all about ME’ stuff. I love promoting other authors and hope they feel the same about me, too. Spreading the love is a good thing.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Reggie, you are amazing at promoting other authors - you always remember stuff - releases, reviews, covers. I suck at remembering that stuff. Has to do with my short attention span, I think.
March 10th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Or maybe you are just too busy with all the cool stuff you have going on these days. Me? I procrastinate a LOT.
so I prowl around and see stuff and then just have to shout it out.
March 10th, 2010 at 10:06 am
Great post. I need to memorize this good advice and actually use it! lol
XXOO Kat
March 10th, 2010 at 10:16 am
Yes, Kat - I want to know what’s up with you!!!
March 10th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Hi Julia - I totally enjoyed reading your responses to my top ten mistake list. When I wrote that post I was a bit worried that I would piss off more than a few authors, which wasn’t my intention at all. I’m really glad to see a writer put her spin on it, and I’ll be sure to mention this in my Friday book news post. Many thanks!
March 10th, 2010 at 11:05 am
Excellent! Good to know I got at least one right. LOL! Sheesh!
March 10th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Are you kidding Fran!?! You are on my most admired list! You can do almost anything!
Thanks, Rebecca! I really loved your original post.
March 10th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Heh. Have most of them! Not bad…
March 10th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Great post, Julia!
G.
March 10th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Thanks for the mention, Julia! This is a great list of suggestions-and I highly recommend Julia’s story in Cougar, “You Just Might Get It.” Absolutely delicious!
March 10th, 2010 at 5:10 pm
Thanks, Genella. Donna, you forgot nutritious! You are welcome. It’s always a treat to discover a new author, especially one who likes to mix up food and sex. I mean, both do have marvelous, subtle flavors and textures!
March 11th, 2010 at 4:04 am
Julia,
I didn’t read the original blog, but I liked your post. I do not have a website. My sister made me buy my domain name, but I have no idea what to do with it. I have dial-up internet at home. Internet at work is mostly blocked (I can’t even get to Siren or Bookstrand). I think one reason authors don’t have websites (besides tech limitations) is the time factor. I teach full time. That job pays the bills. I have 1st grade twins who are the light of my life. I’m lucky I have time to write! My sister is going to make me put up a website this summer. All I can think is that from Sept-May, where will I find the time to do anything with it? I’ve responded to every email and Facebook message from readers. Sometimes, that’s all you can do.
March 11th, 2010 at 6:56 am
Great suggestions…all ones authors should follow!
March 11th, 2010 at 8:00 am
Hey Michele, I do hear you. I worked full time until a couple years ago - I’m an RN - then I went to on call. Now I’m scheduled every other weekend and I work as needed. I can say no if I want. When I need the money or I’m helping out friends, I work a lot more and then it’s tough, but I do try to post, like maybe write the post the night before and put it up in the morning before I leave for work. I tend to get up pretty early so…Yes, dial up is tough, but if you get a website together this summer and update once a week, I think you will be in business!
March 11th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Thanks. I’m going to look on the bright side and do my best. If things go well today, I’ll be moving soon to an area where there are other internet options. Anyway, I liked your blog and I’ll keep those things in mind.