I Don’t Get Why You Blog
Yesterday, I sat at my kitchen desk with my head in my hands, muttering to myself. My Dear Husband walked in.
DH: What’s wrong?
Me: I never seem to have enough time. I have to write a blo-
DH: I knew it! Blogging, again. I don’t get why you do it.
Me: We’ve been over this. Even a fiction writer needs a platform to succeed in today’s market.
DH: Don’t you need a book first?
Me (sighs): Yes, but a writer should be working on her platform, so it’s ready to go when the book is published.
DH (shakes head): I don’t get why you blog. It just seems to stress you out.
Me: It’s not the blogging. It’s the social networking, the reading of others’ blogs, commenting on those other blogs, trying to be witty on twitter, keep up with facebook and being… so… so… social.
DH: You need to forget all that crap and just be who you are.
Me: A geeky, unpublished hermit?
DH (rolls eyes): Do you think Margaret Atwood* blogs? Do you think she needs to? Do you think she cares if anyone likes her?
Me: I think you’re missing the point. In today’s market, a newbie like me needs a network of followers to spread the word of my book when it’s published. It’s the only marketing a new author can count on.
DH: Why don’t you just hire some guy to do all that stuff for you?
Me (puts head back in hands): I’m ignoring you now.
My DH still doesn’t get it and probably never will. Social media is necessary, but can be overwhelming sometimes. Here are a couple of posts that might help if you’re ever feeling in-over-your-head by blogging or by the writing life in general. Vicki Pettersson‘s post on the metrics of a writer’s life is fantastic. Anne R. Allen gives really useful advice in a three part series about blogging. I really like the Slow Blogging post. It’s something I think I’ll be doing.
Have you had any similar blogging conversations with non-writers? Do you ever feel overwhelmed by it all?
*For you non-Canadians, Margaret Atwood is an iconic Canadian writer…. And yes, she does blog!!!
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35 Responses to I Don’t Get Why You Blog
Terrific post Trish…. like a conversation I’ve had recently with RH.
I love your blog, Nancy. It’s worth the effort for sure. Us writers have to stick together.
Sent from my iPhone
My husband only understands one part of blogging – the whole “I’m writing about my kids so my family can read” part.
Anything to do with writing fiction, and the comprehension plummets. He doesn’t read fiction, only nonfiction. So trying to understand how I have characters to share and love to write them – it’s like I’m speaking Swahili.
Then there are mornings I did not sleep enough where I shouldn’t be allowed to writer before my caffeine….
Oh, that’s not good. My DH doesn’t read fiction either but he at least understands my need to write it. (The blogging not so much). Looks like we have similar, but opposite problems. You can’t give up on your fiction (it’s awesome). Keep fighting for that time. We just have to hope that one day our words will sink in and they’ll understand. Until then, keep writing!
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Trish,
Please tell DH that blogging does work. I see it everyday!
Keep up the GOOD hard work that you do. I for one do appreciate i1
Thanks Ray. Your support of us Wordbitches is much appreciated! DH may not understand what we’re trying to accomplish but then again this is a guy who isn’t on facebook and I’m not sure he even understands the concept of twitter.
I’ll keep plugging away as always.
OMG, He is not on Facebook. That explains everything now!!!
It totally does, doesn’t it?
I like your husband, and you. You sound like my husband and . . . well, me. lol Blogging is a necessary evil. It’s tiring, stressful, and daunting! Creating content that will garner interest by a specific age group repeatedly throughout the week is not like writing a book. But I think that’s why every day conversations with your husband make the perfect thing to post. It’s real. It’s shows you’re real. Take a deep breath. Your frustration just gave you an excellent post.
This is so true. Blogging is not like writing fiction. It’s about putting yourself out there, being real (like you said), which can be stressful. Thanks for the support!
Trish, blogging definitely works! Well, I can’t speak to the financial end of that, but starting up this whole blog business I’ve had more than my share of doubts on whether it’s worth it or not. But I think you’re hitting the nail on the head that in the world as it is changing now, it’s not about the flashiest cover or the best publicist, it’s about the circle of people you have who are willing to give you a shot. I could present plenty of examples from other fields (web comics are the major example) where a strong following was able to keep an author able to sustain themselves without ever having to get an agent to market for them.
So true, David. Sometimes since it is such a Brave New Digital World for publishing, it’s hard to know if what we’re doing will actually pay off in the long run. But I think like you, that it will. Besides, the blogging is kinda fun. It’s convincing non-writers and bloggers that it’s worth it. We’ll just keep writing away!
I actually tend to have this conversation with MYSELF. I don’t have an upcoming book, so my writing started for the sheer love for it. Now I feel somewhat of an obligation to keep writing consistently for fear of losing the small (very, very small) fan base I’ve created. It’s like psychological warfar. With myself! LOL! Loved this piece.
Thanks, Chrystal. I also have this conversation too. I don’t have a book out or even coming out anytime soon. Sometimes it feels like I’m putting the cart before the horse. But you’re right. We need to keep writing consistently to grow our followers. Thanks for stopping by. Happy Blogging!
I’m always overwhelmed with the social media! Posting my own blogs isn’t too bad, but reading and tweeting and FBing….oy. I feel so guilty missing even one thing, but I’m trying really really hard to take a step back. No one will stop being my friend if I miss a day or two.
I so hear ya! It’s not the blogging, but everything else that you need to do to grow your followers. I always feel like I’m five steps behind what I should be doing. You’re right, no one will mind if we take a day or two off for sanity’s sake!
Ahh. I do this little song and dance in my own head far too often. Thanks for reminding me why I do these stressful, blissful, difficult, fun things I do for my writing.
Have a great day, and happy writing!
Glad we could help.
Thanks for stopping by, Kyla!
Thanks for the shout-out!
Slow blogging works. A well written, once a week blog is more successful than a blabbery, inconsistent one. I have a very highly rated blog, and I only post three times a month. (I have a blog partner who does #4.) Because of my blog, I found publishers for both my fiction and nonfiction books, and was offered my last three jobs.
But you’re absolutely right about the world’s non-bloggers–they don’t get it. They probably don’t get Facebook either. When I tell people my blog is valued at $25,000, people smile as if I’d told a joke. But there is money in social media And all those FB geeks just became millionaires and billionaires.
BTW–Major Margaret Atwood fan. She tweets, too!
Love your blog, Anne! And I really liked the idea of slow blogging. It resonated with me. Thanks for stopping by.
My husband undesratnd nothing and supports me wholeheartedly LOL. To the point of telling people how awesome my book is – even though he hasn’t read it. I suppose this is the opposite extreme to your experience. Perhaps a happier one!
That’s awesome that you have such a supportive spouse. Maybe he should give lessons to the rest of our DH’s! Happy writing!