ON BLOGGING SECRETS

"Communication works for those who work at it.”
***John Powell

What are the secrets to a terrific blog? You read blogs—you’re here, right? And you probably write them. Have you ever thought—this is fun, but is it worth it? And now, Jungle Red Writers bring you to the guru.

Dani Greer—you know her from the Blog Book Tours Yahoo! Group, a peer support group, now has 125 author members learning to arrange their own virtual promotions. (Four member tours are underway in September including our own Roberta’s Asking For Murder tour.)

But did you know:
She was once a Blue Ribbon Expert for Martha Stewart OmniMedia?
English is her second language? Her red accordion has mysteriously vanished? She feeds 22 cats... homecooked meals? She knows how to use a real scythe?

She’s also got websites and all kinds of resources for bloggers and would-bes--but she's here today and tomorrow to impart her wisdom in a special Jungle Red visit!

HANK: So nice to see you here! Thank you. You're unquestionably the knower-of-all-knowledge about everything blog.

How'd that happen?

DANI: ROFLMFO (rollingonthefloorlaughingmyfannyoff)! I have no idea how it happened, except through my enthusiasm about them. Several years ago, I didn't even have a blog. Not sure I even knew what one really was.

In fact, I remember my first blogging experience. Ann Parker (http://www.annparker.net)and/ I went to the Women Writing the West Conference and we agreed to blog the event on their brand-spanking-new blog
(http://womenwritingtheest.blogspot.com/).

We were both clueless!

Ann had her laptop, and I was technologically stunned by my first digital camera, too, but we managed to bumble our way through. It didn't take us long to get the hang of it, despite the fact that I'm a techno-idiot and Ann wasn't much wiser in the ways of blogs.

We soon realized it really wasn't rocket science. Most importantly, I quickly realized that blogging is one of those dynamic tools that has unbelievable advertising potential, and it's better than cheap.

My former life as a self-employed artist has trained me well to always be on the look-out for the best promo tools which means some combination of best cost and most effective results. Blogs perfectly match those qualifications - free and viral. But, you have to learn to use the tool well. That's what the Blog Book Tours group is all about. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blogbooktours)

HANK: Bet you're not a techno-idiot anymore! And more about that in a minute. But "Learn to use the tool well," you say. Yup, that's what intrigues us all. Sometimes I read blogs that end with a thud. Are there tricks to keeping readers interested? I know, after thirty years in TV, the value of a "tease' or a 'promo', and of course, the value of a good old contest. It's not just about writing an interesting essay, right?

DANI: Not a complete idiot anymore. You learn a lot clicking every live link you can find. One must be fearless when it comes to discovering virtual worlds!

Interesting essays count big-time on a writer's blog, too. Every fan wants the "back story" behind that latest book. But a nice mix of long and short, funny and serious, guests and excerpts, jokes and photos, history and current events, posts with a natural flow from day to day, will bring readers back to your blog. Yes, of course, contests draw participation. That's the number one way to get a lot of visitors fast.

You also have to set-up your blog so it's easy for your fans. Have a bookmarking button, for example. A way for fans to email you. A great blogroll of blogs just as hot as yours that somehow expand on your blog's focus.

My favorite and most obvious trick for getting readers? End your post with a question inviting reader participation. It's the favorite trick of The Tarts over at The Lipstick Chronicles and it obviously works. (http://thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com/ http://thelipstickchronicles.typepad.com/> ?)

The tease? I would suggest you tweet about it over at Twitter (http://twitter.com/ http://twitter.com/> ). I've doubled my hits since I started posting teasers and links to cool sites. I tweet about everything including Roberta's blog book tour. I'll be tweeting about our conversation here, too. Tweet-tweet. Do you suppose your fans are wondering what tree I fell out of right about now?

HANK: Oh, we're devoted fans of Lipstick. They're amazing. And talented. (I'm just saying.) And yeah, Twitter. You and I have to chat about that. I'm afraid I have a bit of twitter-fear. But I know you can cure me. But let me ask you--for me and all your fans. Where are you? Where are you from? What do you do when you're not giving advice to the blog-lorn?

DANI: I'm smack in the middle - Colorado to be exact. Hubby and I are self-employed artists who make art for churches. We're currently finishing stained glass for a new church on the High Plains and painting iconography for an Eastern Orthodox Temple in Colorado Springs. Writing about it, too, of course, which is how I got into the writing world to begin with. Middle-age has put me in serious career-shift mode. So I started focusing more on writing than on my art. It's been a slow and rough process for me. Some days, I'm not sure I even enjoy writing.

I also knew after my first writing conference that I wouldn't be headed down a traditional publishing path, nor would I promote a book with the usual live book tour. I'd have to find another way, a better way for me, and that's part of why I learned (am still learning) about blog book tours, and all the related virtual tools. Really, with environmental and energy issues, not to mention the economic downturn, I think most authors will have to find smarter ways to promote their new releases.

In today's world, a two-week blog tour and a week on the road in one's immediate region makes perfect sense. In a few years, we might have to skip the live tours entirely. Times are changing, and the publishing industry right along with it.

HANK: What's the biggest mistake bloggers make? Okay, the two biggest mistakes?

Oh—sorry gang. We’re out of time for today! Dani will be back with more tomorrow!