The Mysteries of the Reader

Blogging’s a weird business.

Once upon a time, I was a traffic whore. I love that term, btw. What it means is, I’d do anything required get my page hits up. SEO, keywords, catch phrases, tags, categories…everything and anything I could think of. And, to a point, it worked. At one time, I could get my page views up to about eighty a day, five days a week.

Last week, though, I couldn’t seem to break through the 25 barrier. I tried to pander to my audience with rant posts (I do those no matter what though), I tried a heartfelt post, I tried to use a list of items…all things I thought might be of interest to the reader, but you know what? I got no love from the Interwebs and my page views stayed low.

That’s right … I AM, aren’t I?

My wife and I were having a discussion just the other day about writing. I was talking about something I read online.

At one writer’s blog, another writer gave advice and/or critique to the first writer about the industry and its processes. The commenter left little doubt through grammar and usage about their skill level. To be sure, though, I followed the name link back to the commenter’s blog and read a few excerpts. They were at best pedestrian; at worst, poor.

That gave me pause. How did one author give another input and critique when they clearly lack the skills themselves to give that advice?

I dug a bit deeper and read the piece being commented on a second time. It seemed strong to my eye – well-written, correct style, grammar, usage. The prose looked good. Far superior to what the commenter displayed, at least. I scratched my head a bit more. I decided to go back to the commenter’s site and look around. Maybe I got a bad example; maybe it was a rough, unedited draft. Maybe it was deliberately poor for the sake of the story.

Nope. Categorically, it was pretty bad writing. And then I stumbled upon something – the commenter had been published in a couple of small online publications and had a book contract pending with a small, independent publisher.

I checked out the publisher as much as possible but … well, most of you know my situation and I won’t hammer on it here. Let’s just say I didn’t get very far with that.

But I still found it interesting how a clearly inferior writer made it to the ranks of a “working pro” while someone with greater skills and talent hadn’t. AND, that the weaker of the two gave advice simply because they felt they were a “working pro”.

I said so to my wife, along with my hope that I’d never be one of those “working pros” who look down their noses at someone who hasn’t been published yet, even if they’re clearly a better writer than I. I lamented being willing to give someone else advice just because I achieved something they hadn’t, by whatever circumstance.

She looked at me for a minute, tossed up a hand and said, “But – you are a working pro.”

It took me a minute to realize she was right. I’ll be published soon. I’ll have my name on books in bookstores, on the shelves. I’ve been paid to write, and paid pretty well. I’ve made more on a single book deal than many writers ever make.

I’m a “working pro”.

How cool is that? I think it’s pretty frickin’ cool. So, all you writers can look for me to give you advice and tell you what’s what in the industry and how to get it done, because I know. I’ve been there, done that. I’m an authority.

I’m a “working pro”, after all.

-JDT-

Rumblin’, Bumblin’, Stumblin’

Have any of you noticed higher than normal page views or traffic of any kind on your blogs lately?

Have any of you noticed higher than normal page views or traffic of any kind on your blogs lately?

Reason I ask is, over the last couple of weeks I’ve been trying (when I remember) to take my favorite blogs and add them to StumbleUpon. I have this nifty little add-on for Firefox which allows me to “thumbs up” (or to “thumbs down”) things I come across on the web. Since I like those of you who are still around here, I thought I’d try and help you get the interest and views I think you deserve. I mean, if I like your blogs, others will too, right?

So I’ve been stumbling around (see the pun? like that? yeah, me either) to your blogs and adding your posts to StumbleUpon.

Well … I think so.

See, I’m not sure I have the hang of this StumbleUpon thing. I don’t know if I’m doing it right, basically. So … have you noticed any influx of traffic over the last two or three weeks? Prior to last weekend, say.

I hope so. My wife accidentally had someone favorite her blog on StumbleUpon once a little while back. She ended up with something like 3,600 views on her blog that day. It didn’t last, of course, but it was fun for her. And who knows? Maybe some of those readers will come back sometime if they like what they see.

So … did my plan work? Did you get any traffic from StumbleUpon?

-JDT-

Related articles by Zemanta

• Stumbled Upon (darcsfalcon.wordpress.com)

Disappointment and Shout-Outs

Well.  Things didn’t go as I hoped with my interview, I found out yesterday.

Instead of lingering on that, I’m going to talk about other things.  Namely, your blogs.  I’m going to try and see if I can refer you to one another in the interest of spreading joyful connections around the Internet.

So, without further ado, here are some people you might like to check out.

First, there’s WIGSF.  He’s a wit and a half, and if you don’t get a smile out of reading his blog at least some of the time, you’re just not doin’ it right.  WIGSF is a riot, and unpredictable.  Everything from insomniac blogging about Time-Life music collections, to scholarly articles on theory and practice in contemporary music, to movie marathons, to carrot cakes and sisters-in-law.  It’s like going to a fun house at a carnival – you just don’t know what you’re going to get.  Or maybe it’s more like eating at a public high school cafeteria.  Whichever, it’s all good stuff, and worth your time and trouble.

Next, I’ll mention Sherri.  Sherri’s not a full-on, blow the bits out sort of blogger, but when she does blog, it’s a slice of life.  Her life.  Yeah, it’s boring.  (Just kidding; Sher’s an amazing writer and her blog posts will show you that in short order.)  She’s got broad and diverse interests, and you might have your heart touched with her fatherless daughter blog posts, or you might find out about how bad a migraine can be raised from fragrance sensitivity.  She might talk to you from her treadmill, or she might tell you about her “creepy mobile” tree draped with spiders swinging in the breeze.  Whatever it is, it’s going to be eloquent and fun to read, so check that out too.  Good stuff abounding when she puts fingers to keyboard.

Next, I present Annie.  More precisely, AnnieGirl1138.  I can’t even remember how I met Annie, but I can tell you she’s another aspiring writer with a lot of talent and isn’t afraid to speak her mind, whatever the topic.  She’s addressed everything from her widowhood and how she’s dealing with it, to her pursuit of a career which handshakes both writing and teaching.  Annie is a vibrant, bold writer who features memes on a regular basis, and if you’re into that sort of thing, she’s a great source for them.  (I, myself, try not to meme, but reading yours has never been a problem for me.)

New bud, blogger and writer Al Bruno III keeps a sharp edge of humor in his writing.  He can creep you out with tributes to Lovecraft or break a stitch in your side with posts about his days as an RPGer.  Give Al feedback on his blog layout and theme too – he’s color blind, y’see, and doesn’t always make the best choices on design.  So, he can use the input.  Like all writer wannabes, Al loves feedback, and needs all the proofreading help you can give him.  So hop over, laugh at his Price Breaks and Heart Aches serial or be chilled with his tension-ratcheting In the Shadow of His Nemesis.  Check out his short stories.  And if you have amusing stories involving bacon, give him an earful; he likes that.

My buddies Ben and Kristy both have their own blogs too, and Ben’s got some other interests branching off from them.  Check him out; he might be jerking your tears with a loving letter to his daughter, or he might be whipping up a premise for a new short story involving zombies, apocalypse, or zombie apocalypses.  Kristy, meantime, is journaling about her journey into motherhood, cataloging her growing impatience, grown from fear, grown from excitement.  And she’s left me waiting for more updates to let the world know what’s next, and how soon to expect it.  And I’m a guy.  Oh, and she likes football (American, far as I know) as much or more than anyone you’ll ever meet.  Stop by and tell her the Steelers stink and why.  Have fun with that.

Leafless (aka Simon) is a brilliant pontificator of our world.  If you like reading stimulating stories, educational articles, insightful poetry and seeing great artwork, check out The Human Drama.  It’s awesome in its simple complexity, and I’ve never failed to learn something from a visit there.  Well worth your time.  Who says there’s nothing good on the Internet?

Damyanti is a charming lady, full of good thoughts, ideas and inspiration for writers.  A professional freelance writer, she’s chronicled her journey through writing in a delicate, meaningful and wonderfully inspirational way, and I do not miss any of her posts.  Period.

Good, Bad and Ugly2 is a funny, tongue-in-cheek young blogger sharing her life and adventures in a household with a husband, two cats, a dog and a “NOT IT” rule.  It’s funnier than I can tell you, so check her out for yourself.  And, she’s just launched her own domain website, thereby dissing us “free service” bloggers.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Bryce.  The man’s an amazing pulp fiction writer, and his blog is just a fat lotta fun.  Please, do yourself a favor and catch on to his online serials.  They’re great.

Finally, I’m going to mention Casey.  She’s a young and upcoming photographer with a great eye and a lot of wedding business, which means she’s going to be getting very busy very soon, I’m sure.  Check her out.  She’s walking with the Lord just like I am, except she’s doing it well.  She’s a sweetheart, and sometimes she makes me laugh.  Other times, she’s making me think about things I don’t want to think about.  But she’s always nice about it.  You’ll need to see your dentist afterward.  Yeah, she’s sweet.

EDIT: Yikes, how could I forget The Zeus Gazette, home to my personal coach Zman (Steve)??  Steve’s a cancer survivor who shares insights on life and work with an uncoated honesty which is rare, and refreshing.  See, even though he’s a survivor, that’s not the focus of his blog, or his thoughts.  In that way, Steve’s challenged me to get out of my own focus and look at things in a new way from time to time, and he’s offered me encouragement and support too.  He’s a great guy, and his spin on life is something not to be missed.  Please see him soon.

The love of my life, or LOML, needs no mention here.  I couldn’t say anything which would adequately describe how wonderful a woman she is anyway.  I long ago gave up trying.  But I married her as fast as I could for a reason.  Get to know her and you’ll see why.

That’s it for this time.  If I missed your blog and that makes me a jackass, I’m sorry; let me know in comments and I’ll add your link.

A weekend, then another back-to-the-grindstone week.  Have a safe one, everyone.

God bless.
-JDT-

Related articles by Zemanta

• A few of my Favorite Blogs (smallbusinesssystem.pro2sell.com)
• Lovecraft: The Writer Full-Circle (groovysuperhero.com)