Part 5 - The Blogging Thing

I've asked a dozen or so bloggers who are also writers and who I read daily - or as often as they succumb to the pressure and post - to answer those questions. If you are a writer/blogger and want to weigh in write me at mjroseAuthor@aol.com

Part 5 "The Blogging Thing" series: Vikk Simmons Down The Writers Path

I've been blogging since December of 2003 and have slowly been growing my readership. I began blogging for several reasons. First, writing and the publishing business is a real passion of mine and I like to learn about it and share what I know. Blogging is the perfect vehicle. Second, I like the possibility of having an immediate dialogue with readers and the potential of creating a conversation between other like-minded bloggers. Third, I think blogging is going to have--and already has--a positive impact on the industry, and I wanted to be in on it from the early days. Fourth, I hoped other writers and folks in the industry would find some value in what I write, and I hoped it would help me build name recognition in the field. Fifth, I thought it might lead me to new opportunities. (It has.) Sixth, I thought if my blogging proved successful it would ultimately help me market my books, etc. I'm trying my first real experiment in that direction now Down The Writers Path

In recent months I've started reviewing books for Blogcritics. This has now led to my doing a weekly feature for Blogcritics.org on books for writers--which will begin April 1. Doing the reviews has generated new contacts for me within top publishing houses--always a good thing. I now do a column for my local SCBWI chapter on blogging and just the other day received a call to participate in a conference to talk about writers and blogging. My books are listed on my blog. I promote my signings and those of other local writers, as well as writers events, conferences, and contests. I'm setting up a new blog as part of an ongoing promotion for my young adult books and already have a local journalist wanting to write about my efforts there. In recent days I've begun a marketing experiment with regard to the release of my new travel book, Exploring Texas History: Weekend Adventures, asking readers and visitors to consider purchasing my book through Amazon.com to see how much we can affect the sales ranking and to see what actually happens when sales occur. I plan to write up the results. As a result I've already had three bloggers mention what I'm doing--which is, I think, the beginning of what is being known as viral marketing--and have had a couple of writers at Blogcritics.org wanting to review the book. In addition I've had a number of private emails from people saying they have bought the book--many are probably people I might never have reached without the blogging aspect. At one point in the last 24 hours the sales ranking reached 14,000.

Although I've been blogging for over a year, my use of the blog is still in its infancy.

Comments

[Bob Liter]

I started a blog for reasons similar to yours. I've only been at it for a couple of months and have sort of slacked off. Got to get back at it but don't want to cut back on my writing time. Am getting some ideas from reading blogs such as yours.
Thanks,
Bob Liter