OT - The Blogging Thread

[shanendoah]

Purpose: For WIR members to talk about blogs they already have or want to start and ask questions about blogging software, technical help, growing readership, reader participation, monetizing, etc.

I know a number of WIR members have personal blogs, and many are about money or aspects of our financial life (like menu planning, acheiving work/life balance, etc).

I thought it would be nice to have a central repository of the blogs (if people want to share them) and have a thread where new bloggers (or even experienced bloggers) can ask questions about the process.

About me:
I have 4 public blogs and 1 private blog.
The private blog is the oldest and over on LiveJournal. I bring it up mostly so that people know they can ask me questions about it.
Of the 4 public blogs, 1 uses wordpress (my main blog, linked to in my signature) and the other 3 are on blogger because I can make them ad supported. (I've earned ~$10 on 3 blogs, the oldest of which I started in Oct of 2010.)
For one of the blogger blogs, I purchased my own domain name (but through blogger, so I didn't have to do any set up). I am also looking at what it would take to set up blogging software on a domain we own for my husband.

My blogs are
100 Words On... 100wordson.wordpress.com/
This blog is updated daily. All posts are exactly 100 words long, and it explores everything from pop culture to politics to current events and money issues. Every Friday, I link from this blog to a current thread on YM, WIR, or Smart Spending.
I also have standing items for Mythbusters, Next Great American Restaurant, and The Colony when they're showing new episodes.
I've had this blog almost a year now, and the first 8 months I had a very low viewership. Since the start of this year, I've seen my average monthly viewership quadruple, and its still going up.

Fiction in 50 www.fiction50.com/
This is a weekly/monthly contest for micro-fiction. Each month, the author of the best entry wins a $5 amazon.com gift card. I started it in October 2010, and its been pretty slow going.
I eventually hope for this to be a professional site (hence buying my own domain name) for a number of micro-fiction projects I'm working on.
Posts go up weekly on Sunday mornings, with a few more at the beginning of the month to open the voting for the winner and annouce the winner of the previous month's contest.

Life by Pets lifebypets.blogspot.com/
This is my pet blog. It is that simple. I write about my current pets, pets I had growing up, friends pets, etc. It is very photo driven.
At some point, I expect to have guest bloggers on this blog.
Posts should go up every Mon, Wed, and Fri.

Baking the Budget bakingbudget.blogspot.com/
This is my latest venture- a personal finance blog. I started it because I realized I wanted to talk more about finances than I can over at 100 Words On (the format there really limits going in to depth). I just started it last Thursday, so its still growing and developing.
Right now, I'm aiming for a post a weekday. That's easier in the beginning when you feel you have a lot to say. I don't know if that will continue as I move forward, but that's how it currently stands.

Because I try and post on specific schedules, I do a lot of sitting down and writing a whole bunch of posts at once and then scheduling them to go up on the appropriate timeline. It allows me to dedicate only a few days a week to making sure all the blogs get updated. (Except for the timing specific 100 Words entries, but they take less than 15 minutes usually.)

I would love one day to be able to make my living through blogs and other writing ventures, but that day is a long way off, considering I am my family's only breadwinner. Still, it gives me an outlet for something I love to do and lets me build on that dream.

What about others out there?

[Deleted]

I have a small blog on blogspot. It is Frugal Students- Starting a New Life frugalstudents.blogspot.com/
It is a blog for younger people to get their finances in shape because most blogs are geared towards the middle age demographic. I have made no money on it, though I hope to in the future.

[mizbear]

I have thought about starting a blog- but I don't know. I stopped writing fiction for the most part 20 years ago when my mother trashed everything I wrote. As far as factual blogging- I have many topics I am passionate about... but having all of my writing trashed just kind of killed it for me.

[shanendoah]

mizbear: You might benefit from starting a personal blog somewhere like LiveJournal. Its unlikely that a random person will find an LJ site, and you can easily mark posts as being viewable to only yourself, friends, or the public. You can also choose whether or not to allow comments.
Get yourself back in the habit of writing and see how you feel. Then you can selectively choose who to share your writing with.
I'll be honest, my family has always been supportive of my writing, so I'm lucky there. At the same time, I've had numerous submissions rejected by publications, taken writing classes taught by a publisher, and am part of a critique group. If you want to be a writer, you really have to develop a pretty thick skin about your writing. You are never going to please everyone. The important thing is to please yourself.

[mizbear]

shan- Funny thing is- my family is the hardest group to please about anything I do. I will take your recommendation and start getting into the habit of writing again to see how I feel about it first.

[mrslynch]

shanen--i think this is a great idea. i'm working on the direction for my blog, which (as you know) is supposed to be based on food but is slowly starting to go in a different direction. i'm struggling with how to refocus, so to hear what other people do with their blogs will be helpful. i just finished taking a blogging class and got some good critiques but i'm very open to new ideas.

my blog is theemptykitchen.wordpress.com

[rangefinder]

This is kind of the thread I have been waiting for. I wanted to do a blog on our CSA season. Basically, I suppose, describe what was in the box each week and then focus on one thing and what I did with it. My goals are to promote the local food, introduce others to more obscure vegetables, and then just kind of keep track of where we are. My main worries are keeping up with it and then the seasonality of it. What do you think?

[mizbear]

rangefinder- Do you do any canning or freezing? That would stretch your blog outside the traditional CSA season.

[shanendoah]

rangefinder: I think that's a great idea, especially since the folks I know who have CSAs often get a lot of one thing that most people normally don't have a lot of or other unusual ingredients. They're often looking for ideas of what to do with OMG amounts of mint or limes, etc.
It is seasonal, but there are things you could do to help keep it up all year. If you only focus on one ingredient a week during the CSA season, keep notes on what you did with other ingredients and write about them during the off season. You can also write about what you do for produce during the off season - canned, frozen or fresh? How do you choose?
If during CSA season you plan your meals around the CSA bskets, how do you plan in the off season? How does it effect your grocery bill?

If, however, you decide you don't want to do those things, you put an entry on your blog that says CSA season has ended. It will start again on X date, look for a new post then.

[sheilaincali]

rangefinder- If they CSA we were part of in CA had a blog like that it would have been super helpful. Interesting recipes for some of the things in their weekly baskets, facts about this veggie or that, etc. I also like mizbear's suggest about canning and freezing.
You could give regular updates during the winter. I drive past an apple orchard and they update their sign frequently "the buds have sprouted" "the apples are the size of bing cherries" etc.
Let people subit recipes to be shared on a 'community recipe board' type thing.

[jdnstl]

dumb question - what's a CSA?

[Deleted]

Apr 21, 2011 17:05:00 GMT -5 jdnstl said:

dumb question - what's a CSA?

Community supported agriculture. Basically you pay in advance of the season and then get a portion of the crops for that season.

[mizbear]

That's my project for next year- find a local CSA- I wanted to find one this year- but can't seem to get my vegetarian "friend" to give up her sources... I will talk to my sources at the farmer's market.

[alphayankee]

Check out localharvest.org. That's how I found CSA's in my area.

[startsmart]

I also write blogs, the main one is a semi-public accounting of what's going on in my life. I mostly write it to amuse myself, don't put up ads and post when I feel like it The addy is myfriendkelly.wordpress.com

I'm also building a public website for my business now that I'm in growth phase but I keep getting stuck as I prepare content. My web developer is a good friend so yay for patience there. The site will also host my photography portfolio as a hidden link so while I'll only need to maintain one site my work (which is not photography specific) will be separate from my hobby.

rangefinder I've often thought CSAs should incorporate better marketing through a blog. My biggest worry with committing to one is the "mystery thing" in the box. What is it? How the heck do I prepare it? What does it taste like? Can you work with your CSA to get a heads up on "what's in the box" and maybe do recipe suggestions? In the first season you could pull recipes from online and invite members to submit their favorite recipes. I like to think big when I blog, what could this turn into? For you I could see a newsfeed about local agriculture, the benefits of buying local, how important farmers are to the economy. Maybe a monthly 'what's in the box' list and compare it to the grocery store so members see the value of their share. Someday the blog community might grow so you can organize a potluck and trade recipes.

ETA: I like to read things that are focused when it comes to work/hobbies and mostly read "everything under the sun" blogs for my friends. I can't tell you how many professionals I've met who claim to be writers who blog about "everything". Ug, that is not compelling to me. Unfocused blogs that try to sell something usually fail. Still, my personal blog is just that, unfocused, rambly, and I love it But I'm clearly not trying to make a profit, gain entry into a market, have 1,000 visitors a day. Very different strategy wise from my business website.

[sarcasticgirl]

I have a blog on blogger... nothing big, just some ramblings and DIY photos and such.

jmepayne.blogspot.com

[mizbear]

alphayankee- because of the part of MD I am in, the best way to locate CSAs right now is word of mouth, especially when you may only want to buy a half or quarter share. I will check their sight again though and see if they have any new locations close to me.

[shanendoah]

mrsl: I realized I'd never responded to you. I know you've been struggling with blog identity. And while your original intent was to write about food, I think you could change your core some and still remain true to what you're trying to do. For a lot of us, the kitchen is the heart of the house, perhaps if you think of your blog as being something at the heart of your life, you'll be able to broaden your scope and focus your attention better.

startsmart: I can't wait to see your professional website. You say you're looking for content ideas, so I'm going to suggest (not that you need any more work than you have) that you consider a blog about getting your own business up and running. Don't give away the content of the classes you've taken for free or anything, but focus on the actions you had to take before leaving your day job, the compromises you're having to make now, posts about how to build a personal support network as well as a professional one. You're doing an amazing thing, and given the nature of the business you've started, I think you could really grow a readership with a blog of that nature.

sarcasticgirl: I'll be adding your blog to my list of blogs I follow

everything under the sun blogs: Kind of to follow up on what startsmart was saying- when it comes to my friends' personal blogs, I'm willing to read whatever it is they put up there, because they are my friends. However, when I'm looking for something specific, I also like focused blogs.
And as a blog writer, if you're trying to post on a regular schedule, I find that its easier if you have a focus. The blog focus also helps focus your thoughts on what you want to say, and comes up with ideas for you.
For Life by Pets, I often have posts written way ahead of time because I just write down fun pet stories as they happen or as I remember them.
100 Words On is my "everything under the sun" blog- I write about whatever I feel like writing about; the post just has to be exactly 100 words long. However, I'm finding that I'm moving more and more away from writing about current events and sticking a lot with pop culture. This wasn't exactly my intent, but I'll be honest, its easier to write 100 words about American Idol than it is about what's happening in Syria. And it leaves me wondering if I should just focus that blog on pop culture and leave the current events out of it.

I also want to talk about the reason I have multiple blogs. Its because I have multiple interests I want to talk about more, but since I am also an aspiring writer, it gives me more chances to find something that clicks with readers. As one of my friends says, I'm just throwing a whole bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.
But you do have to give yourself time. April 30 will be my 1 year anniversary with 100 Words On. At the moment, I'm on pace to have 1,000 views in April (for the first time ever). That will mean that nearly 1/4 of all my views ever will have come in this month, and 3/4 of my views just since January of this year.
So, throw stuff at the wall. Go on, its fun.

[azmom]

Shannen: Thanks for setting this up and for your help with formating. I am still working on listing blogs I read...

Mrs. Lynch: I have the same problem. There is so much going on in this brain of mine it is hard for me to stay focused on one topic.

I just started another blog and have it separated into four categories for that reason. I tried to narrow it down to the things I seem to write about/talk about the most.

*Family Legacy
*What's for Dinner?
*Athlete in Training
*Discovering Me

My main focus is leaving a legacy for our children. I started the blog to have somewhere to journal our family life and have it handed down. You can have your blog printed out and binded and I intend to do that once a year. It is not at all for profit or gain.

I had another blog that did this but I seemed to get off topic and ramble about my personal thoughts on a variety of topics. I do have several people ask me how I do certain things, especially manage my time with all of our kids and our busy lifestyle. Especially how I manged to run a marathon and how I cook dinner every night on a budget! I also have a passion for just being real and that is the discovering me part.

My biggest problem right now is finding time to write. Shannen I love the idea of dedicated writing days and just having them scheduled to be posted. I hadn't thought of that. I have that down as a goal. I have had two post in my mind and on sticky notes for the last month and can't seem to get them written!

I just really want to get in the habit of writing and working out my grammar, fluency, and word count issues. I figure with a low profile blog I can get away with a few screw-ups here and there. I write for a newsletter on occasion (editor included) and would like to keep writing as a career an option because it fits into my lifestyle as a stay at home mom but right now I am no where near seeking out that avenue. I love to write and it is an outlet from the "just a mom" syndrome I get on occasion.

Anyhow, my blog is anotherhousewife.wordpress.com/

[shanendoah]

azmom: If you want step by step instructions for posting links to your wordpress blog, let me know, and I'll get them written down and posted here.
Now, I don't have kids, so that makes everything much easier when it comes time to find time to write, but at the same time, it would still be easy to fill that time with something else (like sleep). So, you have to give yourself dedicated writing time.
For my fiction projects, my dedicated writing time is the 90 minutes before my critique group meets. I get up at 7am every other Sunday and head to the coffee shop we meet at early, get my chai and sit and write for 90 minutes. Sometimes I edit, sometimes I do research, but that time is dedicated to working on my fiction in one way or another.
For my blogs, its more catch as catch can. When I have time to write, I try to write multiple posts and get them scheduled. But for a daily blog, especially when I'm trying to talk about current events, writing more than a couple days in advance isn't always possible. SO, I have the last 15 minutes before I go to bed each night, I do a quick run through - is there a post scheduled to go every where there's supposed to be a post the next day? If yes, we're good. If no, how much do I care? (My pet blog was very sporadic during March when we lost one of our dogs. I did not care that it wasn't getting updated on schedule.) If I care, I have 15 minutes to get a post written and ready to go.

For you, I really would recommend just 15 minutes somewhere in your day. Don't worry about word count at the beginning, just worry about getting something, anything down. Writing is like running, the more you practice, the better you get, and the less time it takes you to go the same distance.
When I started, it would take me 30 minutes to do a 100 Words post. A lot of that was organizing my thoughts into short bursts and then editing to the correct word count. I can now do a post in 5 minutes or less if I have no distractions, and that includes the editing to exactly 100 words.

So, that's my advice- guarantee yourself 15 minutes 3 times a week or whatever works for you. Dedicate that time to writing. And if you find you have extra time, get extra posts written.

[startsmart]

startsmart: I can't wait to see your professional website. You say you're looking for content ideas, so I'm going to suggest (not that you need any more work than you have) that you consider a blog about getting your own business up and running. Don't give away the content of the classes you've taken for free or anything, but focus on the actions you had to take before leaving your day job, the compromises you're having to make now, posts about how to build a personal support network as well as a professional one. You're doing an amazing thing, and given the nature of the business you've started, I think you could really grow a readership with a blog of that nature.

Thanks for the suggestion and feedback shanan. I've given it a lot of head space while I tried to figure out this business of mine (as my mentor screams "YOU ALREADY HAVE A BUSINESS!") So really the goal is to attract the right kind of client I want to work with. Based on that the funnel goes: businesses > online businesses > online businesses delivering virtual content > that have been in business at least 1 year or are making $500,000/year > that have at least 1,000 followers/fans/clients > that have worked with an online assistant in the past > that have a big need for operational support > that can pay me > who are not a$$holes

;D it's pretty specific so now I'm writing to that audience. what they need, what programs are good, who to hire, how to grow, how to avoid burnout.

As for writing time, I'm leaning toward scheduling time on my calendar every week at the same time. Instead of worrying that I won't be able to pull it out and write during that time I think I will begin to train myself that this is when I write and to be productive

[mizbear]

I discussed the possibility of me going back to writing with my DM- she freaked. I will definitely be going ths fairly alone.

[Deleted]

Mizbear, you are not alone, you have the WIR community.

[nodebt]

I started a blog through blogspot at the beginning of the year. The original focus of the blog was supposed to be a place to vent my frustrations about DBF. You know, just the little things that just grate on your nerves. Then about month in, I changed it to food and cooking on a budget. I post menu plans and recipes and my obstacles in the kitchen (DBF wasn't getting on my nerves enough for me to have a blog dedicated to him! ).

I'm very new at this blog and have absolutely no idea on how to design the simplest of things.

If any of you are interested, my blog address is: irkedgirlfriend.blogspot.com

I'll be sure to follow all of you guys!

[mizbear]

You are so right gin- I'm not alone. I just wish my family were a little more supportive.

My bff suggested I start 2 blogs- one a private blog, similar to a memoir, about all of the stupid things that have gone on and continue to go on and then a public blog about living with bipolar disorder. She pointed out that I can speak my mind in a blog in a way that I can't in a book.

[Honeylioness]

Good idea having a place for people to get assistance and constructive feedback on this form of communication.

I don't consider my site a "blog" per se as it also serves as a repository for lists, recipes, conversations etc. But for those interested in checking out another format The Lioness' Den can be found at: honeylioness.proboards.com/

What I like about this format is that it is really easy to create new sub areas and categories to keep like things together. I know it can annoy me if I have to search through months of other writings to find that one reference I remember seeing back in January.

Since I rarely have time to "blog" daily or even twice a week I tend to write longer more in depth looks at situations or thoughts as they come up for me. I find it fits my style better to be able to devote a larger amount of space really looking at a matter rather than limiting myself to a specific number of words.

I also keep a second home page for reference, events and writings associated with my online RP, past and current personas. Not something I usually share with those outside of my RP family as I have gotten some fairly negative responses in the past.

[shanendoah]

nodebt: I've added your blog to my list. And I am totally going to make DH make those cheddar bay biscuits. Yummy!

mizbear: I like your BFF's idea. However, since you've discussed trepidation about getting back in to writing, I would suggest starting with the private blog until you get more comfortable with the form.
I think its amazing that you would share your story about living with bipolar with the world. However, I want to make sure that your comfort level is there first. I would also suggest, at least in the beginning, that you either don't allow any comments on your blog or that you don't allow anonymous comments, and make sure they are screened. And maybe have your BFF there with you when you screen. People can say some pretty stupid and nasty things when they feel anonymous, and I want your blogging experience to be therapeutic (or at least enjoyable) not something that makes the situation worse.
And, as gin said, you have us. We're always here to support you.

[shanendoah]

Honey: I'm so glad you're here. More perspectives are always good. I love your site because its more like a personal website. It allows a lot of things that wordpress and blogger don't.
I hope everyone here checks it out to see the other options out there.

[shanendoah]

just sharing a bit of (mildly) exciting (to me) news: Today, I officially suprassed 1,000 views for the month of April on 100 Words On. First time I've ever had that many views in a month. In fact, my April views are almost a full 1/4 of my all time views, and the blog's been up a year.

[mizbear]

shan- YAY!!!!