HEART 2 HEART ~ "If you blog it," will they come?

...not necessairly...

Hi all,

You guessed it. I'm angsting, yet again, over bringing traffic to this, my humble historical-romance-writing blog. I hope you don't mind the departure from my previous series of blogs on researching our novels. Perhaps some of you out there in Internet Land, can relate to what I'm about to say.

Can we talk, Heart 2 Heart?

First off, why blog? For me, a writer, it's imperative in this day and age, I believe. Everyone who writes does their utmost (or gives that impression anyway) to promote their latest project in print, in bookstores, in libraries, and/or on the Net. It's called "networking," I'm told. (heh heh) Sounds like a simple thing, does it not, to just get your website up and running, then link to related sites and authors, then start your blog. Easily done? Uh, NO!

NO, if you're part of the baby boomer generation where computers were not so handy around the house.
NO, if you don't have the computer-savy gene.
NO, if you've already had your career (I'm a nurse), raised your kids, and are supposed to have nothing more serious on your mind than the latest Book Club selection on Oprah.
NO, if the computer, with all of its wonders, scares the daylights out of you.
NO, if you haven't taken a computer class, on-line or off! (my own fault here, I realize)
NO, if many other writers can surf the Net with one hand tied behind their backs, while you wring both of your hands together in utter stress.
NO, if you don't have the luxury of living near a pool of writers' critique groups.
NO, if you're stuck in Computer 101, Linking 101, and Blogging 101!

So ... what to do?

I know that blogging is necessary today, necessary that is, if you want to reach other authors, readers, and well ... someone other than my friends here in the Colorado mountain hinterlands! I love living rural (as opposed to living large), but it doesn't always get me to my Writing Groups on time. I'm blaming this on our wonderful ski weather! But the roads, guys, sometimes they are the Roads Less Travelled, for good reason. (Pardon me, dear Robert Frost ... my FAVORITE POET.)

I have writing buds who have rhetorical blogs, where there's no opportunity to comment back and no expectation that many are visiting anyway. That's all well and good but, I realize now, that just won't do if you're a romance writer and want to invite readers to share what they like and don't like, not just about my writing, but about the romance genre as a whole. What are we without our readers? What are we without writers, editors, agents, and all others interested in the romance-writing industry ... finding our blog? In a room alone, I'd say.

So ... I DO have a blogspot. I DO have a link to it on my website. I DO have a newsletter from my website, inviting folks to visit my blog. I DO have a MySpace page, where I cut and paste my latest blog. I can subscribe to other MySpace blog groups.

What I DON'T have as yet are other groups subscribing to my blog, and good traffic to my existing blog. I DON'T have help in getting my blog advertised out there on the Big Bad Net. I recently discovered BlogBurst and have applied to them, to be a part of their network system. I'm hoping they'll accept my blog and know that if they do ...

"If I blog it," they WILL come!"

Until next time ...

Jo(anne) Gregg Sundell

www.joannesundell.com
www.myspace.com/joannesundell
www.squidoo.com/historicalromancewriter

* * * * *
A...My Name's Amelia, LP 8/08
The Parlor House Daughter, 12/08
Meggie's Remains, 7/09