What Keeps You Coming Back?
Cutting back my time on the Internet was something I found I had to do to get anything accomplished this year -- both teacher-wise and writing-wise (although there was a lot more of the former and much less of the latter . . .). I tend to be a tad obsessive, and there are too many distractions online. Basically, I cut my online time back to the following:
1) Emailing/chatting/brainstorming
2) Research
3) Blog-hopping/viewing author websites
4) Checking the news/weather
That's still a ton of time if I'm not careful. #3 definitely sucks me in every time I let it. I visit a blog, see a link, visit another blog, and the next thing I know, it's August. Bloglines helped with that -- it lets me read most of my must-visit blogs on one page.
I've been thinking lately, too, about what brings people back to an author's blog or website. My motives are completely self-serving -- I have my first book coming out next year and I want to build a buzz. I've had a website for a while, but I'm trying to figure out what I can do to make it stand apart and make people want to revisit.
What blogs and websites do I check often? Authors I know from loops. Authors others have recommended. Authors whose work I've read and enjoyed. Authors who talk about diverse and interesting topics in an intelligent manner, even if I don't always agree with their POV.
So my question for you today is, what keeps you coming back to particular blogs and websites? What are your daily can't-miss reads?
1) Emailing/chatting/brainstorming
2) Research
3) Blog-hopping/viewing author websites
4) Checking the news/weather
That's still a ton of time if I'm not careful. #3 definitely sucks me in every time I let it. I visit a blog, see a link, visit another blog, and the next thing I know, it's August. Bloglines helped with that -- it lets me read most of my must-visit blogs on one page.
I've been thinking lately, too, about what brings people back to an author's blog or website. My motives are completely self-serving -- I have my first book coming out next year and I want to build a buzz. I've had a website for a while, but I'm trying to figure out what I can do to make it stand apart and make people want to revisit.
What blogs and websites do I check often? Authors I know from loops. Authors others have recommended. Authors whose work I've read and enjoyed. Authors who talk about diverse and interesting topics in an intelligent manner, even if I don't always agree with their POV.
So my question for you today is, what keeps you coming back to particular blogs and websites? What are your daily can't-miss reads?
posted by Linda Winfree at 2:24 PM
2Comments:
This blog I read every day or every day I am on the computer. I like the information and I get the chance to give my 2 cents about things. I also visit my writer friend's blogs and Wild Rose Press website and blog. The only websites I go to are if a writer has something on a loop that intrigues me. I don't go out looking at websites. After blogging I don't have time for that if I want to get some writing and editing in.
But I too am interested in what makes people/readers go to blogs and websites. I have a book coming out in August and would like to draw more people to my website and blog, but I'm not sure how. I've heard contests do, but that doesn't get me to websites.
Hmmm...I go to personal blogs if I know the person, if it's an author-friend. I go to group blogs if the topic(s) interest me. I routinely check Murder She Writes for Allison and Karin's entries (Thurs. and Fri.). I like Romancing the Blog, but I usually skim articles once a week and read only what interests me.
I'll visit new new blogs if I've heard something interesting is going on - like a contest, Q&A session, industry interview. Sometimes it keeps me hanging around, other times it's not enough to make me want to come back. As for author websites, I check those of my favs periodically to keep up to date on new releases, but for the most part I'm a blog hopper, not a website surfer.
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