Closet Writer

For most of my writing life, I've written in the closet. My desk is shoved into the far end of our walk in closet. Moth-eaten dresses hang in my face, outdated purses and scuffed pumps are strewn under my chair, and a lone bulb swings above my head casting eerie shadows.

Yes, I've been a closet writer.

But not that kind of closet writer! Thankfully, I don't have to resort to writing in my walk-in (although I'm sure some days I'd actually get more writing done if I did hide out among the stacks of sweaters.)

What I really am is the kind of writer who spends years crafting books, but never tells anyone about my writing pursuits other than my family. They know of my secret life and the hours I spend on my lap top making up stories, but that's as far as it goes. Every once in a while one of the children will slip up in public and talk about my writing, but I can usually cover it up with a quick, "O-o-oh that's nothing."

What drove me into the closet? I'm not a psychologist. I leave the psycho-analyzing to my counselor husband. But I'm guessing that fear of failure is what pushed me to the dark corners of a hidden writing life.

Let's face it, fear of failure is a very real emotion for most of us. Often we're afraid to tell people about our writing endeavors because we think then we'll have to prove to them we're good enough. We dread hearing THE question, "So. . . what have you published?" And we duck our heads in shame and mumble, "Uh, nothin' yet."

We scramble to explain why we spend so much time writing when we're not published. And we eventually get embarrassed often enough that we decide we'd rather NOT tell anyone about the passion that pushes us to write. We know we'd keep writing even if we never got published, but how can anyone except another a writer understand that?

Then. . .we head to the closet. It's easier there. No pressures, no awkward questions, no raised eyebrows. We plop into our swivel chairs, sigh a solitary but serene breath, and revel in the pleasure of our secret writing life.

I've done most of my writing in the closet. Except for a few close friends and family, most people in my every day life have been completely oblivious of my passion for writing. Come back on Wednesday as I share reactions of friends and acquaintances as I begin to come out of the closet.

For today I'd love to hear your experiences! Have you ever been a closet writer? What drove you there? And if you have been open with everyone about your writing, how have you managed to handle the fear-of-failure syndrome?

Giving Birth--Becoming a Published Author

The process of writing a book and seeing it through to publication is similar to giving birth to a baby. Of course the analogy isn't perfect, but the emotions we experience during pregnancy and labor are often very close to what we feel as we're writing our books and trying to find an agent/editor.

We spend months watching our books take shape and grow to completion. Then once they're ready, we travail through the agonizing process of getting an agent and/or editor.

Finally the moment arrives that we've dreamed about, the moment we've agonized over and waited for. Our baby is born. We're offered a book contract.

Our screams of pain turn into cries of joy. Tears of ecstasy streak our cheeks. We share the excitement with friends and family, and spread the news to anyone willing to listen. We bask in the glow of knowing how far we've come, how hard we've worked, and how much we've accomplished. We celebrate and we can't stop smiling.

Until the baby cries. . . and we fumble and think to ourselves now what?

Now a new journey lies before us. We've become an author.

Some days we're thrilled and we're confident we've birthed a world-changer. Our book will be like none other. As we venture for the first time into authorhood, we have such high (and slightly unrealistic) expectations.

Other days we're filled with self-doubt and wonder what made us ever believe we could start down the road into authorhood. We question if we really have what it takes. Fear grabs hold of us. What if we fail? What if no one likes our baby? What if people say horrible things about the precious life we've birthed?

And we're overwhelmed by new author inexperience. We scramble to see how other authors have handled the challenges. We may have birthed our baby, but now we have to raise them and a whole new set of issues await us--editing, marketing, deadlines, and heaven only knows what else.

Would we do it again? Would we put ourselves through all the pain, work, and heartache one more time? All it takes is our newborn's tiny hand to grip one of our calloused fingers and our heart swells with a love so profound it defies life itself. We know then, with certainty, we'd do it all over again. And again. And maybe again.

I like to think of the possibility that my children could grow up to make a difference in this world. And I like to believe the stories I've birthed could perhaps one day change lives for the better too. Maybe my children won't be the next Abraham Lincoln or Mother Teresa. And maybe my books won't be another Pilgrim's Progress or Uncle Tom's Cabin. But I dream that through my children and my books I can leave a legacy in some way.

What are your dreams for your books? And once you're published will you want to do it again?

The Labor Pains of Agent-Hunting

We write the end and sit back with a satisfied smile. Deep contentment fills our soul. Our baby has come to full term. Our book is written and edited.

Now we're ready to give birth, to publish. We close our eyes and picture how our precious baby will look once it makes its appearance on the shelf at Barnes and Noble.

It will be the most beautiful baby ever--with a glossy cover and beautiful artwork. And it will smell heavenly, the way all babies do--like fresh cut paper and ink. Surely everyone will ooh and ahh over our baby and proclaim how much they love it.

All it takes is one squeezing painful cramp, and our dreams evaporate. We're faced with the harsh reality that we still need to go through labor, quite possibly a long, intense, and agonizing labor before we can hold that sweet-smelling baby in our hands.

Some of us may have false labor pains. We think it's time for our baby to make its appearance into the world of publishing. We send out our queries and if we're lucky we have a kind agent or editor take the time to tell us our baby is not quite ready, that we still need to give it time to grow.

Others of us may start labor in earnest. Our baby is ready for publication, but now we face the seemingly endless days, weeks, and months of painful rejections and all the waiting that goes between each one.

We begin to wonder if our baby will ever be born. During especially difficult times, we may scream out, "Why am I doing this to myself? What was I thinking? Why would any sane person willingly put themselves through this? Did I make a mistake?"

As much as we would like to avoid labor, we can't. The process of finding an agent and editor is excruciating. We don't get epidurals. We have to face the pain. If we're lucky, we might not have to wait too long. But more often than not, the process tests our endurance to the limits.

In today's flooded market, finding an agent or editor may indeed be the hardest experience we go through. But it's a labor that we can't give up on. It will birth our babies eventually, if we keep pushing, gritting our teeth, screaming and ranting a little, but ultimately holding onto the hope that it will end with the delivery of a dream-come-true.

How's your labor going? False labor pains? Short? Long? Never-ending? We all love a good labor story! Please share yours!

How Writing a Book is Like Pregnancy

August is a big birthday month for my family. We celebrate three of my children's birthdays. I've already made a snake cake for my six year old (yes, that's my bumbling attempt in the picture!). And now I only have two more creations to go. Pray for my sanity--frosting cakes is not my favorite past time.

At each birthday celebration, we pull the honored child's baby book off the shelf, snuggle together on the couch, and look back at all of the adorable snap shots from when they were babies. My daughters and I simultaneously squeal "Awww, how cute" at every turn of the page. And my sons grunt and poke fun at each other for looking so dorky.

Lingering over the pictures brings back so many memories, especially memories of carrying each of my babies in my womb. Pregnancy was never an easy feat for me. In fact, it was downright difficult. Not only did I experience nausea and fatigue during my first trimesters, but I also dealt with the constant worry of miscarriage (I had three) as well as premature labor (my twins were born at 31 weeks).

When I think of pregnancy and the many months we wait for a baby to arrive, I can't help comparing it to the writing process. Our stories are conceived deep inside of us. As they begin to form into something alive and wonderful, we're filled with awe at the new life.

When the tiny cells of the story get bigger, we realize the book is taking more time and energy than we expected. We may drop into bed at night, our brains fatigued beyond creative capacity, our eyes blurry, our heads whirling.

And yet we gaze lovingly at our ever-expanding word counts, anticipating each spurt of growth, excited about what is taking shape. Some days our emotions are especially high and we're positive we're producing the best story ever written. And then there are times when each new sentence makes us cry out in frustration and despair.

With every passing day, our anticipation grows. We begin to imagine what life will be like once our babies are finally birthed and we become published authors. We dream big, make plans for our future success, and know that our lives will change for the better once we cross the threshold into authorhood.

Finally, our books near completion. The last chapters of the novel bring us discomfort and pain as we struggle to finish our stories with logical and satisfying conclusions. And yet no amount of heartburn or indigestion can take away from our excitement. Those babies we've nurtured for months and months are nearly ready to be thrust into the world.

Then we're awakened to sharp, painful contractions and suddenly we remember we must go through labor. . . incredibly painful labor! Join in on Wednesday as we discuss how finding an agent/editor is like labor.

For today, however, let's remember to savor the precious time with have with those developing babies. Each growing word, each phase of the creation of our books is truly a moment of wonder. Often we can get so focused on completing our books or finishing the editing, that we lose out on the joy and beauty of writing.

Do you allow yourself to cherish the writing phase of your book? Or do you find that too often you focus on the harships of the present or worries of the future?

But What About A Break-Out Novel?

In the last post we discussed the importance of new authors figuring out a way to write a break-in novel. I think most of us can agree that we need to be savvy about the market and what's selling.

But perhaps you're wondering, like me, isn't it enough to focus on writing a break-out novel? If we write with all of the passion inside of us and we channel it into an incredibly well-written story, won't that be enough to get us published?

Doesn't an excellent, powerfully told novel trump the market trends? And why worry about what's saleable when trends change? Aren't we suppose to find a fresh idea and look for a story that will help us stand out from the crowd?

We throw up our hands in confusion and scream, "What's a new author to do?"

Here's my humble opinion. New authors should be smart about the market. BUT then we need to work on writing the break-out novel. We need to put into practice all of the principles and craft techniques that make a story stand out and succeed.

We can't predict what an editor or publishing house will be looking for by the time our books reach them. But if we spin an unforgettable, dazzling story, then we will have the chance of catching the attention of agents and editors, even if factors within the story are less marketable.

My conclusion: Pay attention to what can help our books build a large readership, the break-in factor, AND find ways to make our books rise above the competition, the breakout factor. The combination of both is key to for new authors to succeed in today's crowded marketplace.

I've given you my opinion about break-in versus break-out. Now I'd love to hear yours. Which do you think is more important for a new author and why?

More on the Break-In Novel

As new authors we want to write both a break-in novel and a break-out novel. In my last post I touched on what a break-in novel is, but for clarification, let's define both:

Break-In novel: The one that presents the fewest obstacles to publication. The one in which your writing shines the brightest. The one in which the genre and subject matter are closest to what seems to be selling right now. (Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent)

Break-Out novel: A book that makes dramatic leaps in sales over peers or even ahead of our own previous work. . .breaking through to new, more powerful ways of story construction. (Donald Maass, Writing the Breakout Novel)

Here's how I distinguish the two. A break-in novel is the book new authors need to help us begin to establish a wide readership. And a break-out novel is one that makes our books stand out from the rest of the competition.

As new authors, ideally we would like to accomplish both a break-in and break-out with the same book. That's an ideal.

But in reality, I'm learning as first time authors, if we want to sell our books, we have to find a way to attract readers. We need to write a book that breaks us into the flooded market. Obviously our names will not draw readers. In fact many of us stick to authors we like the best and hesitate to pick up someone we don't know for fear of disappointment.

Since our name alone won't attract readers and may even discourage them, what will compel someone to pick our books off the shelf and give the first page a glance? What factors cause a reader to take a chance on a new author?

Let's think about what makes us take a chance on a new book:

• Reading a great review on the book


• High profile marketing


• A beautiful cover


• An endorsement from a favorite author


• A back cover blurb that hooks


• The genre, setting, time period fall within the category we love most

As we're striving to publish our first books, we have to give weight to the break-in factor if we hope to establish a readership. Now I'm certainly not advocating that we all drop our WIPS and start writing Amish fiction. But I am learning I must evaluate what is most marketable within my genre and begin there.

What factors make you take a chance on a book? Have you thought about how those factors apply to your WIP? Will your book attract a large enough readership?

Update on My Proposal

Most of you know I wrote a book proposal earlier in the summer and that my agent sent it "out there" into the publishing world. More specifically, she gave my proposal to one particular publisher as an "exclusive."

The term exclusive is new to me (as is most of this process into publication!). When an agent decides to give an exclusive it means she sends the book proposal to only one publisher at a time giving them a definitive time frame for deciding on the book. Although not frequently done, my agent decided to try an exclusive in a strategic effort to pair me with the best possible publisher for my books and for me as an author.

Last time I updated you, the editor liked my proposal and took it to the Editorial Committee. The Editorial Committee gave my proposal the thumbs up and passed it on to the Publishing Board. You may recall this is the group of people who brutally discuss proposals and ultimately decide whether to offer a writer a contract or pass on the project.

You may also remember that I shared some of the potential problems with my proposal having to do with the time periods and settings of my historicals. As a matter of fact, my agent, Rachelle Gardner, did a post not too long ago called Writing the Break-In Novel, and she alluded to my proposal. If you missed it, you can read it here.

In summary, I've learned that I need to rethink my strategy. As a first time author, trying to break in and build a readership, I have to understand what readers like the most and start with that. In other words I have to consciously consider what time periods and settings are most popular, and then work within those parameters to a degree.

Does that mean that I have to write something I don't like or that I'm not passionate about? Absolutely not. I love writing. I'll find another story that falls within the boundaries. In fact, I already have too many ideas and plots whirring through my head. And now I have the problem of trying to sort out which story to write next.

So what happened to my book proposal? Well, it finally made it to Pub Board. And after debating every possible angle of my proposal, the board was able to come to a decision. Will they offer me a contract or send me on my way?

Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to divulge any information just yet. But, let's just say, it's not all doom and gloom!

More in the next post about writing a break-in novel. For today, I'd love to hear your updates! What's happening in your writing world? Any completions? Queries? Requests? Rejections? Acceptances? Please share!

How to Make More Time in a Day

Earlier in the week, we discussed how to make time to leave comments on blogs. Rachelle Gardner touched on this in her post yesterday: "I forgot to mention scheduling time to read and comment on other blogs. If you're actively trying to build your own blog traffic, this is a necessary and valuable use of your time."

This week we also discussed how to make more time to write. We all agreed that we need to make better use of the time we have. Some of you left great suggestions, like using a timer, using an internet-free computer, getting into a daily writing routine. For most of us, we just need to plant our fickle bottoms on our chairs and chain them there.

Yet even when we're diligent, focused, and self-disciplined with the limited time we have, many of us wish we had more. I like the way Suzanne summed it up with her comment: "I could write all day. I need that first half hour to get me going. It is hard. I look out the window, stare at the keyboard, click around blogs. When I start, it is so sad to pull myself away. THAT is when I wish I had more time. That dinner wasn't calling or bathing children wasn't on my chore list. . ."

When we really love writing, we never seem to have enough time for it, especially if we've gotten into a rare focused groove when the words are flowing. We find ourselves wishing we could add a couple more hours to our writing time. But real life calls to us, hunts us down, and forces us to leave our imaginary worlds and return to earth.

We tear ourselves away and try to focus on the flesh and bone life before us, but a small piece of our heart still lingers in the imaginary world we've created. We can't keep from longing to go back, to spend more time with the characters that live in the drama of another time and place.

And yet life demands our attention. Some of us work full time outside the home. Others of us are stay-at-home-moms with one hundred and one responsibilities tugging at our time. A few of us are trying to juggle both work and family. In the midst of changing diapers, caring for a sick parent, teaching 5th graders, or calculating taxes, our eyes stray to our lap tops and our hearts yearn for our stories.

An inner conflict rages. We genuinely love real life and the imaginary, and we wish we had more time for both. Obviously, God's given us only twenty-four hours in each earthly rotation and we can't add more. So that leaves us with the option of making more writing time out of what we're given.

I'm grateful my husband is supportive of my writing. We've arranged specific times during the week when he watches the kids while I lock myself away and write. And of course, like many of you, I wake up in the wee hours of the morning to pound away at my keyboard. Gradually, I've been able to carve out more writing time.

How do you make more time in a day to write? What strategies have worked for you? Please share! We'd all love to hear!

How to Make More Time to Write

Most of us are struggling to find time to write amidst the myriad of other life responsibilities. We barely have time to write, much less comment on blogs. In the last post we discussed ways to make more time for commenting. Click here if you missed it.

But how do we find more time to write, especially when blogging and other social networking pulls at our limited time?

Some writers participate in Unplug Week--one week a month when they shut off the internet and focus more on their writing. I'd love for some of you who participate to share whether you think you've gained more writing time as a result.

For me, productive writing time has to do with my self-discipline or lack of it. Whether I have three hours a day to write or five, I can easily squander my time and end up with the same word count in both situations.

My oldest son is participating in a basketball camp this summer. He's required to practice a page-long list of dribbling drills five days a week. Some days his list takes him three hours and some days only one.

When I questioned my son about this disparity, I learned that on the days it takes him longer, he stops his dribbling to shoot around. In other words he dilly-dallies. When he's focused and diligent, he gets his drills done in a timely manner. When he lacks self-discipline, his work takes him three times longer.

Lesson? If we have limited writing time, then we need to make the most of that time. Maybe we're asking ourselves the wrong question when we ask: how can we gain more writing time? Instead, maybe we should be asking ourselves: how can we make the most of the time we already have?

Words like self-discipline, diligence, and focus are the dirty words of our modern American, feel-good culture. Many of us weren't taught to work with all our energy. We never learned to focus on a task and stick to it until it's completed. And we certainly don't know what it means to deny ourselves instant gratification.

As I struggle to teach my son diligence in his work, I battle to learn the lesson too. If I can force myself to make every moment of my limited writing time really count, then perhaps I won't need more.

What do you think? Do you need more writing time? Or do you need to make better use of the time you already have?

How to Make More Time to Comment on Blogs

After the last post (Ten Common Blogging Mistakes), I realized nearly every blogger struggles with a common issue: we don't have enough time to comment on all of the blogs we follow.

If we're building a web presence and signing up to follow more and more blogs, then we may start to feel overwhelmed by the number of postings that show up in our dashboards or google readers.

If you're like me, you may wonder, how in the world can I keep up with all of these interesting, entertaining, and instructive blogs? How can I possibly comment on each of them and do so in a genuine way?

We're torn. We know commenting on other blogs is what draws readers to ours. But making those comments often takes a huge time commitment that detracts from other writing endeavors.

So, what should we do? Here are just a few choices:

1. Abandon the effort. This might be a very valid option for some writers who need or want to devote their time to working on their novels or learning the craft. A terrific blogging friend, Michelle Argyle (aka Lady Glamis), has chosen to back off from blogging for that very reason. I admire her determination to spend more time working on her novel. Sometimes, commenting on blogs has to take a back seat to other things.

2. Prioritize blogs. I think in the blogging community, it boils down to loyalty. When we're crunched for time we tend to gravitate toward the blogs of our most loyal followers or the blogs we find the most helpful. Here are a couple of other suggestions from last post's comments:

• Eileen Astels Watson: "I limit the ones that I comment on every post to those who consistently comment on mine."

• Jeanette Levellie: "I usually make a list of who comments on my blog posts, then try to connect up to their blogs that same day or the next."

3. Schedule time, but use it wisely. Lately I've tried to limit my blog reading and commenting time to a couple of times a day. I give myself a set amount of time in the morning and then again after lunch. I try to maximize that time by reading through my priority blogs first (usually loyal followers and those who've commented on my most recent blog post.) Then if I have time, and only if I have leftover time, I visit other blogs. Here are a couple other commenter's thoughts:

• Donna Kohlstrom: "I try to set aside time daily to read other posts and comment. . . sincerely."

• Keli Gywn: "We make time for what's important to us. I've given visiting blogs and leaving comments higher priority lately, and I've been blessed as a result. Not only am I learning from other bloggers, but I'm also getting to know some awesome people."

4. Help One Another. We can all make a conscious effort to respect one another's limited blogging time in several ways. Keep our posts short and simple. Ask an easy but engaging question. Encourage short but thoughtful answers. I generally don't have the time to comment if the post: requires me to "write" something, asks me to post an excerpt of my books, or links to another post to read or watch.

What kind of posts discourage you from leaving comments? And how are you making more time to comment: are you cutting back on commenting, prioritizing blogs, scheduling time, helping other bloggers, or something else?

Ten Common Blogging Mistakes (Part 2)

Many of us are striving to build a greater web presence through our blogging. And if you're not yet to that point in your career, maybe you will be someday. Why not start now building a successful blog?

We're discussing 10 Common Blogging Mistakes that I've noticed during my time traversing cyberspace. For the first five click here. Let's delve into the second half of the Common Blogging Mistakes:

6. Not putting a Follower Gadget on your blog: When we put the follower gadget into our blogs, we're better able to know and connect with the people reading our blogs, especially those who don't leave comments. For those bloggers who don't have them, why not? It's an easy way to engage more people.

7. Not signing up to Follow other blogs: I'm not sure why some bloggers have a hesitancy in signing up to follow blogs. I can think of many benefits to posting our pictures in other Follower Gadgets. For one, we show support to the blogger we're following. And second, our tiny picture provides another link that others can use to reach our blogs. I don't see how it can hurt, in fact I think it's another super easy way to broaden our web presence.

8. Not leaving comments on other blogs: For most of us, blogging is a two-way conversation. If we want people to comment on our blogs, then we need to start commenting on theirs. It lets bloggers know we've read their post. It supports them. And it can build genuine friendships. This is one of the most important ways to start attracting others back to our blogs.

9. Not repaying a blog visit: If someone visits our blogs and takes the time to leave a comment or signs up to follow us, the most courteous blogging etiquette is to repay the visit if we can. I realize this is not always possible, especially when someone doesn't leave a link. But in most cases, we can easily jump over and at least thank them for the visit. Being generous with our comments and following is a sure way to begin building our web presence.

10. Not exuding genuineness and friendliness: A blogger may do everything else right and hop around cyberspace like an over-caffeinated bunny. But most of us can usually sniff out the difference between those who are genuine and those who are trying to build their numbers. It's not possible to read every blog, every day. But when we post our blogs or visit others, we can do our best to reach out with true friendliness.

That ends the top ten blogging mistakes I've noticed. Are you guilty of any of the ones I've listed today? Or have you noticed any of these mistakes on other blogs that turned you off?

Remember: None of us will ever have perfect blogs. And we should always extend grace to one another's imperfections and live by this principle: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Matt. 7:12

Ten Common Blogging Mistakes (Part 1)

How do we make our blogs successful? Many of us are our spending time building a web presence--time we could be using for other things, like writing our books.

If we're investing valuable time into our blogs, then most of us want to see results. After all, we don't want to spend hours writing blog posts that no one bothers to read.

The most tangible ways to see results are in an increasing number of followers as well as a growing number of comments. Stat counters can also give us an idea of the number of unique daily visitors. But I personally think I'm more successful if I'm somehow engaging my readers enough for them to begin to engage back.

So, how can we build a larger following and a greater number of comments? In other words how do we engage our readers? I think many of us are doing a great job already at this. But can we do even better?

As I've traveled cyberspace, I've run across a few "glitches" that make it hard for me to engage. I'm calling them Ten Common Blogging Mistakes (these are in random order):

1. Not involving the reader in your post: I find it much easier to comment on posts that ask a question at the end or in some way make the post relatable to me as a reader. When there's nothing to stir my thoughts or draw me in, I have to think much harder to come up with something to say in the comments. If we want comments, then we should make it easy for the reader to share.

2. Having a difficult-to-read post: I have a hard time staying focused on posts in which paragraphs are run together or are too long. Short paragraphs that are spaced apart make the reading easier. My eyes also tend to glaze over on posts that are really long. I'm apt to skim or skip the post if I can't quickly read through it.

3. Not having a blog link or listing too many personal blogs on your profile page: When someone new leaves a comment on my blog, I usually click on their name which takes me to their blogger profile page. Once I'm on their profile page, I try to find the link to their blog and return the visit. If I can't find a blog link or there are too many, then I'm tempted to give up. We need to make our primary blog links easy to locate and then it will be easier for people to find us.

4. Not being consistent in posting blogs: I'm less likely to visit blogs that post sporadically, than blogs that post on a more consistent basis. Now I realize not everyone can post every day or even on set days, but posting at least a couple of times a week is good way to ensure that we don't lose readers and it helps keep our web presence visible.

5. Wasting your readers time: Blog content is entirely subjective. What appeals and is applicable to one reader, may not to another. I love the variety I find in all of the blogs I follow--a mixture of both personal and professional information. Finding that balance takes skill (many of you do this very well). We're more likely to lose readers if we aren't offering them something that makes them want to come back.

For Part 2 Click here: Ten Common Blogging Mistakes (Part 2)

Of the five mistakes listed so far, are you guilty of any? Have you noticed any of these mistakes on other blogs and decided to stop reading the blog as a result?

Blogging: Developing a Web Presence

Lately, I've had a few people ask me about my blog and how I developed my following. I haven't been blogging all that long, so I'm definitely not an expert.

But I thought perhaps I could share a few lessons I've learned that may help others who are struggling like me to make blogging a successful and rewarding effort.

I won't be delving into how to balance blogging with other responsibilities. I did a series about it not too long ago and if you want my two cents on that subject, you can read about it here: Balancing It All. Instead, this week I want to focus on another aspect of blogging: how to have success at it.

Writers blog for various reasons. We're all at different places in our writing careers and so naturally our reasons for blogging will reflect this. Therefore, I think one of the first things bloggers must decide is: Why are we blogging? What are we hoping to accomplish through our blogs? Here are a few ideas:

• To journal life experiences


• To share a message or touch another life


• As an outlet for writing


• To gain a readership for potential published books


• To connect with and find encouragement from other writers


• As a way to learn about the writing craft and industry


• For building a platform or web presence

And what, might you ask, is web presence? Here's my definition: Web presence is the length an author's name reaches into cyberspace.

Some writers are cruising around lots of cyber pathways, intersecting with many others, reaching to the far corners of cyberspace. And some writers are going a short distance, meeting a few others, but not branching out too far.

Not all of us are ready or even need to develop a greater web presence. If we're still fairly new at writing or are at the beginning stages of learning the craft, then developing a web presence will be a lesser priority. Agent Rachelle Gardner said it this way in one of her recent posts:

"If you are writing fiction. And you are unpublished. You really MUST be putting your writing first. Spend most of your discretionary time learning to write. You do this by continuing to write, and by reading high quality fiction, and by using crit partners, and reading books on craft. But mostly from writing, writing, writing."

"Dabble in social networking for fun and leisure, and to get a head start on what you'll need in the future. But you should keep in mind a 90/10 ratio. Spend t 90% of your free time on your writing, and no more than 10% on platform building. Things change when you're published. And things are different if you're a NON-fiction writer. But again, if you're an unpublished novelist, improving your writing is top priority. If you don't do that, all the rest will be irrelevant anyway."

However, if we're nearing publication or headed in that direction, then we should begin to look at how to build a wider web presence. Blogging, Facebook, and Twitter are all useful tools for pushing our name into the nether reaches of cyberspace. But blogging is often the best home base.

So, how do we blog effectively to build a web presence? How can we make blogging a successful endeavor to promote ourselves and our careers? After all, if we're going to take precious time to blog, we want it to be successful, right? Those are the questions I'd like to tackle this week.

For today, I'd like to hear about your web presence. Why are you blogging? Is developing a web presence one of the reasons you blog? And if it is, how far into cyberspace is your presence reaching?

Join in on Wednesday as we discuss the 10 Most Common Blogging Mistakes.