I did it all wrong.

When I started cranking out newsletters – shortly after the earth’s crust cooled – I wanted to Get It Right.  So I studied every template, tip and technique available.  Scoured the internet and library for pointers and how-tos.  Wrote and rewrote headlines, by lines, subject lines and clotheslines.  Chased every cool idea and creative lead I could.  Producing a quality newsletter is serious stuff.  I wanted to Get It Right.

The result?

A newsletter that was as flat as an open can of soda left out for a week.

Something Missing

The “experts” (who are these people?) may have answers related to style, format and even basic content.  But something was missing: Me.

I was trying so hard to Get It Right, I was churning out someone else’s idea of a great newsletter. Not mine.  The result was a product that tasted like yesterday’s oatmeal.

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I recently re-evaluated the writing blogs I follow.  In the process  I deep-sixed some, kept a few, and skim most.  I simply don’t have time to read numerous posts on a daily basis, particularly if they’re the blog equivalent of War and Peace.  I mean, I’m lucky if I get the dishes done on a daily basis!

A Crackly Crisp and Criteria

Trying to read and crank out quality posts every day had me fried to a crackly crisp.  Been there, done that?  If so, it’s okay to scale back.  You won’t turn into a pumpkin. Really.  Read Luke’s complete post here  (Check Part 1 for full context.  That’s okay.  I’ll wait.)

Here’s the basic criteria I used to pare my blog “read list” down to something manageable:

• Will I turn into a pumpkin if I miss a week or two of this blog’s content?
• Is the content interesting, relevant, and engaging on a regular basis?  Is it fun?
• Does the blogger reciprocate, offer guest posts, share links, retweet, etc?
• Will this blog help my writing, outreach, insight, or all of the above?
• Is the blogger genuine?  Does he or she blog from the heart?
• Does this blogger have a personal account at Hershey’s?  (Couldn’t resist.)

In case you’re wondering, here are some blogs I recommend:

– The Writing Life – Terry Whalin

– A Step in the Write Direction – Donna Clark Goodrich

– Kathy Macias

Bottom line:

Daily blog posts may be over-rated.  If you’re a writer, you know better than anyone how much time blogging can swallow away from other writing.  Prioritize accordingly.  More on that in a minute.

Okay, okay.  I admit.  At first I felt a little guilty about scaling blog posts back to a more realistic schedule.  Something that I could handle.  Not anymore.  I decided that when it comes to “building a platform” and the like, it’s okay to not be in a hurry.  Ditto avoiding cranking out noise just to fill the screen.

A Matter of Priorities

Blogging vs. working on your writing comes down to a question of priorities.  If your first passion is blogging, then get at it and go to it.  But if it’s working on your next novel, short story or creative non-fiction piece, concentrate on that first and blog when you can.

Neither you nor I will turn into a pumpkin if we’re not blogging every day.   It’s okay.  Really.

Who’s with me?

How often do you blog?  What do you look for in a blog post?  Who are your favorite bloggers?  Share in the comments section.

If you’re a writer, chances are good you’re also a blogger.  Chances are equally good that you’ve heard: 1)  If you’re a serious writer, you need a blog like peanut butter needs jelly; and 2)  Daily blog posts are the one and only way to build your audience and create a platform.

Not Anymore

I used to buy that.  Frankly, it fit like a rhino in leotards.  I thought it was me.  Not anymore.

Check out Ali Luke’s post, “How Often Should You Blog? (Hint: The Answer Might Surprise You)” by Ali Luke. She says:

“Over the past couple of years, there’s been a shift in the blogging world. More and more prominent bloggers-on-blogging are moving away from daily posting—and reassuring their readers that you don’t have to post every day in order to be successful. “

Luke continues, quoting Darren Rowse of Problogger:

“I once surveyed readers here on ProBlogger about the reasons they unsubscribed from RSS feeds, and the number one answer was ‘posting too much.’ Respondents expressed that they developed ‘burnout’ and would unsubscribe if a blog became too ‘noisy.’”

Is Daily Best?

Let’s face it.  Your life is full.  So is mine.  I’ve subscribed to several primo writing-related blogs, followed them for awhile, read every word.  Most post daily.  And I couldn’t keep up.  So I bailed.

Then there are the folks who offer a free ebook, webinar or other resource, capture your email, and turn your In Box into their personal rainstorm reminiscent of Noah.  A few showers are one thing, but a deluge?  Don’t these folks realize how busy we writers are?  I battened down the hatches and rolled up the welcome mat on those folks right quick…

Stay tuned for Part 2.

I was born in a library.

Naw. Not really.  But I could’ve been.

Books prominently populate my earliest memories.  Lots and lots of books.  Enough to fill a library several times over.

I remember snuggling into Dad’s lap as he read aloud about a brown monkey and a man in a yellow hat.  I remember Mom reading and re-reading a perennial favorite, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel.  Also stories about a runaway bunny. Ferdinand the bull.  Green eggs and ham.  A secret garden.  A spider weaving webbed words.  Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, Cinderella, Aesop and Dorothy Gale.  So many others.

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“Just a few more minutes” Dad whispered as orange tongues of flame licked the yurt’s wood-burning stove, “and we’ll be warm as toast.”  He winked.  Burrowed under a mountain of blankets, I winked back.

There was Something Big in Dad.  Something you didn’t see at first.  Something you had to look for.

These are the first two paragraphs in my true-life short story, The Monument.  I just received word that The Monument won First Place in the Christian Creative Writer’s Short Story Contest.

Read the full story here.  It’s short. I promise.  Let me know what you think in the Comments section.

Connected?

Also – have we connected on Facebook? Like my page here.  Don’t forget to connect on Twitter.  Catch my tweets at Road Diverged.  If you’re a writer or outdoor woodsy hiking type, I follow back!

One other quick announcement: I’m taking off the rest of August thru mid-September to focus on some family projects and priorities. See you back when temperatures start to drop and the winds turn chilly!

By Anna Cervova

The other day I got an out-of-the-blue request from someone I don’t know, have never heard of, and haven’t a clue how they found me.  It was a request to review their 330 page “you too, can get rich overnight with my proven 120-step technique for overnight wealth” type book.

Guess how long it took to zap that sucker into the big round file in the sky?

That request was followed by a 1,500 world email from someone else I don’t know and have never met asking for my take on the pros and cons of traditional publishing vs. self-publishing.

Later, gator!

 Warp Speed Delete

Another sure-fire way for an unsolicited email to wend its way into my Delete box at warp speed and a one-way ticket to my Block List: those that pretend to be a personal friend or associate when the message is obviously a bulk email sent to a list that’s probably the size of Alaska.

Another big no-no: emails from people asking me to do something for nothing.  By “nothing” I don’t necessarily mean $.  I mean people who aren’t willing to reciprocate.  They’re unwilling to do anything in return for my time and effort – no reciprocal link, a guest post, retweet.  Zip.  Zero.  Nada.

I have a response for that, too: Sayonara, baby! 

 Tortoises?

Another way to get my welcome mat whisked out from under your feet: flood my in box with a tsunami of unsolicited pitches hawking your latest product, book,  webinar, class or other self-serving commercial every time I sign on.

When I sign up for an email list, I do it at tortoise speed – and would appreciate it if the sender did likewise.  As in, Can you whittle that email tsunami down to once or twice a week, tops, instead of every single cotton pickin’ day???!!!

From In Box to Comment Section

Maybe you don’t get lots of dumb emails. But do you get dumb comments on your blog?  The kind that are obviously generated by an automaton in Outer Moldavia and read something like: “Great post!  I really love your site!”

Altogether, now: S-P-A-M.  Or S-N-E-E-Z-E.

Electronic Sneezing

Let’s face it.  Sneezing – whether in person or electronically – isn’t a great way to win friends or influence people.  Most people either turn away from or pretend to overlook a sneeze, even though it rattles their willies.  Sneezing interrupts the conversation, derails the train and makes you look less than healthy.

So think of dumb emails as “electronic sneezing.”

It’s amazing how much time dumb emails can gobble up.  Few of us have the time or want to expend the mental energy needed to wade through this stuff.  (Especially those of us with the attention span of a gnat.  You know who you are.)  So here’s my quick criterion for filtering out dumb email and dumb comments, aka: electronic sneezes:

RESPOND:

– Messages from someone I know or is a verifiable friend of a friend.

– Messages from an individual who expresses knowledge or interest in me as a person, not a two-legged product or potential profit.

– Messages from those who have something helpful and legit to offer that I can pass on to my readers.

– Messages from senders who are willing to give and take, rather than just take.

IGNORE:

– Messages that are focused solely on selling something or sniffing out potential customers.

– Idiot messages.  The kind that say something like, “Hey, I found this super cool resource at – Wherever Extraordinaire – and thought you would, too!” Not.

– Self-serving, mass-produced emails from someone trying to get me to buy their Latest and Greatest.

– Messages from entities that won’t process unsubscribe requests.  (My special *favorite.* Hmpf!)

The writers I know are busy.  Yep, staring out the window in search of inspiration is “working.”  Writers don’t have time to wipe hankies through In Boxes inundated with fluff or junk or sneezes.  How ’bout you?

Do you have a friend who’s prone to “sneezing” on line?  Share this post with them so they can avoid losing friends and subscribers and build their  e-list intelligently, too.

Today we’re getting to know John Lucas, marriage and family therapist and author of Power and Intimacy in Relationships.  John and I first met when we were both students at Biola University. As you can see, he’s been busy ever since!

Where do you live?

Murrieta Ca.  1 hr north of San Diego.

Tell us something about yourself.

I grew up in San Jose and then San Diego.  When I was younger I liked playing golf.  In my 20’s I became interested in Christianity.  Once I became interested in Christianity I also found myself more interested in people and wanting to help others improve their lives.  Those desires lead me to becoming a Marriage and Family Therapist.  As a young married man I started working as a mailman down in San Diego with a goal to going to night school.  I ended up working as a mailman for 17 yrs.  After graduating from San Diego State we moved up to Murrieta and I started working as a counselor.  The idea of writing a book started a few yrs ago.

What inspired you to write this book/article/piece?

Developing some ideas to help the married couples I work with drove me to put them into words.  I was also led to a small local publisher who liked my ideas and wanted to help me.  That publisher gave me the confidence that I could put them into words.  My oldest sister, who goes by the pen name of Linda Conrad, has written several small romance novels and that helped me believe I could write a book as well.

How did you choose the title?

The title was something that took some time to work out.  I wanted the title to reflect my principles and at the same time help the reader understand the concepts of the book.  I shared an earlier title with people and did not get such a positive response.  After talking with my editor, we came up with a revised title.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

After writing a large portion of my book, the local publisher said he wasn’t interested in publishing books.  He said I might do better with self-publishing.  I was down hearted.  Little did I realize it was a blessing.  I found a private editor off the web.  I had to come up with the money for an editor and that was challenging but she allowed me to pay in increments.

In using my own editor I was allowed to see the material chapter by chapter.  That slow process over several months actually worked out well.  I was able to rethink my material and redo my ideas.  My editor knew I was a new writer and she was able to be patient with me as I redid major portions of the material she already edited.  She first started by editing the material conceptually.  Once we had the concepts down she went back over the material and edited it grammatically.  Amazon does a great job with little cost to help writers publish their material.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?

I have always been somebody that likes to dream, and create through ideas.  That is part of what I like about my job as a counselor.  I am able to think about ideas and concepts and try to apply them in daily life.  That process is very similar to writing.  While working with my clients I would share my ideas and concepts with my clients.  They in turn would ask me if there was a book out there that I would recommend that covered those ideas.  Since there wasn’t, I decided to make one.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I like to be alone and have long periods of time.  Unfortunately that wasn’t always the case.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book?  What?

One, I learned that editing is the most critical part of writing.  I spent 6-8 months writing my book and 8-10 months working with an editor.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

I was lucky and wouldn’t change a thing.

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

I like self-help books.  I like to grow and it also helps my work.  I like John Maxwell, Chuck Swindoll, Cloud and Townsend.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

This power and intimacy formula can be applied to various areas of our lives.  I am considering the areas of parenting, addictions, work, and church.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

As I mentioned before, editing is crucial.

Who is the perfect reader for your book?

The perfect reader for my book is someone that would like to improve their marriage and would like some simple format that fits both a psychological and Biblical model.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Visit John on-line at Lighthouse Counseling Services.  To find out more about his book, check out Power and Intimacy.

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Interested in an author interview?  Leave a comment and I’ll get back to you.

Up next: What Makes You a Writer? followed by How to Avoid Sneezing By Email.  See ya soon!

Your name:

Julie Catherine Vigna, my pen name is J C Edwards.

Where do you live?

I live in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. I was born in Ontario and lived there until 2004; moved out to BC, then to Alberta – both for family reasons – then in October of this year, finally made my way back to BC – the home of my heart and soul. I missed the mountains and water terribly, and felt so welcomed when I returned. They are my muses, the source of my inspiration.

Tell us something about yourself.

Born Julie Edwards, I’m fifth of eight siblings, and I am a survivor of childhood abuse. My brothers and sisters and I were adopted out to various families as young children – in 2007, after more than 45 years we were finally reunited in Alberta just months before our youngest brother passed away from pancreatic cancer.  Although we now live scattered across Canada we are blessed to be together again. My pen name, J C Edwards, is a combination of my birth and adopted names: Julie Catherine. I always knew that when I published, it would be under that name. I’ve been writing, drawing and painting ever since grade three, love antiques and all of nature. Being near water of any kind is inspirational and makes my soul sing.

What inspired you to write this book/article/piece?

While I’ve always written poetry, I didn’t think to put together a collection until I was forced to retire from the workforce for medical reasons at Christmas, 2010. It helped me to deal with a drastic change in lifestyle, and gave a brighter purpose to the long days between medical appointments and dealing with disability applications.

How did you choose the title?

I love the title, “Poems of Living, Loving & Lore”!  I wanted it to be very clear this is a poetry book; something a little ‘old-world’ to match the book cover and the classical feel of the poems, and wanted the three sections of the book to be included in the title.

What obstacles did you encounter in getting this book published? How did you overcome them?

I didn’t want to go the traditional publishing route with this book and decided to self-publish because I wanted to publish within months rather than years; however, I only had a tiny budget for printing, and none at all for promotion. I have a friend, Selena Howard who is a poet and artist, and she did the beautiful cover for me – in return I sent her a gift of art supplies and a copy of my book. I’m an editor as well as a writer, so was able to do most of that myself, although I also had a couple other people do a run-through as well. I’ve been promoting my book on social sites, my blog, and as many other avenues as I can find that have little or no cost. I was interviewed by our local television station and did poetry readings at our local library and schools. The rest has been entirely word of mouth.

How did you know you wanted to be a writer? How did you get started?

I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer, and have always written poetry and short stories. I also have two novels in the works that are at least a year away from being completed. When I knew I would have time to devote to my writing, I consciously made the decision to begin with a poetry book because of the shorter time involved in producing it. I worked on my poems for a year before I had enough for a volume of poetry. I just literally made a decision to do it, researched various print-on-demand publishers, made my choice, and then jumped in the deep end.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I often meditate before writing poetry, especially if I have a particular theme in mind. I also enjoy listening to classical music, both during the meditation and while writing.

Did you learn anything from writing and publishing this book?  What?

If you want something badly enough, and want it done well, you have to do the work to make it happen. I learned that the promotional part is indeed more work than the actual writing of the book; and because of my physical disabilities, I have to be innovative in finding ways to promote myself and my book. Book fairs and signings and travelling are not feasible for me because of mobility issues, so most of my promotion has been online and word of mouth. But if you understand and commit to what you’re able to handle and do the work, it is possible to make your dream come true.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

I’m pretty satisfied with the way things were handled with the publishing of my debut poetry book, so will likely follow a similar path with my next collection. The only thing I would do differently might be to concentrate on promotion earlier than I did with this book – and hopefully have more of a budget to work with!

What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

I have eclectic tastes and love to read practically anything! I’m currently reading a romantic suspense novel, a Christian novel and a spy novel in paperback form. On my e-reader I’m reading a poetry collection and a historical fiction novel. I have a huge love of all the classical writers such as Shakespeare, since that’s what I grew up with. I also love Tolkien and his Middle Earth worlds – I’m a huge LOTR and Hobbit fan. These are worlds and stories I can positively get lost in, with amazing characters and incredible scene descriptions. Another of my fav authors is Marion Zimmer Bradley – her book, The Mists of Avalon (and that entire fantasy series) is one I will read over and over and never tire of.

Are you working on your next book? What can you tell us about it?

I have a few projects on the go right now, including a new poetry collection tentatively titled, “Essence of Woman”. The poems will cover every aspect of what makes us women, but I don’t want to say too much more about it just yet. I also have two novels in the works: a middle-grade adventure/mystery set in Georgian Bay, Canada, where I spent a few summers; and a contemporary romance novel. It will likely be at least another year before they’re ready, either for self-publication or submission; I haven’t decided which way to go yet. And yes, all my projects are completely different from each other – I don’t think I’ll ever be pinned down to just one genre!

*What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

Once you’ve done the writing, let the book ‘rest’ for awhile before going back to edit. Proof, proof and proof again – if you can’t afford an editor, then at least have a couple of people with excellent spelling, grammar and punctuation skills to proof for you as well. Do not be in a rush to submit your manuscript until you are absolutely positive it’s the best quality you can produce. Don’t settle for mediocre – strive to be the best you can be and take pride in your work. Your readers will appreciate that as well and it will show in your reviews.

Who is the perfect reader for your book? (Please do not say “everyone.” ;o) )

Poetry lovers, especially those interested in classical forms of poetry, mythology, fairies, nature and romance would enjoy reading these poems. Although there are a few poems that deal with harsher realities of life, I have attempted to keep the bulk of the collection upbeat and positive, preferring to focus on the beauty of life, love and nature.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

Poetry Book Page

J C Edwards Page

Amazon  (Paperback & Kindle)

Barnes & Noble (Paperback & Nook)

Xlibris  (Paperback)

Visit Julie On-line:

Julie’s Blog

Twitter

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Next up: What ‘Writing Contest’ is – and Isn’t.  Also an author interview with John Lucas, author of Power and Intimacy in Relationships.

I am now scheduling author interviews for February.  If you’d like to be featured, just leave a comment in the Reply section below.