writermag.com • The Writer | 27My first attempt was in 2009 using Blogspot,
and I got five posts into things before canning it
because my random posts were barely as exciting
as burnt toast.
A year later, I gave it another shot on Blogger,
designing the blog to sync up with the publication
of my book Unplugged. Since it was a nonfiction
book, it gave me clearer topics to focus on – video
games and digital culture. Blog No. 2 was far bet-
ter than Blog No. 1 but it still only lasted a few
months before it started to feel like mind-numbing,
soul-sucking work...so I quit. Again.
My latest attempt to run a blog started in April
2018, and it’s still going strong at OnlyPicture-
Books.com. Lately, I’ve been thinking about why
this one worked while the others failed. To get to
the heart of this dilemma, I sought advice and tips
from blogging successes like Jane Friedman and
John Scalzi, who each had a lot to offer.
What I’ve learned is that nearly all new blogs fail
within six months. Here are common reasons why:1
‘So-and-so blogs, so I should too!’
It’s easy to slip into the mindsight of “Well,
I love the writing of (Chuck Wendig, Meg Gar-
diner, Neil Gaiman, Seth Godin, George R.R.
Martin, Jenny Lawson, etc.), so if I do what they
do – meaning have a blog – perhaps I’ll be as
successful as they are!”
This is pure nonsense. These writers aren’t
successful BECAUSE they blog, but IN SPITE OF
the time, energy, and focus they put into those
successful blogs. Most of them blog because they
like to blog – they aren’t doing it to build a career
or snare the attention of agents and editors. Writ-
ers who want their own careers to follow the
blueprint of these celebrated authors would be
better served to mirror the writing habits and
commitment to excellence in their books.2
‘Blogs are a place to unleash my creativity.’
Jane Friedman – who runs janefriedman.com/
blog, one of the most influential writing blogs on
the web – has the following advice for such cre-
ative types: “Bloggers need acute insight into their
readers’ hearts and minds, and they have to trans-
late that insight into headlines that drive clicks and
shares. While blog posts do need substance – qual-
ity wins over the long term – they’re also a form of
copywriting. Writers who get too creative or clever
or meandering will have a tough time. Most online
reading is task-oriented and problem-driven. If
you want people to linger over and treasure your
words, consider an email newsletter instead – or
simply stick to writing books.”Like so many
writers, I decided
to blog.
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