I Am Not Your Platform by Nathan Lowell
Jody Hedlund has an interesting post up that tackles a subject I've been curious about ever since I started hanging around with writers online.
One thing I've noticed is that writers have a tradition of writing about writing. While it's interesting for me to read about the craft of writing, I am not a fan of writing. Most of the writers I really enjoy reading don't have blogs, or blog very badly, or write about writing -- which is cool, but I want to know about them or find out some dish about the backstory or ... I don't know. Where will they be? What are they doing? How's their career going? What can I expect from them in the future? I don't necessarily care much about how they use character sheets or create plot diagrams.
I think that blogging serves two purposes for writers. One, communing with other writers to hone the craft through mutual learning. Two, building platform by providing a communication channel with readers --honing the craft by actually performing the craft and soliciting feedback from the consumers. What works for readers may not work for other writers and I think that the two communities have much to offer, but not necessarily to each other.
Usually, I don't write about writing -- except now that I've started writing here. My two fictional universes even have separate places where fans can communicate with me and with each other. The communities I join tend to be communities of readers. Amwriting is the first writer community I've joined (although I have paid dues at my local Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers group) if you don't count NaNoWriMo.
So this is something I wanted to point out to all you writers who think you're building your platform by blogging to other writers.
I am not your platform.
Among the many questions I asked, one in particular kept surfacing: “Do fiction readers really read author blogs?” I’m not talking about a one or two time visit. I’m talking about a regular following, week in and week out.
Do fiction readers read author's blogs?
One thing I've noticed is that writers have a tradition of writing about writing. While it's interesting for me to read about the craft of writing, I am not a fan of writing. Most of the writers I really enjoy reading don't have blogs, or blog very badly, or write about writing -- which is cool, but I want to know about them or find out some dish about the backstory or ... I don't know. Where will they be? What are they doing? How's their career going? What can I expect from them in the future? I don't necessarily care much about how they use character sheets or create plot diagrams.
I think that blogging serves two purposes for writers. One, communing with other writers to hone the craft through mutual learning. Two, building platform by providing a communication channel with readers --honing the craft by actually performing the craft and soliciting feedback from the consumers. What works for readers may not work for other writers and I think that the two communities have much to offer, but not necessarily to each other.
Usually, I don't write about writing -- except now that I've started writing here. My two fictional universes even have separate places where fans can communicate with me and with each other. The communities I join tend to be communities of readers. Amwriting is the first writer community I've joined (although I have paid dues at my local Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers group) if you don't count NaNoWriMo.
So this is something I wanted to point out to all you writers who think you're building your platform by blogging to other writers.
I am not your platform.
