I’m a writer. I have books and stuff. My latest, about how to be a good groom, came out yesterday.
But despite being a writer and having to do all that comes with the job description, I do a poor job of blogging on a regular basis.
All the modern wisdom about what it takes to make it as a writer in today’s world says I’m going about this all wrong. You’ve got to build an audience, they say. You have to keep your name out there. You have to connect with people. You have to utilize the web — blogs, social media, discussion forums, etc. — to establish a readership and contacts and all the rest. It’s a vital part of enjoying long-term success.
I agree with that notion, too. This blog post is not going to outline how and why I think that advice is overstated. Honestly, it’s probably not. It’s IMPORTANT to engage with people. Hell, I’ve gotten writing opportunities and made important connections thanks to my participation on Internet forums and social media, so I know firsthand how important it can be.
Yet I still fail to do it as much as I should.
Perhaps it’s because I already do so much blogging. I ghostwrite for an array of clients, blogging about a dozen different topics every month and making literally dozens of posts during that time. When I don’t have a deadline to meet, I prefer to focus my attention on a passion project. Maybe a book about Mad Men or a short story burning a hole in my brain or whatever.
Perhaps it’s because Blogger just isn’t a very good platform. It looks amateurish. I should get off my butt and add a blog to my website, that way this whole thing looks a little more professional. It would probably cause me to blog more often.
Perhaps it’s many things.
But make no mistake, whatever the reason, it’s a failure on my part. I’m a writer, and in 2015 a writer should probably be blogging on a semi-regular basis. Maybe not daily, or even weekly, but at least regularly.
Maybe in the days ahead I’ll work to do better in this arena.
Of course, “maybe” is a pretty big word.
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