February 8, 2012

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Open Thread: What do YOU want to read about?

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It’s been a little over a year since I last posed this question. Most of you know you can email me or comment if you’d like to see something specific here on the blog. But today I’m encouraging you to voice those opinions (I know you have them) and tell me what type of content you’d like to see in the future on this blog.

Do you want to see more of the author interviews I used to do? Are you interested in writing tips or more posts on the business side of freelancing? Maybe you’d like to watch some video blogs about freelancing instead of reading every single post? Or is there something missing that I haven’t even thought of? Do tell!
Filed Under: open thread

10 Tips for New Bloggers

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Last week I blogged about terms that bloggers should know. Now I’ll touch on tips for building a successful blog.

  1. Find a niche and stick to it. Most successful blogs focus on a single topic. Some rely on the blogger’s unique voice and charismatic personality to unify otherwise unrelated posts, but this is hard to do. Whether you’re blogging about writing or relationships or something else, it’s must easier to find an audience once you tap into that community.
  2. Put your personal spin on the topic. I’ve found that what works well for me is to cover an aspect of writing (maybe it’s dealing with editors or brainstorming for ideas) and work in personal anecdotes. I try not to dwell too much on the specifics of my situation and include takeaway points that readers can apply to their own writing careers. People usually read blogs because of the blogger’s personality, so let yours shine through.

  3. Commit to posting regularly. Like training for a marathon or practising a musical intrument, blogging gets easier the more you do it. You’ll develop a writing style, get into a schedule, and pretty soon the ideas will be flowing out of you at 1 o’clock in the morning (or maybe that’s just me). Bonus: readers will keep coming back for more if they see that you update regularly.

  4. Link to other like-minded (or unlike-minded) bloggers. This is a good way to get the conversation going and show that you’re a good citizen of the blogosphere. When you’re stumped for a post idea, you can find an interesting post written by someone else in your niche, link to them, and write about why you agree or disagree with their opinion. Voila!
  5. Get your own domain name. As previously discussed, it looks more professional to have your own URL without wordpress.org or blogspot.com attached to the end. When I bought my own Blogger domain, the transition was pretty seamless, but it isn’t always that way. Save yourself a giant headache and buy a domain now. That way you won’t lose traffic or incoming links later.

  6. Do a “soft” blog launch. In other words, wait until you have at least a handful of posts and you’ve worked out the blogging software before you announce your blog to the world. I made the mistake of sending out the URL to a couple of editors, then deciding to change the name so that the original URL didn’t work. Once you’ve been blogging for a few weeks, then you can add your blog to your email signature, Facebook profile, LinkedIn page, and so on.
  7. Invite more experienced bloggers to contribute. You can invite them to guest blog or do it Q & A-style. I used to do this with a nifty little feature called 5 Q’s (check out the archives). The incentive to the other person is that they get to promote their book, blog, or other projects, so be sure to give them some link love. Often they will return the favor by plugging the post or interview on their own site. It’s also a good way to pick the brains of people you admire.
  8. Set realistic expectations for your blogging success. Realize that you probably won’t become the next Dooce or Wonkette overnight. Though you may not land a six figure book deal or generate millions of page views right away, you can connect with cool people and open up new opportunities by starting a blog. Be patient.
  9. Keep a few posts in your drafts folder. At any given time, I probably have five or six ideas percolating. Blogger’s drafts feature is a beautiful thing, because it allows me to start writing a post and go back to it later. Some posts come to me in a burst of inspiration, but others (like this one) require me to write a little and come back to them later. Plus, having a few drafts ready to go gives me something to publish even when I’m too busy to write something from scratch.

  10. Realize that you can’t read everything. When you’re just starting out, it’s tempting to want to read the archives and sign up for the feed of every single blog in your topic area. This is admirable, but it’s just not realistic. Choose a few blogs that are well-respected and that you enjoy reading. Sign up for their feed, but devote the bulk of your time to developing your own blog instead of following the pack.

What advice do you have for aspiring bloggers? Would you agree or disagree with this advice?

Filed Under: blogging advice

5 Q’s with Kristina Grish

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Kristina Grish was featured in the new book Time to Write and has contributed to Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, and Men’s Health. She’s also written a few books of her own, including The Joy of Text: Dating, Mating and Techno-Relating. Here’s what she had to say about writing…

Urban Muse: Tell us about your first big writing clip.
Kristina: Before I decided to write full-time, I was a fashion director and stylist. But my friend was an editor for Teen Vogue, so she assigned me a Q&A with a Nike footwear designer who was super hot, because I had such a specific knowledge of the market – and, well, he was super hot. I was single and he was newly married – although we didn’t know about his nuptials at the time. I think I talked to him about shoes for 1/16 of the afternoon we spent together – and then I took him shopping. It was such a fantastic afternoon. I had to keep reminding myself that I was on an interview and not on a blind date!

UM: Do you have any tips for dealing with rejection?
K: It sounds cliche, but: try, try again. I’ve actually found that if you pitch 10 unusable ideas to the same editor in a really fun and friendly manner, you’ll end up building rapport – and eventually landing a small story out of friendship, pity, or both. It’s a foot in the door, that then leads to drinks, which then leads to bigger stories, and so on. I have more than a few half-cocked pitches to thank for some of my best magazine introductions.

UM: What is the best advice you ever got about writing?
K: This is such a hard question, because I don’t think I’ve ever received a lot of advice about conceptual writing. But I did have an AP english teacher who was intent on making sure we mastered the transitional sentence. She taught us the importance of repetition and flow, and it’s always stuck with me. That, and how to use semi-colons. God, I love a man who knows how to properly use semi-colons. I think it’s so sexy.

I will say, however, that a lot of people insist that you find a writing niche and stick with it – and make sure you spend years developing a platform for magazine work or books. And I’ve jumped categories so much that I really refuse to buy it. I know it makes an agent’s or editor’s job easier, but a good writer can write about fruit flies for 1500 words and make them sexy, funny, or interesting. It’s all about turning a phrase.

UM: What are some of your favorite books or book authors?
K: Lorrie Moore, Jonathan Safran Foeur, Rick Moody. I also like Amy Hempel, Miranda July. “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” made me cry for days – no joke, DAYS. While Josh Kilmer-Purcell’s “I Am Not Myself These Days” made me laugh harder than I have in years. I actually wrote Josh my first, and likely my last, piece of fan mail ever. It’s weird as a writer to send another writer an email, but I had to love him up.

UM: Any new projects in the works?
K: Right now, I’m writing for a handful of magazines, wrapping up my blog for womenshealthmag.com about my first year of marriage (“Wedlocked”), and brainstorming like hell for a new book concept. I’ve had a lot of health issues lately, and so health/wellness is very top of mind. I’m too scared to memoir it though; it’s a tricky genre, in which I’m lately hesitant to tread.

Thanks, Kristina!

P.S. This next week is going to be really hectic for me, so I’m skipping 5 Q’s next week. Check out the archives if you’re curious.

Filed Under: writers on writing

5 Q’s with Amy Paturel

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Now that I’m back from vacation, it’s time to start up 5 Q’s again. This week I’m interviewing health writer Amy Paturel, who has written for Self, Shape, Cooking Light, and many other publications. I discovered Amy’s website because her query letter was one of the examples in Query Letters That Rock! Here is Amy’s advice on writing.

Urban Muse: Could you tell us about your first big clip?
Amy: My first big clip was for Health Magazine. I read a story in Tufts Magazine (my alma mater) about two researchers who had discovered a healthy bacteria (probiotic) called LGG. I was fascinated by the idea of bacteria that could be good for you, so I crafted a query, sent off the pitch — and waited! I followed up every week or so, until the editor finally got back to me with a yes. She wanted a department length story. I was thrilled.

UM: How do you handle the financial ups and downs of being a freelance writer?
A: It’s tough. For me, it’s a matter of having at least one or two solid contract gigs that provide stability. I do newsletters for one organization and some editing work for a second, so no matter how slow things are with freelancing, I know I can rely on some income coming in.

UM: Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew at the start of your writing career?
A: Hmmm … That’s a tough one. There are A TON of things I know now that I wish I knew at the start of my career, but I suppose learning those things along the way is how we grow — both personally and professionally. I fell on my face at least a few times and made some really stupid mistakes, but somehow I ended up on my feet with a fantastic career. You just have to trust the process and enjoy the journey.

UM: Any tips on finding original (and saleable) ideas for stories?
A: Look in obscure places — local papers, alumni magazines and don’t forget friends and family. More often than not, the stories I write relate to me on some level. I choose to write about topics that move me, whether it’s food, wine, personal relationships or health. The ideas come at the most unexpected times. Get out into the world, talk to people, watch … The ideas will come.

UM: Your specialties are health and nutrition. How important do you think it is for a freelancer to find a niche?
A: For me, it was vital. I think it depends on the writer though. Kelly James Enger’s book for freelance writers called Ready, Aim, Specialize offers some excellent tips in that regard.

Thanks, Amy! Next week I’ll be chatting with Deborah Reber about writing for teens and tweens.

Filed Under: freelance writing advice, writers on writing
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