Taking a Step Back

This is the 886^th post to this blog since I started it August 17, 2008. Blogs fall by the way all the time, especially the past few years. There are more and less labor-intensive social media platforms to use now. Instagram and Twitter come to mind. Hell, there may be direct telepathic communication for all I know. I’m old and tend to stick with what I’ve grown comfortable with.

Anyone who has maintained a regular blog schedule can tell you it’s a lot of work. Blogs are most effective when they have some kind of regular schedule and it’s the regular schedule that can be a grind. Writers have other obligations and other deadlines both hard and soft; the blog is just one more thing to try to stay ahead of. I have also made every effort to keep this from being a place where I rant about whatever the hot topic is that day. I sometimes rant, but I thought about it and went through at least two drafts before going public. That takes time.

With this in mind, there are questions that need to be asked and answered from time to time if any blogger is to carry on. Questions that have nagged the back of my mind for quite a while it’s time to bring out into the open. Questions such as

Is the blog worth the time and effort expended?

This one has several elements, but two come to the front:

·       Does it help to sell my books?

·       Does it help to sell the books of others?

I see no evidence either of these are true.

Does the blog take time away from things that might actually help sales?

You know, like actual marketing or writing short pieces—fiction or non-fiction—that might get published in outlets where someone who doesn’t already know me can stumble across my work. By “take time away” I don’t just mean, “keep me too busy.” Does the blog sometimes serve as an excuse not to do another task that needs doing but I’d rather not?

Goddamn right it does. Regularly.

Does anyone else really care what I think about the things I write about?

I’m not sure I care all that strongly, or I wouldn’t have so much trouble coming up with topics from time to time. Views are down and comments here and on Facebook are low, with the notable exception of the May 29 post. There are things I feel strongly about, and feedback both here and on Facebook implies there are people interested when I have something interesting to say. Is this blog the place to bury it, or should I seek wider distribution, as mentioned above?

So what’s the upshot?

I’m stepping back. The blog will run once a week, on Fridays. (What’s that, you say? You thought it only ran once a week already? That’s why I’m cutting back.) Alternate Fridays will still be Diversity Fridays, assuming anyone in the target demographic wants to participate. (Thanks to next week’s guest, Sharon Buchbinder, and apologies to Danny Gardner. I haven’t forgotten, just too busy. You’ll hear from me.) This should allow me to relax a little and, oddly enough, make it easier to remain topical, as I won’t feel a need to stay a few weeks ahead lest I get busy.

Enjoy your summer. Anyone interested in a Diversity Friday slot, please send an email to danakingcrime (at) gmail (dot) com.