Has the tide turned against writer’s blogs?

I heard an interesting comment in a writer’s seminar yesterday from a very reputable source: Apparently, in the last year or so, the tide has turned against author’s blogs and websites – and some publishers are even encouraging writers to take down their blogs or websites.

The reasoning, we were told, is that it ’scratches the itch’ for information, i.e. it’s free so people might not buy your books. I can see why this might impact on non-fiction authors, but would it affect fiction writers?

Would publishers really be reluctant to work with blogging, web-savvy writers? And isn’t a blog or website the perfect place for published writers to market themselves and their work – and keep their readers engaged until their next novel comes out?

I’ve heard many unpublished writers have blogs to create a readership, which they then use as a selling point to publishers. Some just want to share the pleasure and pain of the writing process…

So… to blog or not to blog? That is the question. I’d be interested to hear thoughts from those of you who are published or unpublished – and who publish.

cheers

Elle

Getting to the bottom of the intray

I can’t believe the Easter Bunny is about to hit the ‘burbs already. Where is the year going? The to-do list is ridiculous and the deadlines are whooshing by at an alarming rate.

I agree with the wise person who said: “When you die, your intray will still be full”.  We have this illusion that if we just keep on top of it, everything will be ‘in order’ when we die (or hopefully in time for us to live a little). We’re always trying to get to the end of the list or the bottom of the intray…and beating ourselves up because we never quite get there.

And here’s the irony…We usually attack all those apparently ‘must do’ things so we can have some guilt-free time to ourselves - and we can do the things we want to do. Like write a novel. Or read one.

I’m in the habit of moving so fast, I’ve actually forgotten how to slow down. So guess what’s on the top of my to-do list today? (1) Write my blog [tick!!] (2) work on my novel for at least one hour, and (3) eat an Easter bunny. The chocolate variety.

Now that’s a to-do list I can work with!

Elle