Blog by VONNIE DAVIS -- International, Award-Winning Romance Author: Adventurous...Humorous...Amorous.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Is Blogging Old Hat? by Vonnie Davis

When I started in this business 4 years ago, I attended a workshop about the importance of blogging. I was so naïve, I had no clue what a blog was, how to start one, how much would it cost me and who would ever read it? Cheap broad that I am, I googled free blogs and got Blogger and Word Press. As a newly contracted writer with The Wild Rose Press, I began to read other writers' blogs, paying attention to how they were set up and organized. I learned a lot. I fiddled and tweaked my blog until I got it looking just the way I wanted. And then the nasty rumors started...

Blogging is dying. It's old hat.

Well, that just can't be! I love blogging. I've met so many nice ladies while blogging. Say it ain't so!!! It's like working hard to learn all the rules of a game and then everyone changes the game they want to play. It's always been my sort of luck. With a deep sigh, I looked in the mirror. How many blogs was I visiting a day now that my writing career has picked up?

Initially, I visited from four to eight blogs a day and always left a comment. Now, I visit maybe one a day and some days don't have the time to leave a comment. Well now, I couldn't honestly complain when I was part of the problem, now, could I? My life was just too busy. For me, blogging was becoming old hat.


Some authors I know are abandoning their blogs. Some are saving them only for guests; to help other authors promote a release or announce a contract. I love Vintage Vonnie and can't see shutting it down. I might slow the rate of postings because of all the other social media I have to keep up with...might. Then again, I can be a stubborn old broad. I've been known to like old hats.

10 comments:

Liz Flaherty said...

I don't post on my own anymore, but I do love being part of group blogs. I'd hate to see Vintage Vonnie go away, though--I just love old hats.

Sandra Dailey said...

Please don't stop! I don't care if it's old hat...I love old hats.

Angela Adams said...

Don't stop! I wouldn't know what to do without Vintage Vonnie!

Unknown said...

Hey Vonnie, I've been thinking a lot about it too and discussing with a fellow writer. I subscribe to lots, but I don't have that much time in my day to read them all. And yes, its nice to host fellow writers, but in fact the posts I read most often are more person related than book-release posts. (Especially when a book release appears on sooo many posts.) Then again, I'm feeling the same about facebook and twitter too. I want to support fellow writers, but it seems that time could be better spent actually writing.

Calisa Rhose said...

The first blog I ever read of yours was the pedicure post four years ago. From that moment on, I was hooked on Vonnie Davis! Shortly thereafter I won a copy of Storm's Interlude and have since acquired quite a collection of Vonnie Davis books. Some read, some waiting for me to find time to read. Oddly, my collection continues to grow.

But it all started with this blog. If you stop, how many new to you readers will never discover a talented writer and a heart of gold lady like I was blessed to find?

I still visit a few blogs a week, but, like you, not nearly as many as I did before that first book's contract ended. I still blog, but not as much as you still do. I'm planning to change that this year too.

I don't believe blogs are dying. There's just more of us out there doing it, so we don't have the time to visit as many.

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Liz, I doubt I'll close down my blog. I do love doing it. I write my post usually after midnight, which might account for some of the zaniness of it. Unless I'm dragging out my soapbox to complain about something in life or the industry or politics.

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Sandra, I love old hats, too, and if I didn't look like such a dunce in them, I'd say, "Hey, I'm sixty-six. I can wear what I please no matter how freakish I look." But that would put me in the teenage category, wouldn't it?

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Angela, I doubt I'll stop. This has always been a comfort zone for me. It's also been a way to help promote other writers who are where I was at 4 years ago. This is a rough business. Non-writers just don't understand the sacrifice and commitment it takes.

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Sometimes I think we over promote. If you look at the larger names in the industry, you don't find them posting everyday on facebook or twitter. And I bet they haven't blogged in ages. But they've built their following...by writing good stories. I hate writing tweets, but put me in the middle of a good chapter and I can just go to town. Even so, Vintage Vonnie is me. It shows a lot of my personality.

Vonnie Davis ~ Romance Author said...

Ahahahaha...oh, Calisa, I remember that post and that poor guy who gave me the pedicure. I haven't had once since. I don't think I could take the embarrassment of his filing away all that dead skin again. OY! Hugs, darlin'.