Be blogged 101

ALL BLOGGERS – FEEL FREE TO SHARE, COPY, EXTRACT AND USE THIS

I should probably have written this some time ago because, while there is a load of info out there on “How to Blog” I can’t find very much on “Being Blogged”. By that I mean giving an interview.

This is insane. There are a lot of us who specialise in giving space, especially to authors, as a free gift. Why don’t we tell them how to do it?

Why should they do it? It is a free means of reaching a lot of people without inundating social media with spam which is time-consuming and can put off potential readers if you over-do it. Take this blog as an example – there are over 3K followers plus it is automatically shared on FB, Twitter, Linked-in, Google+ and various other networks. Work it out for yourself how much you’d have to pay to reach that many people with an advertisement.

The Story-Reading Ape

Why do WE do it? No idea. Many of my friends offer this service to authors (Chris Graham, The Story Reading Ape,   Seumas Gallacher and Sally Cronin

Seumas Galacher

spring to mind) but we are LEGION. Perhaps we are just kind folks, perhaps, we are paying it back, forward and sideways for help we ourselves have received. Either way, it is work we do for nothing. That is worth remembering.

Sally Cronin

How much do I write? I worked in interpretive material for museums etc and quickly learned that public attention span is very limited. I know you are enthusiastic and excited about your book but please don’t write pages and pages. I have sometimes put an interview over two days with particularly interesting subjects but normally it is better to be invited back than bore the pants off the readers first time around.

Trust your blogger. We know what we are doing. If you don’t understand something,  please contact them and ask. Don’t flip-out and say it is wrong. This only came home to me when an author told me that the links sent to me weren’t visible on the interview. Not their fault – they didn’t know. Please look above. See the names underlined and in BLUE? Those are LINKS. If you click on one, it will take you to the page, article, FB site to which I’m referring.  Why do we do it this way? Because it is neater. Does what it says and avoids cluttering up the end of the interview with line after line of http:// garbage.  Want the Amazon.uk link – click on the words. Want the Amazon.co link- ditto!

Never be afraid to ask questions; Make sure you know your blogger’s style and look at some of their previous interviews. Mine, obviously are matey, come and drink tea in my kitchen jobs. If you mention my wee dog I’ll be happy and if Cameron makes an appearance he’ll be delighted. For that one interview you are part of the family. If that is too informal – fine, other people work differently and you may be happier with them.

Above all – PLEASE don’t waste your blogger’s time. They are doing it for love and don’t need any more hassle. Most of them are authors too and taking time out of writing schedule to do this for you.

AND FINALLY (different subject)

Thumbs down to FB for removing this picture several times. This is a woman who covered her mastectomies in tattoos. I find it inspiring. She is brave. The operations wouldn’t have been nearly as painful as the tatts and she is showing the world she can manage. Shame on you FB for allowing people to post photos of grinning hunters displaying their dead animal trophies but you ban this lady who is showing nothing but courage. I don’t know your name, Madam, but I salute you!

I only hope I’d have the guts to go through with the tatts if I got my saggy sofa cushions removed (which would be a relief for me as they are neither use nor ornament)