The New York Times:
Blogs Falling in an Empty ForestBy DOUGLAS QUENQUA
Published: June 7, 2009
Why do blogs have a higher failure rate than restaurants?
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Blogs Falling in an Empty Forest is a good article. I must be honest, I like knowing that I have readers, on average about 80 to 100 people view my site every day. My top viewed posts are the ones that cover canonized works of Literature taught at most colleges and universities or even in high school, students looking for help - I assume.
Do I want a book deal? Yes, but I do not believe that my blog will land me that deal. If I want it bad enough, I will write and rewrite and submit and resubmit my work. There is no quick win.
So why blog? My blogging mission is "...to keep the short story alive," which I have no delusions about doing on a scale larger than one person, me. Yes, my blog is selfish in that way. It is keep the short story alive in me. The other reason that I enjoy blogging about fiction is the free books that come my way. I'm not drowning in them like other more popular fiction blogs, but I score about 6 to 10 a year, which is amazing. I appreciate the ones sent directly from authors most. I am happy to help get the word out when I can connect the author's struggle to the material that I'm holding. I also know that my review will meaning something to at least one person.
Comments? Comments are truly the best part of blogging and I'm lucky to get 2 to 3 a month, even when certian posts generate 200 - 300 visits each month. Here are some of my favorite comments:
Mark C Newton said...
Thanks for the summary. I'm always struck by how this play fits together so neatly, and covers so many concepts in such a short space of time. Good that you pointed out the fact of the linear narrative - it wasn't something I originally noticed as prominent. he fact of the linear narrative - it wasn't something I originally noticed as prominent.
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Neal Asher said...
Thanks for that!
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on NEEDLES by Jens Rushing
Jens said...
Thanks for the mention! I was just thinking I should take this story down, it's so silly and no one had noticed it...
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on THE SCHOOL by Donald Barthelme (round 2)
Several people have posted informative information. This is my most trafficked post.
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And my favorite comment/letter:
on Golden Gryphon Press a follow up post about my review on THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE by Robert Reed
Marty Halpern said....
Aaron,
I worked as an acquisitions editor for Golden Gryphon Press through December 2007. Over the past year or so, I ran Google Alerts for the authors and books that I edited, which included Robert Reed's short story collection The Cuckoo's Boys. When I was alerted to your review of Reed's story, "The Children's Crusade," I wanted to include it on the goldengryphon.com web site because a) it provided a very detailed review of one of the major stories in the collection; and b) it's a very fine review. So "thank you" too for your review.
Cheers,
Marty Halpern
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Still, I'm into blogging for me, and selfishly so. I don't expect fame or fortune or anything really. I think if you believe that blogging is your quick fix and golden road to stardom, you'll be quickly swallowed in the black hole of internet anonymity.
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