Monday, November 07, 2005
Blogspam, self-promotion, and writing
I'm not as experienced with this blogging business as I would like to suppose. I keep it to what I can understand. I've been having some blog-spam; people adding comments that are links to things like cold sore treatments, or worse...one of these days I need to figure out how to go through and clean these out.
Also, someone sent me a comment that I don't see linked to a recent entry. It suggested how I could find a publicist or promoter for my ideas, or failing this, do it myself.
To be frank, this idea of self-promotion a la PT Barnum makes me uncomfortable. It's bold enough for me to put my ideas out on the Internet for the whole world to read and anyone to stumble across, but I would much rather someone else think my ideas worth promoting on their merits than do it myself. I don't want to lose my balance in an overwhelming wave of publicity and popularity/criticism that fades as soon as it comes. I prefer a slower, quieter approach; a few regular readers, some of whom add comments and feedback so I can improve things and make them a little bit better...and much of this applies to what I am trying to do on my Independent Learning blog, anyway. This one is a rather more personal.
For a good while, I've also been participating on an on-line forum and I drop comments there, in response to the discussions. They've started a writer's forum for LDS writers that I've just joined. Also from time to time I look at Meridian Magazine, and saw this article that seems as if it could almost have been written by my ex-wife. The specific details and complaints don't exactly match, but the general tone is so similar that I couldn't let it pass without writing a response. I have no idea whether it will be accepted, but I'll watch for it.
Also, someone sent me a comment that I don't see linked to a recent entry. It suggested how I could find a publicist or promoter for my ideas, or failing this, do it myself.
To be frank, this idea of self-promotion a la PT Barnum makes me uncomfortable. It's bold enough for me to put my ideas out on the Internet for the whole world to read and anyone to stumble across, but I would much rather someone else think my ideas worth promoting on their merits than do it myself. I don't want to lose my balance in an overwhelming wave of publicity and popularity/criticism that fades as soon as it comes. I prefer a slower, quieter approach; a few regular readers, some of whom add comments and feedback so I can improve things and make them a little bit better...and much of this applies to what I am trying to do on my Independent Learning blog, anyway. This one is a rather more personal.
For a good while, I've also been participating on an on-line forum and I drop comments there, in response to the discussions. They've started a writer's forum for LDS writers that I've just joined. Also from time to time I look at Meridian Magazine, and saw this article that seems as if it could almost have been written by my ex-wife. The specific details and complaints don't exactly match, but the general tone is so similar that I couldn't let it pass without writing a response. I have no idea whether it will be accepted, but I'll watch for it.
