An Audience of One

To blog, or not to blog, that is the question. The New York Times had an article in the Style section about all the bloggers like me, who like to hear themselves type. The piece is called http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/fashion/07blogs.html?hpw "Blogs Falling in an Empty Forest" and it gives some statistics that are daunting, but really don't surprise me one bit. 95% of blogs are abandoned (I've abandoned two, but may resurrect them to link to this one), and most have an audience of one -- the writer.

I could really identify with the statement that "many people start blogs with lofty aspirations — to build an audience and leave their day job, to land a book deal, or simply to share their genius with the world."

Hmmm, I landed a book deal, and left my day job, but not by blogging. What you probably don't want to hear (but you are not listening anyway) is that writing and publishing a book is really not the glamourous life it is all cracked up to be. Yes, I could identify with Carrie Bradshaw and her book signing party -- I even had a book tour, though it didn't involve taking Amtrak across the country. It was surreal and fun to see a line of people waiting for my autograph, and to put on the headphones at the Sirius studios in New York for an interview.

The money was paltry and the movie deal never materialized -- so I went back to a day job, when I got tired of going to bed at the crack of dawn, sleeping most of the day, and selling off my cherished belongings on eBay to survive.

After the New York Times admits that some bloggers just get tired of blogging, the article ends on a positive note, with some bloggers starting new blogs. I have two or three new blog ideas, and I just might start them.

At any rate, I think blogging does keep writers writing, and that in itself can be useful. I always recommend that anyone who wants to write a book should blog. If you can crank out 500 - 1,000 words a day, the discipline alone will take you far in your quest. In this day and age however, with Google killing traditional book selling as we knew if, don't expect an advance and free trips to Paris to promote the fruits of your labor.

You might want to consider blogging your own personal diary, and if you can amuse yourself then at least you had a laugh or two.