Small Steps…Giant Gain! Blog Follower or Blog Subscriber—What is the Difference and Does it Matter?

It’s time for another, Small Steps…Giant Gain! post.

Today I want to clear up an issue many are confused about—the difference between a blog Follower and a blog Subscriber.

Often times the two are used interchangeably. They are NOT the same, and beyond that, one is extremely valuable and the other less so. It's also likely that the two numbers differ greatly. For example, I have 137 followers on Google Friend Connect and well over 400 subscribers. But before we go any further, here are the definitions.

A Follower
This is unique to Blogger sites and looks like this:



If you wanted to become one of my followers, you'd click the join this site icon. Then, if you have a Google account with a picture, your face shows up on my blog. It’s nice to see that people like my blog and this is a way to see that others like my blog.

Also, if you’re familiar with your Google Reader, my blog shows up there. But, and this is critical, those who follow my blog this way do NOT receive any kind of email notification when I post something new on my site.

A Subscriber
These are people who sign up to get notification of new posts on my blog through their email account or through RSS. The most common way of doing this is through FeedBurner. This type of sign-up looks like this:



These people are infinitely more likely to visit my blog on a regular basis. And beyond that, they're willing to have my notifications clutter up their inbox. In these days of email overload this is a BIG commitment.

Bottom Line
While there’s nothing wrong with Google Friend Connect, I still have it on my blog, it’s important to make certain you also have a place for people to receive notifications through email and RSS. These are your subscribers and, when a publisher is looking at your platform, these will be the numbers they’re interested in.

Now it’s your turn to share your experiences with following and/or subscribing to a blog. Do you have any criteria to decide your level of commitment?

Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie Melson
TheWriteConversation.blogspot.com

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Compelled to Write

I'd driven the 100 miles. Driven straight into the storm. The sky darkened with each mile that passed behind me. But I drove anyway; my family home and me alone. The wind yanked at my car...tugging at the doors and windows like a monster wanting inside.

The rage of bellowing black clouds boiled along the ridge. Safety, Father. Safety please. Then the rain came. Sheets of water pelted across my windows and the wheels of the car slipped and slid. Lord, safety.


I focused on the white line stretched long the road, depending on that to guide me...the path I needed to follow - to see what was invisible ahead. That's when it happened. My fingers tightened on the steering wheel and I leaned forward. The writer in me burned.

What a scene, I thought. And without a hestationI began to craft what lay before me into a scene for my novel. The elements were there, I only needed my imagination to make the perfect storm.

This is how a writer is compelled to write. Our eyes focus on our situation and the imagination from deep within, the creativity we are gifted, begins to mesh.

I've often sat and stared at the computer screen, my fingers tap gingerly against the keys but no words form. Some call it writers block, I call it lack of attention. It's easy to blame our inability to focus on our work, writers block when the fact is...the very moment we are in presents itself as a scene. Oh, occasionally we write ourselves into a corner and can't find a way out. The words we've crafted are good words but they take us no where. Blocked. Stopped cold - a sure sign we take the words we've written, toss them in a tumbler and shake them up.

As a writer, we are gifted with creativity. Every movement around us holds the possibility to become scene. Even the most mundane moments can offer us a tense situation in our story. Our life, the world around us is a plethora  of material.

Carry a pad wherever you go. Jot down moments of your day. Learn to ask yourself the question, "What do I see in this moment?" Look at every situation as a possible scene.

Writers see and are compelled to write and they write what they see. So look. The storm I drove into offered me a perfect scene in my Appalachian Mountain story. The emotion I felt as I gazed into the dark sky moved me to know something, feel something I'd not felt earlier. It was a scene.

When your page is blank, look up and look around. What do you see that can become your scene? Be compelled to write.

Where is Your Treasure? Where is Your Heart?

There is nothing more perfect than the Word of God. Even for the non-believer...even when they don't know it. We are called by Christ to step up, go into the world and make disciples, baptize and teach but that seems easier said than done.

Are you called to write and if you are how can that possibly be a way to spread the gospel? Well, it is. Writing as a calling from God doesn't mean you fill every page with scripture and preaching. It means you write for Him in a Godly manner. Clean, fresh, as an example of Christ.

But what if I want to be paid to write? Doesn't that go against writing for God? Absolutely not. We are worth our wage but at the same time our wage shouldn't be what rules our heart. Whether a writer or a corporate employee, wage should not rule the story we tell with our lives. Remember, where your treasure is, there is your heart.

Be a shining example. When others look at your life, allow them to be swallowed up by the love of Christ in all you do, in all you say...in all you write. Exemplify God.

Perhaps you write humor. Write it in a wholesome manner. God has a pretty good funny bone...after all, He created us and we're all class clowns. Or maybe you write romance. Show the love of Christ and the value in the sanctity of marriage.

We are called and He has equipped you to do His will. Write His words. Share His treasure. There you will find the heart of a Christian writer.

I Was Rejected! Now What! - Diana Flegal

Writers receive hundreds of rejections over their career and though they are dishearting at times they also serve as a badge of courage.  The industry is tough and new writers must strive above and beyond the status quo for their work to be recognized.

Diana Flegal, agent with Hartline Literary Agency, offers a few tips and reasons for when you receive a rejection. Diana's class at Boot Camp will cover these things in greater depth. - Boot Camp Staff

Reasons you are getting rejected:

      Your work is not ready for submission

            Quality

            Critique Group

            Revisions

      Your Query was not properly submitted

            Market accuracy

            Direct contact with publisher

            Content appropriateness

      Uncontrollable factors

            Timing, comparable sales (books) and audience size

Suggested Reading Material and Links to visit:

Honing your fiction writing skills:

      Write Great Fiction- James Scott Bell

      Bird by Bird- Ann Lamont

Building Your Platform for your nonfiction title:

Links to read on a regular basis:

http://www.bloggingbistro.com/, http://www.writersdigest.com/, http://michaelhyatt.com/,

http://www.amarketingexpert.com/blog/, http://www.publishingtrends.com/, http://janefriedman.com/, http://www.livewritethrive.com/2011/, Cec Murphy's Writer to Writer Blog and last but not least, Hartline's blog which received the Writers Digest 2011 Best Website for Writers Award. 

Follow-up Etiquette After the Conference

Edie Melson

Writers ADVANCE! gave us a great opportunity to network with professionals in our industry. I’m sure you all came home with a stack of business cards (I know I did). But you may be wondering how—or even if—you should keep the connections current. Here are some basic guidelines to help you on your way.

First, I’d spend some time on Facebook and friend those you met during the week. This is often the first line of getting to know someone (even someone famous and important, like Eddie Jones). I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t want more friends or fans on Facebook. The same is true of Twitter. This is also a good way to network with your fellow attendees.

Second, Get ready to write…thank you notes. If you met with someone or took a class or if they helped you, and you have their snail mail address, send them a note of thanks. This will immediately help you stand out in their memory, and your grandmother would be proud!

Next, I’d look over my list (see previous post) of who asked me to submit something. Then, incorporate anything you learned before you send something in. Let me repeat—TAKE YOUR TIME SENDING THINGS IN. The biggest mistake writers make is submitting something before it’s ready.
You don’t have to worry about that editor or agent sitting at their desk with nothing to do. They have plenty to keep them busy and they’re not counting the hours until your submission comes in. As a matter of fact, I know of several who have turned down a submission because it was sent too soon after the conference because they didn’t think the writer had time to incorporate what they’d learned.

Important tips on sending submissions.
• Make sure you spell the name right. I know it sounds basic, but you’d be surprised what we’ve heard.
• If you’re sending an email put “Requested Material from Writer ADVANCE! Writers Bootcamp” in the subject line. This will keep your email submission from getting pushed into the slush pile.
• If you’re mailing the submission write, “Writer ADVANCE! Writers Bootcamp” on the envelope for the reason mentioned above.
• If you’re including a cover letter with a mailed submission or a brief email with an attachment, be sure to remind the editor/agent a little about your material. Many of the faculty meet with hundreds of new writers every conference season and there is no way they can remember everyone. So save us all a little embarrassment and include some history.
• After you’ve sent your submission be ready to be patient. Don’t expect to receive a confirmation email or postcard, although some will do this. Don’t expect to hear back before three months. This is the busiest part of the conference season and many editors and agents are on the road more than they’re in the office. Give them some time to wade through all the paper work.
• If you still haven’t heard anything after three months send a polite email inquiry. If they don’t answer, assume no. DO NOT call them and DO NOT risk being labeled a pest. This is a small industry and people talk.
Follow these tips and you’ll be able to navigate the minefields of industry etiquette.

Edie Melson is an author and co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference