As an astrologer, I’ve written a weekly column for the past few years for a local publication. As fun as it was to write a column weekly, I wanted to expand my audience. Searching the web I found this ad:
[Name of Network] is always looking for bright, talented writers who want to have their voices heard. We are looking for writers with unique voices to contribute to our growing network of blogs. Our blogs cover a wide range of topics. If you have a passion for a subject then we just might have a place for you.
One of the subjects they need a writer: astrology! Perfect. I filled out the application, attached a couple of writing samples and waited about two weeks before I heard back.
Thank you for your recent application to write for 451 Press. After carefully reviewing your application we think you would make a great fit for our Astrology blog.
What? That easy? No interview? No request for further samples? Whoa!
But, in going through the next step of the process, The Weblog Agreement, I soon learned a bit of what I was in for. I was to provide content and artwork, post a least five times a week, with appropriate links to other web sites and get this, put all this up myself on a Word Press template, putting in some information using HTML.
That was the least of it. Blogging, as it turned out, is more than just putting up content and having a host of people find your wonderful web page. And unfortunately, belonging on a network didn’t give me an instant readership. As I found out, astrology is a very small niche. Very few astrology blogs gain the kind of readership that more generic blogs garner. You have to work at bringing in those readers.
Still, if you have a passion for writing about astrology, there is no better way to get your writing out there. You can post what you want to, on any subject you care too write about. But blogging is more than writing content. You have many decisions to make before you lay down your first words. Where do you want to blog? How do you want your blog to look? Once you set up your blog then you need to work on drawing in readers. How are you going to promote it? For those people with few technical skills these can seem like daunting tasks. In the posts that follows we’ll take on those subjects and more.
Photo printed under a Creative Commons License from Flickr
