BlogStravaGanza!

I now have a lot more information about writers who blog, and how that works.  There have been some recent spectacular successes among blogging science fiction writers.  Rob Sawyer says he was the first SF writer to have a website -- and Jerry Pournelle has the original blog.

I was very interested in Tobias Buckell's excellent feedback.  Toby is not only a highly talented writer, he's very insightful about what people enjoy reading, what they're interested in, and communicating in general. 

About a third of Toby's blog readers are "regulars," and he gets several thousand readers per day.  He credits his blog with increasing sales for his first and second novels.  You can read the first third of Ragamuffin on Toby's site.

Toby tends to not blog about many personal topics, focusing more on writing, his own work, advice for writers, and input on the industry and science fiction/fantasy in general. 

John Scalzi does get a little more personal on his blog -- and he tapes bacon on his cat.  I'm just putting this picture here because it's so great it deserves another go-round.  One of the many interesting things about John's writing is that he sold his first novel after giving it away free via his blog.  John said, "I sold my first novel because it was on my blog; having several thousand readers of my blog has been very useful when it comes to book sales because many of them buy the book as soon as possible when it comes out, and then share their excitement about the books with their friends, both online and off."

Actually, I've noticed the considerable resemblence between John and Rob Sawyer (whom I know).  Maybe it's just in pictures, because I've never met John in person.  So there could be this "Presidential" or "science fictional" visual aura . . .

Past SFWA President Paul Levinson also gets thousands of daily visitors for his main blog.  He has been "blogging" a few months, and has noticed an upturn in book sales via Amazon.

I know a lot of people read my story "Perfect Stranger," which I put online for International Pixel-Stained Technopeasant Wretch Day.

I just looked back at how horrid my blog was when I started.  Well -- onward and upward.  I'm thinking "Issue of the Day" myself.  It's worked for me before.  Wink.