Sunday 6 August 2017

How book blogging has changed

 
In the year (and a bit) since 300 Days of Sun came out, I've been thrilled by some of the lovely reviews and messages I've received about it. Much of this has been on the newer, faster social media such as Instagram and Facebook, but this post is a shout-out for the stalwart bloggers who keep going, crafting longer, more detailed and insightful pieces about books and writing.
 
I know from hard experience that it's tough to maintain a great blog, and keep it fuelled with entertaining and worthwhile posts, especially when you are trying to write a book on the side! I began this blog in December 2010, and the best content dates from mid-2011 when I got into my stride, to around 2014. It simply takes a lot more effort to write a short essay than it does to share a photo with a few lines on IG.
 
Luckily, arts and book bloggers are both dedicated and made of steely stuff. They have to be. For just as publishing has changed in the past ten years, so has the nature of book blogging. It used to be a glorious, idiosyncratic free-for-all. Bloggers were delighted to be approached direct by a lateral-thinking author with a new novel to promote. Most of them hadn't yet been sucked into the marketing machine that sees bloggers as a cheap and very effective way of harnessing the power of reader-to-reader recommendations.
 
Nine years ago, when I was disappointed in the efforts of my then-publishers to get coverage for my novel Songs of Blue and Gold, I determined to go my own way. I discovered some fantastic British bloggers like Cornflower and Tales from the Reading Room, and whizzed off emails to them. It was such a rewarding experience. I can't think of anyone who didn't reply, sometimes within hours, or offer to review. Some of them became my first online friends, and some I met and we became offline friends, too.
 
 
Now, there are rules of engagement. Publishing publicists have lists of bloggers and blog tours, and what is still technically an amateur pursuit has a frighteningly professional edge. Bloggers are no longer simply happy readers, but suffering burn-out with too many books to get through and provide reviews. Bloggers worry about upsetting publishers (no more free advance reading copies of big books) and authors alike. Stress increases as the TBR mounts. More books are published, and schedules fill.
 
A consequence is that writers are often asked to produce guest blogs - which is great, don't get me wrong, as these often give you exposure to a new set of readers - but this does mean that there's even less time for the writer to create good content for his or her own blog.
 
When these work, though, it's a win-win situation. A blog I've admired for a long time, and greatly enjoyed working with is Trip Fiction, which is perfect for the kind of books I write, which have a strong sense of place and recognisable setting. Here's the link to the piece I wrote about Portugal and 300 Days of Sun.  
 
And then there's the pure joy of finding a review by a blogger who obviously went out and bought your book and just liked it, then thought he'd write a blog review. How great is that?
 
"Part romance, part thriller, part history lesson, 300 Days of Sun: A Novel will leave the reader entranced and wishing for more. It’s a sensualist adventure with an ever-present malevolent edge and by the time it’s over, you’ll be a little bit smarter and a lot more aware of life’s lovely but dangerous possibilities You’ll also be mightily impressed with Deborah Lawrenson, and her graceful ability to make the English language flow and shimmer."
 
Available from all good booksellers and Amazon

9 comments:

Marcheline said...

I love Bunched Undies! He's one of my favorite bloggers. Had no idea he was a reader of yours, but I'm not surprised in the least. All great minds, and all that... 8-)

I wrote a novel a few years ago, during the "NaNoWriMo" challenge, and it's still sitting here doing nothing, as I have no idea whatsoever what to do with it.

What I find frustrating is the lack of information "out there" regarding how to find a publisher (or is it an agent, or an editor, that one needs first?). There seems to be a magic formula, or boxes that one has to tick, in order to gain access, but everyone that knows the secret doesn't want to give it away, and everyone that doesn't know the secret is in the same boat with me.

Makes me wonder how many interesting stories may be sitting on a home computer somewhere, collecting virtual dust, because the writer has no idea what to do with it.

Unknown said...

Surely there is a business opportunity here for someone (not me!). Hoovering up all those already-written books lying around in drawers and hard disks... Solicit them by Social Media and watch them all roll in. You'd have to be a fast reader though!

Deborah Lawrenson said...

Hi Mrs S, I'm not sure that the route to a published book is a great secret, it's just very hard! The competition has never been so intense, and mainstream publishing is in all kinds of trouble, from all directions. But just so you never think I am keeping it from you -- ;) -- the first step is to find an agent who believes in your book. Literary agents do a lot more now than they ever did, in terms of preparing a book for submission to publishers who won't usually look at anything that doesn't come via an agent. So you need several pieces of the puzzle to fall into place at this stage: a good book; willingness to do further work on it; finding an agent you can work with, and who can work with you (this relationship is going to have to be solid); a belief that if you get the first book published, there will be more of equal or better quality to come. Oh, and quite a bit of luck! Hope that's a little bit helpful, at least.

Deborah Lawrenson said...

Hi Stephen, I'm sure you are right. There have never been so many small publishers, many online, and no doubt that was their lightbulb moment!

Bunched Undies said...

Thank you for the shout out Deborah. Reviewing your book has been the highlight of my recent scaled back blogging activity.
Your comments about how blogging has changed are spot-on. Every day I get a barrage of emails from publicists hoping for a review of the latest direct-to-video micro budget gore-fest. I have no interest in these types of films, and if I wanted to be frightened out of my wits I'd simply read a newspaper. Blogging was supposed to be fun, not a job. My rant has no point, other than to say thanks for your cathartic post, and providing us with wonderful content to review.

aguja said...

I look forward to your new book.
It is never easy for an author ... well, occasionally it is, but not in the long run.
For me, and I suspect many authors, creating a novel is not about striving as in the world of business, but producing thoughts and ideas into becoming a tangible book which, hopefully, will bring pleasure to those who identify with the words and characters and the journey they take.
Inasmuch, blogging is an extension, also something preciously created, of an author's mind and, as such, I feel that it should be a delight to read and share.
Your posts are always a delight and I wish you continued success without the commercial pressure.
And, Stephen is right.
Looking at your titles, Deborah, I always come back to The Art of Falling, which i have read many times. It is one of my personal classics!
Thank you for sharing.

Deborah Lawrenson said...

Thank YOU, Bunched. I love your insightful and entertaining blog, and it was a thrill to find your review there. I will looked forward to many more posts on your blog (even if the wait between them is longer).

Deborah Lawrenson said...

Hello, Ann (aguja)! You're quite right, the book writing should come first, and the blog can reflect this - that's what I've always subscribed to. There is a school of thought that authors and would-be authors have to build a web presence first, before publishing, but I think that's an idea that comes from a marketing dept, not necessarily a writer...
Love that you still love The Art of Falling. Thank you. One of the ones closest to my own heart.

Laura Solis said...

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