New year, new look - but my blog is looking old and tired. I hope that's not a reflection of me and my exhausted appearance! Besides - isn't 2020 supposed to stand for clear vision? It's time for new perspectives and a refresh. I've been having a think about what an author's blog is actually for. It's all very well to have it in our toolkit as another channel for self-promotion but - yawn - going on about ourselves can be incredibly boring and isn't likely to encourage link clicks. We might as well be shouting into the void.
I've been putting out a few feelers with other authors to see what they use their blogs for and the replies are starting to come back. One idea I'm keen to explore further is hosting guest posts from fellow authors on my blog. The writing community is incredibly supportive and there's nothing like that feeling of having found 'your tribe'. When other writers and bloggers have supported you early in your career, it's great to be able to pay it forward.
I'm thinking about how guest posts would work. Should I host Qs&As, or have a theme and follow that for a few months? I also want to be sure I'd be able to meet any commitment I give. for example, if I'm going to host something on a weekly, or - more realistically - monthly - basis, I need to be sure I'll be around to post the content on the agreed date. I'd be interested in hearing from writers who would like to take part. Comments are open on this page but you have to sign up to Disqus, which I realise many people can't be bothered to do. So take a look at my Contacts page for other ways to get in touch.
2020 looks like being an interesting year with many exciting events coming up and I'll be sharing these on my news and events pages, as usual. One piece of news from the end of 2019, which may have slipped under the radar, was the launch of my eBook of short stories and travel writing 'Brief Encounters'. I've put this out as an eBook only but the cover, designed by the talented Charnah Bradley, is so stunning that I'm seriously thinking it might need to exist in paperback form in the real world.
Wishing all authors a productive and successful year in 2020.