My trip to Wisconsin for my 50th high school reunion was a great success – I’ll post more about it soon. In the new schedule I envision for my blog, Fridays will be reserved for my own miscellaneous musings. I see the rest of the week shaping up according to the schedule below. As always, this site is a work in progress, but I’m ready to open it up to guest bloggers. Your posts might be appropriate under any of the Monday through Thursday headings. Topics in parentheses are suggestions; they’re not all-inclusive.
MONDAYS: THE ART OF MARKETING (finding agents and publishers; publicizing and selling your work)
TUESDAYS: THE ART OF WRITING (creative approaches to overcoming writers’ block; plotting, character development, editing)
WEDNESDAYS: SOCIAL JUSTICE (topics of social concern, including the causes I’m most involved with – overcoming the stigma of mental illness, attitudes to illness and aging, funeral consumers’ issues)
THURSDAYS: MYSTERY WRITING (interviews and articles featuring my mystery-writing colleagues)
FRIDAYS: JULIE’S RANDOM MUSINGS (my day for self-indulgence, posting about my personal experience, memories and whatever suits my fancy)
Although mystery writing is my primary passion, I want to reach out to a wider audience with this blog, and with a different focus for each day, there’ll be opportunities for those of you who aren’t mystery writers to post as well. I spent May and June learning about blogging with the Blog Book Tours class, and in those two months, an average of 37 people visited my blog each day. Not bad for a novice, but I plan to do far better. Please join me on this exciting journey – together we can take it to the next level!
As always, I welcome your comments here. But if you’d like to discuss being a guest blogger on this site, please e-mail me separately at julielomoe@nycap.rr.com. Read my own posts to get an idea of the tone of this site. Your contributions should be 400 to 700 words, and it’s OK with me if you’ve already posted them elsewhere. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Fourth of July postscript: I will start this schedule in earnest right after Labor Day. I was feeling super-ambitious when I posted two days ago, but realistically, I want to enjoy my summer – if it ever stops raining here in upstate New York. So until September, I’ll be aiming for three days a week, probably Mon-Wed-Fri. But even with this abbreviated schedule, I welcome your contributions. Within a couple of days I’ll post submission guidelines on a new page.
Therese says
Good to hear that you enjoyed your trip, Julie. I look forward to reading your guest bloggers’ posts. I assume your Friday musings will remain posted all weekend.
julielomoe says
Hi Therese,
Yes, my Friday musings will remain available ad infinitum, as will all my other posts, unless I delete them. Hope you’ll contribute as a guest!
Karen Walker says
What a lovely idea, Julie. Can’t wait to hear how your reunion went.
Karen Walker
julielomoe says
Hi Karen,
I’ll post about the reunion soon – probably next Friday (since I missed yesterday.) Today I want to write about the 4th of July!
Alexis Grant says
Love that you’re really getting down with blogging now! That’s an ambitious schedule you’ve put together!
julielomoe says
Maybe too ambitious! I’ve had second thoughts since writing that post, and added a postscript in red. But I’ll try to adhere to it as best I can.
I just visited your site and left a comment. Would love to reprint your post on Writer’s Block, since Tuesday’s about the writing process. Maybe this Tuesday? Then you could be my first official visitor.
K. A. Laity says
Excellent plan! I like this kind of structured approach. It really helps your audience know what to expect. I’m sure it will increase traffic steadily, too. I can’t wait to hear about your reunion as well: my parents just forwarded information on my high school reunion, but I couldn’t imagine going. Maybe I’ll change my mind after hearing about your adventures.
julielomoe says
Thanks, Kate. As I just said to Alexis, maybe it’s too ambitious! I’m wondering if it would be a waste of effort over the next two months – would enough people read my blog to make it worthwhile for me and my visitors? Summer offers so many fabulous diversions. I’ll keep to the schedule as best I can, however.
Actually it was one of your posts (Facebook?) that inspired me to cut down to three times a week till September. And I’m thinking the time in July and August might be better spent really mastering Twitter, Networked Blogs, etc., as well as visiting other blogs and building my stats.
What do you think? In any case, you, Alexis and I should get together soon. Do you know the Village Tavern in Averill Park? Great ribs and tables by a little stream called “Horse Heaven.”
Jane Kennedy Sutton says
Glad you had a good trip. Your blog schedule sounds like an excellent idea. I’m looking forward to each day’s post.
JaneKennedySutton
julielomoe says
Thanks, Jane. See my comments to Alexis and Kate above. What have I let myself in for?
Patricia Stoltey says
Your schedule looks great, Julie. I want to pin down my routine beyond the Colorado author Monday as well, but haven’t decided on specific topics yet. Being a blogger is fun, but figuring out how to attract and keep readers is hard.
julielomoe says
I agree, Patricia. That’s the part I want to work on this summer. I’m wondering if the five-day schedule is too much for July and August. I’d imagine there are fewer readers out there than usual.
Heidi Thomas says
Nice blog, Julie. I enjoyed perusing it. Glad you had fun at your reunion. I didn’t have a formal reunion this summer, but did manage to reunite with several of my high school chums during my recently book tour through Montana. That was a highlight!
Heidi
http://www.heidimthomas.com