Which is Better? Individual or Group Blogs?

At first, I blogged on Wednesdays at my group blog, Acme Authors Link. Funny, but sometimes I had trouble fitting it in my schedule and thinking up topics to write about. Acme's members come from various genres, from mysteries, to humor, to YA, and various types of romances.

I also started up a mystery blogspot, called Make Mine Mystery. As the name implies, it's comprised of mystery writers. Visitors there know that's what they'll get, although mysteries come in all shapes and sizes, as do our members and their posts.

Then I was invited to join The Blood-Red Pencil, a blogspot devoted to editing. Last count, this blogspot has attracted 137 followers. One reason for its popularity is that writers are curious to learn the secrets of turning out manuscripts worthy of publication. This blogspot is also popular with editors and agents.

With group blogs, each member attracts followers, but also benefits from spinoffs. Those happen when a reader comes over, reads a post, and also discovers a post from one of the other members. Another advantage is the group concept itself. There's something about presenting a solid front that holds a certain cache. Loyalty also plays a part. Not only do we want to succeed on our own, but we also want the best for the group.

For the reasons I've mentioned and more, group blogs are a wonderful thing. So are individual ones.

After blogging occasionally for a while, I heard that daily blogging was a great way to go. Doing that meant resurrecting this blogspot, which I'd only used for special occasions, such as my book releases and their launch parties.

At Double M, whatever I write, be it good or bad, reflects directly on me. I can't depend on spinoffs from other members to gain followers, but need to pull my own weight. Instead of once a week, I need to concoct posts each day. That's scary, but also exciting.

One method I use to attract followers is to ask questions for readers to answer. I also offer writing, blogging and networking tips I've picked up along the way. I host guests and get spinoffs that way. Other times I write about my dog or how I cope with the happenings in my life. Before, when I'd only belonged to group blogs, I visited other blogs once in a while. Now I spend time each day going through my blogroll and visiting other bloggers.

An individual blogspot with a daily post requires more dedication and commitment, but the rewards are great in not only name recognition, but also friendship with other bloggers.

What about you? Do you belong to an individual blogspot, a group blogspot or both? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Please share.

Memes and Tag Games - What are They? Do You Love or Hate Them?

What is a meme? Wikepedia describes it as "a neologism used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet, much like an inside joke."

The first time I was included in one by Marvin Wilson I had no idea what it was. I fast learned.

The rules are fairly simple. A meme usually involves using a blog to acknowledge and link back to the person who named you, plus pass along the meme to a specified number of bloggers by naming and linking to their blogs. When many links are involved, it can take a while to get everything together, since each person linked needs to be notified.

Memes usually include a list answering a question on a certain topic, with a specified amount of answers. Tags are derivations from memes.

Some people think such blogging games are silly or a waste of time. I believe they're a great way to make and keep blogging friendships, improve rankings and affirm standing in the blogging community, while also helping fellow bloggers gain recognition. That makes such games a win-win proposition. Not only that, they're an easy way to get subject matter for a blog.

Speaking of memes and tag games, I've been tagged by the lovely and talented blogging buddy, Dana Fredsti, with instructions to provide a list of six things that make me happy. That's easy. They are:

1. Relaxing with my husband and dog, Rascal. Most of the time I'd rather stay at home with my little family and eat a carryout while watching a DVD on my couch at home, than to get all fixed up and go out to a fancy restaurant.

2. Reading and Writing - Both are passions I wish I could indulge in more often than time allows. Unfortunately, I have a day job.

3. Blogging, networking and marketing on the web - I'm fascinated by the Internet and spend countless hours there making and expanding friendships,passing along tips I've learned and also telling people about my books, Two Wrongs and Girl of My Dreams.

4. Country Music - I love the songs, the stories, the singers. I listen to my favorite station, US 99.5 FM when I go to sleep at night and wake up to it in the morning.

5. I love vacations to Wisconsin, where I eat too much, enjoy the surroundings, hangout with not only the hubby, but also Rascal, and my good friend Jeanne. Jeanne and I indulge in shopping expeditions, and go somewhere else we really like. See #6.

6. Slot playing is another obsession of mine, which you may have heard me mention before. My friend, Jeanne, and I can and do spend hours on end playing the penny slots at Lake of the Torches Casino, which seems almost like a second home to us. It doesn't matter if we're winning or losing, we just love playing. That's dangerous and expensive, so I save this vice for vacation time only.

Okay, I've named the six things that make me happy. I'm now tagging Nancy Parra, Jenny Beans and Jennifer Ertmer to do the same. Have fun!

I've just demonstrated how a tag works by answering the one I received from Dana.

What about you? Do you like Memes or Tags? Do you Hate Them? Have you ever done one? Please share.

Random House's Unusual Marketing Ploy - Do You Know of Others?

These days, rarely can an author write a book and expect to get away without marketing it. Publishers expect their authors to sell themselves and their products a/k/a books.

I understand that's the name of the game, so I do my part by making public appearances in the form of book signings, panels, and other doings. I travel just about everywhere on the Internet - on blogs, listservs, social networks, such as MySpace, Twitter, Book Place, GoodReads, and more. During the course of my travels, in person and in cyber space, I've met other authors also scrambling to make names for themselves.

Depending on the publisher, authors can expect a range from minimal to heavy marketing help. Some authors are awarded special placement for their novels on bookstore shelves and tables, color ads in magazines, book tours and more. Those are the exceptions. Most authors understand that the burden of advertising lies on themselves.

At a movie in the Classic Cinema's chain a few weeks ago, I was surprised to come across an unusual marketing ploy by Random House. As my husband and I handed over our tickets, we received Novel Sampler DVDs, featuring excerpts from five teen novels, purportedly the hottest of the season, some with video trailers, one even with a podcast. I surmised Random House was taking advantage of the popularity of the book and movie, Twilight, to reflect favorably on their offerings.

Have you seen any unusual marketing ploys by publishers? What about authors? What have you seen other authors do? And yourselves, do you use the tried and true methods, or have you done something unusual to sell your books? Please share.

Winter and Cold Weather Precautions - Or Don't You Need Them?

39 consecutive hours of below zero temperatures in the Chicago area! 9 below, 16 below, I'm shivering as I hear the forecast.

Lots of precautions on the news. I thought I'd pass some of them along to you, plus a few of my own, in case you live around here or have a visit planned some time soon.

TO KEEP WARM:
Bundle up when going outside. Dress in layers. Cover your head so the heat won't escape. Thick gloves or mittens are a must. Tie a scarf around your head so you can breathe through it, instead of breathing in the frigid air. Try to keep as much of your skin protected as possible. Keep your outdoor time to a minimum to prevent frostbite or hypothermia.

WHEN WALKING:
Wear boots if you can, since there's plenty of snow and ice that won't go away any time soon. Watch your step, especially near curbs or driveways or bridges, since ice has a habit of forming in those areas even more so than in others. Don't walk very far if you can help it.

WHEN SHOVELING:
Don't try it if you have heart or respiratory problems. Don't put too much on your shovel at one time, or you'll end up with a bad back. Don't step into the street without checking for traffic because cars will have difficulty seeing you around the mounds of snow. Do it in shifts, so you're not outside too long at one time. Stop if you feel dizzy or weak.

WHEN DRIVING:
Start your car in a well ventilated area every day, even if you're not planning on driving anywhere, so your battery doesn't die when you need it. For a long trip, keep a blanket and a flashlight in the car in case you get stuck somewhere. The main roads will be in better shape than the arteries, but you'll still need to proceed with caution. Make sure you have your cell phone with you to call for help if needs be.

I'm sure there are plenty more precautions I've missed. Okay, now's your chance. Do you have any advice to add? Or, do you live somewhere that is not inflicted with snow and cold? If so, you can gloat. I promise not to delete your post. (G)

Begging for a Vote at P & E, Plus Hosting Beverly Stowe McClure Today

Hi Gang,
If you haven't yet voted at the Preditors & Editors poll, today is the last day. Please consider voting for

Girl of My Dreams by Morgan Mandel - Romance Category at
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/novelr.shtml

and/or Author - Morgan Mandel at
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/author.shtml

Enough shameless plugging for myself. Please direct your attention to YA Author, Beverly Stowe McClure, my guest at my group blog, Acme Authors Link, at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com.

I'd appreciate it if you'd hop on over, read all about Beverly and her book, and leave a comment to make her feel welcome. She's got a great post there about what her teen years were like, which I have a feeling a lot of you can relate to, as I did.

As usual, comments here are always treasured.

Do You Belong to A Writing Organization?

Here I am with Mary Micheff, on the left, at our Holiday party. She was the President of Chicago-North RWA when I first joined.

I've been a member of the Chicago-North Chapter of Romance Writers of America for years. I was trying to remember how many and came up with at least 13, maybe more, since time goes by so fast.

As you may know from previous posts and remarks I've made in person, I credit my local chapter for passing along enough encouragement and know-how to launch me on the road to publication. I doubt if I could have made it without them.

I also belong to Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and EPIC. Through listservs and networking, especially at conferences, such as Love is Murder, I've learned valuable information.

What about you? Do you belong to any writing organizations? Has membership helped your career? Or, do you go it alone? Please share. Feel free to brag about your organization.

Tables are Turned - I'm Being Interviewed Today

The tables have been turned. I'm the one who usually hosts authors at my site, but today I'm being interviewed by Spunk on a Stick, L. Diane Wolfe, at http://circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com.

I'd appreciate it if you'd hop over and learn more about the real Morgan Mandel.

Oh, and if you wish, please leave a comment here, there, or both spots.

Thanks a bunch. As always, I appreciate your support.

Window Washers and Writers are Over at Blood-Red Pencil Today

Today, I've got two posts running, the one below about receiving the Premio Dardos Award, plus another over at http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/ about Window Washers and Writers.

The Blood-Red Pencil blog is about editing books, so if you need editing pointers, it's a great place to go. We've got lots of great editor members onboard.

Hope you enjoy one or both of my posts today.

Feel free to leave a comment here, there or below.

Double M Gets a Premio Dardos Award

Today, I'm happy to accept the Premio Dardos award from two bloggers, Jane Kennedy Sutton and Vivian Zabel. Premio Dardos means ‘prize darts’ in Italian and it is given for recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing.

The rules are:
1) Accept the award by posting it on your blog along with the name of the person that has granted the award and a link to his/her blog. Since I received this award from two bloggers, I'm doing an all-in-one blog today.

2) Pass the award to another 15 blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgement, remembering to contact each of them to let them know they have been selected for this award.

Here they are:
Frankie, the Walk 'N Roll Dog
Grandma is a Writer
Joanna Campbell Slan
Lea Schizas - Award-winning Author/Editor
Lesa's Book Critiques
Let Us Play
Murder by 4
Mystery Mania
Oak Tree Press Blog
On the edge of the chair of literature
Ramsey's News Corner
Rocky Bluff P.D.
Spunk On A Stick's Tips
Sylvia Dickey Smith
The Life of a Publisher

There are many more worthy blogs out there, but 15 is my limit. I'm sure the blog owners would be thrilled if you stopped by and told them Morgan sent you.

Do You Only Pay Attention to the Top Blog?

After I read and comment on a blog, once in a while, if the post below it catches my eye, I'll read it and place a comment below, though it's not the current blog of the day.

I wonder how many blog readers check the post below the current one. Do you comment on that post or maybe another further down? By the way, if you haven't checked the post below today's, please do so. It features Friday's guest, Louise Lewis,

Also, when I'm at my own blogspot, I look down the page and check for new comments to prior posts, especially ones that are dear to my heart.

What about you? Do you only pay attention to the top blog when you read or blog? Please share.

Welcome Louise Lewis - An Inspirational, Spiritual, Philosophical Author

Louise Lewis

Bio: Louise Lewis is the author of a new book, No Experts Needed: The Meaning Of Life According To You! She has two decades of experience in marketing and advertising, having held senior-level positions on the client, advertising agency, and ad sales sides of the business. Louise considers herself a self-growth junkie, continuing to seek light, love, and wisdom in her daily life. With an innate passion for spiritual growth, she has a strong desire to give back to the world. Along with the inspiration and direction received from Spirit, Louise continues to touch the lives of all she meets. She volunteers at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Louise earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications at California State University in Fullerton. Born and raised in Louisiana, she resides in Southern California.

About the book: Losing a job always delivers a hard blow, but it was especially hard for forty-something author Louise Lewis, one of many victims of the technology industry's dotcom implosion. No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You! tells the story of how she pulled herself together and discovered a new life of meaning. Just minutes after being "set free", Lewis, a single woman with a mortgage to pay, sits in the San Jose, California, airport panicking over her future.

While toying with the option of giving into depression, she receives a powerful message from God that instantly releases the weight of her worries. "This is just a new chapter in your life. You hold the pen, I'll guide your hand, and together we'll write one hell of a chapter." Through Spirit's continued involvement, Lewis is inspired to ask normal, everyday people to answer Spirit's question: what is the meaning of life? No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You! weaves through a vast collection of spontaneous, thought-provoking answers and inspirational stories that demonstrate how the simple act of listening to Spirit can add meaning to every moment of your life.

Excerpt: I have always believed that everyone has a book in them. They merely have to take a look at their lives, past or present, to realize that life is indeed stranger than fiction. More likely than not, everyone’s lives would make for quite an entertaining story, to say the least.

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0595429718

Now Here's What Louise Has to Say Today:

Things happen for a reason…

If you hang around my world for more than two minutes, you will hear me say, “There are no “accidents” in life. Things happen for a reason.”

I’ll ‘fess up…I know that some folks find my repetitive chants annoying. Of course to that I’d say: It’s no accident that I’m annoying you, and I’m doing it for a reason.

As trite as my belief may sound to some, I’ll go one Polly Anna step further and share with you the fact that I believe I can learn from the life events of others. So I listen and watch others very carefully.

In the past few weeks, three events happened in and around my life that have given me a wake up call. All events have to do with health issues. Since I turned a half-century a few months ago, the job of maintaining my health now blinks brighter than ever on my radar screen.

The first event happened this past December. Beverly -- a 50-year old friend of a friend --was found by her co-workers unconscious on the floor of her office. When Beverly woke up, she was in the hospital. Head shaved. And learned that she had already undergone brain surgery. Long story short, the fluid around her brain was not draining and the doctors had to go in and place two drainage shunts.

Weeks later, we – a roomful of other 50-year old gals -- lovingly drilled her about her ordeal. How? What? Why? What caused this? What could you have done to prevent this? Of course, we were really asking: What can I do to stop this from happening to me?

The second event happened earlier this week. It first started by watching Oprah’s confessional show. You may have heard that Oprah has owned up to why she fell off the (weight) wagon. The interview she gave explained the how/why/what about the life events that ultimately led to her regaining the extra weight. Her honesty was inspiring.

Then the next day’s show (beginning her “Best Life” series) had an appearance by Dr. Oz. During the show, he spoke directly to me: “Louise, now that you’re 50, you must get an EKG and a stress test and a colonoscopy!” I replied: “Okay. You have my attention. I’ll book all the appointments right now.”

Did I book the doctor appointments? Hardly. I did anything and everything else under the sun. Why was I avoiding making these calls?

The third event happened two days later…today to be exact.

I received a call from my friend Lindsey, a 53 year-old male. Lindsey began the call by dropping an unexpected bomb. He blurted out, “I had a heart attack the other day.”

My jaw stayed on the ground for a long time. You see, Lindsey has always eaten right. Always active with exercise. Did what you’re supposed to do. That’s what made his news even harder and scarier to comprehend.

As “they” say, things happen in 3s. For me, Beverly, Oprah and Lindsey have been my wake up call to motivate my fingers to grab the phone. As the procrastinator that I am, I needed to hear these stories in order to receive the V8 slap upside the head. I am placing the calls today.

Am I worried…scared…anxious over what all of these future test results may show? You bet. But for me, the fear of the unknown is like being afraid of the dark. It all goes away when I allow in the Light.

Here’s to a happier and healthier year!


“No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You!” – Louise Lewis
FREE Read at: http://www.noexpertsneeded.com/



Please welcome Louise with a comment below.

A Blogger's Confession - I Steal Friends. I'll Show You How.

Now that I've been blogging a while, I've developed some sneaky habits. I love comments, so if people comment on my blog, there's a good likelihood I'll click their profile shots, get to their blogs and leave comments.

On workdays I can't always do this because we're not allowed to visit websites on the office computer, only check email. When I'm lucky, the network card on my laptop computer is working properly and I can access blogs on my breaks. Otherwise, I try to catch up while watching TV at home.

I digress - Back to the subject at hand.

You might say there's nothing unusual or underhanded about reciprocating comments.

What I do next is - I steal other people's friends, kind of like I do on MySpace. After I leave my comment on someone's blog, I look for other people's comments. If I see a likely target, I'll click on that person's profile shot, check out that person's blog and leave a comment there. Later that day or the next, often I'll receive a comment back on my blog from that blogger thanking me for visiting. If I'm lucky, and sometimes it happens, the blogger will like my blogspot and come back more to visit and leave comments.

This sneaky way of making friends has gotten me into trouble, but it's a good kind. Every time I do this, I've added another friend's blog to an already bulging list for me to go through when I can, check their blogs and comment. That's my reward and my punishment.

What about you? When readers comment on your blog, do you reciprocate? Do you take it a step further and steal their friends?

Please share or confess.

Eight Reasons to Comment on Blogs

I'm curious. I wonder how many blog readers like to comment and how many don't.

It wasn't until I got heavy into blogging that I understood the values and joys of commenting. Before that, I would read a blog that caught my interest, but wouldn't think of leaving a message below it to say what I thought of the blog.

If you don't leave comments, you're missing out on some great opportunities, such as:

1. A chance to slip in a tie about your latest work-in-progress if it relates to the blog topic;
2. A chance to get your brand out to the public;
3. A chance to rack up another Google when people look up your name;
4. A chance to be considered an expert on a subject;
5. A chance to make cyber friends;
6. A chance to share your thoughts with the blogger and successive readers of that blog;
7. A chance to promote your own blogspot by including a link at the bottom of your comment;
8. A chance to make a fellow blogger look good. You may not have thought of it before, but regular bloggers do check other bloggers' posts to see how many comments they receive.

Can you think of any other good reasons to comment on a blog?

If you don't usually comment, has my post convinced you to try? I'd love it if this were the first post you commented on. It's easy, just click at the bottom right side of this post where it says comments (or the number of comments if someone has already made one). A pop-up window will come up. You may need to answer Yes. After that, you can add your thoughts. When you're done, it may also prompt you to say Yes again. Once you've done that, a message should say your comment is saved.

If you're a regular at commenting, as always I welcome your insights.

Regulars or rookies, please share.

The Followers Gadget on Blogger - Part III - The Benefits of Being a Follower

If you've been keeping up with this series, you already know:

• How to add the Followers feature to your blogspot.


• How to follow another blogger's blogspot.
  

If you missed the first two posts of this series, just scroll down to the two posts below and you'll get caught up to speed.

Today's post covers why you should be a Follower.

Part III - The Benefits of Being a Follower. You may or may not have noticed some of the rewards that'll come your way when you decide to follow someone else's blogspot. Here are the ones I've discovered. Maybe they'll convince you to take the step of being a Follower on your favorite blogspots, if you haven't become one already:

1. If you click and agree to follow a blogspot, your photo (unless you choose to be anonymous) gets added to the Followers grid on that site for all visitors to see.


2. Anyone who moves the mouse to your photo will see your name displayed.


3. Anyone who clicks on your photo will automatically land on your Profile, which, if you've filled it in correctly, should contain your website, your blogspot(s) and other valuable information, along with any blogspots you're following.


4. Because the links to the blogspots you're following are conveniently listed on your Profile, you can easily follow the blogs you like by accessing the list on your Profile.


5. Here's something else, which I found surprising, and you may not realize - If you Google your name, or receive Google Alerts, your name most likely will come up on that blogger's blogspot even if you haven't visited it that day. This has happened to me quite often.


6. You'll make a blogspot owner very happy you decided to be a Follower. Doing that will give you a warm feeling inside.


7. If warm feelings aren't enough, look at it this way. Following is one more way to network. The more webs you weave, the more opportunities you have to become known and get your brand out.

Have these benefits convinced you to be a Follower? Or, are you one already? Do you know of any other reasons to be a Follower?

Please share.

The Followers Gadget on Blogger - Part II - How to Follow a Blogspot

In my first blog about the Followers feature of Blogger, I showed you how to add the Blogger feature to your own blogspot. If you missed it, just scroll down. That post will be at the bottom of this one.

• Today, I'm going to tell you how to become a Follower on someone else's blogspot.


• Tomorrow I'll finish this series by revealing the benefits of following other blogspots. You may be surprised by what you find out.

Part II - How to Follow A Blogspot:

1. Look for the section marked "Followers"


2. Click on the phrase, "Follow this blog"


3. A popup window will come up asking if you wish to follow by using your own name or being anonymous


4. Indicate your choice and click Follow at the bottom of the popup


5. If you get a question asking if you really want to follow, answer yes


6. That's all there is to it. Now you're a follower. If you answered yes, your photo will displayed with the others. That means anyone visiting my blogspot will see your photo. That's not all the benefits you'll get by being a follower. Stay tuned for much more.

Please come back tomorrow for Part III of my series which will explain the many benefits you'll now receive because you've become a Follower.

Did this mini-course teach you how to be a follower? Or, were you already a follower here? If so, I thank you.

If you're one of my new followers as of today, I also thank you.

Do you need to learn more about the benefits of following before you commit?

The Followers Gadget on Blogger - Part 1 - How to Add The Followers Gadget to Your Blogspot

Blogger has all sorts of neat gadgets to make a blogspot more appealing. I've had lots of fun using them at Double M and at my group blogs.

This is the first of a three part series.

1. Today I'll tell you how to add the Follower feature to your blog.


2. Monday you'll learn How to Follow Someone's Blog.


3. Tuesday you'll get the scoop on Why you should be a Follower. You may be as surprised by the benefits as I was.

So you've heard about and seen this cool feature called Following on other people's blogspots, but you're not sure how to add it to your own. It's not that hard. Here's what you do:

Part I - How to Add the Followers Gadget to Your Blogspot:

1. Sign in to Blogger.com with your username and password, either from your own blog or just by typing the url at the very top of the screen;


2. Find your blogspot on the dashboard. You may only have one, unless you're blog crazy like I am with many of them;


3. Click the Layout button. The outline of your layout will come up;


4. Click Add a Gadget;


5. You'll get a popup screen with Gadgets listed. One of them is Followers;


6. Click the plus sign by Followers;


7. Keep the name Followers or you can call it something else. Click Save in the popup window;


8. Blogger automatically puts the gadget at the top. If you wish the Followers feature at a different location on your blog, drag the box labelled Followers or whatever you've called it yourself to a new spot;


9. Click Save again when you're through deciding where it goes. You can always change your mind again by dragging the Followers box somewhere else later and saving it.


10. Click at the top of the layout where it says View Blog.

Now that you can view your blogspot, look in the spot chosen in the layout. It should say Followers (or whatever other name you gave it), plus it will say Be the First to Follow This Blog. After you've snared your first follower, it will say Follow This Blog instead.

You've done it! The Followers feature is now up and running on your blog. Here's hoping you have many followers.

Stay tuned tomorrow when I tell you how to become a follower, then on Tuesday when you learn the many advantages of why you should be a follower on other blogspots.

I'm curious. Have my instructions helped you to put the Followers gadget on your blogspot?

Or did you already have it? Please share.

Market No-Nos

When I first joined Chicago-North RWA at least 13 years ago , one of the things I learned was if I wanted to get published, I needed to study the market.

The fiction market at the time frowned on singers, sports heroes, older people, or people with infirmities as main characters in books.

Since then, it appears the market's attitude has loosened, but I wonder how much. I've noticed that Boomer authors are getting older and some of their characters are aging along with them. Other Boomer authors are still writing about people younger than themselves. So far, my published novels are about younger characters, although I am a Boomer. My work in progress does contain middle-aged characters, but they don't stay that way for the entire book. You'll see what I mean when it's published. (G)

Anyway, I have noticed more novels which include blind characters, cancer survivers, and people with other disabilities, but not many yet about singers or sports heroes.

What do you think? Have you noticed a change in the market? Do you write about characters who were once considered no-nos?

Please share.

Tracking - How do you keep track or don't you?

If you have a blog, it's a good idea to know how many people are reading it. You can do this by installing a tracker which will tell you how many hits you're getting. Some popular trackers are stat counter and site meter, as well as the one I use, which is Google Analytics.

This tracker can be visible or invisible, depending on which you prefer. If you're a beginner or someone who doesn't expect high traffic on your blog, you may want to keep the stats to yourself. Vice versa, if you're proud of the amount of readers you pull in, you may wish to advertise.

Since I'm still building the following on my personal blog here, I don't share my results. Although other people can't see them, I can access these results by going to Google Analytics and checking my report. I also own group blogs at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/ and http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/, which I track at Analytics.

For tracking to be effective, it's best to check the results each day. I use a small spiral notebook to mark them down. I include the date, the amount of visits and how many visitors. Visits and visitors can be different, since sometimes people visit the blog more than once. I also filter out my own IP number, so that my visits back and forth to my blog are not counted in the mix. To find your IP number, you can go to http://www.myipaddress.com/.

For the dates I have higher results than the others, I write down the blog's subject line in my notebook. That way I can keep track of which topics produce the most results, so I can blog about similar topics later and hopefully get good responses.

If you don't track your blog hits and you're serious about blogging, I advise you to get started.

If you do track, which tracker do you use? How do you keep score? Please share.

How Good Are You at Names?

I might be the world's worst person at remembering names. I can be introduced to someone and five minutes later I won't remember that person's name. Or, I can remember a name that day, but if I meet the person a week or two later, I won't remember the name. I've known people for years, but can't remember their names and am too embarrassed to ask them.

On the subject of names, if I'm looking over a book to decide if I'll read it, if I don't like the names in it, I'll put the book back down and skip reading it.

I actually had a few hours today to spend on my work in progress. You'd think I would have noticed it before, but for some reason three characters in the book all had the same name of Marilyn. Of course, they were spread out into different sections, even supposedly living in different states, but still I can't believe three. Two, but three, that is very name scatterbrained!

If a novel has people's names even beginning with the same letter, I get confused about who that person is in the book.

What about you? Do you have trouble with names? Have you caught yourself doing some kind of name slipup? Please share.

Do You Do It In the Morning, Afternoon, Night, Or All of These?

I can do it on the train in the morning, in the afternoon on my days off of work, or late at night when the DH and the dog are sleeping. Sometimes I do it on a TV tray, while I'm watching television, but not often, because it's harder to concentrate that way.

I'm talking about writing, in case you're wondering.

What about you? When does inspiration strike you?

Are you a morning person, or does it take you a while to wake up and get started?

Or maybe you're a Night Owl?

Please tell us. When do you do it?