(Romance) blogs: Bad and overdone?
Our lovely TBB reader and erotic romance author December Quinn has a very interesting interview with Raelene Gorlinsky from Ellora’s Cave over at her blog. I loved the entire post; it’s full of fascinating tidbits I didn’t know about the ebook publishing business, as well as some good tips for aspiring writers (go read!).
The last answer caught my particular attention and I’m undecided if its because I strongly agree or strongly disagree LOL. I think it might be a little of both.
In any case, I would like to hear your opinion as a blog reader on the matter. Are there too many blogs based on romance books on the WWW, and do you think a high percentage of them are boring, uninteresting, repetitive or just plain bad?
Related:
The last answer caught my particular attention and I’m undecided if its because I strongly agree or strongly disagree LOL. I think it might be a little of both.
Since marketing and promotion are a shared venture with publishers and authors, what do you see as some of the best venues and tools to establish the name and work of a new writer?
Online chats seem to have died down in popularity and effectiveness. Blogs are the big thing now to reach readers, but I’m beginning to think they’ve been overdone, readers are overwhelmed with too many and especially too many bad ones.
In any case, I would like to hear your opinion as a blog reader on the matter. Are there too many blogs based on romance books on the WWW, and do you think a high percentage of them are boring, uninteresting, repetitive or just plain bad?
Related:
Labels: romance baby
I don't think there are too many blogs. Romance is a big business, and more competitors always makes better quality.
It is true right now everybody seemed to have jumped on that wagon, but as someone who lives in the third world, the whole internet as a marketing ploy, and a part of business strategy, is still a baby, even in the whole of www. I think blogs haven't even reached the halfway mark yet.
Even movie blogs are only getting recognition from the studios now, and this is Hollywood we're talking about.
It's all about feedback from the little people :)
8/17/2007 07:15:00 PM
I have very few author blogs that I keep up with regularly - and, if it means anything, most of them are not romance authors* - but overall, I tend to prefer reader/non-author affiliated sites. It just feels more honest and less rabid fangirl when it's not an author's fansite.
*Anyway, I mostly have them on the RSS reader to keep track of their work, not because I want to know more about them in the personal sense.
8/17/2007 07:15:00 PM
The trend today is that authors blog to reach more readers and since there are countless romance authors out there, from printed to e-books, it appears that there are simply too many blogs.
Blogs created by romance fans are different (I think). Granted there are too many of those and to some degree I agree with December Quinn that there are many bad ones but should romance fans or authors be bothered by this? Most blogs are created to keep track of what's happening in the blogger's life - in the case of a romance blogger, what romance book he or she is reading or enjoying or hating. For authors, it's a free publicity. For readers like me, information. The question is - are they reliable? For me though, if I don't like the posts or how the blogger writes, I stop reading - the end.
Olly
8/17/2007 10:24:00 PM
Now that we are on this topic, is TBB a 'romance blog'? I used to think so, then I thought a 'chic lit blog' was more appropriate. But seeing as TBB covers all kinds of genres, I classify it more as a 'book blog' or that pop culture blog that writes about books and gives me eyecandy. I don't think that is a bad thing ;-)
Olly
8/17/2007 10:28:00 PM
There are other blogs out there? I never knew. This one is just so outstanding with the most fab-u-los readers and THE BEST hostesses that I just assumed no one in their right mind would try to compete with TBB!
*grin*
Seriously, this IS the only blog I have ever read or cared to read.
GWB
8/17/2007 11:26:00 PM
: )
8/17/2007 11:28:00 PM
This is the only 'book blog' that I read, mostly because the others seem to be practically all reviews, while I prefer a little eye candy and goss in with my book info. ;)
8/17/2007 11:31:00 PM
I'm with Missy. Why would I read the bad ones? I've been to many book blogs, romance blogs, sci-fi blogs but TBB is my favorite.
This is such a fun environment and I honestly find you girls very sweet, with posts that practically melt in your mouth. ;)
8/17/2007 11:42:00 PM
Hey, thanks for the linkage!
I think Raelene was talking more about author blogs than readers, to be honest. A lot of author blogs seem to be nothing but excerpts, Thursday Thirteens, and silly stories--there's little of substance there and I think readers are starting to lose interest.
That's the way I read it. But a blog without interesting, ever-changins content is just not worth it.
8/18/2007 04:14:00 AM
Olly,
Honestly, i never really thought we're a romance blog. You're right, we're a "book blog", whatever that is LOL. And yes, we love books and just as we love YA and chic lit and historical fiction, we love romance novels as well. ;)
GWB,
We love you too. :D And we miss you! Where have you been, missy? Have you read Eclipse already?
Lorelei,
This is such a fun environment and I honestly find you girls very sweet, with posts that practically melt in your mouth.
I like that. Oh, we do have the BESTEST readers. *sniff* (Not sure about the "very sweet" part though LOL, as someone actually called us the devil's seed. :/)
8/18/2007 01:24:00 PM
Romance blogs by authors. Too many? Well, who am i to say they don't have the right to blog? And it's their choice what they do on their own blog/sites.
Now, romance blogs by readers. Too many? Dunno. I mean, Trollop and i stay away from them. :/ Not to be snobbish bitches (well, Trollop is) it's more of because we're lazy LOL.
But seriously, as Trollop had said before, after we started blogging and we discovered the magnitude of online romance community, we made a decision--both for our peace of mind and our blog--to post as few comments as possible in other romance blogs. Though that has prevented us from meeting a lot of wonderful bloggers and authors, the truth was--and is--the hassle just wasn't worth it for us.
Most romance blogs are connected with each other. We're not in their circle, we're not buddies with them but, well, i suppose we do have our own little world here. :P
As for the over-whelming part, i think the trick is for readers to never forget that bloggers are just like them. Meaning, they can be wrong, their opinions are only that, another person's opinion, and that you don't have to agree with EVERYTHING that they say. ;)
8/18/2007 01:43:00 PM
I am going to jump on the wagon and say that I don't actually read any other book related blogs. I am not really into romance novels as such but your sense of fun and variety keep me coming back.
I originally found you by searching for info about The Bronze Horseman...and figured if you like that book then you can't be all bad!!!
Plus the pics of hot guys...well that kind of helps!!
8/18/2007 04:02:00 PM
At the risk of sounding like a total bitch I have to admit that I think there are too many romance blogs. The problem is most of them have the same content, the reason why I find them boring. It's all the same. Dare I say it? -Oh what the hell, TBB is unique and I like that it's not into cattiness.
8/18/2007 04:26:00 PM
Why would I read other blogs when I have TBB? ;)
8/18/2007 08:55:00 PM
I do think many romance blogs are repetitive and boring but hey, they are not forcing me to read their posts so I'm not complaining. If I don't like what I see I don't have to come back.
8/18/2007 09:45:00 PM
I am not that crazy about books or romance novels but I am addicted to this blog. You guys made me read more books.
8/21/2007 03:12:00 PM
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