Recommended Writing blogs?

[Quantum]

Sometimes people ask questions but don't do a simple web search. Of course, part of the problem is that they don't know who's good. I'd like to compile a list of vetted blogs on writing and publishing to add to the resources spreadsheet. I'll create a new sheet, "writing and publishing blogs", this weekend and add your recommendations.

Mine are:

Joanna Penn
Authorearnings.com

I'd like to list ones that at least two persons acknowledge in the affirmative and w/o any naysayers.

I wonder if a poll is better? Maybe we should make nominations first? Can we rank the top 5 in a poll?

[Quantum]

If not, there's surveymonkey.

[Annie]

@Mr Alex: Would this be a worthy category for the Resources Spreadsheet?

[Quantum]

Yes. Mailchimp too

[Quantum]

Good idea, Ann.

[Annie]

Ooooh, email sub services!! Good idea!!!

Mailchimp is the most popular...I think...?
I use Benchmark myself.

[Tara Woods Turner]

Is Benchmark free? Does it handle all your email list needs? I'm looking around, myself. Mail chimp seems easy but is quite glitchy on my device.

[Annie]

@Miss Tara: Benchmark has a free plan pretty much identical to Mailchimp. Both become paid services at a certain point.

And yep, it works for me. But I should say that I only have an email subber list for my online publishing platform and not for my author site. I'm still undecided on that one at this point. Meh.

Hugs,
Ann

[Tara Woods Turner]

So you maintain two mailing lists? One for your book sales and one for visitors/fans to your author site?

[Annie]

Oops. I was clear as mud again hahaha!! Sorry!!!

No, my publishing site is kinda the same idea as fanfiction.net. There are multiple authors and I've given them all individual login IDs. They have the ability to publish their own stories/chapters (as pages) and make announcements (as posts).

This site started off with just lil ole me serializing Queen of Harts (now Hart Broken) online for free. But when I decided to list on Amazon, I had to take it down.

In any case, I only have one mailing list and it's for this site:

https://www.devotionhouse.com

If you take a look-see, you'll notice that I barely have any of my own writing on there now. I want to leave the spotlight for my lovely authors cuz that's how much I love those little buggers, eh?

My personal author site is a separate entity:

https://www.anniearcane.com

I've not made a decision yet about a mailing list for that one. Might add an RSS subscription instead. Not sure yet...

Hugs,
Ann

[Tara Woods Turner]

I see. Most of the sites let you amass your email lists and assign them to different labels. If that helps you differentiate your subscribers it might make your life easier. I plan to do something similar. I will want to keep my parenting book fans separate from people who subscribe to my parenting newsletter. I like knowing that i can send targeted emails to each group although I *hope* they will all be the same fans lol.

[Annie]

Hmm. I can categorize my email lists...*ponders*...which I might just do. I'm just not sure that's what I wanna do yet.

What I am sure of is that your parenting book fans will be the same as your parenting newsletter fans. Unless they're (view spoiler)[complete morons (hide spoiler)].

*smiles sweetly*

[Tara Woods Turner]

Color me a fan...you kinda rock. Hard.

[Annie]

Nah, I'm soft... *nuzzles Miss Tara* ...see?

(What the heck is coming outta my mouth tonight? Seriously!!!)

[Tara Woods Turner]

Brilliance? ;)

[Annie]

I love you. I really do.

[Tara Woods Turner]

Yeah!! *grabs Annie's favorite cookie recipe* *heads to the kitchen*

[Annie]

I have the best wife in the whole wide world ^_~

[Tara Woods Turner]

*tilts chin proudly*
Ha! Take that, Mrs. Putt-Jolie!