Blog Q&A

Blogging. I've been here at Blogger since July of 2006. This was my first post.

The template I used was a lot different then, but as Blogger updates, it's "retroactive" so you can't see how bare bones my early blog page was.

I've got some questions at the end of this post, and would appreciate your feedback. I hope you'll take a moment to comment.

A while back, there were issues leaving comments on this blog, so I changed the comment system to the pop up instead of embedded. Perhaps coincidentally, I noticed a upsurge in spam comments. Now, Blogger has a very good (as far as this blog is concerned) spam filter, and in all these months, only one spam post has made it through the filter. However, I get notified about every comment posted here, and that includes the spam. Then, I feel some obligation to verify that they didn't show up on the page, which does take time.

A possible solution might be to put back the spam word verification system, but that adds one more step for my legitimate readers, and I really prefer to make things as simple as possible. I allow anonymous comments, simply because there are those who prefer not to give any personal information.

Bloggers Beware

Rachel Firasek is an urban fantasy and paranormal romance author by night, and an office manager by day. She began her world of serious blogging in November of 2010 and has since found the key, or so she thinks, to a successful author blog. The jury’s still out on that one, but she has figured out what type of blog she loves to read and which one she’ll skim past. Here’s what she’s discovered:

1. Keep your posts short. I’m busy and unless you’re giving me the secrets on how to create the perfect author banner, perfect story, perfect anything…I’ll probably skim you if I have to scroll too far down the page to finish the post.

2. Try to find the humor in whatever you’re writing about. Sure, some posts are more serious than others, but a serious blog all the time will bore me. My third grade teacher had the best teaching method ever: Entertain first, teach second, and children will absorb more. She taught for over 30 years… I still remember that lesson.

This Social Networking Thing - Blogging

What I'm reading: Uncertain Magic, by Laura Kinsale (print)
Slow Hands, by Leslie Kelly (digital)

Thanks to Jeffrey for his great post on finding ideas yesterday.

I've given my take on Facebook and Twitter, so I figured a post about blogging might be next in line. But this time, I'd rather know what you want, like, and don't like. I blog because it's like chatting with friends, sharing information (and maybe the former schoolteacher in me comes out), and learning from others.

What's in a Good Blog? – first my preferences, and my goals for this blog.

Readability: Simple enough fonts, not a lot of bells and whistles, and for me, that means no dark background with white text. My eyes can't read that.

Reliability: I have my list of stops on my blog hops, and if there's nothing new, I'm not likely to check back until my next trip. If you're going to blog, you need to commit to a schedule, even if it's only once or twice a week. I have posts 5 days a week, one of which is a guest slot, and one a "Field Trip" (and I'm still waiting for more pictures!)

Being a Good Blogger

I've filled all my guest blog spots through April, but I thought I'd repeat this post from a year ago, with my take on being both a good guest and a good host. I can't say I've been a perfect host, but these reminders will help me be a better one for 2011.

And don't forget the big sale from the Backlist Ebook authors!

Suggestions for being a good guest

1. Know what you're getting into. Spend a little time reading the blog where you've requested a guest slot so you know if it's going to serve whatever purpose you have in mind.

2. Does the host provide guidelines? Read them! Follow them! Are there things you shouldn't say? Don't say them. Are there questions to answer? Answer them. Is there a minimum or maximum length? Stick within it.

3. Make a note of the date you're going to be a guest. Set up your own reminders; don't rely on the host. Get your post in early if possible to allow your host time to format in advance.

4. Communicate with the host. Problems arise, especially if you're scheduled months in advance. Give as much warning as possible if there will be problems.

Does Your Blog Roll?

What I'm reading: Straight From the Hip, by Susan Mallery.

I recently hooked up with a group of authors working on promotion/visibility, and (as I am wont to do) assumed that if I knew how to do something, especially something technical, everyone else would. However, a lot of these authors are from the world of print, and slipping into the digital realm is new to them. Since I got a late start into writing, and I've written for several e-publishers, I've been learning this from the get-go.

Sharing sites and posts is a great way for readers to find you, and the sidebar options on Blogger allow lots of options (which they refer to as "Gadgets")

Since blogging has become almost a requirement of any publishing endeavor, and thinking that maybe there are a few of you out there who haven't played with all the features of blogging, I'm using today's post to show a step by step of how to create a Blog Roll if you're using Blogger/Blogspot as your site.

It's Been How Long?

What I'm reading: Infamous, by Suzanne Brockmann

Yesterday, when I started on my usual blog rounds, I noticed that Elizabeth Spann Craig, a frequent visitor here, mentioned that she'd been blogging since May of 2009 and was taking a 'blogcation' for about a week.

That got me thinking ... how long has this blog been around? I went to the archives and discovered I've been here at Terry's Place since July 10, 2006. Over the years, things have changed. I've learned more about the business. I've learned more about blogging. And I've watched the user interface with Blogger change as well.

I thought it would be fun to re-post my initial blog here, and you can see how things have changed. (The following has not been edited.)

Blog Pick of the Day

Quick note: Last night I was notified that yesterday's blog post, "Choices" was chosen as the Red Room pick of the day for today, Tuesday. If you haven't read it, either pop over to Red Room or scroll down--but be sure to come back to read J.L. Wilson's post!

It's Not About Reciprocity

What I'm reading: Death Watch, by John Sandford

Thanks, Susan for your thought-provoking post yesterday, and good luck with writing the book. I hope you do.

We had our first non-family guests the other day—a colleague of both mine and my husband's from my marine mammal conference days, his wife and his mother. They were interested in my writing and asked if they could buy a book, and if I'd autograph it. (No brainer, eh?). But what one said when I signed their books surprised me. She said she probably wouldn't get around to reading it, but she thought it was special to have a book signed by someone she knew.

(Reality intervenes here—while I'd like her to read the book, and like it enough to recommend it to others and maybe even buy another one, I took her money without hesitating.)

One thing I learned was that although writers are very supportive of each other, you can't expect reciprocity. When I first joined my local RWA chapter, authors would show off their new releases, and I'd gladly buy them, regardless of sub-genre, because these were my immediate writing colleagues. It didn't really matter that I probably wouldn't have picked up their books if I didn't know them personally.

All Over the Place

What I'm reading: Welcome to Harmony by Jodi Thomas

I'm doing the clone thing a lot this week. Today, I'm over at Mystery Writing is Murder, Elizabeth Spann Craig's fantastic blog. I'm talking about doing your homework when you write.

Tuesday, July 20th, author Avery Aames will be hosting visitors here. You'll want to be here for that, because it's another foodie post! Yep, her new cozy mystery series features a cheese shop. Now, she had fun doing her homework. Rumor has it there might be recipes. While Avery is greeting readers here, for a change of pace, I'll be blogging at Naughty Author Chicks. When Nowhere to Hide was picked up for review by an erotic site, I got to thinking about the blurred lines between genres, and frequent blog commenter, Wynter Daniels offered me a slot. It's definitely an adult blog, but my post is barely PG-13, I'd say.


Wednesday, the 21st, I'm having my official on line release party. Mark your calendars, because it's going to be a day where commenters and followers can win prizes—lots of prizes. If you're not already a follower of Terry's Place, there's time to hook up. And Twitter followers will have extra chances to win as well. Follow me there or on Facebook: Links are on the "Contact" tab above.


On Friday, July 23rd, I'll be at The Romance Studio, and on August 5th, Patricia Stoltey has invited me to talk about how I became a writer by mistake.

I'm also starting a new monthly contest—my Swag Giveaway. It'll run until August 15th, and details are on my Contest tab above.

So, for the 'meat' of today's blog, get over to Mystery Writing is Murder. Leave a comment over here, over there—I'll be spending some time with family today, but will check in whenever I can.

RomCon Day 1

What I'm reading: Caught, by Harlan Coben

My original plan to leave Divide at a mid-morning hour to arrive for the first official sessions, which began at 2 PM. Easy-peasy. However, I discovered that there was a weapons demonstration/Q&A scheduled for 10 AM, and since that's something that's helpful to me as an author, I revamped my plans.

I got up early, hit the road by 7:30 and made it down the mountain with only one stretch of construction traffic to deal with. I arrived at the hotel with enough time to check in and go to the weapons demonstration. Only trouble—it was canceled. And, of course, it was too early to check into my room.

Remember what I said about bringing your own badge holder? I'm really glad I did. The badges they handed out were very nice, large plastic ones, with a nice lanyard donated by Samhain. But there was no holder. You just wore the badge around your neck.

I "modified" mine by using the nifty holder I brought from home, which allowed me to keep just about everything I needed all together. (And let's hope next time the organizers use a larger font for the names. Sometimes one had to get a little too up close and personal to read them.

If It Ain't Broke...

What I'm reading: The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames.

If you haven't checked in over the weekend, you might not have seen my new blog design yet. I'm going to call it a work in progress, because I haven't figured out how to interpret the "simple" directions provided by Blogger. It's been trial and error more than anything else. My knowledge of HTML consists of being able to put words in italics, bold, or underline them. And I know how to link text to a web URL. That's about it. So when the instructions say, "find this line of code in your template and insert this piece of code, I feel like I'm in Kindergarten. Or worse, because I actually knew most of what they taught us in Kindergarten before I got there. It's more like how I felt in calculus.

I dropped that course second semester, which might not bode well for me getting the blog to behave.

One feature that disappeared was the "keep reading" link. Since I know this created problems for slow-loading browser days, when I saw that Blogger claimed it had a quick and easy (so it said) 'jump link', I … jumped on it. But to use it, you had to change to their new editor. Cringe. New? The old one worked fine most of the time. But I gave it a shot.

New Look?

Found an entirely new blog design system. Probably spent too much time playing around. I can't control all the elements--at least I haven't figured out how, but this seems to work. Any impressions?

And as long as we're on the subject of blogs, I was interviewed about blogging here. I wouldn't mind a comment or two.

The Gratification of Connectivity

Thanks to Marie for giving us some ways to overcome the procrastination bug.


When I started this blog, it was simply because I'd sold a short story to The Wild Rose Press, and they encouraged their authors to have a blog. I was relatively clueless about what I had to talk about, but since talking is never much of a problem for me, I figured I'd give it a shot, and chat about things I found interesting, and if they related to writing, so much the better. I didn't consider it a "writing" site, and didn't try to come up with a clever name. I figured it would be more like a chat over coffee, the way we moms did it when our kids were in pre-school. So it's just "Terry's Place" even if that might not have marketing potential. I don't feel like changing it now.

I learned some of the basics, such as how to include pictures, and with help from the support forums, how to split my posts so readers could scan the beginnings of a week's worth of posts on a single page. (Admittedly that script is still a challenge from time to time, but it works reasonably well for most readers).

Reflections on Blogging

At the start of the year, I opened my blog to once-a-week guests, and, looking back, as we are wont to do at this time of year, I've learned a few things I think are worth sharing, and things I'll try to do better in 2010.

Suggestions for being a good guest

1. Know what you're getting into. Spend a little time reading the blog where you've requested a guest slot so you know if it's going to serve whatever purpose you have in mind.

2. Does the host provide guidelines? Read them! Follow them! Are there things you shouldn't say? Don't say them. Are there questions to answer? Answer them. Is there a minimum or maximum length? Stick within it.

3. Make a note of the date you're going to be a guest. Set up your own reminders; don't rely on the host. Get your post in early if possible to allow your host time to format in advance.

4. Communicate with the host. Problems arise, especially if you're scheduled months in advance. Give as much warning as possible if there will be problems.

One of those days

Ben by Daniel Shelton

Some days, that's just about right. Dealing with my last official work days.

The dreaded synopsis, continued.

What I'm reading: Payment in Kind by J.A. Jance (along with Daphne and Touch of Magic reads).

What I'm working on: A marketing plan (ugh) and the dreaded synopsis.

And check out today's post at The Graveyard Shift. Agent Janet Reid discusses blogging and promotion.


Yesterday we met Dalton. Miri's a little more troublesome. It must be because I tend to like my heroes a whole lot more than my heroines. Even though all of my early books began with the heroines, somehow, the books turned into "he" books. True, in a romance, they're usually almost equal--but there's usually one who's more equal than the other, and for me, it's become clear it's the hero. Must be why my next books begin with the hero front and center. Do you prefer "he" books or "she" books?

Anyway -- here's Miri. Suggestions? Comments? Leave you cold?

Street-smart Miri Chambers wants nothing more than to help everyone at the Galloway House shelter find a new and productive life. It's more than a job. Galloway House saved her and her sister years ago when they escaped an impoverished and abusive life in New Orleans. So when her sister begs Miri to crash a black-tie gala to make sure the secrets of their less-than-savory past remain buried, she accepts the challenge. To deny her sister would be like not breathing.

Although Miri's left her street days behind, some instincts won't go away. When she's snooping in the host's study, confronted by two men who obviously have no business being there either, she reflexively lifts one's wallet. In the darkened room, all she knows is the wallet's owner is Texan and smells delightfully like sandalwood. Old habits die hard, and a little insurance never hurts, even if you're not sure it's insurance when you take it.

Guest Blogging: Needlepoint Approach to Plotting

I'm guest blogging at Romance Junkies about my Needlepoint approach to plotting. Stop by http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/ and leave a comment, and you'll be entered in a drawing for a free download.

See you there!