Once again I failed to fire off my weekly news round-up on Friday (for which I apologise), and it got me thinking about blogging.
What’s it all about, eh? Why do we blog? Just what are we trying to achieve? Recently a few writers have attempted to stir up a debate around the question of bloggers’ books, suggesting that in some way blogs are purely a marketing tool, a means of getting book deals. This seems a little reductive. Some people blog because they like talking and writing about and eating food – it’s a ‘creative outlet’ and a jolly good one at that.
Others, yes, write blogs because they want to take their food writing further. It’s a living portfolio, the writing equivalent of playing unsigned gigs. Quite why this should be controversial I’m not sure, though the fact that no one has bitten at any of these vague attempts to whip up conflict would rather suggest that no one really cares.
But the blog itself, why do it? I mean, for you there’s the ‘creative outlet’, for a commissioning editor at Random House it’s a glittering expose of your writing talents and your willingness to ferret out acute e’s from the bowels of your laptop. But what’s your reader – the average person sitting bored at their desk – getting out of it?
The best blogs are those written with enthusiasm, love, and knowledge. Their excitement about food jumps off the page and is gobbled straight up by a reader who is entertained and informed for a few minutes.
So it’s often said that you should never blog for the sake of it. Don’t write a blog post just because you haven’t written for two weeks. To a point I agree. On the occasions that I don’t do a weekly food news thingamajig it’s usually because either not much has happened or because I’m just too busy/tired/hungover. I don’t want to spank out a half-arsed account of the week’s non-happenings littered with typo’s speling mistaikes and pour grammer, because my reader will get nothing from it.
But I’m not entirely convinced that this argument holds all that much water. I think as blogging continues to grow so too does a blogger’s responsibility to their readers. If you make a promise – spoken or unspoken – to provide a service, then you should stick to it. Whether that’s with weekly news or recipes or restaurant reviews or whatever, you gain credibility by being reliable.
Ultimately the beauty of a blog is it’s up to you, the blogger. There’s no editor tapping you on the shoulder and imposing deadlines and that’s great. But to assume it’s all about when you do and don’t fancy writing is to undervalue your readers. Of course, it’s the blogger who will suffer as their readers drop off. What I’m ham-handedly trying to say is that good blogging is about more than just writing a post when you want to. Oh, and that I’m sorry when I’m feckless and lazy and fail to deliver my promise of weekly food news. I hope you’ll bear with me.
Am I way off the mark here? Do you like a sporadic blog or do you want one that provides regular, reliable posts? Who are your favourite bloggers and why?
I’m not sure frequency is what counts. I reckon that a half-arsed or slapdash blog post is worse than no blog post at all. My favourite blogs are those which are reliably well-written and entertaining, so obviously I’m happiest when that’s done regularly, but bad, boring or obviously under-considered blog posts put me off very fast.
Of course, all of this is just a pathetic attempt at self-vindication on my part. No other way I can justify posting so rarely.
I very much agree. What I’m saying is that a good blogger makes the effort to write a decent post even when perhaps it’s not quite what they feel like.
Great post.
From my point of view, I blog because I enjoy it. I’m not aiming for a book deal or a writing career – when I moved to Bristol two years ago, I was amazed at how much the city appeared to love its food and drink, and I decided that I would share things that I’d discovered. Whether or not people wanted to read it was up to them!
The blog’s gone from strength to strength since then. It’s a bit of a mixture: restaurant reviews, profiles of local food and drink-related businesses and individuals, promotion of upcoming events and general news about the Bristol area, including offers, new openings and the like. There’s a hell of a lot going on in the city (plus I’m also holding down a full time job!) so it’s hard to publish everything that I’d like to, but I try my best.
Ultimately, I tend to write about stuff that I’M interested in – after all, I set up the blog to catalogue my experiences. It’s getting to the stage, though, where I’m getting more and more emails from PR people and restaurants, asking me to publicise stuff. And it’s for this reason that I’m moving to create a brand new Bristol food and drink website – still with a blogging element – that’ll allow me to cover all bases more appropriately…
That seems like an eminently sensible way of progressing with the blog – bravo! x
I’ve been thinking long and hard about why I blog and, although a large part is to spread some love for and knowledge of Burmese food, to be honest I like to entertain people, which makes me sound like a bit of a clown but it’s true.
I guess it’s vanity mixed with insecurity – I want people to think I’m funny or clever, and occasionally I get the odd comment which makes me think, “Yes, I’m quite good at this”.
I used to sing and act and both those things were driven by the same need to entertain, but you need to rehearse and that’s a big commitment. Blogging is actually an easier outlet for me.
A common thing that people have said about meemalee’s kitchen is they’re not able to categorise it. It’s not specifically a restaurant review blog, or a recipe blog, and sometimes the posts aren’t even tangentially food-related.
But that’s the other reason why I keep blogging – it entertains me too. If I thought I had to tailor the content to please readers, frankly I’d give up.
Totally agree with MiMi on motivations for blogging. It’s a very convenient way of getting assurance of your ability to write, to make people giggle, to make crude puns and find ridiculous images. Or, uh, cook if you’re an actual real-life grown up rather than a 6’5 child.
I’m a 5’4″ child (are you really 6’5″? Excellent).
Well you’re lucky in that you very much do please your readers.
And you’re right, I should have said more specifically “if you don’t like it then don’t bother”. My point was more that, on occasion, when you’re not necessarily in the mood, it’s still important to remember to respect your readers.
I forgot to mention that I do try to blog once a fortnight at least, just in case I do have some regular readers 😀
I’m with you on pretty much all of the above. Your thoughts on frequency of blogging and whether you owe your readers are particulary pertinent to me right now – for as much as I have said in the past that you should only blog if and when you want to, I’m feeling guilty for not having posted anything for 10 days or so. It’s good to feel a sense of duty to your readers; whilst you shouldn’t kill yourself to post, or write something just for the sake of it (and it’s likely to therefore be boring) I’m always disappointed when my favourite blogs aren’t updated for a while. Someone (though probably just my Mum) might be thinking the same about mine right now.
Guilt – ah yes, I know that feeling.
Very interesting article – thank you for posting it.
I’ve only recently started blogging and when I mentioned it to people they often asked ‘what do you want to get out of it’? I’m realistic in the sense that I know there are maybe only a handful of people actually reading it and once I realised that and continued to write it became clearer I was doing it mainly for myself. I keep a photo blog journal elsewhere and know how satisfying it’s been to look back on my little diary and see my photographic progression; I’m hoping to do the same with my baking.
I did recently have ‘bloggers guilt’ because after a period of baking failures, didn’t post for a couple of weeks. Then I realised that as long as I keep it up and don’t go weeks and weeks without posting, I’m still quite happy with it. It’s sort of like the gym where it takes ages to build up going but once you’re there you couldn’t be happier!!
Ultimately I want to look back at both my baking successes and failures and know what to try again and what to leave by the side of the ‘baking road’.
I’m not sure I entirely agree with what you say; yes, readership might drop off if you don’t blog for a while, but I don’t think I should feel obliged to blog, to feel guilty if I haven’t for a while. After all, it’s my hobby, my effort and I don’t do it to gain more readers. Good readers will come back (or do I have too much faith in my readers…?) and after all, that’s what a Google Reader is for. I wouldn’t unfollow a blog for not posting frequently enough.
I’m not saying you necessarily blog to get more readers, but if bloggers want the level of respect that they seem to then there needs to be a certain level of respect offered in return.
That doesn’t go for everyone of course, and you’re right in saying that as your hobby it shouldn’t be a chore.
Have to pick up on this point, ‘if bloggers want the level of respect that they seem to’: this is to assume that all bloggers are and act the same. I have absolutely no yearning for or expectation of respect from anyone. I have never said and would never say that I want or deserve ‘respect’ for having a hobby, any more than my mother would expect ‘respect’ for going to pottery class on a Monday afternoon.
Apologies:
* if bloggers want the level of respect that SOME seem to
is what I should have written.
Why would posting infrequently be disrespectful?
I guess what I’m saying is that if you are suggesting a level of output – 2 posts a week, 1 a month, whatever – and then you don’t write anything for ages, it’s a bit of a let down for your readers. Perhaps respect is the wrong word.
It’s not about frequency – if you post once a month then fine – but consistency. For my own part, I’ve made a commitment to post food news every week. One person might read it, a hundred might, I dunno. But it’s a commitment and it’s a cop-out when I don’t.
You’re very good at posting regularly and – apart from the fact that the content is fab – that is one of the reasons you’re popular.
I dunno, maybe I’m way off.
One of the main reasons I blog is for the social aspect. It’s just a great way to meet people with similar interests; both bloggers and people more involved in the industry that I’d otherwise never have the chance to meet.
It’s also a learning experience. After five years of blogging about chocolate, I’m still learning about the industry every day. I would never have thought that possible when I started.
From a reader’s point of view, I’d much rather read a great post on a blog I love every few weeks, or even less regularly, whenever the author feels inspired, than read formulaic filler posts week after week.
I’m not sure regularity of posts matters much, I think most people read blogs via RSS feeders, so they’ll see new blog posts pop up whether they are 2 days or 20 days apart.
I’m delighted that blogger friends have been able to take the talent they’ve demonstrated in their blogs and get a book deal and/ or food writing career. As you say, no different to playing free gigs for enjoyment but also hoping you might get a record deal. Why not?
For me, I realised I’d been stealth blogging for years, I took personal enjoyment in recording my food experiences and ended up saving them on my ‘puter, emailing them to friends and family (who, frankly, had varying degrees of interest) and sharing them on food chat boards. When I realised, I decided I’d set up my own blog so I could have all my ramblings in one place.
I’d by lying if I didn’t say I take my readers into account when writing – if I were writing 100% for myself, I’d not bother sharing personal history or mini-essays on history or other things I already know myself. But at the same time, it’s about enjoying that act of interacting with readers, whilst still doing the blogging for my own pleasure.
I don’t have any illusions that my writing is good enough to afford me a living in the industry but I enjoy it for what it is.
A very interesting topic this, and one which reflects an increasing perception that blogging, once seen purely as a hobby, is now being taken more seriously, seen in some quarters as a quasi-profession and one which should have its standards and responsibilities codified and formalised.
Personally I think it is being taken *too* seriously, to the extent that (for me at least) the fun is being taken out of it and I have, on several occasions recently, though about giving it up. I blog for the love of writing, and choose restaurants as my subject because I eat out so much (too much) and thus have a fairly constant supply of material about which to write. If readers want more (or more frequent) posts from a blog they follow then that of course should be enormously flattering for the blogger, but in terms of whether bloggers have ‘a responsibility to their readers’, I’m really not sure. Let’s remember that the writing and reading of any blog is entirely voluntary; infrequent or sporadic posts harm no-one, cost no-one any money or time and if readers choose to go elsewhere for their fix then another blog or publication in fact benefits.
To expect too much of bloggers, or their readers, is to make harder-than-necessary work out of something which should be – or at least, used to be – jolly good fun.
On a lighter note, you asked which other blogs readers like. As well as yours (no false flattery here, you know this to be true!), I thoroughly enjoy living vicariously the hilariously decadent life of The Uncommon Client (http://theuncommonclient.wordpress.com/) and always read Chris Pople’s entertaining, informed and occasionally infuriating Cheese & Biscuits (http://www.chrispople.com) – even though, since we’re on the subject, he arguably posts TOO often – sometimes two to three times a week, making it hard for the reader to keep up!
Posting TOO often – now that’s a controversial one too! And goes back to the question of whether bloggers are posting for themselves, or for their readers.
In a further attempt at self-justification: I’ve been known to post two or three times a day. At other times, I’ve posted maybe once per week. It all depends on the content, I guess – if there are plenty of exciting things happening in Bristol, then I (possibly sometimes mistakenly?) assume that people will want to hear about it. I think “rules” for frequency of posts are very dependent on the subject matter…
Woah, three times a day?!
Sometimes! An example would be where there are multiple events happening on one particular day/weekend and there aren’t enough days in the week to promote one per day! They’re only short posts, mind – generally just “bare bones” details with a link to the event organiser’s website. Not proper blog posts that involve a lot of thought 🙂
Yes I see; well that kind of makes sense I suppose, J
Thanks very much Hugh, and of course yours and James’ blogs are both in my top 5. If I’m only occasionally infuriating though I must be doing something wrong – I promise to try harder in future.
P.S. I forgot to pay my domain bill and chrispople.com is currently down… http://cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com is where it’s at 🙂
Honestly Chris, if you spent less time being infuriating and more on admin, things like this wouldn’t happen… 😉
Some really interesting points here. And the sheer volume of responses to your post in just a few minutes shows how many blogs there are out there…which I guess is why posting fairly regularly is important to keep yourself on your readers’ radar. People are so fickle in an online world where there are so many brilliant blogs to read. Having said that, there are a few of my favourite blogs which I’ll always return to simply because I love the quality of writing, whatever it might be about.
For me, blogging is simply a fun creative outlet. I love sharing recipes and thoughts with friends and the wider world, the process of writing, the fact that having a blog can make me more adventurous in restaurants and the kitchen and yes, maybe showing off just a little bit too. Keep up the good work – I’ll be coming back even if you leave me hanging for a few days 🙂
The longer I blog (seven years last month!), the less I care about stats and all the other things I used to care about. I’m with Hugh. I have absolutely no yearning for or expectation of respect from anyone. If it comes, it comes.
Somewhat related…David Lebovitz posted this on Twitter yesterday… cracked me up…
A blog of posts of bloggers apologizing for not posting…
http://sorry.coryarcangel.com/
(My rule since Day 1 has always been to never apologize for not posting. The moment I start doing that is when I start thinking about my site more as a job than just a weird sort of outlet for me. I prefer having no responsibility.)
I pretty much agree with your points.
I keep various blogs, one on livejournal, which is my personal blog and mainly intended for friends and a diary for me, and one on dreamwidth (linked from my name above) which is mainly my photography and cooking as well as other subjects that might be of interest to more people (e.g. restaurant and gig/album reviews).
I only blog when I have something to say or exciting photos from a new shoot to show off.
All of this is just a hobby, I don’t want to be a food/music/other write (and I don’t think I’m particularly good at it) but I do think that I have something to show occasionally.
It seems that most bloggers that have replied here try to keep blogging casual, a way of squeezing creative juices, and that is wholeheartedly how I like to write mine.
I can’t pretend, though, that a blog isn’t a brilliant way of showcasing your ideas – an online portfolio that you can bring up in an instant to someone who wants to know how you write, cook and put yourself about. I’d love to know who doesn’t think about the way their blogs can be a more attractive read to potential followers…
Saying that, I have just posted a photograph of my sister’s carrot yeild, which is more a joy to put up for me than I imagine it will be for readers…
Super post. x
Everyone likes funny carrots.
Why do we blog ? This is a question that has been discussed many a time at bloggers’ get togethers and there are so many reasons.
I started my blog to record places that I have visited, share recipes and travel stories with friends. It seems much easier than updating a word doc and emailing it out to people when they ask for restaurant recommendations.
I blog sporadically when the inspiration ariese and I tend to write what I think about restaurants, products, events etc. No filters.
I don’t know if anyone reads my blog and I have no clue about the demographics but even if I did, I would find it really difficult to write to an audience as it might mean changing my style which is probably impossible.
Mostly I do it for fun and I might learn something from other bloggers along the way.
I agree that it has to be for fun. As soon as it becomes a chore you might as well not bother. But part of that fun is surely the interaction with people and the immediacy of blogging. If you’re not consistent then you quickly lose that relationship with your readers.
I blogged in the first instance to catch a publishers attention. I read that it was a way of showcasing your writing.
However, I have a following and I regard it more now as a journal. It’s personal .. but there is a community and this is what I love. There is interest, support, debate, information, feedback and even friendship amongst like minded people.
Reading a familiar blog is like catching up with an old friend. I’m not one to pull a person’s spelling, grammar of content apart. The very fact that a person is sharing a part of their food life is great. . Long live blogging and bloggers!
Vanessa
x
BTW I also noticed one blogger trying to stir up a debate .. but I ignored them as they were is such a muddle over their facts.
The community is certainly an important aspect, as evidenced by the number of bloggers posting on this thread.
And yes, that particular muddle was a funny one.
I do think that this is a really interesting topic so thanks, as others have said, for bringing it up. I started my blog, in part, as an ever accessible recipe book when I was at uni – I wanted to be able to cook my favourite flapjack recipe anywhere – and it went from there. I generally write for me but I’ll sometimes write with others in mind when I’ve struggled to find information and want to make it easier for others. Nigel Slater recently said: “I still get a buzz out of sharing recipes. Some people write stories, others tell jokes, I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That’s all it is. A meal shared with strangers. And I can’t think of anything I want to do more.” (in the Guardian) which certainly strikes some chords with me. I’m fascinated by the psychological aspect to blogging and the “why’s” behind it all.
I like to write frequently but partly because it keeps my creative juices flowing. Once I get out of the habit, it’s a struggle to climb back in and sift through the mountain of notes and ideas that have piled up (both physically and mentally) during a writing drought. As you’ve said, James, I prefer to be regular rather than frequent and I find that I’m drawn to regular posters in the blogs that I read most.
Sarah
PS: I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one that suffers from “Bloggers Guilt”… Strange affliction!
Well said Nigel!
And you’re right – once you get out of the habit of posting it takes a while to get back into it.
J
Belter of a post topic, James.
The quality of the content/writing is all that keeps me coming back to blogs (although increasingly, as I get to know the people who write the blogs, I guess a curiosity for nosey-parking the details of their days also plays a part). Like all enjoyable things, absence truly does make the heart grow fonder, so I’m always rather happy to be kept waiting a few extra days than the norm’ for a blogger to post. I return fairly regularly to the blogs I love and like (I don’t rely on Readers to alert me, but increasingly follow links out from Twitter). But by reading in this way, my memory tends to lapse and I forget to check in on blogs for chunks of weeks and months at a time. I’m guilty, for instance, of not looking in on yours for a while (despite it being one of the ones I find freshest and enjoy the most). Your tweet was the reconnection I’d been waiting for (which has now also led me to bookmark your previous post about train food).
Which brings me to a tangential point: how do bloggers feel Twitter supports what they do? And are they aware of the identity/style/ego that they employ on their blog as being different to the one that they use on Twitter?
A curveball!
“Are [bloggers] aware of the identity/style/ego that they employ on their blog as being different to the one that they use on Twitter?”
Some people more so than others. I would say I’m the same on Twitter as I am on my blog and, indeed, in real life (though a tad shyer).
Unfortunately I tend to assume this is the same of other people.
I would blog more often but I just simply don’t have the time, what with the ghosting I do for AA Gill, Giles, Jay, Nige, er Deliah etc etc etc…………………..
That must be hard work…
Deliah? Damn, messed that one up didn’t I? What a cock………….I’ll get me coat…..
Most of what I wanted to say has already been captured in detail, some good points there about keeping it casual and as an outlet.
Picking up on Fiona’s point from above, I think the UK is still very much growing up in terms of blogging and as a result we’re still figuring out what works best in terms of balance – are you influenced by your readers and what they like or do you go out and report about whatever you are the most passionate about.
Good to see so many bloggers posting here, there are quite a few I’ve not heard of yet, looking forward to reading them all when I get a chance!
L
I think if you can write with passion then whatever interests you will interest your readers. If your blog is a random series of giveaways and promotions then it’s no use to anyone.
Reposting this as it had an embarrassing number of typos in it, due to a somewhat, er, exhausting weekend ….
Interesting question – one which every blogger must identify with. I’ve noticed that the big American food bloggers like Pioneer Woman and David Lebovitz (albeit in Paris) post more regularly than many of us in the UK.
There are so many blogs now that I think blogging has to offer the reader something of real value. Recipes you want to try. Information you can’t get any other way or not without a fair amount of effort. (I like your weekly news round-up for example – not that I’m beating you up for not doing it last week ;-)) . Entertainment too but I generally turn to Twitter for that.
Is the time it takes up justifiable? I ask myself that a lot. Clearly it’s now a well-established path to becoming an author but unless that drives you I wonder why we all do it? Maybe as a creative outlet as you suggest. As a writer I enjoy taking and being able to use my own pictures, for example. Or simply to share and connect things you discover in which case you do it as and when you want to.
Really enjoyable post and replies. I have to say I agree with the view that less often but interesting posts rather than ‘regular’ is what I prefer to read. I’ve read blogs for many years before starting mine 2 years ago and, like Kavey, I use a RSS reader to alert me to new posts as well as Twitter alerts. And while I do suffer from the occasional guilt pang from not posting enough I know that happens because I like to be happy with the content before I ‘go public’.
Blogging for me is a hobby, a creative outlet and also a way to meet a community of friendly folk who want to share their creativity. If you’ve got something to say, post, if not then don’t.
As for why I ‘read’ a food blog, well, I look for something more than a simple recipe whether that be photography, illustration, a recommendation or a well-written story.
Good question though : )
I’m talking about consistency, not regularity. If you post consistently once a month then fine. Readers know what they’re getting. But it’s sloppy and careless to post thrice in a week and then go off radar for a month, in my opinion.
And at the risk of sounding like a dick, if you can’t find anything interesting to write about every week or so then just why the hell are you writing a food blog?
I’m one of those ‘sporadic bloggers’ who has never quite been able to stick to a schedule or blog regularly much as I would like to. I’m a serial procrastinator and a lack of self-discipline when I don’t have an external deadline to meet, combined with other issues at home mean I’ve left it weeks and even months before without a post. When this happens, I do feel horribly guilty, although more so if I’ve been to an event I wanted to blog about but haven’t found the time than to my readers. Then again I’m an ex-Catholic middle class liberal, so I feel guilty about everything.
This isn’t much of an answer I suppose. I agree that good bloggers are those who post regularly and consistently, something I continue to strive towards if I can ever sort my shit out. That said I don’t think all bloggers, or perhaps even any bloggers, should feel obliged to continue doing so. It is after all a hobby and if they choose to stop for any length of time it is their choice to do so. They may lose readers but I think that’s a matter of good blogging vs bad blogging rather than an insult to those readers they’ve lost.
Oddly something I would find worse than sporadic posting in a blog would be confusing posts that are utterly off topic. Again, I’m guilty of doing this myself once, but don’t think I’d do it again. Occasional fun or different posts can keep a blog interesting but I would feel like I was doing a diservice to any readers if I suddenly started posting about surrealist art or ancient creatures of the deep or something equally random when that’s not part of my stated manifesto (is manifesto the right word?).
Interesting that one of the recurring themes here is guilt for not posting, which is certainly unnecessary but interesting to see how many people do feel bad if they haven’t posted for a while.
I wonder if perhaps it’s self-guilt more than anything, feeling like you’ve let yourself down for not sticking to it and keeping things consistent? I don’t think that would be unreasonable, we all have unfinished projects which haunt the corners of our minds (and often the corners of our houses), glaring with their unfinished faces. As a blog is never really “finished” though the only measure of completeness would be to regularly post, hence feeling bad when you know you’ve put it to one side and ignored it.
I’m always posting about random sh*t – mainly music.
I have no manifesto or mission apart from the one on my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/BurmeseKitchen?sk=info 🙂
Your manifesto rocks, MiMi!
Gosh, ‘careless’ and ‘sloppy’ seems a bit harsh? Why would that be so?
Surely there are no rules to how often to blog. That’s what makes it so accessible. As all the replies so far show, people write blogs for all different reasons and have different views on how often to blog. There is no one ‘correct’ viewpoint really. Which is just as well because then someone would be ‘wrong’. And we all hate being wrong : )
Haha, yes sorry. That was probably careless and sloppy. Inconsistent I suppose is all it is. As I acknowledge in the post, I myself am inconsistent, and was merely suggesting that perhaps I ought not to be and explaining why I felt that.
And yes, of course there is no ‘correct’ viewpoint. It’s just my point of view and I am keen to hear others’.
Looking through your book the other day I noticed the hash tags which got me thinking along the lines of your post. Mostly that blogs can be a lot better than books and newspaper articles, links, videos, layers of information to click through, it’s a much more suitable media for food writing than my static Telegraph column, or my book whose recipes i would already like to adapt. However I get a good salary from my weekly column money from books, because I get paid to write I can prioritise it over some other less developed projects I have on the go.
Do any bloggers make any money through there online content? It feels that for it to be really sustainable you need to be getting some income, otherwise for aspiring young writers looking for a career food in writing a blog is only ever a means to an end.
God, tell me about it. I wish we were in Harry Potter land and could tweak our books everywhere with the flick of a wand.
Don’t think many bloggers – certainly not UK ones – make a living directly from their blog, but for me it’s not so much a means to an end as a ‘side project’. Something I can do myself, post recipes that wouldn’t fit in a book, post thoughts that don’t really have a place in print media, and do bits and bobs like food news.
As you point out, the always-moving nature of blogs is what is so appealing, which is why I struggle to get my head around a blog that is updated only once in a blue moon.
Having scanned through the comments above, I started to question why I blogged. Initially I required an outlet for the rumours & gossip that I heard from within the industry, then I realised that I was getting the adrenalin rush I used to get from a good Saturday night service at the stoves (which is now sadly missing) when I was going to be the first to break a story.
After this I questioned what I wanted to see, proven recipes from starred kitchens, the thoughts of leading chefs that nobody asked about. But also a way to help more junior staff get a foothold in the quality kitchens.
Now my blog lies somewhere between serious foodies & professional chefs. I prefer the magazine aspect of my blog, which has various series and fixed features so there is a sense of regular posts.
Having said all this, I’ve spoken to loads of interesting people who, ordinarily I wouldn’t have had the chance to engage with. Lots of chefs, PR’s & journalists each contributing in some way to improving my blog, with little nuggets I hadn’t thought of or dared not do.
Nice post. I seem to have gone from posting once a week to once every couple of weeks or once a month. That’s not by design. I have plenty to write about, and would like to be posting every week. But there is a tension between doing something well and doing it regularly, especially as many of us have full-time jobs that aren’t related to the blog.
I’d prefer to spend longer and get it right (though I appreciate I may not always manage that), than to dash something off in 5 minutes just because I haven’t posted for a while. And when real life intrudes, in the form of house moves, work-related travel/stress, or even just a lot of 30th birthday parties (the curse of being born in 1981/2), it’s pretty tough to find the time.
Most weeks, I begin with good intentions. Most weeks, I don’t quite manage to live up to them.
p.s. I am aware of the irony of leaving a lengthy comment on someone else’s blog post while lamenting the lack of time to write my own.
“But there is a tension between doing something well and doing it regularly, especially as many of us have full-time jobs that aren’t related to the blog.”
*nods head wearily*
Blimey James… i’ve never seen so many replies… clearly a topic which is close to many people’s hearts… I for one pretty much agree with your post and that guilt plays a big part in it all but I would NEVER post just for the sake of it… I think what a lot of people don’t appreciate is just how darn hard work it is to keep going but for me it’s a good kind of hard work which i love. Very Much…. but there are all kinds of funny un-spoken written rules and protocols too which one feels one must adhere to so as not to piss people off such as commenting and replying or not… I do it firstly for the love of food and writing but I cannot deny that I love the attention and love too… and I really love the international aspect of it… what i dislike is the clique-iness that some blogger communities have… and there seems to be quite a bit of London snobbery too… but most people are lovely and it is a free space… you put yourself out-there and you can switch off at free will. Another thing i will say re frequency is that if you decide to create a ‘weekly news item’ then it should be weekly… yours is informative and I greatly enjoy it.
my issue is that i will be without a kitchen for 2 weeks from this Friday onwards… what do I write about then?
I know! It rather enforces the (IMO fairly erroneous view) that only bloggers read blogs.
Anyway….yes you’re right that my news thing is weekly so it should be weekly. It’s a commitment. And of course, if you don’t fancy blogging, don’t blog, but the point I’m trying to make – clearly not very well – is that the very essence of a blog is its immediacy, its community, its ability to generate discussion, to be relevant, current, and fluid. All of that is lost if you only post once a month.
When you are kitchenless the obvious solution is to do a two week feature on ‘cooking without a kitchen’. Easy 😉
I’m probably the only one anal enough to do this, but I often find that I have one day here and there during which I have time to write not just one but two or three or even four posts. (I always have a backlog of things I’m eager to write/ share but haven’t got to yet).
I think it makes more sense to spread them out so I use the inbuilt post date/ time thingummy to set them to post every 3-4 days.
So, most of the time, though not all, I already have some posts written and scheduled to go up over the next 10 days.
You could do similar if you wanted, by writing a few extra in advance.
Or, I rather like James’ idea of writing a post on cooking without a kitchen!
Pot shrimps not thoughts?
I think that might have to be the tack from here on in…
Balls, this was excellent and provided lots of discussion – would welcome more of the same
Very interesting topic James. Well for me I started blogging as a journal because I want to become a better cook. I don’t know other food bloggers exist until I started blogging. I don’t aim for book deals or publicity, but I do enjoy the attention and comments from some whom now I call friends. I read a mixture of blogs (sporadic and regular) and for me it doesn’t really matter. If it’s a good one, I know it’ll worth the wait.
I started my blog to give my boyfriend some peace! Also a lot of my friends don’t reach the same levels of food obsession as I do so it was a (slightly selfish) way of having big rambles about what I wanted to talk about. Reading other peoples blogs (particularly the beautiful Orangette) inspired me to do the same. I have a career in food but I want to make it better so there is no better way of learning from others than joining this world.
In terms of regular posting it is something that I find difficult. I feel the guilt constantly so I am considering not making each post such a big thing (story, information, recipe) as days off are rare.
I’ve never ever regretted it and still find the whole experience fascinating, if a little overwhelming at times.
I’ve been on holiday so a little late to this. Great post and comments, from my perspective I started blogging for exactly the reason that James states as a “creative outlet”. I love eating out and I wanted to write about the places I’d been, as much for myself as anyone else.
I then moved to Buenos Aires and kept blogging and through doing that met some great people who became really good friends and found out about restaurants that I would never have heard of otherwise. I didn’t have the biggest readership in the world but I’ve enjoyed doing it and the people I met through it were brilliant.
I’m moving back to London now and hope the blog will help me meet some more people who love food as much as I do!
I think it is like saying that as an author you should write books even if you don’t want to or the creativity isn’t there because you owe it to your readers.
What you owe your readers is a good read. They will wait for that good read because that is why they follow. So when you get lazy and feckless and your life gets in the way, you take the pause you think you need to so that you are true to yourself. Being true to yourself keeps it real and that’s okay if it ends up being sporadic. (Good ‘small talk’ posts can work too when the meaty stuff is still simmering in the brain. Don’t we do that all the time in real life?)