I wanted to address some additional blogging issues that I have encountered.

Reblogging Other Writers Work: Having your work reblogged-as long as you are properly cited- is considered one of the highest compliments in the blogging world.  To reblog or not to reblog another writer’s work can be a hard decision to make when you are first starting out.  When I was first starting out, I would occasionally reblog other people’s work.  The good news is that it would often bring more traffic onto my blog but then I would get really depressed if my new followers  greeted other people’s writing with more enthusiasm than they were giving mine.

This is much less of an issue now as the quality of my writing has improved as well as my confidence.  I am pretty ecumenical about reblogs.  Sometimes I reblog writing from my favorite established writers (Olde Punk, Candice Lousia Daquin, S.K. Nicholas, Lois E. Linkens, Nicole Lyons and Jasper Kerkau are just a few.) Sometimes I reblog people who I have just discovered who I think are so terrific that I think my readers will think are terrific too.  I have recently published exciting work by Dom at Bold, Beat. . . &Nipless, Devereaux Frazier, ohellino, S Francis, Ryan Kelton, Aakriti Kuntal, Christina Strigas, and Hudson Biko Mwalagho.

One my favorite things about having almost 700 followers, many who read me regularly, is being able to pay it forward for other writers.  The support of the Sudden Denouement Literary Collective and Felicia Denise was invaluable in getting me exposure to an audience who my writing speaks to.  Their support is a debt I can never fully repay.

Guest Blogs:  Lots of guides to WordPress recommend not writing guest blogs or posting guest blogs.  I have written one guest blog and it was a perfectly fine experience.  I don’t think the blog I wrote for is even still active but it wasn’t a bad or exploitative experience.  If the blog otherwise fits your values and aesthetics and you are welcome to reblog to your own blog, I say trust your own judgement on this one. I have been talking to a couple of people about writing guest blogs for Brave and Reckless.  I don’t need the content—I am a very prolific writing– but I have a couple of friends and acquaintances with amazing writing voices who are trying to decide if they want to blog and I am happy to let them get their toes wet here.

Collaborations: I was always the person who hated group assignments in school.  Ironically, I have discovered that I love to collaborate on creative writing projects.  In fact, another writer sending me a stanza to play with is like a Christmas present.  Each collaboration is its own journey.  Sometimes collaborations work best when they are a dialogue (Uncharted Nights, Careless Whisper) and sometimes words can be woven in a way that you no longer remember what you wrote and what your partner wrote (Our Undertow).  Sometimes I write with one other person, sometimes many (The Weyward Sisters: Hand in Hand.)

Collaborations are creativity challenging and exciting and great way to really get to know another writer.

Reblogging Your Own Work:  I write a lot. I try to write daily. It occurred to me recently that many of my older pieces were only read by a handful of people because I only had a few followers.  It has been a good experience for me creatively (and sometimes deeply illuminating emotionally) to go back and revisit these older pieces.  Sometimes when I revisit a piece I only remove a word or two.  Sometimes I take something with good bones and transform it.  It is all part of my journey as a writer and takes pressure off of me when the ideas are not flowing as easily.

Experienced WordPress bloggers, feel free to add your advice for new bloggers below.

To read more blogging advice, visit:

Brave and Reckless’Advice for New WordPress Bloggers– Part 1

Brave and Reckless’ Advice for New WordPress Bloggers– FAQ

© 2017 Christine Elizabeth Ray – All rights Reserved