1) Why are you writing about blogging now?

This is the weekend of Townhall.com’s Vox Bloguli and the opening of the Blogatorium. So it seems like an opportune time to answer some questions people have about blogging.

2) Should I get a blog?

Why not? If you think you have something to say, why not give it a shot?

3) But most blogs start out with a bang with a lot of posts, and then whimper out. Will I be different?

The problem most people have with blogging is it turns out they have a lot less to say than they thought they did. Their first few days of blogging they pour out their guts, and then they just kind of run out of ammo.

4) Nice mixed metaphor there. Stuff like that makes people think there’s no good writing in the blogosphere. Hope you’re proud of yourself. Anyway, is blogging fun?

For some yes, for others no. For me it is, but even for those who find it enjoyable, it takes some discipline to keep a blog running day after day. That’s another reason a lot of people’s blogging efforts peter out faster than they expected them too. It turns out that actually formulating your opinions into coherent prose day after day can be something of a pain in the ass.

5) Who are you kidding? When you ran Soxblog, you were notorious for letting your blog lie dormant for weeks at a time. So suddenly we’re supposed to accept you as the epitome of blogging discipline?

Hey – pretty argumentative there. Let’s cool it down a bit. I think my unannounced vacations from blogging give me the street credibility to talk about how it can become a grind at times.

6) Okay. Let’s say I start a blog. How do I break through the noise and become noticed?

That’s probably the question most beginning bloggers have on their mind. So like a blind squirrel finding a nut, you’ve finally asked a good question. The -

7) That’s unnecessary! Why must you always -

May I finish? Thank you. The first key to breaking through is obvious – if you’re going to have a blog and you wish to get noticed, make it a good blog. Put in some effort and care. Update it frequently. Keep the typos and grammatical errors to a minimum. Write well. Even put a little thought into making your blog visually appealing.

8) Okay – so let’s say I have a good blog. I write well and often. How do I get an audience? There are seven trillion blogs out there – how do I get my little old blog noticed?

A lot of people say a good way is to make comments on other blogs. I never did that so I don’t know how it works. A lot of people also say trackbacks work. I never did that either, so I also don’t know whether or not that works. But getting links from bigger, more established blogs will get you some fresh eyeballs. If you got a good blog, some of those eyeballs will become fans.

9) How do I get links?

There are two ways to maximize the chances that the big boys will link to you. One is to have a post that breaks news. The other is to have a post that has an original insight.

The first big link I ever got as a blogger came two years ago from Mickey Kaus who linked to a post I did that showed how Adam Nagourney was misrepresenting the results of a New York Times poll. Because it was news, and something no one else said or was saying, Mickey linked to it.

10) How did Mickey know the post was out there? You’re not telling me he was one of the 23 people who was reading Soxblog, are you?

Of course not. He knew about the post because I sent him an email about it.

11) Slut!! Link whore!

Look, none of the big bloggers mind other bloggers sending them emails saying they’ve created a post that deserves a link. We read all the emails, and at least skim the posts. Shrewd self-promotion is part of the deal. But if you actually want to get a link, your best chance is by saying something in your post that either breaks news or is an original insight, i.e. something that no one else has said.

12) I’ve written a post about that Bill Clinton interview with Chris Wallace. And I want a link!!

The chances of you saying something about that interview that no one else in the blogosphere has said are very slim. There have been probably a million blog posts on the subject.

13) But what I said was really good!

I don’t doubt it. Still, getting a link there is a long shot.

14) Do you mind if I send you an email every day with a summary of my day’s blogging activity?

It’s a free country. But if you’re saying all your posts are special, you’ll have to count me as a skeptic. And remember, I said shrewd self-promotion is part of the deal. I’m not sure I would characterize a daily mass mailing to Glenn, Charles, Hugh, MKH, Michelle, Allah, Ace and Goldstein as shrewd.

15) How hard is it to become a widely read blogger?

How hard could it be? Oliver Willis has a sizable audience. The king of the blogosphere is Markos Moulitsas, and no one has ever accused Markos of being a master prose stylist. (To be fair to Markos, his book “Crashing the Gate” is actually quite a good read, and anyone seeking insight into the modern left should read it.)

16) Okay. Let’s say I start tomorrow, and blog well and frequently and all that crap. How long will it take me to break through?

Can’t say for sure. But I will tell you this – I don’t think there are any bloggers who have done it well and consistently for a period of a couple of years and not found an audience. In other words, if you’ve got a little talent and an adequate amount of will, an eventual breakthrough is inevitable. Again, use Oliver Willis as your inspiration. If he’s a popular blogger, how hard can it really be?

17) If I start a blog, will you read it?

Yes. I’ll check it out. If I stick around will depend on you.

Complaints? Compliments? NEED a link? Contact me at Soxblog@aol.com.