Today . . . I am thinking about the one year anniversary of my blog. I can't believe it's already been a year! Why it seems like just yesterday when I was wondering how I would ever have enough to write about for a year, yet alone do it every week, four times a week.
Earlier this month, Kevin Reid, VP of Internet & Social Media at Amplify Public Affairs, posted an interview about my blog and blogging on Amplify's blog Blogger Relations.
Being that this is my one year anniversary, I thought you might life to read about how I got started blogging, and what things I would do differently, if I knew what I know now.
How did you get involved in blogging?
I first became a blogger 18 months ago when I signed-up for Andy Wibbel's "Write Your Book in 45 Days" teleseminar. It was one of those marathon writing seminars where a bunch of crazed writers come to the surface for weekly support and inspiration calls, and then go back under again to write in isolation. Along with these weekly lifeline calls, the other opportunity Andy created for our class was our very own writer’s blog space.
Here, after too many days spent staring glassy-eyed at my computer screen and from an impoverished place of writer’s isolation, I wrote my very first post. Driven from the abject need to connect, and with absolutely no prior instruction and a great amount of timidity, I wrote "Alkamae" in the name box and in the body of the post, something subtle like, "Help! Anyone out there?" And with that . . . my blogging career was born!
It looks like February is the one year anniversary of your blog. Has your blog met your expectations?
Because I had shunned blogging in the past, and never considered how a blog or blogging could be beneficial to my book, my business, or me; I don’t think I had any expectations about my blog.
In fact, I probably wouldn’t have set-up a business blog and begun
blogging in earnest if it hadn’t been for Yvonne DiVita at WME Books.
When I signed on with them to publish my book, one of the conditions of
their contract was that I must have a blog, and that they would help me
set one up and train me how to blog, correctly.
Yvonne is a very savvy blogger. Because of her, I got off to a very strong blogging start. Couple that with some reading I’ve done on my own and the example of other great bloggers, I now have expectations for my blog that are being met.
If you had to start your blog over again, what would you do differently?
First off, I’d design another banner. The banner I have now reflected where I was a year ago. It resonated with me then. If I had to do it over again, I’d design a banner that reflected my most forward thinking vision.
Secondly, I’d be more aggressive in how I reached out to others. I would be more deliberate in finding ways to build community by helping to promote and support others. I’d do more interviews, host more guest bloggers, do more promotional give-aways, and be more entertaining and less serious in my approach (much of which I have already begun doing).
Lastly, I would have spent more time on other people’s sites, seeing what worked and didn’t work, before I started my own blog.
You have just published a book. What role did your blog play in its development? Do the two work together?
Blogging is one of the most strategic things I have done for my book and ranks up there with one of the most powerfully expressive things I’ve ever done for myself. As I was writing my book, I’d post excerpts from my book on my blog to see what kind of response I would get. Often, reader’s comments were just the thing I needed to clarify, modify, and in some cases, jettison that part of my book.
I used my blog categories to collect my thoughts about the three main sections of my book: dealing with change, Accidental Pren-her journey, and discovering your Inner Samurai. These categories were then transferred, in whole or in part, to sub-headings in chapters. My blog posts and my writing muse worked as a team to produce my book.
Currently, the Virtual Book Tour that I am on is a further expansion of my year of blogging. Because I had been writing about my book in my blog for nearly a year before it was published, my book and its content were already "out there" in the blogosphere, being noticed and commented upon by others and picked up by search engines. Because of my blogging, my book had begun its own publicity long before it came out in print.
How do you see blogging evolving? What’s the next big thing?
Midlife entrepreneur blogging. With more than four million men and women turning 50 each year in the U.S., and nearly half the country's self-employed workers (7.4 million) 50 years and older, I expect to see a rise in midlife entrepreneur blogging.
Entrepreneurship among mid-lifers is growing as the Baby Boomer
generation redefines retirement. 
Instead of following the conventional
traditions of retiring at 65, mid-lifers are eschewing those
conventions in favor of either starting up or staying involved with
their business, continuing to contribute to society, and following
their passion. Keep a sharp weather eye out for midlife entrepreneur
bloggers — they will delight and surprise us all.
Thank you, everyone, who has read my blog this year, commented, tracked
back, and furthered it along. We are on this journey together.
In gratitude and appreciation, from my heart to yours,
I am,
Thank you, Debbie! Indeed, we both knew each other when. Here's to the Little Green Machine!
Posted by: The Original Accidental Pren-her | February 14, 2008 at 09:10 AM
Yay Susan! Congrats on making it a year in the blogosphere! The world is a MUCH better place because you're in it! Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks with us!
Posted by: Phil Gerbyshak | February 14, 2008 at 06:33 PM
Happy Birthday Alkamae blog!
It, and you, Susan, are a great inspiration to us all!
Posted by: Angela | February 14, 2008 at 07:25 PM
Happy, happy.... you've created such a space for folks to be inspired, become enlightened, to think and to share. You've demonstrated how blogging can be such a powerful tool to reach out.
Posted by: Carol Satterlee | February 15, 2008 at 01:26 AM
Thank you, Phil, Angie, and Carol! Continued success to you all!
Posted by: The Original Accidental Pren-her | February 15, 2008 at 06:50 AM
Happy Birthday Alkamae!! Congratulations on your success - and the best is yet to come.
Posted by: Robin Lipke | February 15, 2008 at 08:12 AM
Thank you, Robin . . . and for you, too!
Posted by: The Original Accidental Pren-her | February 15, 2008 at 08:40 AM
Happy Belated Birthday! The year has gone by so quickly. Your blog continues to be informative, entertaining and relevant. Keep up the great work.
Posted by: Linda at Bookmark This Spot | February 15, 2008 at 10:19 AM
No birthday wish is ever too late, Linda. I look forward to helping you get your blog up soon!
Posted by: The Original Accidental Pren-her | February 15, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Happy Birthday to you, your Inner Samurai and your blog. It is one of my favorites. I love your 4 weekly topics. I like knowing what I can look forward to. I like getting better acquainted with you. Your blog formats a structure anyone can do and your year long commitment shows it can be done.
I love the insight you have on the "midlife entrepreneurial blogger". They have so much to bring to the table with their life experience, interests and trend watching for decades. I think you might have the topic for a new blog? A focus for your coaching, "Blogging for Midlifers".
Thank you Susan for being such a support on this entrepreneurial journey! Pam
Posted by: Pam Peyron | February 23, 2008 at 09:01 PM
Thank you, Pam! The first year of a blog is the most challenging. Now, it feels natural, and I wonder why I didn't start blogging earlier!
Posted by: The Original Accidental Pren-her | February 24, 2008 at 03:06 PM