The running blogger - how's that for a brand name?

If you have read this blog before, you might notice - I have given it a makeover. Those wonderful Google people supply a whole range of templates that you can use. You can even preview the set up before you use it… so I’ve been experimenting. A good looking blog is attractive but it’s the content that’s important. As a fledgling blogger, I’ve been surveying the blogging scene and have found some very good blogs out there. I’m following four literary blogs, which are packed with useful information. Two of these are in the US - California and New York. It’s interesting to compare the different styles, and as you would expect the Californian blog is rather laid back and cool, but gets 250+ comments for every blog he writes and the New York blog is altogether more ‘in your face and let’s do it, style.’ (All my blog links are on the side bar.) I’d like to link to a few down to earth bloggers who like me are swimming in the sea of unpublished aspirations. I hear that the way to do it is to leave comments on their blogs and they will do the same… worth a try!


Everything has a brand these days, including blogs it would seem. Nicola Morgan suggests this is a good idea and she calls herself a crabbit literary agent who likes chocolate and stilettos. So I should get myself a brand name, which will hang well, when I’m getting all those comments on my blog. Perhaps over the hill runner and aspiring writer would go down well, or painter seeking a subject, or writer seeking a publisher. It’s not as easy as it sounds. If you have any ideas please let me know (nothing too rude!)

I got a reply from Jenny Brown Associates today, which is a lot better than not hearing anything for eight weeks and assuming that they are not interested. It was a very nice email thanking me for sending the story and saying that she enjoyed reading my chapters but the novel isn’t quite the one for her. Jenny is now neatly packed away in my publishers and agents ‘word table’ with the other five or six rejections so far. Stephen King used to keep his on a rusty nail, in the days of letters. Incidentally, most agents and publishers I have come across so far prefer the old-fashioned method – a letter, a synopsis and the first three chapters. There is now an envelope sitting next to me waiting to be posted, with just those ingredients in it.

Harvey wants me to tell you that he had a great time at the weekend. He got to know a lot of people at the Dunbar running club and he thought the fancy dress was very good.