So, what is all this hype about blogging? I’ve successfully avoided it for years, even avoided reading blogs until I discovered that there was actually some good information there, that I wasn’t being forced to endure someone’s journal about when their girlfriend/boyfriend ran off with their best friend. Don’t get the idea that I’m an Internet novice. Far from it. Professionally, I’m a graphic artist and web designer. I’ve held the title as webmaster for some three years now. It’s just that blogging was never the direction I cared to go.
Then my oldest daughter started a web business and soon after began blogging. I suddenly discovered that the best way to keep up with her and my youngest daughters lives—together they have given me nine grandchildren—was to subscribe to their blogs. Even my son’s dog and his girl friend’s dog started a blog. One thing led to another and now I have a whole slue of blogs that I follow, a mixture of family, news, writing and publishing.
About a year ago my daughter said to me—actually responded to my post to her blog—“Dad, you’re a funny writer. You should have your own blog. You’ll sell a ton of books.” “I don’t think so, sweetie. I write novels, not short little journal entries. Besides, if I haven’t sold a ton of books by now, blogging about it won’t help.”
A year has gone by and I’m thinking, “Or will it?”
Oops! Putting things out of order. Actually I decided to become an Amazon Associate. That meant building a website. So I did. Now I have a store. Its location is the equivalent of a freshly painted shack in the middle of the desert; no signs; no ads; no traffic, not even a dusty road nearby. But I did name it appropriately. Desert Bookshelf. “Build it and they will come,” it has been said. I don’t think so.
Beep! Beep!
Was that a pesky roadrunner?
And so the blog is being born. It is not without pain. Here I am, a web developer, and I feel lost. Sigh. I may wind up blogging to the wind. Maybe I’ll end up calling it, “DustyJournals” and hope that I don’t find myself crying words over my wife running off with my best friend. That would be doubly bad seeing as she is my best friend.
Anyway, happy reading . . . someone, and if you’re so inclined, visit my store. www.desertbookshelf.com
James
Novels
Desert Bookshelf