“What would you say defines your blog, or sets it apart from other parenting blogs in Australia?” asked the PR woman from Sydney over the phone.
“I – er – well, I’m not sure,” I stuttered and like a bad, bad blogger I committed the sin like a bad, bad author does when they’re asked about their book: I’d forgotten the 30-word blurb or byline about my ‘product’. The spiel. The hook.
My mind went blank. Actually, the few seconds before it went blank it had a Phooey to your question! I defy classification! It is what it is, and there’s nothing wrong with that moment.
But it is a legitimate question, one that we all must ask ourselves when we blog from time to time, especially if we write about a niche subject, which I would argue that ‘parenting’ is, even if it’s a big one. And I suppose the need becomes greater when your blog gets noticed by certain people; people with contacts and business cards, and opportunities to offer like some providential pez dispenser.
While I’m in the spirit of disclosure, I will admit what my answer was, something along these lines: “Maybe I talk about writing and books more than the typical parenting blog out there?”
Genius. Pure Genius.
Not.
You can call me on that, if you think I’m mistaken, but here’s my defence: before last year this blog ranked really well, did good traffic, and then I got ‘Serious’. Raved incessantly about the book I was writing/producing, and lost a lot of my older readers. Gained new ones, too, don’t get me wrong, but lost a lot of the old crowd because this blog changed. I neglected to talk about poo. I’ve left out a lot of my children’s’ developmental milestones, which I may regret in time. After two and a half years, I can barely remember which stories I’ve told, or which ones I’ve possibly repeated two or three times: call it amnesia, blog-style.
******
Neil Tennant from Pet Shop Boys has said of Pop Music: “Your limitations create your style.” I’d wager the same can be said for any creative medium you choose to express yourself in. I write here, and elsewhere. I dream. I toss up the detritus of our daily lives in the air and let them fall on the canvas of a blank ‘New Post’ screen and hope something okay comes out of it. You see – I have a secret: I pretend otherwise, but 90% of the time I have no idea what I’m doing.
I’m not entirely sure what my point is here. Perhaps it is to remind some of you – those of you who really care about your blog, think it’s a platform for greater things, greater traffic and better opportunities (and you know who you are) – to ready your answer to the question that was asked of me. You never know if – nay, when – it will happen.
And for God’s sake, do a better job than I did.
