Life has been difficult of late, forces out of my control have been the cause of much grief and frustration. We lost my stepfather to cancer; while that was going on, my main focus at work was writing the stories of cancer survivors. About a week later, a ukulele playing friend died suddenly. He was a big, sweet guy, not yet 40; I’m still thinking, “Naw. That makes no sense.” There’s other … stuff… too. I have become disillusioned with people and things I once loved, robbed of sleep, and I probably need a vacation. The old fashioned kind where you read books and eat snacks and go for walks and don’t do anything that has a purpose beyond loosening your tightly grinding gears.
I am grateful to have the resources to take a vacation but because my brain is a mess, it wanders down the path to wonder how people deal with their personal dark times when they don’t have the resources. I have no paid leave but I looked; in Washington State the law gives you three days of paid leave for bereavement. If you need more, that’s determined by your employer.
Three days. I keep thinking I’ll get back to work, but when I open my files and look at the words — they’re all about surviving cancer — I think, “Nope. Not today,” and I go walk my dog. Instead of working, I make myself look for things that are light, or at least distracting. Here are a few diversions, some very good, some wonky, some just noise, that have allowed me to think about Something Else this week.
As usual, some links may be to Amazon. You shop, I get a little something something. Please and thank you.
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My grinchy heart swelled several sizes while listening to Naomi Tomky talk teriyaki on KUOW. Naomi’s research in to the why of teriyaki and Seattle had me wondering if I shouldn’t be digging deeper when I write my own stories. I learned new things about Seattle and food and, because I’m wonky, I learned what makes a story work, really work, even when it’s about something as seemingly pedestrian as strip mall teriyaki.
Speaking of research, I fell into a hole about North Korean water parks (what?) after reading about a video blogger who produced a series of egregiously vapid pieces about a trip to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. (Democratic, my ass.) I’d just met Wendy Simmons, the author of My Holiday in North Korea, a book about, among other things, being stonewalled by handlers every time she asked a question. I like her style, it’s wicked funny and sharp — and curious, a quality all good travel writers share.
It’s been hot in Seattle so I rounded up some friends to go to the mall, eat food court noodles, and watch the new Ghostbusters. I’m the right age to be nostalgic about the franchise and you know what? I freaking loved this. Sure, the movie has some weird flaws, but none of them are the all female leads. They’re all amazing but there’s a scene where Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) takes the helm and oh, just go see it. It’s a riot.
I found myself at the snow ice place in Seattle’s International District again, this time eating a mountain of strawberry smothered in berries and a glazing of condensed milk. My biggest complaint about this place is that you can’t combine flavors. This is a problem because the small serving is more than enough for two people and what about the stuff you haven’t tried yet? What about the mango? Round up at least three of your friends and go get dessert, already.
On to my question. Sure, I’m an immovable rock of stubborness, but I do question my own assumptions from time to time. I registered for a webinar that was meant to help me “take my blog to the next level” — whatever the hell that means. Dude recommended three things — guest posting, building an email list, and giving something away. (Please stick with me even if you’re not bloggy, I really do have a question for you.)
I had a good laugh about guest posting, 2009 called, it wants its strategy back. As for giving stuff away, I figure every time I hit publish, I give something away, a story, a recommendation… but maybe I’m wrong about that?
Finally, there’s that email list. Friends have suggested that they would, indeed, subscribe to a newsletter were I to create one that is writing and/or craft focused. My question to you is two fold and is as follows:
- Would you subscribe to a newsletter should I decide to create one?
- What would you find useful in said newsletter? Links and thoughts on writing? Waffle recipes? What?
I’d welcome your answers in the comments, or scribble me an email if you’d rather do that.
Here’s hoping your week finds you people to share ice cream with.
1. Yes
2. I enjoy your writing and will be glad to see more of it. Love idea of crafts-related posts, but personal musings are also good. Just keep on writing is all I’m saying. Xo.
Answer to question 1: Yes. Answer to question 2: I read your blog to be informed, amazed, incensed, and to cry. In other words, I’d read whatever the hell you want to write. Or post. Getting a newsletter from you instead of reading your blog would merely be a change in format, even if it is more writer-focused.
Carry on.
Yours in solidarity with love and teriyaki sauce.
Answers. 1. I read your blog. So why read a newsletter? I suppose I’d read both. I like what you share and it has meaning for me.
2. I’d like to continue reading about your life. Uke, dog, cancer, stuff. Id like a recipe or two especially if it was specific to home cooking.
My 2 cents.
Egads, guest posting and giveaways – things that alienated me from reading most blogs other than a select few way back in… 2009, I think it was!
1) Yes, I’d subscribe as long as it wasn’t too frequent – once a week at most – and as long as my info wasn’t given to any other parties, and 2) I’d enjoy reading anything you wrote since I dig your writing, but I’d be especially excited to read it if it was about anything Seattle, or anything ukulele – but then I’m a former Seattleite who plays ukulele so there ya go 🙂
I would subscribe to your newsletter. You help me keep my writing sharpish!
1. Yes
2. Whatever the heck you feel like, I trust you.
Yes and yes and yes and yes – I would read whatever newsletter you wanted to send out! I sent out one, once, and it was a newsletter-themed newsletter. After that, I felt like I didn’t need to do it anymore 🙂
Yes. I swear I’m online like for 300% of my waking life, but I miss stuff. Lots of stuff. So I need things like occasional emails to alert me to good stuff I missed.
BUT, emails: they take time. They’re often worth it – people really do open emails, read stuff and click links and all that – but it depends on what your goals are. And also how much time you’d like to spend writing emails instead of walking a dog who really wants to go out and sniff something super interesting.
I’ve been doing an email newsletter for four years now…and here, hot off of the press is a link to the one I just sent out today http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=1bed71324705d3bcdfbf3f47e&id=dda66ef397 I’d probably subscribe if you did one, but I’m still working out how I want to got forward with this one as well. My advice is to stick with a fairly infrequent schedule at least at first (I started out with an every-other-month scheme and have managed to keep with it, even as Tim continues to battle lung cancer…which takes up a lot of our time these days). I try to offer something a bit different from my blog each time and to keep it short so people don’t get tired of it and unsubscribe. My list has kept slooooooowly growing, and I do catch a few folks by sending occasional links out or short news bits that do not make it to my blog. It gets me an extra chance to get a few of my own links out there as well, and the CVB folks seem to like the fact that I do it.
I wouldn’t subscribe to a newsletter, but that’s just because I never subscribe to email newsletters. I don’t have enough time to deal with all my email as it is. If I had a choice, I’d rather see your excellent writing deployed in more blog posts.
Newsletters often feel like something I should read for edification; blogs feel more personal. I love personal but I would read your newsletter too. Choice topic: the Writing life. Everything and anything about it.
1. Yes
2. Any and every word about anything.
It all depends on whether there would be unique content on the email newsletter. If so, then I would want to get it. If it just duplicated what’s on here or social media, then no, because duplication.
I’m having an e-therapist moment…
What does “take your blog to the next level” mean to you? That sounds like a vague, how-to-make-millions statement that doesn’t make sense out of context.
You’ve got a blog and a gazillion forms of social media… what do you want the e-newsletter achieve that those other outlets aren’t doing (increase page views? – a newsletter can do that; improve your interaction with audience? – you’re highly responsive on social media, so not sure a newsletter will upgrade that; improve your writing? – that’s up to you; nurture adoring fans? – you’ll need to offer something we can’t get from any of your other outlets; get readers to give feedback? – your blog and Facebook seem to achieve that publicly… would you prefer a semi-private outlet?).
Sooooooo, I’d say it would help to understand what you want from us… what do you want us to do that we aren’t doing… or are you really trying to attract new people?
I’m an email evangelist, but I don’t want anyone to put the effort into a newsletter just for the sake of having an e-newsletter. I’ve unsubscribed from too many of those emails already.
The “next level” thing is some bullshit, that’s for sure. QUIT YOUR JOB MAKE SIX FIGURES BLAH BLAH BLAH SHUT UP ALREADY. Let’s not waste anymore time on that.
I’ve been in a few place where “successful” bloggers are talking about the importance of email. I *THINK* that this is so you can inform people when you want to sell them something — buy my book, take my online class, take my tour — but it’s been hard to pin anyone down on exactly WHY they need email to do this. It’s an attention seeking tactic, that’s for sure.
So rather than saying “I want a newsletter,” I’ve gone to my readers and I’m asking you — do YOU want a newsletter? My sample leans towards “no” with “only if it’s something I can’t get via your blog.” And since my blog is — has always been — so free range, I don’t feel compelled to use another format because it’s not like I’m going to go off topic or (throws things) off brand.
I may, instead, do a minor tech tweak so people know they can get my blog posts via email. That might be a better use of my time and more reader friendly.
Thank you, e-therapist Corey. Say hi to Liam for me. 🙂
Excellent plan, I’m signing off on your e-therapy session. You’re cleared to proceed with your million $ online strategy 😉
For the record, I still think e-newsletters can be great assets… they’re just not a one-size-fits-all solution.
And Liam sends his love… but every time I mention your name he says, “I really need to practice my uke, so I can do a duet with Pam some day” (and he means it).
Oh… and I use my e-newsletter to:
– communicate personal details I don’t post on the blog
– feature time-sensitive info that I don’t want in my blog archive
– solicit questions from my subscribers which influence future blog posts
– trigger an automated sequence of emails that introduce newbies to my favorite resources
– promote products I sell – I won’t lie, I do that
– coordinate our annual Secret Santa Gift Exchange… yes, people online actually send each other real gifts via the post
Umm…I had an email list before I had a blog…or knew what one was.
I would subscribe to read your stuff about camera, ukulele and passport. I give stuff away all the time. Sometimes it’s fun swag, sometimes books. I like to give lots of stuff away…so there’s that.
I’ve deciphered the “Take your blog to the next level” btw. It’s code for “take yourself to the next level.” But people wouldn’t sign up for that because it’s too close to home imho. I know I wouldn’t. Haha
I think you’re doing what you need to do. Harley also could give you some pointers on patience and living in the moment. All that jazz. Woof woof.
I like getting your blog in my e-mail, because I’m scattered and don’t always to remember to check web pages–even those that I love a much as I love yours.
This last e-mail had links I couldl not follow–including the one back to your blog. I got google error messages when I tried to read the teriyaki article for example. https://www.thrillist.com/eat/seattle/seattle-teriyaki-japanese-restaurants-disappearing works for me, but I had to do a google search to find it.
1. Yes
2. I hated history. If you wrote history, I would love. It isn’t your subject, it’s your style!
I’m am so sorry for your recent sadness.
Nah, I wouldn’t subscribe to a newsletter. The few that I do receive are very specific and even then I probably delete 80% of them without opening. I enjoy your blog and writing style and prefer to “treat” myself to it by visiting your site to see what’s up. BTW, I’m new to the area and just spent the last couple of days anchored near Vashon and playing/cycling around the island. What a fantastic mini-vacation that was. This whole SEA/PNW area sure has a lot to offer.
Thanks for the great reading. Ciao, Mary
Yes
I think the best email is not a newsletter but just to let subscribers know you have a new post, or if like me you ready 10+ blogs a day reminds me to come look at yours that day….