Note: Also see Blogging 102
I have been blogging for a couple years and have learned a thing or two about blogging. I am not going to try to re-invent the wheel here because so many bigger and better other bloggers have already said so much on this topic, but readers write to me frequently with blogging or starting-a-blog type questions, and I thought I’d share a few of my own thoughts.
This is in no way a comprehensive list and it touches on different aspects of blogging but here are a few thoughts.
Each and every point is my opinion only, of course.
1. Thou Shall Not Steal. Remember the Eighth Commandment? Well, the same is true in blogging. If you see it on another person’s blog, it’s theirs. Don’t take it.
Whether it’s their recipe, their widgets, buttons, text, graphics, or anything at all on their blog, it’s theirs. Don’t take it.
This includes their photos. In the past I have done recipe posts where I highlight various bloggers recipes and use photos from their sites, but I will not publish those posts any more of those unless I first have their permission to use their images. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes; but once we know better, we do better.
Ask a blogger, first, if it would be okay to use something from their site on your site (graphics, images, etc.) but be prepared for them to say no, or gently ignore your request. And yes, I have asked others and this has happened to me. This is their prerogative.
Also, don’t steal their “voice” or their vocabulary. Use your own.
Be your own person in life. And on your blog.
In life, almost everything can be taken by someone else. Whether it’s your car you have parked in your driveway or your purse you left in your grocery cart and turned your back on for a second, someone can take your things.
The internet makes it very easy to take intellectual property and non-tangible things. This doesn’t mean it’s right.
There may or may not be laws concerning this, but there are norms, customs, ethics, and a moral code that I hope is not dead. In life, as in blogging, if it doesn’t feel right to you, it’s probably not.
2. Linking Back. To expand on point #1, if you see a recipe on someone’s site and you want to make, or you did make, don’t re-write the whole thing on your blog. You simply link back to it on their site.
This can be a bit tricky if you adapted or modified their recipe. I’ve noticed it’s becoming increasingly common on food blogs to say “Adapted From” when someone uses and reprints another’s recipe.
However, unless you really adapted it in a significant or meaningful way, I personally think that simply linking back is more appropriate rather than rewriting it and reposting it on your site.
The blogger or person who created and developed the recipe should get the credit, accolades, and traffic to their site. Not you.
If you made bigger modifications, or you feel justified in reprinting it, then let common sense be your guide.
Copywrite infringement laws are a beast. I wouldn’t want to find myself on the wrong side of them.
Want to grow your readership? (see numbers 3 & 4)
3. I’d suggest commenting on other people’s blogs. It gets your name out there. No one knows who you are unless they see your name, over and over, and what better way to do this than on others’ blogs.
Comment on a wide variety of blogs, too. I read and comment on blogs on topics ranging from home decor to photography to yoga and fitness to food. Even within food blogs there are baking blogs, vegan blogs, raw food blogs, wine blogs, you name it.
Let people know you and your blog are out there in whatever way you can and commenting is one tried and true method.
4. Be consistent in your blogging. You don’t have to post 3 times per day or even daily, but if your readers come to expect a post approximately twice a week from you, but you disappear for two months, then post twice in 3 days, and then drop off the map again for a few months, your readership may forget about you.
Readers want some sort of consistency as well as frequency.
5. Expect to spend time at blogging. Blog posts don’t write themselves, and all the other aspects of blogging from answering reader questions via email to replying to the questions you will receive in your own comments, or dialoguing back and forth with your readers within your comment field, it all takes time. Be prepared to have it to give.
Questions/Resources:
1. Posts that have no doubt said it as well, or better, than me include:
Pioneer Woman’s Ten Important Things I’ve Learned About Blogging
Pioneer Woman’s Ten Important Things I’ve Learned About Food Photography
Tina’s entire Blogging Tab/Section
Deb of Smitten Kitchen’s FAQs on everything from copyright law to appliances to photography
Deb of Smitten Kitchen’s Approach to Food Photos as well as links to other sites that give food photography tips
(To my point #2: notice I didn’t list out people’s 10 things or top tips, I simply linked back)
My own post on Real Food Styling & Photography gives real examples of what to do, and not to, to make your food pictures look better. I include a discussion on why you don’t absolutely need a DSLR but you do need to style your food.
There are so many “Blogging Tips” and “Want to Start a Blog” and “Lessons I’ve Learned About Blogging” type posts on the internet. I could re-link over and over, but if you happen to know of any true gems, leave them in the comments. In fact, Katie just did a post today on her experiences and her blogging tips.
2. Was this helpful or what have you learned about blogging that’s been instrumental and helpful for you and your blog?
If this was helpful, I can do many more posts like this. I have so many tidbits I just don’t want to restate the obvious. I already do have a Blogging 102 written so you get one more, at least.
However, we were all new once and even if you’re not new, it’s still interesting to read another blogger’s take on things, I find.
I also didn’t mince words today. Sometimes just being direct is the best approach, and of course these are my thoughts and opinions only.
3. Any specific questions you’d like answered?
Ask and you shall receive.
And from my last post, thanks for the compliments about Skylar and it sounds like you all are some creative and imaginative folks. Excellent!
I think people who read, and write, blogs are by nature creative, imaginative, intuitive, and we’re all cut from a similar cloth in that regard.
Who else could see “beauty” in chocolate picture…
No Bake Vanilla Cake Batter Chocolate Truffles
…after chocolate picture, right?
White Chocolate Blondies with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting
Give me your thoughts and questions!
Other Posts in this Series:
Such a great post Averie. I think you are so right and I can’t wait to read what else you have to say about it :)
Thanks for you great advices, Averie! As a new blogger, I for sure need all the advices I can get! Wish you a great weekend :D
You are one of my favorite bloggers and this post is a pretty good example of why! I feel like I learn a lot from you, information-wise and on a personal level as well. I really look up to you and your professionalism and good heart. I can tell you are a giver but a tough cookie at the same time!
My biggest blogging tip is to be yourself and just WRITE. Don’t worry about what others think or how you are “portrayed”, yet try to be respectful at the same time. I think you do this well.
I hate seeing bloggers get up in arms over recipes, but it happens a lot! Sometimes I think it’s unintentional, and people have different rules for blogging ethics. Also, I don’t think certain recipes are really that original, like overnight oats or homemade larabars. Just sayin!
“I can tell you are a giver but a tough cookie at the same time!”–
that is 100% me! yes I can give and give, and I do, but I am also not a pushover and there is a balance in life in giving and also knowing when to stand up for yourself and/or just tell it like it is :)
thanks for the sweet comment, Susan!
Averie thank you for this post! There are so many questions/ concerns that I had when I started my blog recently.
These explanations are very clear and helpful. :)
I wish I had more time to blog! I love it so much, but my job just kicked it up a notch and I go to the data archive lab at ORNL, so I will have to be a weekend warrior, or my eyeballs are going to start seeing pixels!
Have a wonderful sun-filled day!
I have to say I completely agree with #2. I have seen so many bloggers lately saying “Lightly adapted” or “adapted from” and copying out the ENTIRE recipe….then I often will go to the original recipe and found that all was changed was ONE ingredient(maple syrup used instead of honey, or earth balance for butter). I think that’s a little shady. I agree with you, that what should be said is, ” I made this recipe(link) and I substituted chickpeas for the goose liver” or something like that…ya know?
Personally, I post a few recipes on my site here and there and I wouldn’t care if someone took a recipe from me and posted it on their blog in it’s entirety(even if they called it their own), but again, my blog doesn’t make any money so I really don’t care if other’s use my recipes. And I don’t ever plan to write a book or anything that I need my stuff copy-written. But I can understand from someone who runs a blog for profit and has plans to publish a book would not want their recipes appearing on another site.
Wonderful post Averie. You certainly know how to engage your readers and you are a very professional and seasoned blogger. I agree with all of your tips. This is not easy work, but very enjoyable. I learn loads from you all the time! xo
Love you and as I just emailed you, hope you’re having a wonderful time!!
Averie,
This blog was EXTREMELY helpful. I’ll be sure to keep these things in mind. :) Those no bake white chocolate truffles look amazing. Thank you so much for being so friendly and helping us new bloggers out!
Thanks so much!! I’m a wannabe blogger so this will definitely be a great resource when I finally decide to start!! I have my DSLR and some tips, maybe I’ll be good to go soon :)
In life, as in blogging, if it doesn’t feel right to you, it’s probably not. <—- This. Covers ALL the bases!
I think my biggest blogging "tip" is to be real and genuine.
Thanks so much for posting this. I really appreciate your thoughts, words unminced.
The thing that was most helpful to me was your suggestion to comment and get out there on a variety of blogs. It felt so good to read that, because I’ve been feeling a bit of an identity crisis because I read and write about both foodie/nutrition stuff and poetry/literature stuff, as well as lifestyle/homesteading stuff, and I felt like maybe that meant I lacked a ‘label’ for people to categorize me and decide to read me! I’ve never been a ’round peg in round hole’-type person (know you can relate)!
So, thanks for showing me that it’s actually a positive thing to be diverse.
I always love getting blogging advice and appreciate bloggers who take the time to do it. You have very useful and valid points. I’d say not to overthink your blog either – just go with what comes naturally and don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to be ‘good.’
I don’t often leave comments, but I wanted to take a moment and let you know how much your blog and your insight means to me. I’m a foodie and I regularly keep track of several blogs, but your blog . . .. is always so positive and inspiring AND so regular! You must make such an effort to make regular posts for us, your readers. And I wanted to let you know, from a vegetarian foodie yoga girl in FL, that I greatly appreciate and look forward to your posts.
Namaste,
Tamara
Tamara..thank you for saying hi tonight and for the LOVELY compliments. You just made my night. Thank you for the high praise and yes, I am Miss Regular, twice a day, rain or shine :)
Namaste!
It bugs me when people find information from other sites on tumblr and fail to link back to where they obviously copy and pasted that knowledge. I always post recipes on my blog, but I’ll just write down the ingredients in order to get the directions they have to go to the original blog which I link by clicking the picture :) I remember when my blog went from 100 to 300 followers I was freaking out. Now at 3,800 followers on my tumblr I looove love what I do. Sometimes I question whether I could make a “blogger” blog haha, but I love my tumblr too much and posting 24/7 throughout the day to leave it :) I make sure to always link back that’s for sure though! I know I love that about the blogger world that you guys almost always link back, and that’s how I’ve gotten to following 30+ amazing blogs hahaha.
Congrats on your success, Chelsea and it’s happened fast! I read your blog sometimes but I dont comment b/c it’s tricky with tumblr but I do peek in on you.
You do?!?! Oh wow that’s so surprising to me hahaha! Specially considering the amount of followers that you yourself even have ha! & yeah tumblr is a tricky tricky thing at first :) I have my blog set up where people can’t ask me questions anon or if they don’t have a tumblr sadly (you get some nasty/mean people!).
I dont have a tumblr acct and resist signing up for one..just ANOTHER thing to check, handle, etc..so I can’t comment. You are smart to have some restrictions/boundaries in place!
Oh yeah I understand completely. Tumblr is so addictive too!
LOL – I feel clueless … don’t even know what Tumblr is!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing. I am taking your advice and commenting. :)
good job :)
Just started a blog a few days ago, and this post couldn’t have come at a better time.
Have been reading your particular blog for awhile now, and it’s so nice to finally be able to COMMENT with a user name!
congrats on your new blog!