Game 6: #4 Seed Grow Your Writing Business Versus #5 Seed Book Marketing Bestsellers
March 31, 2008 by J.C. Hewitt
The Matchup
Both these blogs say they want to help you succeed in the writing business. The #4 and #5 seeds are the closest matchups in the contest — at least on paper. This should be good.
Introductions
Grow Your Writing Business
Grow your Writing Business is the blog of Yvonne Russell, a freelance writer and professional blogger. It is community-oriented, with much of the value coming in the comments. The main topic is freelancing, but the blog approaches many writing topics.
Book Marketing Bestsellers
Book Marketing Bestsellers is run by author and public speaker John Kremer. It is billed as part of a program that he developed to help writers write bestsellers. Mostly, the blog promotes his books, programs and speaking engagements.
Archives
Book Marketing Bestsellers
The BMB blog has been around since the beginning of 2005. Many of the entries are links to other people’s articles or excerpts of their articles, but there is also plenty of original material squeezed in among his plethora of self-promotional posts. It is difficult to find the best through because he is hampered by the Blogspot design flaw of only listing archives by month.
Result: Kremer picks up two points for being around so long.
Grow Your Writing Business
GWYB has many good articles in its archives and they are easy to find because Russell provides multiple archive options. The articles date back to December of 2006. The posting schedule can be a bit slow at times and she often relies on her community to provide relevant information, but the community comes through more often than not.
Result: GYWB shoots the three. It rattles in.
Grow Your Writing Business Jumps out to an early 3-2 lead.
Design
Book Marketing Bestsellers
This is one ugly blog. It is a Blogspot blog too, which is always annoying. Kremer has wallpapered it with the cover to his book and there is no shortage of graphic ads to assault the eyes as you scroll down the page. The blog design is clearly about selling the book, not pleasing the reader.
Result: Airball. No points.
Grow Your Writing Business
There are many good things to say about GYWB’s design. It is a stock theme, but a good one. It doesn’t feel cluttered, especially when you navigate away from the main page. The colors are easy on the eyes, although there could perhaps be a little more contrast. My only real complaint is the graphic she is using in her Writer’s Café posts. It doesn’t fit the rest of the site, and it looks poorly rendered as well.
Result: Two points from outside the paint.
GYWB extends its lead to 5-2. This could get ugly.
Usability and Navigation
Book Marketing Bestsellers
BMB provides an email subscription form and several other feed options. There are lots of other bells and whistles too, although they are interspersed with ads so that it is hard to determine what is valuable and what is not. It would be nice if the options were better organized and if there was a real archives page.
Result: Kremer gets two on a finger roll.
Grow Your Writing Business
This site shines when it comes to usability. GYWB makes it easy to find relevant content. There are tabs that will lead you to recent articles, popular articles, categories and archives. QYWB even has a key articles page, although it could be a little longer. Subscription buttons are prominently displayed as well.
Result: GYWB nails the three-pointer.
Once again, GYWB moves ahead. It is now 8-4.
Purpose
Book Marketing Bestsellers
BMB bills itself as “The Book Promotion Blog!” and it is. The problem is, it seems more about promoting his books than about helping you promote yours. There are some solid nuggets of advice though. “A Brilliant Novel Marketing Idea” gives the details of a clever way that W. Somerset Maugham found to sell his novel back in 1897. That’s the sort of thing I want more of. Kremer does have something to add, when he feels like it.
Result: Kremer sinks a two from the top of the key.
Grow Your Writing Business
The purpose of the blog is right in the title — Grow your Writing Business. It is a fairly general category, which allows Russell to post a lot of different writing-related articles and lead some interesting discussions.
Result: Russell pulls up for a jumper. Two points.
BMB fails to make up any ground. It is now 10-6 in favor of GYWB.
Personality
Book Marketing Bestsellers
When Kremer calms down from the relentless self-promotion and offers his actual opinions, he seems like a decent and helpful guy. Unfortunately, the face he mostly puts on is that of someone trying to sell you something.
Result: Kremer rushes to the basket and sinks a two. Did he charge? Yes, he probably did. But the ref didn’t call it, so two points for Kremer.
Grow Your Writing Business
Russell’s blog is focused on community. She is there to lead a discussion. She shares a piece of herself and then encourages other people to share. It may not be flashy, but it’s a personality you feel very comfortable with.
Result: Russell lays in a smooth two-pointer.
Even with a favorable call from the refs, BMB fails to make up any ground. All GYWB has to do is run out the clock. The score is 12-8. The crowd begins to head for the exits.
Five Most Recent Posts
Grow Your Writing Business
- Weekend Writers Cafe – Who Wants To Write A Book?
- Weekend Writers Cafe – Let’s Share Our Swipe File Idea & Word Sparks & Happy Easter
- A Writer’s Swipe File – Why You Should Have One & Some Links
- Writers Cafe – What Are You Up To Writing Wise Behind The Scenes?
- 10 Writing Hooks To Catch Your Readers Interest From The First Sentence
The last five posts all run along the same general theme. Russell introduces a topic with a few brief statements and then encourages her community to comment. The method works reasonably well. She tends to have 20 or more comments for each topic. The posting frequency isn’t high though. The first of the articles was 20 days ago.
Result: With an assist from her community, Russell sinks a two pointer.
Book Marketing Bestsellers
- The Importance of Meter in Rhyming Books
- John Kremer’s Online Book Marketing Seminar
- Strong Images: Strong Book Covers
- Welcome to the Book Marketing Network
- Book Covers Sell Books
Two of Kremer’s last five articles were purely promotional. I understand the need to sell services for some bloggers, but to me a posting still needs to add value in order to be worthwhile. Kremer also includes two posts on interesting book covers that he thinks will help sales. It is a running theme for his blog, so I will give him credit for those. The best of the articles is his most recent. In it, he answer’s a children’s book writer’s question regarding meter and editing. The post is spot on. Kremer’s posting frequency is slightly low, with the oldest of the five over two week’s old.
Result: Kremer misses two out of three on penalties from the charity stripe. One for taking too long to shoot. One for showboating. Kremer converts the third for a point.
GYWB closes out the game 14-9. The stands have already emptied out.
Post Game Analysis
Grow Your Writing Business jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. This one wasn’t close.
What They Can Work On
Grow Your Writing Business
I would love to see some more expansive posts. It seems as if Russell is relying a little too much on her community, although it is understandable coming off of a recent death in the family. My other suggestion is to spruce up the design a little. With a nicer masthead and a little personalization, she could make the site look professional.
Book Marketing Bestsellers
Many, many people start blogs so that they can promote their services or their books. That’s fine. You have to have at least a little subtlety and modesty though. Kremer has some good things to say but he needs to dial it back several notches. He also needs to get out of the blogging ghetto and find someone to design an attractive blog that can sell his books without making him look like a carnival barker.
Tune in next time when #3 seed All Freelance Writing takes a shot at #6 seed Crime Fiction Dossier.
I don’t know Book Marketing so can’t judge it, but I do know what a positive and generous blogger Yvonne is who’s built up a powerful community around Grow Your Writing Business. I’m glad you recognised that dimension.
We’re all still there despite the hiatus in posting (due to the death in her family) because of what went before, how she treats her readers, and what we anticipate will come in the future. That to me is what is good about blogging – for the writer, and the reader: the power of the connections we can make.
Joanna
Thanks for your kind words, Joanna. Community is definitely an important part of Grow Your Writing Business.
Thanks John for the review and constructive suggestions.