Game 16: #2 Seed I’d Rather Be Writing Versus #7 Seed The Book Sistah

The Matchup

The final contest of the first round is between second seeded I’d Rather Be Writing and seventh-seeded The Book Sistah. These are two very different blogs with very different subjects. It should be fun.

Introductions

I’d Rather Be Writing

IRBW is a blog about technical communication. The author, Tom Johnson, discusses areas of technical writing such as online help and usability, but seems to focus more on products such as RoboHelp, Captivate, DITA, Adobe and WordPress.

The Book Sistah

TBS is written by writing coach Sophfronia Scott, whose primary site is dedicated to marketing her writing coach services. This blog focuses on book marketing but also contains motivational and process articles.

Archives

The Book Sistah

TBS has archives that go back as far as November of 2005. Scott averages about a post a week, which is on the low end of the spectrum. There is no archive page and she does not include any subject categories for you to search under.

Result: TBS starts off with a single point from the free-throw line.

I’d Rather Be Writing

The archives go back as far as June of 2006. The greatest focus is on applications such as WordPress and RoboHelp. There isn’t an archive page that I can find, but the site does keep a list of top posts and uses a tag cloud to indicate popular topics. New articles appear approximately every other day.

Result: IRBW hits a two-point shot from near the top of the key.

IRBW jumps out to an early lead, 2-1.

Design

The Book Sistah

TBS uses a basic WordPress Theme, but jazzes it up a bit with a custom masthead and some in-post graphics. It won’t win any awards, but it won’t hurt your eyes either.

Result: TBS banks in a two-point shot.

I’d Rather Be Writing

IRBW has an attractive design. For a three-column blog, it isn’t too cluttered, and the banner has a nice look to it. It is interesting that Johnson chose the same orange that appears in most subscription feed buttons for the highlights on his site. It simplifies the color scheme and reduces the number of color conflicts. Johnson teaches classes in WordPress, so I assume this is a homemade attempt, which makes it all the more impressive.

Result: IRBW hits the three-point shot.

IRBW moves further ahead, 5-3.

Usability and Navigation

The Book Sistah

TBS doesn’t have very many bells and whistles. You can subscribe to Scott’s newsletter, subscribe to her feeds or access her articles chronologically. TBS requires readers to log in if they want to comment, which is basically the same thing as not allowing comments. That’s a big minus. On the plus side, the few features that do exist are easy to find.

Result: TBS picks up another point at the charity stripe.

I’d Rather Be Writing

IRBW allows readers to subscribe to the full feed or to the podcast feed. There is a recent post list and a most popular post list. There is also a list of the latest comments. The few ads on the page aren’t highlighted, so they don’t get in the way of user experience.

Result: IRBW hits a three pointer.

IRBW is now up 8-4.

Purpose

The Book Sistah

TBS focuses on book marketing. The posts are longer than average, but can get a bit heavy with her sales message. It is clear that the main purpose of the blog is to drum up customers for her services. Still, you can benefit from the materials presented there.

Result: TBS scores a layup for two points.

I’d Rather Be Writing

The focus of IRBW seems to be edging further and further towards blogging. While this isn’t a bad subject, it is a well-trod area and is less about technical writing than I expected.

Result: IRBW hits two-point jumper.

IRBW maintains its commanding lead 10-6.

Personality

The Book Sistah

With a blog name like “The Book Sistah” you would expect this blog to be dripping with personality, but Scott tends to keep her articles on the professional level. In many cases, you could expect to read the same article in a trade magazine with very little style alteration. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn’t score high in the personality category.

Result: TBS shoots another free throw for a point.

I’d Rather Be Writing

Johnson does let his personality show in his blog. He mixes in a great deal of podcasting, which is a very personal approach. I don’t think his personality drives the blog, but it does add to the flavor of the blog.

Result: IRBW puts in the two-point finger roll.

IRBW extends its lead to 12-7. The crowd is shuffling out. This one is all but over.

Five Most Recent Posts

I’d Rather Be Writing

• Looking for Corporate Examples of Web 2.0 Engagement
• Podcast - Social Networking and the Value of User Communities for Technical Communicators
• Guest Post - From Blogging Veterans: Three Keys to Successful Blogging
• The Right Way and Wrong Way to Teach People WordPress: Notes from a Wordcamp Utah Planning Meeting at Applebees
• Podcaster Meetup at Doc Train West Conference in Vancouver

Johnson mixes podcasts with traditional posts. I’m not a big fan of podcasting, but he has a lot to say about most subjects so it works for the most part. All of the posts are from within the past four days, so the frequency is fairly high.

Result: IRBW hits a turnaround jump short for two more points.

The Book Sistah

• The Money’s in the Message
• It’s Never “Just” a Book…
• Can Eliot Spitzer Help Market Your Book?
• New Ezine Launch!
• Organizing Your Book to Be a Client Magnet

There is a lot of depth to Scott’s posts. Perhaps that is why her frequency is so low. With the exception of the short promotional piece for her new Ezine, the articles average about 800 words. Of the group, Can Eliot Spitzer Help Market Your Book? is both informative and entertaining, so it is my favorite. If Scott posted more often I might have been able to score her higher in this category.

Result: TBS finishes the game out with a two-pointer.

The final score is 14-9 in favor of IRBW.

Post Game Analysis

This was a case in which the second seeded blog clearly showed why it was the higher seed. The attention to design and user experience paid off, as did the posting frequency.

What They Can Work On

I’d Rather Be Writing

I would like to see a little more attention paid to the text end of the blogging rather than podcasting, but that is more of a personal preference. I would also like to see more focus on technical writing rather than blogging.

The Book Sistah

The low blogging frequency will makes it difficult to build up excitement for this blog, as does the discouragement of comments. Scott needs improve her connection to her readers.