Friday, July 14: Chris Muir’s Day By Day online comic strip, which has been syndicated to newspapers, will now be available via cell phone through SmashPhone.com, a comic strip network. Viewers can access strips through Verizon, Cingular, Sprint, T-Mobile, and other carriers.
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Hat tip to Sister Toldjah for the post idea and the advice!
Like many bloggers who’ve been at this for a while, I’m always getting e-mails from potential and new bloggers asking for advice. A Google search on “how to blog,” “why blog,” and similar search terms will yield useful information, but I understand that people ask me because they want my advice. I planned to write a series of “Blogging Basics” posts, but the series is low on the to-do list these days. Besides, I think I’m better at blogging and telling you how much I love blogging than explaining the mechanics of blogging.
I joined the blogosphere on November 5, 2003 (Why? To rant, of course!), at Blogger.com, then moved to WordPress about seven months later.
I LOVE BLOGGING because I love writing. Self-publishing my thoughts and getting instant feedback (even the negative stuff) is thrilling, I must say. I went back and forth on disabling commenting, but I got over it. Open commenting attracts Internet freaks and cowardly anonymous trolls, but reading discussions between thoughtful, mature people who disagree civilly is worth the aggravation. I contemplated turning LBC into a group blog, but I’m too much of a controller. I want my blog to look and “sound” a certain way.
Although I’m not paid to blog per se, I receive advertising revenue through Pajamas Media. I have several long-term blog consulting and editing clients and a newspaper column. I’m working on two paying writing assignments, and I’m trying to snag more. That’s how I pay the bills.
(See the The Language Artist category to read about my business, why I quit my day job, etc. If you don’t see Next Page at the bottom page, click this link for Page 2. My business blog is here. Additionally, I started a third blog in January to satisfy my urge to discuss Harry Potter and Narnia, Fantasy Fiction for Christians.)
Whether or not this blog generated income, I’d still blog. I’ve had a few good laughs, joined a few blog swarms, and met some really cool people. I blogged up a storm during Rathergate (keep clicking on Next Page at the bottom of the category page to read all the posts) and Easongate. I’ve attended conferences like CPAC, BlogNashville, and the GodBlogCon. People have read this blog and invited me on radio and cable news shows. All of these things cancel out the handful of bad experiences.
The first year was good, the second year was even better, and this year? I’ll let you know on November 5, 2006. 
I wrote a couple of how-to-blog and why-blog posts that may be helpful: You Never Know Who’s Reading Your Blog, Blogging Pet Peeves, Blogging: Love or Money?, LBC Retooling, and others.
That’s not much, is it? That’s why you should read Sister Toldjah’s Blogging Tips post from September 2005. Also check out Amazon’s selection of books on blogging.
Great blogging tips blogs and posts: Pro Blogger, Performancing, The Language Artist…
Fellow bloggers, share your tips, advice, and expertise. Trackback to this post, and I’ll link to your how-to-blog posts.
Non-bloggers, why do you read blogs? Have you ever thought of starting your own blog?
As a blog reader, what do you look for in a blog? What keeps you coming back for more?
Update: I’m reluctant to give blogging advice because I rarely follow it myself. As far as what you blog about, how often you blog, and how long or short you should blog, I don’t have any wisdom to dispense. Except this: If you don’t like it, don’t do it, and keep in mind that libel laws apply to bloggers, too.
Blog etiquette is different — linking to a blog post you trackback to, linking to sources and bloggers you reference in the post, etc. I can preach a sermon on blog etiquette.
