Have you ever seen the movie Julie and Julia? If not, you probably should. Because since you’re reading this blog, you’re obviously either a blogger, a blog reader, a stalling author, or all of the above. And the movie is all about a blogger.
Well, okay. A gourmet cook and a blogger. They go hand in hand. Sort of.
Anyway, there’s this scene where Julie’s sitting in her cubical at work, and she sneaks a peek at her blog and then jumps up out of her chair, yelling, “I have a comment!” Then she clicks on it, realizes it’s from her mother, and decides it doesn’t count. With a sigh, she flops back down in her chair, looking dejected.
Dude. That is so truly how bloggers feel about their blogs!
I mean, we’re writers, okay. And writers have this deeply ingrained need to know that someone—anyone—reads our stuff, even if it’s just blog posts. Just because someone clicks on the page doesn’t mean they read what we wrote, you know? Comments are like validation of the best kind.
Well, comments and followers. Some days it’s a toss up. But you get my point, right?
Consider all the tons of free stuff we give away. We do it to be nice, yes, and because we think it’s fun, but mostly, it’s selfish. We want readers, people! And we’re willing to spend all kinds of money we’ll never get back to reel you in. We want to know you’re out there and that you’re reading. We want that validation that tells us we’re not just thinking through our fingers and that someone actually got something out of our work as bloggers and writers.
In other words, we need to be loved.
So if you’re out there, and you’re reading regularly but not following or commenting, we—the bloggers of the world—would like to know why. Don’t you love us enough to tell us hi?
*Sniffs dramatically*
*Fakes a sob*
*peeks through fingers to see if the ploy worked*
Carry on.
*Remembers shameless self promotion plug*
Oh, and by the way, come see my new book review blog. Isn’t it pretty? I need followers there, too.
*Nods*
Okay, now carry on.