Writery Wednesday R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Fool

 Bloggers come into the blog world all shiny and stupid, we were all born into it like an ignorant infant in most cases. Not knowing a whole damn lot.

But under the layer of supportive writers, great writing advice, and just great people worth knowing, there is a dark underbelly of etiquette. It's just like every aspect of life - there are some people who do it, and some that don't and really piss you off.

So, my writer friends, do you follow the rules? 

Don't badmouth other bloggers by name or distinguishing characteristics.  You just don't. Whether you like them, don't like them, not friends, not following them, they crap all over things you like, etc, doesn't matter. You can't point out someone and say bad stuff about them. You never know who's reading or who DOES like them. It's rude. And more importantly it makes you look like a turd. And no one likes to read another bloggers hate. (not people you want to know anyway.)

*Don't badmouth publishers, editors, agents either. BAD BAD...oooh that's just bad. Don't do that.  





Don't comment derogatory things on other people's blogs that put's the blogger or any other blogger down.  This one is pretty simple, though hard for people to understand it seems. But the rule goes back to "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all." I'm not sure why that went out of style. If you don't dig on what someone is posting about, just leave. No one is forcing you to read it. No one is making you comment. Just. Leave. (unless they are talking bad about your mother. But, since they negated the very first rule by making fun of your mother, well...they're asking for it.)



If you ask a favor of a blogger be prepared to compensate. We are busy, writers. We work, we have kids,  family,  lives,  books to write, and deadlines to make. You want something, you have to be willing to make it worth our while. Yes, people should do nice things for the pleasure of doing nice things. BUT, if you aren't good friends with a person, that blogger owes you nothing. (take advantage of friends)

So, if you want something, you got to have something up your sleeve to offer. Need someone to read for you? Be prepared to have that favor called on you whenever. Want something posted on someone's blog? Candy will usually do. Want a writer to write something for you? That might take cash...

It doesn't have to be a big something, it doesn't have to be much more than a public thank you, but you have to do something to show your appreciation. (them's the rules)




Give credit where credit is due. Pretty self explanatory. You take something from someone's blog, you give them credit. (Duh.)


White space, White space, White space. It's a favor to your readers to offer this up. If you write posts in one huge paragraph, chances are good that no one is really reading you. Might be hard to hear(read), but from one skimmer  busy writer to a couple hundred others, it happens. (oh come on, we all skim from time to time. I know I have been able to tell, as you probably have from time to time reading your own comments that...make no real sense...oh yea, I said it.) And if reading it isn't easy, your audience gives up and moves on. Attention spans are short. Make life easy with adding some white space.



Answer comments. It's another simple one to read, but not always followed. Readers do you a great honor to stop by and take the time out to say something to you. You do not have opinions made of diamonds. You may have things to write people want to read but there are a bajillion blogs out there to read. No one is beating down your door begging you to post just one more post like you're the freaking crack fairy of south street.

People don't stick around if you never acknowledge them. Be humble, answer comments.


These are just a few, but very important things to remember. If you have more to add, please share away!


DON'T FORGET! You have 13 days to sign up for Alexia and my first blogfest! You could get free stuff, it's easy to enter, and...you could get free stuff! So...DO IT. Thank you!! (see, you must write a short something, but we're giving you a shot at something! Compensation, my friends.)

**Lots of Lolcats!