Changes I’ve been thinking about … do you have an opinion?
In September of 2011, I laid down my red pen. After nine years teaching English and writing to high schoolers, it felt a little dramatic . . . like a sheriff turning in his badge and riding into the sunset to see what the open plains still held for him…or her. =)
I headed for the quieter (well, theoretically quieter) life of writing at home. I already freelance for some media and event companies. And mostly, let’s be serious, I devote my life to serving the Emperor.
(Note: the Emperor is the part of the equation that is only theoretically quiet.)
I blog here, trying to bring people together around good things. And a natural part of that, almost accidentally, has become supporting a group of aspiring writers.
I’ve been posting some resources and writing some helpful posts for the writing community because it stuns me a little, to talk to aspiring authors, and hear how God is stirring things to a white hot boiling point inside them. I believe the intensity in their eyes when they say they feel compelled to bring those things to expression. And I think the world will be better for it if they are able to.
But here’s the thing.
Those writing posts have unintentionally taken on a life of their own. They’ve been easy to come by since I’ve been able to study the publishing industry from many different vantage points, thanks to my work. And they’ve kind of taken over, drawing an entirely different audience to my blog and splitting up and spacing out more personal posts about my journey toward brotherhood.
So I’m thinking about splitting my sites. Now that I have the time. Of transferring some of the writing resources–the how to writing stuff–to another webpage. And leaving this one to be a sounding board for me, my writings and the learnings I’m in the middle of trying to express.
What do you think? Would it make sense, now that I have the time, to host a writing website and a blog? Advantages/disadvantages? From all the perspectives you all hold (friends, readers, SEO peeps, web gurus, branding mavens), how does that strike you?
Benji Zimmerman March 27, 2012 (3:28 pm)
I have no where near the readership or the frequency of postings that you do, but I tried this as well and everything tanked. I was writing everything on one website, which was more personal in nature. Along the way, a lot of my writings developed into a specific niche and so I thought I would start a separate site for those writings. It never really took off.
In fact, after launching the second site and writing regularly I lost readership from the first and never established a platform with the second. The combined readership of both websites never equaled the first site.
Just my two cents.
Ed Elliott March 27, 2012 (3:55 pm)
Well, the only thing better than one Sarah Cunningham site is alas, two Sarah Cunningham sites. Sounds like a great idea since the audiences are indeed very different.
Ray Hollenbach March 27, 2012 (4:14 pm)
Right: I’m supposed to give you advice? All I can do is parrot what the internet gurus say–every blog should have a unique focus. That sounds like two, doesn’t it?
But beware the law of unintended consequences, such as the number of children you have, times the number of blogs you write, with a catalytic factor of other deadlines and also that tiny thing called “family life” So like the thousand year-old knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, I say, “Choose wisely.”
Albert April 2, 2012 (12:56 am)
It’s possible to have both websites. Jon Acuff is doing it on his website with SCL and his more personal/open-ended blog.
My one suggestion is to go over your archive and notice if there is a pattern or increased frequency of blog posts which would mandate having two blogs…especially recently in the past few months. Also helps to write what you hope to accomplish if you want to have both sites.
Best to you, Sarah! Either way, hope it is a fun, joyful experience for you.