The Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette has gotten over 1,500 hits a month for one year. That definitely does not make me a big time blogger but it does mean I must be doing something right. Let me tell you what I think I’m doing right.
Pittsburgh Flash Fiction Gazette is my personal blog. The Gazette started publishing in September of 2008 and a few days ago past 18,200 hits. It has 1,000 posts on it. That’s better than 83 posts a month and better than three posts a day. I was a busy little bee.
Image by dcJohn via Flickr
Recently, I’ve started to invest less time in the Gazette as I invest more time in Triond. The Gazette has turned out to be a wonderful online marketing tool for my Triond flash fiction and articles, sending several hits to my Triond content every day, even when I neglect the Gazette for days at a time.
The highest number of hits that the Gazette ever got in one day was 853; but I’m pretty sure that was a fluke. The Gazette had just started publication and it had a similar name to the local daily newspaper. The Gazette got 360 hits not too long ago. That was during the period when I was postings content several times a day (10-12) so I’m sure the 360 hits were accurate; but because of my commitment to Triond, the days of me posting 10 pieces of content on PFFG are over. So, what has blogging for one year taught me about publishing a blog?
A blog must have a narrow focus. The Gazette is about blogging, flash fiction, sexuality and writing.
A blog must be updated regularly. When I blogged every day I got decent traffic. If I blogged several times a day for several days I got great traffic.
There must be an audience for the blog. There are a lot of folks online interested in blogging, flash fiction, sexuality and writing…
Welcome to the Gazette. The Old Soldier is in rare form today. Here at the Gazette you will find some of the best flash fiction stories and articles on writing on the Internet.
August 28th, 2009 at 4:36 am
Great article Guy. Not a bad number at all. I’d be happy to have a third of those hits for a year on my Triond articles.
Well good luck to ya, and I hope your Triond articles and blog continue to do great!
August 28th, 2009 at 5:35 am
Congratulations Guy! I’d be a proud and happy man if I were you. I just set up my own website and a bunch of sister sites so I REALLY doubt it if anything is going to happen! Good article!
August 28th, 2009 at 5:42 am
I\’ve been thinking of starting a blog for some time – after reading this I\’m more inclined to give it a go. Thanks.
August 28th, 2009 at 9:36 am
It’s amazing, but with a blog comes more responsibility, as you need to use Triond as well right? But the blog is a great helping hand for Triond. It’s really unbelievable. Congrats Guy!
August 28th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Quite useful information.Thanks for sharing
August 28th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Wow, Congrats!
I started mine, Inkspeare, and am very excited after reading your article. I will be very happy if I do as good as you!
http://inkspeare.wordpress.com
August 28th, 2009 at 11:13 am
Congratulations! You are a very good writer too. Best of luck.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
You deserve to get those views for a writer like yourself!! Thanks for the share!
August 28th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Congratulations. I’ll have to go check it out.
August 28th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Iggy, thank you for the kind words. I was lucky that Triond came along when it did. Now I’m addicted to Triond but it’s a good addiction that will do me no harm.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Hello, Atikin: One of the things I had to do with my blog and my Triond Account was to decide which would have priority simply because there are only so many hours in the day. I decided that Triond was more important. Be careful not to spread yourself too thin. It’s counter productive for your writing.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Hi, Katien: The blog will probably take away time that you would invest in Triond. I started the Gazette months before I was a Triond member. I really don’t have time for the Gazette now.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Yes, Buma: I think some of my other friends are missing the point that I can no longer sustain the effort I use to put in the Gazette because of all the time I’m putting into Triond.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Ramalingam, blogging is quite an experience. The Gazette has published 15 Guest Writers of flash fiction in the past year. I’m very proud of this.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Marie, good luck. Blogging can be a lot of fun and it can be frustrating, too. I hope this article will help to make it fun for you.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Marleneram26, thank you. I try to be as professional about writing as I can be. I’ve been writing fiction since I was 15. I’m still writing fiction.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
alc, thank you. Writing is the only thing I’ve struck with all these years so I may as well stay with it. Longevity counts for a lot.
August 28th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Mary, the Gazette has a lot of my history in it. And even though I’m giving Triond priority over the Gazette, a reader will get the truest picture of my work on the Gazette.
August 30th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Congratulations to you, you must be one of the veteran writers! keep on writing.
August 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Thanks, simpyoj: I’ve been writing a long time so maybe finally I’ve learnt something. Blogging can be fun.
August 31st, 2009 at 10:14 am
I am looking forward to reading more of your stuff.
September 3rd, 2009 at 4:00 am
wow! Congratulations to you! wish you all the best and hope you get even more views!
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:11 am
Thanks, Keirt: It takes a lot of work to get those many hits within a year but it was fun. And the blog helps me to make money.