Cynsations

Cynsational Suggestion for Group Blogs

For those collaborating on group blogs, perhaps consider including a byline that links to your official site/individual blog at the top of the post and a brief credit line, again with a link, at the bottom.

For example: Cynthia Leitich Smith is the author of several books and short stories for young readers. Her latest release is Eternal (Candlewick, 2009). She is also on the faculty of Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Reasons behind this tip:

(1) My realizing only after a couple of years that one of my favorite authors was one of the voices behind one of my favorite blogs (the sidebar links may be too subtle, especially from those reading a syndication).

(2) In considering blog posts, it often helps to know the source. Who is the author? What does she know about the topic? What perspective does she bring?

(3) I know there are folks who worry about being too promotional, but trust me, you can overcompensate. A while back I received an email from a university professor of children’s literature: “Oh, I didn’t realize you were an author yourself, and I’ve been using your website for years.” Ow.