Star Tech

Hari Spotter And The Exchanger Of Secrets

In my newspaper column `Blog Cabin’, published in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, I recently answered a question from Hari. This is an edited version of my answer to his question, which I think might perhaps be relevant to other bloggers as well.

Could you please review my blog and let me know what can be done to improve it.

Mate, I hope you're good at algebra, because there's one piece of an interesting equation missing here. Good blog? Check. Wide appeal? Check. Reader comments? Er, um, gone AWOL, your honour.

Book review blogs are safe territory, because they always evoke a reaction. Yours embraces many genres, but I'm baffled by the lack of comments. Like Julie Andrews, let's start at the very beginning. Claim your blog at Technorati and activate the Technorati ping sequence, which tells people every time you update the blog.

Next, you need a hit counter. If you're serious about engaging your readers (and there's no reason why a blog of this nature cannot do so) then you need to know who's visiting, how long they spend on your site -- and, vitally, if they're coming back.

I use the Site Meter hit counter. It's free and gives you a wide range of real-time information and statistics. All you have to do is register at SiteMeter.com and follow the prompts.

Editorially, I would suggest some basic improvements. First up, proof-read or spell-check each post. Don't allow mistakes to creep into text. Just as they would irk you if you were reviewing a book, they are a turn-off to your readers too. When you talk about Shirley Hardy-Rix, there is a reference to her as Shirley Hardy-Pix - and there's a smattering of other minor errors that should be fixed.

It's great that you try to contact some of the authors. This could be the one thing that sets you apart from other book review bloggers, so highlight an author's response when you get it. Post well, post often - and make sure to emphasise features that set you apart from other similar blogs.

PS: Take your lawyer to the pub every Friday - you'll need his/her help if you call authors ``horny''. Publicity is good, but not when you're being sued.