Being remiss... :( [TKE provides Blogging advice?!]

I was just clearing out my email, and, wow.  I have a couple I REALLY should have replied to before now...It's my fault, absolutely, the main problem being that I look at them once, mentally file them away for later, then when 'later' rolls around it's Stupid AM, and I'm to tired to do anything about them.  Pretty much an accidental Dick Move, really.

Time to make some amends...
"

Hi Rick I've gone ahead and taken the plunge and started my own blog, got the tutorials I had done over on heresy up and thats pretty much it so far, I'm aiming to get a few more things done tomorrow but I'm just looking for a bit of advice, layouts, gadgets, what sort of articles people like etc, any advice you can give is great. Its The Uplifting Primer, would you be interested in doing an article or two maybe?  Also when are you heading away? I'm asking cause I thought a nice battle report at say 1750 would be a good draw for the crowds? My IG vs your Eldar? Thanks) Chris" Some of you may remember Chris from his stint here (technically he's still an author here, but no doubt his absence of late is something to do with me not replying to this email, sent on the 18/7...) I have visited said blog, and it's not bad.  Sadly, there's no opportunity for such a game, given as I leave on Friday and am only half-packed...and I'm working both tomorrow and Thursday.  To be honest, I am too interested in getting away and enjoying comedy to have been at top notch for such a game, so I don't think it would have done either of us justice. As regards layout and gadgets?  Your layout seems fine to me, really, I'm far from an expert.  I set up Mind War as I like, and change it at will.  I think it's the only way to run a blog, tbh, but Keep It Simple, Stupid seems a good enough philosophy - don't try to have too much going on at once. Don't blog too much at once, unless you have a TON more to talk about, because you can't rely on feedback driven articles and comment responses indefinitely.  Sooner or later people get bored of arguments, especially the same ones, and look for a change of subject/pace - so don't leave yourself high and dry with little or nothing to say (not that you're prone to internet fights anyway...)  Don't leave yourself burnt out, either.  No point saying a lot today when it means you don't post the rest of the week.  Find a rhythm, and stick to it.  Much as I regret the slow-paced (almost glacial) way MW has turned out, I also know I cannot sustain the kind of pace Kirby and Stelek have - and would fall apart trying...and get bored, frankly.  Doesn't alleviate a tinge of jealousy when Kirby posts over a hundred times in a month, supporting actors or no...but I know my limits, and what my readers expect. Gadgets? People like anything and everything.  Gadgets only exist because people like them, even when they serve no purpose.  BlogRolls are probably the most popular of gadgets, and so always good.  If people like what you say, they probably like what the people you like say too.  Polls are almost certainly a bad idea for a new blog, unless they are incredibly funny (like Dethtron's) or controversial (er...Dethtron again) because you will get very little response, and be disappointed. Articles are tricky.  Someone, somewhere will like anything, but what you want to do is try and carve a niche, while still appealing to as many people as possible.  My approach included promoting myself by being visible and vociferous.  I can't say if that's the best way to go about things, quite possibly not, but being confrontational and loud is certainly one way to get attention to you and your blog.  Just make sure to back it up with enough substance that people don't begin to dismiss you out of hand, and it works.  Either way, being on the FTW Blogroll (as you are) will inevitably help to drive traffic to there, as will pimping yourself on others' blogrolls.   Comment on other people's blogs, try to be insightful, never miss a chance to link yourself, or use a catchphrase that becomes/is your tagline (see Kirby and Brent for masterful examples of self-pimping.) Certainly, I would write articles for you, just don't waste time giving me deadlines... :p People liked what you had to say here, and on Heresy - there's no reason to think that can't be expanded upon and extended by your own Blog - you just need to get started.  As a blog with more focus on conversion than here, blogs like Musings of a Metal Mind and Sons of Taurus would be good ones to try and get on-side, or of course the ever-popular Jawaballs. I can't think of anything else, but don't hesitate to ask if you do.  I'll reply some time in the same season... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Apologies to everyone I haven't linked here, given the number (20) I have.  Suck it up, though - you still get linked in the Blog Roll.  :p  (Some of you even get linked on the left too!)