Today is an exciting day for my husband, Sean. He’s been working with a team on a book fansite for the past year and a half, and they’ve had tremendous success with it. Their success was given a boost today when Random House named them the OFFICIAL fansite for The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series by Michael Scott! God only knows where they will go from here, but with a movie in the works, this series has Harry Potter potential for blowing up.
I’ve had the pleasure of observing some of the inner workings behind this team, and it’s taught me some things about making a blog or website successful.
- Find a need and fill it – The concept for this fansite came about when there was no fansite for the series. They approached the author and asked his permission, and with his blessing, a forum was born.
- Have a solid team – In this instance, a team was needed to build something to accommodate potential size and magnitude. The team started small, but as the site grew, so did their team and their skill set. When it came to forum moderators, they recruited from within with existing forum members who were active and reliable. And what is most important is the constant communication that happens between team members.
- Create community – The original idea behind the site was a forum, a place where fans could discuss the book series. As the site grew, a podcast was born that included poll questions and emails from fans. The fans became a part of the show.
- Run a tight ship – The series is geared towards Young Adults, so a no tolerance policy was created and enforced to keep the forums age appropriate. Moderators were always present and active on the boards. This was huge when they were reviewed by Random House. They were flame-free and a safe haven for young fans.
So congratulations to the entire Flamel’s Immortal Portal team! Your hard work and diligence has paid off and I cannot wait to see where you guys go from here.
After experiencing how wonderful the Dallas I Heart Faces Workshop was, the next one I have my eye on is Blissdom, a blogging conference where my newly made friends Angie and Amy will be speaking! Sadly with finances as they are and a trip to Scotland in the very near future, it’s just not in the budget this year. However, when I saw a chance to win a pass to the conference from SteaZ, I couldn’t not throw my hat in the ring. If it’s in God’s plan for me to go this year, then perhaps this is my chance.
They asked what we value as bloggers, what success means to us. Simple question, right?
Ha.
After some brain wrinkling and Google Reader analysis, I’ve assembled this list of what I value when blogging or reading blogs:
- Honesty – I’d much rather hear how someone lost their temper, or burned the cookies, or second guessed their actions, because guess what? Everyone has. No one is perfect, and if we wanted to hear about people who were we’d head to the self help aisle or flip open the latest Martha Stewart mag (and even she had troubles). I’d rather find humor and celebrate flaws with others who are just as flawed as I am. Be YOU, because there already is a someone else.
- Writing Skills – You could be the funniest person on the face of the earth, but if you can’t take the time to proof, edit and find your dictionary, then I can’t take the time to read you. Although, I do fall guilty to blurting and posting without a second read sometimes. But beyond basic grammar, I enjoy reading posts that draw me in. I can get very ADD online, so a great writer holds my attention and respect.
- Sense of Humor - I wish I was funnier. Sometimes I’m reading one of my favorite blogs and I can’t help but snort (which usually leads to quizzical looks from Sean or the cats). I wonder if anyone has had the same reaction to anything I’ve written.
- Beautiful Photos – Something I’m constantly working to improve myself. Blogs are essentially online magazines, and great prose is only improved by great images. I’m not someone who thinks an image should be thrown in just because “an entry needs a picture”. Sometimes you don’t have an image that fits and sometimes an entry just doesn’t need anything else.
As for success? I’ve got a ways to go before I become a true blogging success like The Pioneer Woman or Young House Love (two of my personal favorites), and who’s to say I ever will? But in the meantime I’m working towards my own little successes. Every comment is a little success, and when someone mentions my blog and how much they enjoy it, that’s a bigger success. It’s still mostly within the constraints of my family and friends, but maybe someday it will reach beyond.
I’m still a baby in this blogosphere, and right now I’m actually scrutinizing what I’ve done so far in preparation for an overhaul in the coming months. A trip to Blissdom? Talk about a launching pad! Just browsing the sessions has me drooling (hold on, let me grab a napkin). I need help and wisdom in all those areas.
So Steaz, if you choose me, you will have a friend forever. But no matter what blogger you choose, Blissdom will be an amazing adventure. So if any of you bloggers (anyone out there?) is interested in throwing your hat in as well, check out their Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/officialsteaz.