I have no stats to prove it nor expert analysis to cite, but is it just me or are things quietier in the blogosphere?
Does it seem to you, as it does to me, like there’s fewer new blogs hitting the scene, fewer posts from the established ones, and lots that are languishing without an update?
Has the time you spent interacting with blogs changed in the past year? Do you think blogs will endure and thrive or has their peak time come and gone?
therealjasonb says
I'm not sure if blogs are down, but Facebook and Twitter are way, way up. Facebook keeps getting bigger, and Twitter users are getting older (statistically)–so people might be tweeting instead of blogging. Places like Facebook also allow for more direct (maybe immediate?) interaction than blogs, although obviously there is interaction going on here.)
I think there are also newer sites–like Tumblr–that are sort of blogs, but also roll in tweets, video, audio, etc. in a way that traditional blogs don't.
(I don't normally know all this, but I was just looking at stats about this sort of thing for work.)
D.G. Hudson says
Perhaps quality control is slowing things down. Most people can only stay in fast-forward for a given amount of time (burn-out is a consequence). For quality to emerge from a blog, the host must take time to post interesting material. (e.g., Nathan's writing info or publishing info-powerhouse J. Konrath)
Blogging takes time, could involve research for certain posts, and needs some sort of schedule to keep it fresh. Then to read other blogs takes even more time. I'll review the blogs that I follow on occasion, and have gleaned some out. They may not suit my purposes or give me anything worthwhile. I can only read so much before the eyes glaze over.
Perhaps it's easier to use Twitter (quick satisfaction turnaround),or Facebook.
My take – nearly every product (like blogging) has a product life cycle: new, growth, no growth and decline. Only the strong survive.
It all depends on why the host is blogging in the first place – to gather followers, to share info, or to satisfy a writing need.
I don't think they have peaked, but perhaps blogs have reached a stable plateau. I've discovered some interesting sites by checking out some of the bloggers who follow you, Nathan.
Transparent Mama says
I think there either has to be a relationship established on the blog with readers or some valuable information gained to keep readers coming back.
Kay Theodoratus says
With so many blogs already being updated regularly, I think it's getting increasingly difficult to come up with a new idea … or even a new slant.
But, someone will do it, even if I know it's not me.
Danielle La Paglia says
I think quality blogs will stay and thrive. I know several blogs that are cutting back from daily to 2-3 times or week or going from 2-3 times to once a week. As long as the content is good and there's a reason to blog, they'll stick around and people will still visit.
Josin L. McQuein says
Many blogs fizzle. Either the person who started them didn't get insta-rich and famous, or the reason they started the blog has changed, or they were young when they started and no longer want to blog, etc.
Regular readers also to use their repeat-read blogs like a newspaper – skim it and move on.
Blogs in their current incarnation may have peaked, but that's not to say they won't adapt to a new format.
Melanie Jacobson says
I've heard speculation that it's the rise of the smartphone that's slowing down comments. I get as much traffic as I ever did, but less comments. I've heard people say that blogs are easy to read on their phones but it's too time consuming to tap out a comment.
Caryn says
I am a relative newbie in the blogosphere. When I post a blog update on my Facebook page, I find that more people make comments on Facebook than on my blog, even though they go to my blog to read the update.
Courtney Price ~ Vintage Ginger Peaches says
YEP. I've been thinking about this for the last 6 months. I think that people are still reading via feed, but comments are way down… unless you're on facebook, then I have found they are up. Is this the next thing? I don't know… seems like facebook and twitter are too old to be "next".
Mr. D says
Judging by this blog alone, (its very high number of followers which is ever-increasing,) I would say blogging is still on the rise.
Reesha says
Blogging IS getting a bit excessive.
For people who search blogs for information, blogging has peaked.
For people who are addicted to blogs and blogging, we're just getting started.
I wonder, did the person who came up with the phrase "Marketplace of Ideas" ever think it could be carried too far?
I mean, the more ideas the better, right? But what if there are so many it clogs up the system and prevents the really good ideas from getting the attention they need?
This is a subject that's both deep and wide. Someone should write a book about it.
Remilda Graystone says
So many interesting reasons. I have noticed blog postings and commenting–all that stuff–starting to slow down. I thought it was only me. I used to have a blog, but then deleted it when I became too self-conscious to post more often. But to be honest, I didn't want to blog to begin with. So I think that's what happening now. Those who started blogging naively didn't realize how much work it actually is if you don't enjoy it.
Also, everyone's practically written everything there is to write/discuss when it comes to writing. It's difficult to come up with something new or something worth discussing that hasn't already been discussed. And with feeds and all that, people no longer have to read the entire post to find out whether they want to continue/comment–or even press the link.
Then there's real life to contend with. It's also a case of saturation, I think, which makes it hard to keep up with everything even if you want to. I only follow about 30 blogs, and I find I don't even read half of the things posted because I have no time.
At the end of the day, blogging, commenting, it's all time-consuming, and I'm sure people don't want to feel like they wasted their time, so they've become pickier about whose blogs they read and comment on.
Interesting discussion.
Jacqueline Windh says
I agree with the other commenters who noted that the internet is saturated with blogs. If every writer is supposed to have a blog… well, that is practically as many publishers as consumers.
There are a few absolutely fantastic blogs out there that have developed a high readership. But it is unrealistic for every blogger to aim for that – readers just don't the hours in the day to read that many of them.
So I think that makes it a lot harder for us to justify time spent blogging. We need to either find some niche (not already covered by the millions of blogs out there) where we have a chance of developing a readership that makes our time investment worthwhile – or invest our energies elsewhere.
BTW, I just looked on the WordPress.com front page – there were 557,851 new blogs posts today alone.
Stephanie@thecrackedslipper says
Blogs offering useful information will always be popular. Case in point, this one.
salima says
maybe it's following a romantic pattern: the initial infatuation has died down, and now the return to everything else that took up bloggers' time before their blog came along is trying to re-introduce itself. maybe the blog, the blogger, and the blogger's other priorities need to integrate into a companionable way of being, as they realize passion isn't everything. blogs will stick around, just be more integrated into regular life, i think. it'll be a good, healthy plateau.
Gregory K. says
Nathan – I don't think there's been a slowdown in activity, but I think 1) blogs get less attention from outside sources (now we focus on Facebook and Twitter) and that affects our perception and 2) I know that my own interactions with the blogosphere have changed the longer I've been around it, and I therefore view the whole area through my own prism. For example, I no longer actively look for new blogs like I once did, but that doesn't mean that others aren't looking or that new blogs aren't popping up.
I suspect the peak in terms of media attention has come and gone. I don't think there's any way to measure whether the peak in terms of effectiveness has come and gone. I think that, as before, will be measured by each individual based on their own goals and what their blog achieves for them.
Anonymous says
My favorite blog, this one, definitely quieted down when you left publishing.
Sean says
I've been writing seriously for just over a year now and agent/author blogs like Nathan's were an invaluable tool in helping me grow as a writer. That being said – one of my all time unfavorite phrases – I've noticed most blogs becoming repetitious. And there are way too many. By the time I read other people's blogs and write my own the day is half over.
The only reason I write a blog is because agents want us to have a platform – which in the grand scheme of things I think is ridiculous. I mean, there's only so much platform an average person with limited means can amass. Ooh, I'm going to sell an extra 37 books one day because of my blog. Yippee. Most aspiring writers, like myself, can only go so far with their blogs without putting up some real points – i.e. nabbing an agent/publisher/selling books – on the scoreboard.
Juliette says
@SarahAnn I was really interested to read your comment about how you're still reading, but commenting less. Every blogging site out there think comments are an indication of a successful blog, but when I recently got my highest ever number of hits thanks to a link from whedonesque, it was days before I got any comments, adn then only two. People followed the link read the article they were interested in, and left again, which is fine by me, as long as they enjoyed it! But perhaps we need other ways of measuring success or impact.
TraciB says
Funny you should ask, Nathan – I just deleted three blogs from my follow list because they hadn't been updated in two months or more.
My own posts have been sporadic at best, but at least I'm putting something up once or twice a month…
Chris Phillips says
I would see where you are coming from if it weren't for my blog, which is like God's gift to blogging.
Terri Tiffany says
I have decreased the amount of posts I write so that I can read more blogs. I think I use Facebook much more often and like others, I am finding that my writing is suffering if I am on blogs too much.
Fenris says
Don't feel bad Nathan, it's just cold-weather lethargy. Besides, if the blogs fall there's always Twitter (shudder) or Facebook.
But I don't think they'll ever really fall. After all, people like to hear things from those they look up to, and the character limit of Twitter can't always allow that. Facebook Notes can, but they're a bit more difficult to use than blogs–for example, sometimes only direct friends can see them.
You also have to take into account our attention spans and work ethics (at least those of the common American). It takes dedication to track down every scrap of relevant information on the Internet and then piece it together into something comprehensible (though granted, if we had to we would). It's so much easier to just follow a blog that tells you all of it up-front. (For example, it was a godsend when I found this and a few other writerly blogs. Before that I had no idea what was going on.)
So no, I don't think blogs will ever die. The blogosphere might shrink a bit, but the ease of use and comprehension should keep it afloat.
Reece says
I actually read blogs a lot more now than I did a year ago…all thanks to google reader! It was too much of a hassle to go to each different blog and read (I know it sounds horrible, but that's the truth). Now that I can get to all the blogs I follow almost directly from my email account, I read a lot more.
Annie says
I feel the same way, Nathan. I think the problem is market saturation, especially with writing blogs. So many new and wannabe writers feel pressure to start blogs to help their *mysterious and shifty* platform, but then they can’t keep up. Or they grow tired of it. And that’s a real shame, since all of the forlorn and decrepit blogs out there clutter the blogosphere and make it harder to find those blogs that are active and do try to be original. There’s a certain amount of burn-out, I think, with writing blogs… because everyone knows that they’re created for the sole purpose of creating a platform 85% of the time, and that’s off-putting. I think the keepers of writing blogs need to stop thinking about getting other writers to follow them and start thinking about entertaining their readers.
Kristin Laughtin says
There's definite burn-out on both sides, although I don't think blogs will entirely disappear any time soon. Rather, I think they were so promoted as this must-have tool that everybody paid more attention than they could spare to them. I'm sure the people posting every day got worn out, and it was the same with many commenters–including me, since the market is so saturated with so many "must-read" blogs. I just did not have time to comment on all of them anymore, especially with work (and in my case, grad school part-time), and I'm sure I wasn't alone in this experience. I'm reading many blogs still, but not commenting as much as I want to or felt I "should".
Basically, like in any market, I think a few will continue to slug it out and have regular posts and followers. They'll be the top-selling authors, and most of the mid- or lower list will drop out or content themselves with smaller audiences (especially if their blog is just to update people on their life, etc.).
Scott says
I just read an insightful post on another blog addressing this:
https://idratherbewriting.com/2011/02/07/the-problem-of-free/
Long story short: blogs are free, and bloggers are finding that the cost of actively blogging may outweigh the returns.
patlaff says
Like everything else, it's cyclical. Remember when everyone was buying and selling on eBay? Remember when Ashton Kutcher added his 1 millionth Twitter follower? Remember when your friends posted comments to Facebook? After a while, the honeymoon is over and people go back to the other distractions in their lives. Blogs are no different.
I'm not saying these things are going away. They're just following the typical path of fads. And FYI: while tie-dyes never truly went away, peace signs are back.
Elena says
Yup…you say "peaked"…I say too many blogs have "jumped the shark."
Also, I think too many folks' attention spans have decreased to the point they can barely handle reading 140 characters.
jjdebenedictis says
Twitter and Facebook updates link to content.
Blogs actually provide that content.
However, providing content is hard work. Often the owner of a blog just wants to point out a funny lolcat.
And so, blog posts decrease in frequency and social media sites pick up that slack.
I don't think blogs will go away. We still need content–a place where a complete line of reasoning can be expressed.
That said, social media is better for the kinds of communication most of us want to do on a day-to-day basis.
Ulysses says
I think a lot of blog traffic has moved over to Twitter and Facebook, and I think this is because of time required by both reader and writer.
Blame ADHD, if you like. I would but… hey! Butterflies!
A blog post can be one line, but as a reader, I feel cheated by those that are. I don't want War and Peace, but I'd like a nice, thoughtful essay on an interesting topic. A blog post takes more time and thought to create and read than a tweet or a status update.
On Twitter or FB, one-line posts are the norm. They can be dashed off with a minimum of investment, and can either be developed later or not at all. Substantial commitment is not required, and is likely a hindrance to communication in that forum.
But we all feel the pressure on our time, and under that pressure it's easier to either post nothing on a blog, or tweet a fleeting thought, or change our status.
I don't know if blogs have peaked, but those who used to read and write them are discovering they can get much of the interaction they wanted out of a blog from different and less demanding sources.
Those who were in blogging solely for personal contact have largely left for other pastures. Those who remain are here because they enjoy the longer format a blog allows.
Have they peaked? Probably in terms of sheer numbers, yes. In terms of quality of experience, I suspect they're just starting to mature.
Star-Dreamer says
Hmmm… I have been noticing a lag in blog related activity around the blogosphere and my own blog too… fewer comments and fewer new posts. Not sure I like it, and not yet sure if it will stick around. It may just be because school is getting into the full swing of things and college students don't have a lot of extra time on their hands (that's my excuse anyway) but who really knows… *shrug*
Star-Dreamer says
Annie: as far as blog content goes, I believe you are right — that many new writers out there do decide to start a blog for the sheer purpose of trying to build a following. Actually, that was my starting purpose too… but now my blog has become a whole lot more to me. It's public, so it's not like a journal, but it is a way for me to share my feelings and explore different subjects with the public, and then get feedback. All good stuff. So you are right… most of the writing blogs out there are dead anymore… but of those that are still up and running, I think it's gone beyond platform and perhaps even beyond entertainment, and has boiled down to the sharing and feedback. Ok, so you can get similar things on FB, but for articles there is still no better place than a blog. 😀
J. T. Shea says
I have spent more time interacting with blogs in the last year. More time, but fewer blogs. Mostly yours and the Bransforums, in fact. My comments would probably make a fairly regular blog in their own right. Yet I do not have a blog. I prefer it here!
Though obviously creative in your own right, you are also an excellent facilitator, a catalyst for the creativity of others. Hence literary agent, and now social mediator. Your recent blog posts are excellent examples. You ask a question or two, and voila'! We provide a hundred or more answers. You're not just talking to yourself, unlike many bloggers.
abc says
I think my own blog peaked in about 2006 when I had at least 30 readers. :0)
Isn't the world all about ebb and flow? I think blogs are becoming more focused–at least the highly read ones are. I still read the ones I love, but I hunt less for new ones.
Yes and no, I guess.
tamarapaulin says
I'd read more blogs if they said something with fewer words.
G says
I think that its more cyclical than anything else.
I find that the traffic at my blog has a tendency to drop during the spring and summer and rise during the fall and winter.
I still find myself commenting on a good percentage of the blogs that I follow, but even though the comments may be dwindling on mine, I'm still happy with the traffic that I do get.
Anne R. Allen says
I've noticed a decrease in my stats in the last month, but I'm still getting comments. I think it's more likely cyclical. People tend to get down to business in the bill-paying aftermath of holiday frenzifying. So they may actually be writing. And blogging less often, but more thoughtfully.
I can't see blogs dying out. They are free interactive websites. What's not to like?
Facebook seems to be peaking to me. It feels adversarial, as the Facebook corporate elves keep trying to sell you stuff by tricking you into giving away secrets with dumb quizzes, and squish you into one corporate box or another. (You're not even allowed to like a type of music or film any more, but have to choose specific corporate entertainment brands.)
Facebook is for grandmas to exchange family reunion photos and for corporate advertising. That's not cool. When your cooth is gone, you're on your way out.
But bloggers can still be individuals. Blogging may be stablizing, but it's not going anywhere.
If Facebook fades, I won't mind a bit.
Claire Gregory says
Hmm. I'm not so sure. Everything feels like it's in full swing at the moment- but then I'm a Crusader in Rachael Harrie's Writers Blog Platform-Building Crusade, so I'm in the thick of discovering hundreds of other writers who blog for the first time, and loving it.
https://rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/p/writers-platform-building-crusade.html
Sommer Leigh says
I have not seen a slow down on the blogs I am following and I've been finding more that I enjoy lately than ever before. I have not felt this slow you speak of.
However, I did just mention on my blog that I think we are about to see more authors who blog turning to group blogs instead of keeping individual ones. I have seen a noticeable drop in posts from authors I follow and I've seen more group blogs popping up. I think this will be a good thing for authors who don't have time to dedicate to a blog and for readers who don't have enough time to hit all their favorite authors. If you can go to one blog with five authors posting during the week you have an active blog, a place to interact with your favorite authors, and a place to find new authors that are maybe a lot like them in genre, audience, voice, tone, etc.
Bika says
I sure hope not, 'cause if so I am so late to the party. 🙂
Two years ago I started dabbling in blogs because they were free webspace in which I could put some of the silly things I wanted to show my friends. Since then it's become a whole 'nother animal.
My blog world is still growing every day. (I found two new blogs to follow just this morning, in fact!) I also use Twitter and my follow/er numbers are going up all the time… if slowly. Maybe it's just a matter of quality vs. quantity. I admit, I tend to avoid signing up for blogs that post daily unless they're exceptional, because it can get really noisy up in my reader.
T.E. Hibbard from FierceandNerdy.com says
I co-edit a blog and while our numbers are higher than ever, we've definitely seen a slow down in comments over the years. On one hand, it's become a bit creepy, like talking a lot while people just stare at you blank-faced. On the other hand, it's a nice surprise to see what resonates (ends up in our top 5) without comment.
Kaitlyne says
I read fewer than I did a year ago, and that's a direct result of people posting less or seeming to become less interested. One in particular was once entertaining, but now feels strained and repetitive, so I gave up on that one, which was a shame because it had been a favorite for a year.
Honestly, though, I've never liked the majority of blogs and the few that I do read (almost all industry related at this point) are exceptional and tend to be funny.
I haven't ever felt like I was establishing a relationship with the writer as someone before put it. While I occasionally leave comments, that's general in response to a direct question and it doesn't make me feel any more connected to the writer of the blog than before. I prefer message boards or forums for that type of thing–places where I feel like I'm carrying on a real conversation and not just another random name on the internet.
katdish says
I think blogs that offer something unique to their readers with writers committed to writing them will stick around.
Layla Morgan Wilde says
Probably yes. And with our collective ADHD who has time to read or write long posts? I keep it simple with my photo quote de jour.
Donna Perugini says
If bloggers don't have Subscribe by Email, I won't be back because email is the only way I notice. If they post a comment, I make sure I go to their blog and comment. It makes a good link connection and some times a new friend. I'd recommend a Subscribe by Email feature for every blog!
Since I've only been doing this a year, I can only comment from my perspective as a newbie.
Liz says
It's not just you. I've noticed it mostly with personal blogs of family and friends. It seems like people have sort of lost interest in updating their own blogs or commenting on others', even though they are still reading blogs. It makes me think the blogging trend is on a downward swing. I think blogs with a specific focus and an established audience will continue to thrive, but a lot of blogs will start to disappear.
paulajewelry says
If a good blog will post to my email, I'll join it and give it the count of five — five great blogs in two weeks and I'll keep them. And I find I access them more readily if the subject line is specific and hooks me (not just the blog name). Otherwise I delete it to clear my inbox. As a result, your blog gets read almost daily. I hardly ever read the comments unless it directly relates to me — like this one — and I rarely comment unless I feel a connection. Thanks for keeping us connected!
chelsea says
I like your blog. It's the only blog I read regularly. I am subscribed to your feed, which is probably why – but I never read your posts from my inbox, I always click and visit your site, because I love your typewriter logo and I love orange. 🙂
Jan O'Hara (Tartitude) says
In the last few months, three industry people have said a large blogging platform is not a requirement for a fiction writer to get a deal. That would be you, Jane Friedman, and Rachelle Gardner – in other words, people I'd trust.
If that wisdom is absorbed, I think there will be considerable blogging attrition. The bloggers who do it well, and/or who love it, will remain. I'm interested to see what happens in the next while, but I do think we're on the cusp of a shift.