What Makes a Good Author Blog?

Yesterday I mentioned MetaxuCafé as a good place to find author blogs. The Internet Writing Journal also has a list of Best Author Blogs, and there's also a big list at Authors' Blogs.

So what makes for a good author blog? This article on The Author's Dilemma: To Blog or Not to Blog, has a few suggestions:

It is a combination of factors which create a "perfect storm" of blogging. Great author blogs are frequently updated. They are interesting. And they are well-written. Many authors complain that they don't have anything to say, that their lives aren't that interesting on a day to day basis. But that's entirely the point: it's not your life that has to be interesting. But how you write about it must be interesting. And the way to do that is to let you personality shine through. Are you a grump in the morning or most of the time? Then rant and rave about subjects in the news. If you can make it funny, so much the better. But if you're not comfortable writing humor, then don't. If you feel strongly about a serious issue such as the environment, for example, then by all means share that passion with your readers. Before you get too worried about alienating your readers, remember this: You can't please everyone, so don't try. People are attracted to passion in writing. Write with passion and your readership will grow.

Frank Sennett at the Spokesman Review observes that:

Some authors treat blogs as nothing more than a cog in the book marketing machine. But many take a comprehensive approach to the medium, interacting with fans, commenting on current events, detailing their writing process, ruminating on characters, posting tour diaries and even sharing personal anecdotes.

In that same article, Ron Hogan of Beatrice.com says that he loves authors' book recommendations:

"The glimpses into other writers' personal lives are fun, but the thing I like most about my favorite authors' blogs is their willingness to celebrate OTHER authors that they admire," Hogan said via e-mail. "It's not just about promoting themselves, but acknowledging that we're all enthusiastic readers, and we're all looking for the next awesome book to read."

I have a lot of fun digging up the blogs of obscure and emerging writers, and I'm particularly interested in their stories about the writing life for Wrestling the Angel. If you've got a favourite author blog to share, please tell us about it in the comments.