Inside the world of bloggers

Many writers own a blog today. It has become a platform where they post a piece of writing with dedication. What they share with readers is sometimes tied to specific themes. At other times, a blogger may simply choose to write on anything. It has even become a diary of sorts for many. Miracle Adebayo […]

Many writers own a blog today. It has become a platform where they post a piece of writing with dedication. What they share with readers is sometimes tied to specific themes. At other times, a blogger may simply choose to write on anything. It has even become a diary of sorts for many.

Miracle Adebayo is a typical example of one who started blogging with a singular purpose. He wanted to improve his writing. Many professional writers agree that a writer needs an audience, a tribe. This was what Adebayo set out to achieve. It wasn’t hard to start a blog. He simply went to a blog spot site, created it and started sharing his stories. “I mainly blog fiction stories because that is my focus as a writer,” he says. But setting up a blog isn’t enough. There’s the issue of consistency and this was exactly the dilemma he faces. “It’s easier to poach gossip and news, but difficult to churn out story after story to satisfy readers. Another challenge is plagiarism. Once you are a blogger of fiction, you are vulnerable. You cannot protect your work.”

But Adebayo had a goal and knew he would benefit from blogging when he carves a niche for himself. As far as he is concerned it’s enlightening, particularly when “you get intelligent and interesting comments on your posts that get you laughing or nodding your head in agreement. 

Some bloggers start blogging not knowing how. Joseph Omotayo did for three years before he really became active. He started because he wanted to reach a wider audience. That was his major attraction. “So it was really surprising when I started checking my Google stats and saw the number of people who were reading my posts,” he revealed, adding that the benefits of blogging is inexhaustible. “You are able to become better at what you do. Also, you have an efficient medium to reach a large number of people. Blogging offers one a mobile workshop.”

Omotayo has two blogs, ‘True Talk’ and ‘Critical Literature Review’. There’s also one where he is the concept manager. So he has several blogs for different purposes. But, as it is with most things, there are challenges. “One is when it isn’t paying. Also, as time goes on, you don’t want to make frivolous mistakes, so editing is hard work,” he explains.

For a lot of bloggers, being recognized for blogging goes a long way in motivating their work. This was the case with award-winning author Chioma Nnani. She woke up on a weekend to learn that her blogazine, ‘Memo from a Fearless Storyteller’ had won the 2016 BEFFTA (Black Entertainment Film Fashion Television and Arts) Award for Blog of the Year. BEFFTAs are held in London and are called ‘The Black Oscars.’

A year ago, the blogazine did not exist, except in her mind. She decided to take blogging seriously after a number of dramatic incidents, one of which involved a woman bullying her. Within months, Nnani set up a full lifestyle blogazine, laid out like a magazine. She used to be the Editor-in-Chief of a magazine in the UK so had a clear vision of what she wanted.

Nnani did the ‘Black Power’ feature of Anne-Marie Imafidon (otherwise known as the British-Nigerian girl) who was featured on the BBC after she passed A-level Mathematics at the age of 10. The feature was picked up and publicised by Angolan blogs with proper reference to her blogazine. “That probably helped me win the 2016 BEFFTA award,” she explains, adding that it feels amazing being able to tell stories in a compelling way, whether the stories are hers or by guest bloggers.

To help her focus and not get overwhelmed, Nnani made a business plan for her blogazine. “I created a publishing schedule and cycle,” she says.

Nigerian authors like Richard Ali, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Elnathan John and many others, run blogs. There, they post their short stories, articles and provide information on how to get their books. This makes blogs and blogging like a market place where ‘appealing’ works are kept and even advertised to consumers.