That’s a pretentious headline, isn’t it? Since Kelly asked me to tell you a little about myself and my love/obsession/passion for blogging– it seemed to fit. Without further ado, here’s a little bit about why I think she, Donna, and Elizabeth asked me to coordinate the Pen and Palette blog.
I’ve been blogging since before it was a “thing.” To be honest, I started Carol Baldwin’s Blog in 2010 because my editor for Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8 told me I should. (I think she was tired of me sending her so many emails about books, teaching writing, etc, and she thought she’d get me off her back by suggesting this outlet for my opinions.)
At the time, people didn’t have clever names for their blog and I named it the first thing that popped into my head. I used to be jealous over the witty blog names other writers had chosen. Now, over 380,00 page views later, I think it wasn’t such a bad idea.
A few years ago, when I participated in summer camp at Highlights, the participants were sitting around talking with Cherie Matthews, an editor at Boyds Mills Press. Someone asked how books were publicized after publication and Cherie said they depend upon reviews from bloggers to spread the word.
She said, “Carol Baldwin has a wonderful blog that I follow.”
Everyone looked at me. “I’m Carol Baldwin,” I said.
Cherie said, “No. You can’t be the Carol Baldwin. She lives in Charlotte, NC.”
I explained that I was living in Greenville, SC but that really was me! (I have, BTW, moved back to Charlotte–but that is another story.)
That is a long-winded way to say that I am addicted to blogging and am thankful that it has paid off with some name recognition.
Blogging takes time and it’s not for everyone. Some people drop their blogs because they realize it’s more of a time and energy commitment than they want to invest. I understand that. You have to enjoy it to keep going. For me, it’s a way to meet writers, illustrators, promote books, share my WIP Half-Truths, and hopefully one day, it’ll be a way for me to connect with my readers.
Enough about me. Now for the good stuff.
You and I are part of a community that stretches from the Outer Banks of North Carolina and South Carolina’s beaches to the western mountains of both states. After Donna put the call out for volunteer bloggers we received a deluge of writers and illustrators who wanted to contribute. On the last Wednesday of the month you will read posts about an array of topics such as: lyrical writing, humor in illustrations, picture book biographies, the business of writing, and much, much more.
There is no need to subscribe to the blog. Carolyn Fraiser (our new social media coordinator) will share the posts each time they’re live on every possible social media outlet that is out there. The newsletter which will publish mid-month, will also have a link to the previous month’s blog.
I look forward to sharing these great blogs and receiving your comments. Our team is looking forward to hearing your thoughts about this new edition of Pen and Palette.
When Carol isn’t blogging or writing, she’s reading, playing or sewing with one of her 6 grandchildren, walking with a friend, or working on her golf game.