First Ever Blog – March 2010

I’m not sure whether I’m about to express a lament concerning this blog, “Oysterville Daybook,” or a paean as to its success.  One way or another, the blog seems to have acquired a life of its own and increasingly provides me with unexpected surprises.

First, of course, I must remind myself and my readers why I began Oysterville Daybook in the first place.  It was simply to ‘enhance my profile’ as the marketing folks describe it.  I wanted people who are interested in Oysterville (specifically) and in southwest Washington (in general) to know that I research/write about this area and that I have a number of books in print about our local history.  And, of course, I hoped that some of those blog readers would take it a step further and actually buy some of those books!

Over the last six years, though, the blog has greatly overreached my original intention.  It has become a learning tool for me as people comment and inform me further about various topics I’ve blogged about.  And, it has become an information source for readers, as well.  Not a week goes by that I don’t get a query from someplace – Canada, Australia, Russia, Idaho – seeking information about an ancestor who once lived here or about a local celebration or… you name it.  Sometimes I can be helpful or at least suggest someone who can be.  At other times… not so much.

Newish Blog – July 2016

There are also requests – not for information, but for interviews.  I recently was asked out to dinner by someone I’d not met but who thought we might have interests in common.  People ask it I can talk to their group or meet one of their family members or if I’ll give them a house tour.  Mostly, I demur – not because I’m disinterested but simply because I don’t have the time.  My calendar is already clotted up for months in advance and I begin to wonder when I’ll have time to do what I really want to do – write!

Recently, I received a request to advertise a garden product newly developed by a professed blog reader.  Now that was a first!  I have not yet responded, but the answer is a resounding ‘no.’ the one thing I’m sure of is that Oysterville Daybook is not intended as a marketing platform for other people’s products.  My books, yes.  Oysterville related topics, yes.  Books and events related to history and heritage of our area, sometimes.

I don’t know whether the blog is successful in accomplishing my original intent or not.  Certainly its rewards have gone far beyond my expectations.  But, have my book sales increased?  Perhaps.  Hard to quantify.  The only surefire result:  more demands on that most precious of commodities – time.  But, rewarding nonetheless.