How to Handle Blog Followers

I have the honor of an interview with Anne Gallagher at The Piedmont Writer. Anne is a fantastic author and one of my awesome critique partners. She asked some really interesting questions, so please visit her site today.

Thanks again to all who posted for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group this week. The struggles and triumphs were very moving and you guys showed such great support for one another. Always remember the purpose of the IWSG – to share, encourage, and make new friends. I’d hate to see the integrity of this group damaged by mockery or abuse.

Since I’m often asked how I handle so many followers, I thought it would be a great topic for today. It’s not really a ‘how to’ as much as just how this one lone Ninja gets it done.

If someone follows me, I follow back. (The exception being a spam site or not in English.) Sometimes the icon in the Google Friends Connect doesn’t lead to a blog, so I can’t return the follow. If that person leaves a comment, then I can find him! (Or her, as I seem to be in the minority here. Although I have no objections to being surrounded by women!)

Once I hit two hundred followers, I had to devise a system and started using Google Reader. I created folders for my blogger buddies (regular commenters), specialty sites like movie or book reviewers, and divided the rest among the days of the week. I also created a file called new followers. Those blogs remain there for a few weeks until I see what happens and then they are moved to a permanent folder.

How many blogs are in my blogger buddies folder? See my blogroll to the right? That is maybe two-thirds of them? (And right now I am having issues with the blogroll. Once it hit two hundred, it wouldn’t let me add or remove any more, so I may scrap it this weekend and make several smaller ones.)

So my daily routine is blogger buddies first, then new followers, then specialty blogs, then the day of the week, and then comments from the previous post.

As you can well imagine, it keeps me busy! Yes, there are days I don’t make it through my whole routine. Throw in a blogfest or the IWSG and I’m really challenged.

However, I do try! You guys are really amazing; following me and commenting when there are so many other blogs out there. For that, I owe you my best!

Any questions? How do you handle your followers? And does anyone have a time machine, because I could sure use it!

Don’t forget to visit Anne at The Piedmont Writer.

Finally, I leave you with a very short clip. This the Muppet’s response to Fox News claiming they have a liberal agenda – hilarious!