Mark Frauenfelder
BoingBoing.net
Mark Frauenfelder has worked as a mechanical engineer, an editor, and a publisher, but he is probably best known as a writer, an illustrator, and a world-class technology evangelist. Currently the editor-in-chief of Make magazine, he has also been an editor at Wired and is the author of such books as Rule the Web (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007) and The Computer: An Illustrated History (Carlton Publishing Group, 2007). Frauenfelder is also responsible for the number-one blog on the Web— BoingBoing: A Directory of Wonderful Things (www.boingboing.net). Known as “the most popular blog in the world, as ranked by Technorati.com,” BoingBoing won the Lifetime Achievement and Best Group Blog awards at the 2006 Bloggies ceremony.
During my interview with Mark Frauenfelder, it was obvious that he channels a tremendous amount of energy into his projects. That energy is the result of his enthusiasm and passion for his subjects.
Here is a summary of tips in - spired by the interview:
Write about your passions.
Resist the urge to write a post just to get something out there. If you think before you post, you won’t have to edit your posts later.
Put yourself in your reader’s place before you write. Ask yourself what a reader will find interesting about your topic, or why the topic is important. Write down the answers and use them as a guide when you are writing the post.
Write a descriptive headline for every post. Many readers browse headlines (especially those who use RSS) and won’t stop to read a post that isn’t clearly described.
Always link to sources of information in your posts. This encourages others to link back.
Don’t worry about being the first to report something new. It is unlikely you’ll be able to do that. Instead, focus on expressing your ideas clearly and with enthusiasm.
BoingBoing.net
“You’ll find an audience if you write what you’re passionate about.”
Mark Frauenfelder has worked as a mechanical engineer, an editor, and a publisher, but he is probably best known as a writer, an illustrator, and a world-class technology evangelist. Currently the editor-in-chief of Make magazine, he has also been an editor at Wired and is the author of such books as Rule the Web (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007) and The Computer: An Illustrated History (Carlton Publishing Group, 2007). Frauenfelder is also responsible for the number-one blog on the Web— BoingBoing: A Directory of Wonderful Things (www.boingboing.net). Known as “the most popular blog in the world, as ranked by Technorati.com,” BoingBoing won the Lifetime Achievement and Best Group Blog awards at the 2006 Bloggies ceremony.
During my interview with Mark Frauenfelder, it was obvious that he channels a tremendous amount of energy into his projects. That energy is the result of his enthusiasm and passion for his subjects.
Here is a summary of tips in - spired by the interview:
Write about your passions.
Resist the urge to write a post just to get something out there. If you think before you post, you won’t have to edit your posts later.
Put yourself in your reader’s place before you write. Ask yourself what a reader will find interesting about your topic, or why the topic is important. Write down the answers and use them as a guide when you are writing the post.
Write a descriptive headline for every post. Many readers browse headlines (especially those who use RSS) and won’t stop to read a post that isn’t clearly described.
Always link to sources of information in your posts. This encourages others to link back.
Don’t worry about being the first to report something new. It is unlikely you’ll be able to do that. Instead, focus on expressing your ideas clearly and with enthusiasm.