As a writer, my goal is to read as much as possible. Why? Because you learn what works. I read books in my genre to see what it takes to be a successful romance write. I read outside of my genre to see what makes other writers successful. I also read the classics to glean a little bit of their wisdom and drink from the fountain of awesome.

The same rule applies to blogging: you have to read blogs to know what it takes to create a successful blog. I polled some people to find out what blogs they like and why. Here are the results:

Money Saving Mom: “Because who doesn’t like a mom who saves you money?”

PostSecret: “We all have secrets. Some people are just more willing to share.”

Smitten Kitchen: “Because she has amazing recipes that I always want to try and she’s totally hilarious, too!”

Cheeky Bums Blog: Raising Vintage Kids in a Modern World: “Because I’m bias” (said the creator)

Like Mother, Like Daughter: “I really love visiting because they all are frequently updated & deal primarily with things I am really interested in reading.”

I put that one last because her comment is the point of this post: frequently updated and deal primarily with things I am really interested in reading.

Not everyone will read your blog and not everyone will like it, but if you keep it updated and keep it consistent you’ll develop an audience.

I had dozens of other responses, including Crunk Feminist Collective, Birth Without Fear, My OB Said What?!. You’ll notice they’re all focused. They’ve put some effort into their appearance. They’re consistent. You need good role models if you want to have a good blog. These are some suggestions.

Please share your favorites: what blogs do you like, and why?