I agree, especially when so many of the beginner-author blogs are offering advice/rules on writing. I always check the publication record of authors who are trying to tell me how to write. There are some I'm happy to listen to, and some who just don't have the credentials to present themselves as experts.
In addition to being a voracious reader, you also have to read critically and analyze what techniques successful authors use to make their stories appealing to readers.
The thing that confuzzles me is - readers are not in the market for "how to write" blog posts. I'm an aspiring writer and even I'm not looking for "how to write" blog posts. I would have thought short stories / poems / pictures / book covers / genre-specific artwork / etc would be the way to go. You know. To attract potential readers. There's a very cute chick on youtube who is pre-launch selling her book and all her vids are about writing and how to do / market / sell it. I enjoy watching her, but think it's a lot of work to put into videos that position her at writers, where her market is readers. Kinda boggles the mind. Cute eyebrows though.
I sort of feel this thread has derailed. So all we got so far, is they write blogs, and read books. I sort of got the feeling that like any other marketing profession. What you really need, is a lot of friends. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Friends
