Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength... (Psalms 8:2)

Well, dear reader, I'm clearly not a good blogger (bloggist?).

If done right, a blog should provide new information, or a fresh perspective on old or little-known items, with links to relevant Web sources. You think?

It should incorporate words and pictures and maybe even video clips. Right?

Most of all, it should be updated.  Frequently. In fact, the more often, the better. No question.

If all that sounds like a full-time job, that's because it does to me, too. A full-time job without pay.

Which is why this humble blog-manque is so often neglected. Or at least it's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.

But then, suddenly, the world changes.  Or a portion of it.  My portion. 

Yesterday, I got word from a publisher that he's interested in publishing my book except I don't have the "platform" to push it through his bosses and bottom-line-oriented bureaucracy. Platform, in this case, is really a kind of launching pad--a promotional launching pad to spur book sales to soar. Or as my younger daughter put it recently, "You're not famous, Dad? Why should anyone want to read about you?"

I figure I need a ramp to my platform!

So rather than my traipsing through downtown in the nude, or some other pointless act of sensationalism, this publisher suggested I build an online following. He gave me 6 to 9 months to generate readership--active, dedicated readership--for this, my blog, and/or my Twitter musings. After which, he said, he would like to take a second look at my book proposal.

The thing is, he's not the first potential publisher to say something like this.

The good news is, I don't have to rewrite my manuscript to get it taken seriously. My writing style and content are not the problem. But I have to work harder at this blog business.

If you've gotten this far, kindly click on the FOLLOW button to the right (that is, if you haven't already).

For those of you who have already done that, my humblest gratitude!

So, onto the problem of how to keep feeding my blog while maintaining a career as a freelance journalist ...

Again from the mouth of babes (no offense) came the wise answer!

My elder daughter (and 10 no-prize points to whoever can explain the difference between "elder" and "older") suggested, "Why don't you 'leak' small segments of your book? Just enough to whet readers' appetites..."

And so I shall. Beginning Monday. Stay tuned...