Earth Science Erratics: the kinder, gentler way to start geoblogging

If the crowd at the AGU science blogging workshop last month was anything to go by, then there are plenty of earth scientists out there who are tempted to try their hand at geoblogging; perhaps some have even decided to make it one of their New Years’ Resolutions. If so, it’s a resolution that I, for one, would like to see everyone keeping: although there are more geology blogs than ever before out there, we still only represent a tiny fraction of the wider earth science community, both within academia and especially without it, in industry and government. As far as I’m concerned, the more voices join the chorus, contributing their own unique knowledge and viewpoints, the better.

But I also know how difficult it is to get started. It’s easy to set up a blog, of course, but getting into the habit of writing regularly for it is much more difficult; especially right at the beginning, when you’re still trying to draw in and build up your audience – a task that is simultaneously easier, due to the rise of social media, and harder, as it becomes more difficult for a new geoblogger to get noticed in the crowd.

We want to encourage people both to get started, and more importantly, give them the support they need to get established. Thus, Earth Science Erratics was born.

As the introductory post explains:

Earth Science Erratics is conceived as a place for geoscientists or geosciences enthusiasts to be able to write one or a few blog posts, on any earth science topic of their choice, without the necessity of establishing their own blog. Think of this space as a field of erratics…

…We’d like to host an assortment of posts here – from the consulting geologist sharing tales of a field project in an exotic locale, to the grad student anxious to practice his science writing skills explaining a part of their discipline…from the amateur earth scientist who wants to write about the geology in her neighborhood to the researcher who wants to share her newly published results with an audience broader than journal readers.

Effectively, we’re providing a space for new bloggers to test the waters and develop their writing style – a space where we can guarantee you some page views, and feedback from the rest of the geoblogosphere. What we’re hoping is that contributors will catch the blogging bug, and head off with an appropriate fanfare to their own space (with a name that includes a suitable geo-pun, of course!). But there’s no pressure to post, and for those who only want to write a post or two, or only something every few months, it will be archived in a place that is easy for others to find.

So, if you’re tempted to dip your toes into the blogging waters, just drop us a line (or leave a comment below) and we’ll be happy to set you up with an account, and give you as much help and advice as you need.