Lois Alter Mark, author of Midlife at the Oasis, has been a freelance writer for more than 20 years, contributing to many women’s magazines throughout those 20 years and to Entertainment Weekly for more than a decade. Because she has a master’s degree in public relations and has worked for companies like Liz Claiborne, MGM/UA, and WBZ-TV Boston, Lois decided to blend her public relations expertise with her writing skills.
“When blogging started to become popular,” Lois explains, “it seemed like a perfect blend of the two. I started a blog with two friends but then decided to go out on my own and focus on midlife women because 1) I am one! and 2) it was an under-served demographic which wasn’t receiving the attention it so deserved. I recognized that this was a very powerful audience – and one that I absolutely loved. I’ve met some of my closest friends – who started out as fellow bloggers and readers – since I started blogging. I never thought any of this would be happening at this stage of my life and I’m so grateful.”
Serendipitously, Lois started writing Midlife at the Oasis in “July, 2013, right in time for BlogHer!” (BlogHer is a blogging community committed to providing quality content written by some of the best talent on the web. BlogHer also holds conventions for bloggers.)
Because Midlife at the Oasis is obviously geared to mid-lifers, people most likely to read Midlife at the Oasis are, according to Lois, women over the age of 40 who grew up with the song, Midnight at the Oasis – women, “who want to embrace this stage of life and create a vibrant second chapter.” Lois Alter Mark’s tagline is,“Living an amazing life never gets old.” Lois goes on to say, “my readers are all about living their own amazing lives. I show them how I’m doing it and I love when they email me and leave comments about how they’re doing it. It’s a very interactive and supportive relationship.”
When asked why readers might be attracted to her blog, Lois responds, “Besides learning about great new products, places and experiences, I hope they’ll take away the realization that midlife can be a truly fun and liberating time of life. I hope my enthusiasm will be infectious and they’ll go out and try something they might not have before reading my blog.”
Privacy is very important to me when I interview subjects for Your Blog Connection, so I always ask people if they would mind if I shared their names. The response I got from Lois: “Not at all! Trust me, I’ve revealed way more personal things on my blog than my name. Just ask my readers about the incident with my husband’s sweater … I am an open book!”*
So what would inspire potential readers to visit Midlife at the Oasis? “Well, I could try to suck them in by telling them about the incredible giveaways I get to offer (Fitbit coming soon!),” Lois said, “but, to me, that’s the least important part. I hope they’ll visit because they want to become part of a community of women who have reached an age where we feel confident, we empower each other, we laugh at ourselves – but never at others – and we share our deepest concerns, dreams, hopes. Plus, I was named Humor Writer of the Month by Erma Bombeck Writing Workshop – although, sigh, I think I’m often funny unintentionally.”
To join Lois in Midlife at the Oasis, please click any of the links in this blog.
*Curious about the sweater incident? Here is the link to confessing a 35 year old lie
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