This blogger and his frequent contributor are out today gathering first-hand knowledge of industrial trends and goings-on for you. Now’s your chance to address Industrial Market Trends readers. Submit to us your stories, experiences, knowledge, passions and/or disappointments — of all things across the industrial landscape.

At some point during the summer season, all bloggers face the question: to blog on break, or put the blog on a break? Fearing a decline in readership, some writers (e.g., usually this writer) opt not to take vacations. Others keep posting while on location, to the chagrin of their families and friends.

To be sure, most bloggers don’t agonize over this decision. Of the 12 million bloggers on the Internet, only about 13 percent post daily, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Even fewer — 10 percent — spend 10 or more hours a week on their blogs, The Wall Street Journal recently reported.

Yet for those of us who have no intention of betraying our readers by forgoing a single day of providing new information, stepping away from the keyboard can be difficult. Today, for instance, like all of last week, I am attending the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) while T.D. attends businesses elsewhere. Unlike other jobs, where co-workers can fill in for an absent employee, blogs are usually a one- or two-person show. When the host(s) isn’t at the blog, readers stray. August is a slow time for all blogs (and we didn’t miss a day of posting throughout the month), but having an absent host makes the problem worse. Bloggers don’t want to lose readers…we tend to like our readers.

Those brave enough to detach themselves from their keyboards for a few days must choose between leaving the site dormant or having someone blog-sit…

Which leads us to this: In a recent issue of IMT, we surveyed our readers, and many of you expressed not only interest but excitement about contributing your own writings — your informed opinions, first-hand experiences, tips and/or rants. You even let us know exactly what topics you wanted to write about. Based on these respondents’ proposals and their contact information, we reached out to many of you to take the next step, which is to write something.

Are you a blogger — or want to be a blogger — interested in discussing stories in your field of expertise or area of interest? You may have your own blog, you may not. You can use ThomasNet.com’s Industrial Market Trends blog. We WANT you to. This is a forum for you. And it is apparent you want to both hear from and address others in your field. You have the chance to do that. Here. Now.

You don’t need to be a blogging expert, but you should be familiar with our blog (i.e., actually have read it). You don’t have to have a dominating command of the English language, but you should be able to string ideas together understandably. Contact us, indicating your area of interest or expertise, and include a paragraph or more about your experience or the reason you would like to undertake the challenge. E-mail dbutcher@thomasnet.com with “IMT Editorial Contribution” in the subject line.

We want to hear from you. Other readers want to hear from you. You have a place to voice your excitement or vent your disapproval about all things industrial, engineering or business. We’ve reached out. Now it’s your turn.