In 1940, John Steinbeck was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his novel, The Grapes of Wrath. In 1962 he was also awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. The same year he wrote a letter to actor and fellow writer Robert Wallsten, in which he offered six tips on writing.
alter ego: a second self or different version of oneself, such as a :a trusted friend b :the opposite side of a personality – Clark Kent and his alter ego Superman c: a fictional character that is the author’s alter ego Literature is the lie that tells the truth. Or so they say. That’s why […]
“OK, I got Velazquez portrait of the Pope Innocent X. Quite an ambivalent study of absolute power. And here comes Francis Bacon. Despite never having seen this painting in person, Bacon became so obsessed with it that he compulsively repainted it over and over again, each version more horrific than the previous. […] It’s not […]
Ah, the (in)famous writer’s block, also known as creative bankruptcy. It’s by far the most hated aspect of being a writer. Sometimes it’s so severe that it makes you doubt your abilities, maybe even doubt whether being a writer is worth it. What am I going to write about? I could almost hear a lot […]
@irevuo: where beautiful works of art get featured every couple hours or so. Drawings, illustrations, paintings, photographs, sketches, and the daily quote. Follow us to get your daily dose of art.
Hey guys,
What made you want to start blogging? What was your very first blog post about?
LikeLiked by 3 people
The need to build a platform as a blogger.
My first post? Something about it being my first post, and who I was, and that was it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for offering to help. I am a new blogger. How do I convert my likes into comments?
LikeLiked by 5 people
1. Write more engaging content. Emotionally speaking. Make your readers feel.
2. Ask questions at the end of your posts. Relevant questions.
LikeLiked by 7 people
Thanks so much for the advice. Following it right away 🙂
LikeLike
If you had a time machine that allowed you to talk to your younger self just as you started blogging, what would be your top three points of advice?
LikeLike
1. Never stop learning.
2. Try to branch out as soon as possible.
3. Focus more on content and less on promotion/networking.
LikeLike
I like Pareto’s principle: the idea that about 80% of your results come from only about 20% of your efforts. In terms of growing your audience, what are the Pareto principle actions that gives a blogger the best return for the time invested?
LikeLike
Focus on the quality of your interactions, not the quantity. Don’t comment “nice post” on hundreds of blogs, but offer thoughtful and interesting comments on a few dozen posts.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Cristian, can you please tell me on what should I focus on – Blogging or Studies? I’m a student of Grade 10.
LikeLike
Both.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you bro!
LikeLike
You always use strong images in your posts. How/where do you find these?
LikeLike
Unsplash.com
LikeLiked by 2 people
At what point did you realized you need to monetize your page
LikeLike
Well, I started monetizing early in my blogging career. Six months in, something like that. I was doing just that, as blogging was taking almost all of my time, so I HAD to monetize.
LikeLiked by 1 person
wow,thank you for the information
LikeLike
Hey Cristian,
First of all, thank you for doing this. I am overwhelmed with all the information the internet provides for new bloggers. And I am sure so many of us are. So, this should be helpful.
I have just started about a couple of months ago and I am taking it slow. I was getting some visitors initially, however, my last 3 posts have literally zero visits. This seems unusual. Could you please suggest how new bloggers can get some traction in the beginning?
Also, how important are tags? I thought they were getting me visits initially, but I am not sure anymore.
thanks in advance,
LikeLike
Focus on creating great content, and then network with fellow bloggers. Read and comment on other people’s blogs.
Also, tags are extremely important. Never more than 10 tags. Try to make them as general as possible.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How did you get into blogging? For me it was the idea of helping and making people happier. What was your fuel ?
LikeLike
Idealistic, but… to change the world. To leave my mark. To share my words and ideas and stories.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a great goal to achieve x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much.
How do I know if I have a writer in me, if I must continue this route?
In this fast and furious age and time where do writers stand?
LikeLike
You don’t. You just do your thing. The more you do it, the more you end up loving it. After a while, the love is still there, or it’s not. You will know. But you can only do by doing it.
LikeLiked by 3 people
When it comes to publishing, what do you think of the online route? In the sense of first publishing on a site like Goodreads.
LikeLike
Well, online is the way to go, but I wouldn’t put too much faith on Goodreads. Try Amazon’s KDP. That’s where I release all my novels and short stories.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for the advice!
LikeLike
How many followers do you need until your site monetization is actually profitable?
LikeLike
It’s not about followers, it’s about what you are selling, and how much your readers trust you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What do consider a successful blog? Is it a numbers game or a less tangible marker?
LikeLike
It’s more about engagement levels, how much your readers trust you, how much you enjoy writing about the topics you blog about, stuff like that.
LikeLike
Hi Cristian, I was wondering what a blogger needs to do to monetize their blog in terms of set up. I read that you have to set up your own company and do your own taxes? How does that all work and where does one start? I am thinking about monetizing my blog in the future, but am a bit scared to take that next step as I do not know where to start.
LikeLike
I am not based in the US, so I cannot offer you advice on setting up a company and all that. I am sorry for such an useless answer, but there are surely better resources out there, especially from someone who lives in the US and pays taxes there.
LikeLike
Haha, I am based in the UK. Does that help? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know even less about UK tax laws and such, so I am even more useless.
LikeLike
Fair enough. It was worth a try 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
My question is about word count. What is the ideal length of a blog post to keep readers engaged? (I know that if a post is too long then it’s called an essay or an article.)
LikeLike
Hi Darlene,
It’s not about word count, it’s about how engaging your writing is. Also, it’s about the way you format your posts (subheads, bullet points, etc.). Paragraph length also matters.
These factors matter more than just word count.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Cristian.
LikeLike
First, thank you so much for offering your help, I really appreciate you doing something like this! 😄
Second, here’s my question: Other than commenting on other people’s posts, and using tags, what are some other ways that can get my blog really out there, and make people want to follow it?
LikeLike
Hi Mary,
Lots of things. You can promote your blog offline to folks you meet, you can use social media, you can pay for ads, you can interact at conferences/meetings, you can guest blog on other people’s blogs, be interviewed, or work on different projects with others.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh, these are some great ideas, thank you, I’ll be trying them out whenever I can! 😄
LikeLike
Hey Cristian! Thank you for all your mentoring posts on this platform
LikeLike
My pleasure, Ernest. I am glad you enjoy reading my content.
LikeLike
What are your Goals in blogging overall?.
LikeLike
To reach as many people as possible.
LikeLike
I am writing poetry in my blog and i want to know am i protected by any copyright laws once i post it privately . Not interested in followers at the moment .thanks Jj nathan
LikeLike
Copyright law protects intellectual property from the moment you create something.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What do you think of the different WordPress plans? Which plans create the most bang for your buck and why? Thanks!
LikeLike
I’d say the Premium one. I had the Business, but asked for a refund. The plugins integration didn’t feel right, and it just wasn’t worth the investment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much!
LikeLike