I launched my first blog in January 2011. I had released my first self-published novel on Amazon. I was very excited, and I was sure that I’d soon conquer the world…
I quit after three posts, no views, no comments, no nothing.
Five days into my career as a blogger, I grew bitter and remorseful, felt invisible, decided it was all for nothing, and quit.
This disappointment was so strong that I did not give blogging another try for a solid year. And then, it happened again: I spend the first month posting on a daily basis only to get around 500 views total, and almost no comments at all. Something like 30-40 followers.
This makes you ask yourself questions. You try to find reasons. Your mind plays tricks on you, the same way it would if you would find yourself stranded on a deserted island.
Maybe you are just now starting your blog, maybe you’re thinking about it, or maybe it’s been a while and you’re ready to call it quits.
You thought about it and thought about it and… there’s something holding you back. In fact, a lot of things: you lack the time, the confidence, or the money…
You’re tired, stressed, busy, sick.
Maybe this isn’t for you. Maybe it’s best to wait for some future day, when things won’t be so difficult. I’m sorry to break it to you, but ideal circumstances will never occur.
You will always have to face down the demons of no time, no support, no money, no confidence, no ideas, or ill health.
And when you realize that almost everyone faces these same problems, your reasons start to look a lot like excuses.
So let’s call them out, one by one. Continue reading “Feel Like Giving Up? Read this.”
Yes, content is king, but formatting is queen: to create readable, engaging content ensures that your followers will and can follow through to the end.
In case you do not have the time to read this entire post, then you should know that people usually work for years and years before becoming an overnight success. And you will too.
Be honest. Are you where you want to be as a blogger? Are your articles getting shared and discussed and linked to?
If readers don’t understand what you write, you might as well have written nothing at all.
Here’s a harsh truth for you: blogging is a bit like sports. Anyone can do it, but few can do it at a professional level.
Every once in a while someone figures the following things out: just how many posts I write and publish across the blogs that I own and operate. And, inevitably, they send me a quick e-mail or comment on a post asking me just how do I manage to write that much.
Believe it or not, there’s a simple formula for creating content that easily communicates your point, especially if the subject matter is novel or complex. This strategy can also dramatically reduce the time it takes you to put together tutorials, white papers, or presentations of any sort.
We like to think of ourselves as rational beings. Intellectual curiosity took us to the moon and back, beat terrible diseases, and invented the Internet.
Think of some famous, long-dead person you genuinely admire. Think of this person’s life. What made them worthy of your admiration?