“When you started iCiNG, how did you make it known? And goodness I’m gonna sound pretentious but how long did it take for you to start having constant readers and comments? I started my blog just because I wanted to write, but it can be a little unmotivating to write something really inspired or enthusiastic and don’t get really any response. I know it’s just a matter of time and to keep writing with my heart, but I’m still wondering how it all works.”
“How do I make my blog more interesting/get more comments (minus the hateful ones haha)? I made a resolution to post everyday but I don’t know :( I know you wrote something before like, ‘get your readers more involved’ but I don’t have a huge following like you.”
Well, I didn’t have a huge following when I started, either! The same goes for every blog, regardless of how popular it might be these days. We all start from the same place — just someone in a room, churning out content, hoping people like it.
What you need to do is work out the best way to find the people who you think will dig what you’re doing. That might mean finding a forum of people with similar interests, or leaving comments on a blog that has the same kind of readership. It’s a bit of a tricky balance doing this sometimes. Remember, you’re there to add value, not to spam & tarnish your blog’s name!
In my case, I’ve been journalling online in some form or another since about 1998, & I had a fairly considerable number of people following my Livejournal. So, when I’d written my first article, I made a post on Livejournal saying so. I asked what people would like to see, & encouraged them to ask me questions that I could use as the basis for articles. It grew from there.
The growth was really organic, & soon I saw that people on my friend’s list were recommending my blog to other people. It was an amazing thing to see, & it made me really happy! I also made an effort to connect with other people in my area — mostly fashion blogs — & we helped to promote one another.
It’s important to remember that in order for people to keep coming back & reading, you need to be providing them with something! Making someone laugh, providing them with information, inspiring or distracting them are all excellent reasons for someone to subscribe to your blog. If you think about the most popular sites on the web, most of them fall into one of those categories. Why else are people fanatical about XKCD, Darren Rowse, Martha Stewart, Perez Hilton? They all fit into at least one of those areas. Consider what you’re providing, & if you’re not exactly sure, you might want to redefine what you’re doing.
I think a lot of people aren’t sure what to write about, so they start blogs which consist of their opinions on various subjects (life, shoes, Apple products). That’s okay, but unless you are exceptionally knowledgeable, funny, successful or interesting, it’s probably never going to be a huge hit. Why? Because everyone has an opinion. They’re just not very valuable!
It can be hard to know, however, whether your low traffic is because you’re just starting out, or because you’re not providing something that people want. Sometimes it can be hard for us to realistically assess what we’re doing. We’re so attached to our work & our creativity that we’re quick to proclaim ourselves dunces or geniuses — & we’re probably not either of those things. In situations like this, it can be really useful to seek the input of someone whose opinion you respect (& who is, ideally, known for being honest but kind!). Of course, you probably need to act on their advice, too!
Don’t be afraid to evolve in a new direction. Most of the biggest companies now make the bulk of their money from doing something completely different to what it was they started out with. You may not be into blogging for money, but it’s an example of the fact that being open & flexible & trying new things is important! Find a niche & fill it — just like that cool glue that expands to fill gaps!
In terms of motivation, I always think that if something’s a drag, you shouldn’t do it. It’s your life, live it how you want to! If you’re writing out of obligation, it’s never going to have the same spark that it will if you’re writing because you love it.
Ideally, you want to be doing something you enjoy which also provides value to people. When you stumble upon that magical combination, you’re totally golden.
The best writing always comes about when you’re doing it for the right reasons. I guess we all have different ideas of what the “right reasons” might be, but I tend to think it’s based around writing that makes you joyful, writing you’ve enjoyed, & words you’ve pieced together with a real sense of fun & excitement. I tend to think that when you write with the intention of making money or netting praise, it doesn’t come across very well. This might be a bit weird & supernatural of me, but I think people can sense that in your words — & the more writing I do, the more true & obvious that becomes.
Be enthusiastic about your work, promote yourself, learn to take criticism & make adjustments without major ego damage, embrace the writing you do, share, set a good example. Make people happy with what you do. Uplift & educate & inspire. Do what you love & the money will follow. It just requires a little faith.
So you want to be a writer
Charles Bukowski
if it doesn’t come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don’t do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it for money or
fame,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don’t do it.
if it’s hard work just thinking about doing it,
don’t do it.
if you’re trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.
if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.
if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you’re not ready.
don’t be like so many writers,
don’t be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don’t be dull and boring and
pretentious, don’t be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don’t add to that.
don’t do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don’t do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don’t do it.
when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.
there is no other way.
and there never was.
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