It’s been quiet around here lately. Why is that?
Blogging, for me, isn’t as much about getting thousands of subscribers (although I’m well on my way to four digits as of this morning) and it isn’t even about making a bunch of money (though I do get some affiliate sales through products I recommend and some clients through my services page).
For me, this blog is about helping you achieve your dreams.
When I first started blogging, I was of the mind that I needed to post every day. In fact, on my gaming blog, I was posting two or three times a day.
That turned out to be a bit pointless. It didn’t help me get subscribers, and it didn’t make me any money.
So, with The Writing Journey, I’ve tried all along to only post when I’m inspired. That means, sometimes, creating a series that inspires me to keep going, like the gong series or the food series.
At other times, it means the blog sits silent, like it has for the past week.
Life gets in the way of blogging, and sometimes you send all your inspiration elsewhere for a few days.
What’s my point here?
Simply this: while I have some feelings of regret for not having posted in a week, they are more to do with the interaction I get with my readers in the comments section than anything else.
I don’t do the “sorry I haven’t posted in a week” bit. While I understand what prompts folks to make those posts, it also comes off as egotistical. While I believe you will benefit every time I post, fact is that your writing career isn’t going to go down the tubes because I don’t blog for 7 days.
I’m not particularly worried about not having posted for a week.I’ve never unsubscribed from a blog because they didn’t post enough (unless it was a month between posts). I have unsubscribed when they continually post filler material, however.
There are varying schools of thought on posting frequency. For myself, I tend not to worry much about it. You all keep coming back, even when I’m gone for a few days. For that, I’ll say “thank you,” and try to return the favor by posting more frequently the next week. Not out of obligation or fear, but because I want to interact with you and because I genuinely want to help you achieve your dreams.
photo credit: tomsaint11
15 comments ↓
For me posting often is as much as writing exercises as it is my way of telling the world ‘hey, I’m still here’.
If only I could exercise physically like I do on the keyboard… I’d stop worrying about coronary disease.
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Bob — I like to see that I’m not alone in the blogging only when I’m inspired thing. I tend not to do the “sorry” posts either, although I have popped into my own blog to write explanation posts occasionally after being bombarded with “have you jumped off a bridge?” emails from readers.
It’s tough blogging for writers. There are so many good blogs out there to read, and if we read all of them we’ll never have time to write. So I tend to go through periods of reading a lot of blogs, then not reading very many at all. And I just have to hope that when I do that, folks understand that it’s because making a living comes before blogsurfing.
Just the way I assume folks understand that sometimes life gets in the way of blogging. I don’t blog every day anymore at my writing blog, but I still have as many visitor. More, most days, than I did. Go figure.
Speak the truth! To be honest if somebody doesn’t post every month (or even 3 months), i might forget about them but I never un-subscribe from their blogs. If anythings its a great surprise when they do update again.
But you’re dead on that blogs that post tons of crap every day just to have something posted, those get the unsubscribe with the quickness.
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I have a lot of blogs in my subscriber. Like you. If you take a break, I don’t panic, when you post I go, yippee a post, lets go read…
Some blogs are different, if they are super consistent about being there day after day like clock work…Pen Men come to mind…then if they weren’t there I would worry. I wouldn’t be mad, I would just wonder if they were OK.
Bloggers start to get a certian style and that’s what you start to expect.
I think I’ve read that it’s actually not a good idea to tell people you’re going on hiatus, or to apologize for not having posted in a while.
Notice, for example (if I recall correctly), that skelliewag.org never told anyone she wouldn’t be posting for a while when she knew she wouldn’t be. When she began receiving a bunch of e-mails about it, she wrote an entry titled, “not on hiatus.” Point is, I think it’s generally always a bad idea to tell people you wont be posting for a while, or to apologize for it. That’s just my opinion.
Secondly, I actually think it’s a mistake to post too often. It spreads your creativity too thin! If you use up all your ideas in one week, what will you post the following week? Filler?
Of course, it depends on your skills as a blogger. But speaking for myself, I take the philosophy of blogging less, and having the quality of my entries be as good as they can be. There is no greater turn off than entries that consist of filler.
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When I went into a bit of a blogging frenzy a few months ago one of my readers complained that they couldn’t keep up.
I now do a post 2-3 times a week and also add to this links about what I have found on other blogs maybe a couple of times a month.
Like seemingly everyone else I’ve never unsubscribed due to break in posting only due to crap content.
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Okay, here’s my two cents, which is entirely my own opinion..
I’ve been wrestling with this for some time and feeling guilty over posting infrequency, but when it comes down to it, who really cares? I tend to also post when inspired and this is not daily by any means. If I push myself I get crap.
I was recently “reviewed” and the person took points off for my NOT posting daily, which I vehemently disagreed with. She also took marks off for my not having an “ABOUT” section, when it’s in fact been linked in my sidebar above the fold since the blog’s inception.. she just didn’t see it for some reason. So I really don’t put much (any) stock in that review.
The truth is, Bob, I didn’t notice that you hadn’t posted. We’re friends and we like each other, so I know you’ll take that has it’s intended.. I have so much that I read in my reader and so little time to do it, that it’s frankly a relief when the more prolific bloggers take a break. When I see that MwP has 4 new posts, I tend to think, “Oh GREAT! I’ve got some real catching up to do!” because I like James & Harry, and I like their stuff.. so I make myself read it all regardless of how much time I have.
SO, if you’re off the reader for a week, that’s fine. I’ll be here when you get back. I LOVE YOUR STUFF, daily or weekly. Yearly would be a stretch though.
That’s all.
Coffeesister pointed out that I shouldn’t diss the WHOLE review, since it gave me great marks for content.. boy, was she right on the money THERE!
Obviously, I just disagree with her on the daily posting and the “ABOUT” section, which does exist.
Coffeesis, being the wise sage that she is, also points out that if you and I have guilt over not blogging daily, then it’s imagined criticism, which is entirely in our heads. She could be on to something.
Posting frequency depends on so many things for me. Inspiration is definitely one of them, but I also have to consider how much work I have on my plate, how much “free time” I have, what I’ve been doing lately . . . The fact of the matter is, I’m not always interesting, so why should I subject other people to posts that don’t really say anything?
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Hi Bob – you have to blog in a way that’s best for you. I’ve seen me take a month off, due to illness and people don’t send me hate mail because I didn’t blog.
By the way – that beach in the picture looks amazing. Is it St John or somewhere?
I’ve been posting less myself, because I want to spend more time crafting posts that mean something rather than just shoving things out the door. My reader count steadily increases and that’s fine by me. I hope people enjoy the posts.
Sounds like you’re on the same track, Bob. As a regular reader, I have to say that I enjoy that approach.
I definitely prefer reading a blog with meaningful content to a blog where content is shoved out of the door, just to maintain the daily blogging rate.
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Thanks, everyone, for the comments. All very insightful stuff.
I don’t mean to disparage, by any means, those who post daily or multiple times a day. I don’t think it means there’s going to be junk if you do. This is especially true with multi-author blogs (like the aforementioned Men with Pens). When one’s uninspired, the other may well be.
I do believe that consistent posting, not necessarily daily posting, is requisite to building a large subscriber base, at least over the long haul. That can be as little as once a week, but you have to keep on folks’ radar to keep growing, I think.
I started a blog last week, and I’ve written each day since its inception. I doubt that I’ll be inspired enough to continue writing that often, so thanks for the affirmation that daily posting isn’t necessary.
My eye is continuously drawn to your picture. It’s such a spectacular view!
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I have to admit, I sometimes get annoyed with the blogs that post several times a day. Boing Boing is the only exception because of the nature of their content. I’d much rather have 3-5 high quality posts per week than a gazillion posts, most of which I see are repeated throughout the blogosphere. So yeah, I’m with you Bob
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