Why do so many bloggers begin with great enthusiasm only to abandon a few heartfelt posts to the sands of time?
Neuroskeptic, the neuroscience blogger, explains why those first weeks and months are so difficult:
The early days of any blog are psychologically tough because almost inevitably, your first posts are not going to get the recognition they deserve...That's because people tend to really pour their hearts into early posts - these are the ones that express thoughts you've been mulling over for ages and are finally writing about - and then inevitably, hardly anyone reads them...
The emergent blogger (I've been there more than once) is so happy to finally have a chance to say things from the heart, without a meddling editor, that it's easy to believe people will naturally turn up, eager to read and respond. As neuroskeptic points out, they don't. Not for a good while.
Perhaps new bloggers should take something from the advice I usually give to would-be authors: Make the book that comes from your heart your second one. Write another one first, for practice.
And persevere.
- Paul Raeburn
Comments
Agree. Most every new blogger starts the same way, though some start without one vital ingredient. And that’s passion for their subject. When I started my own relationship advice blog over 2 years ago, it concerned a subject I could about 24 hours a day and money wnt a driving force for doing it - that was a key difference.
It can certainly be disheartening with a lack of outside interaction but if you have a passion and the willingness, a new blogger will get there.
However, once something is published, and your name is on it, don't you want your work to have at least some quality to it?
I guess I would just hope that the author puts effort into those posts, although maybe not pour heart and soul.
If a new blogger then becomes a popular blogger, people will look at those older posts.
And there is always a chance to look back at posts that you were passionate about during anniversary events, like a year of blogging, and so on.
http://biojournalism.com
I've started numerous blogs in my lifetime, each with passion and a fervent desire to plug my efforts into it. However, it's quickly disheartening when you realise you're just writing to a computer without any human interaction.
However, as you become a noted expert in your field, it becomes much easier to launch new sites, as you can use social interaction to make your following instantly aware of your new site.
Persistence is the key.
I really connect with this. I started my cancer research blog (http://michaelwosnick.com/blog) about 6 months ago when I retired from active employment as a VP research. It is a labour of love for sure. But it was discouraging at first for sure when I figured I put all of this effort into it and maybe had a half-dozen readers.
I still don't have a huge readership, but I at least I know it is growing, albeit very slowly.
But I have found Twitter to be my number one aid in creating awareness and I encourage all bloggers to use Twitter and use it well and often (and Facebook as well) as ways to connect to would-be blog readers.
The other day, for example, I blogged about Dr Oz basically being a quack and the exposure I got on Twitter drove about 10x the normal page views on that one day as was my usual average. It really does work so persevere!:)
There's absolutely no reason bloggers shouldn't republish (with full disclosure) old posts that are still worthwhile.