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Question: What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced to continue blogging and how did you solve them?
Answer: I guess burnout. I've been doing this for over a decade and went from posting 7 days a week to barely turning on my computer.
I've resolved it by not worrying about it anymore lol
I admire the hell out of people who can organize and spreadsheet their way into motivation but that's not me. I've learned to embrace my own path and just blog when I feel like it.
The hard part, for me, was - after years of building up a following and contacts, I had to let it go. The honest truth about slacking off is that you do lose followers and page views and all that. That was a little tough to let go of at first but I don't want to quit.
So as I've said many, many times before here - I'm just blogging for me at this point. I have my little crew and I love you all and it's all good!
Just... same. Over the last year or so I've definitely taken a step back and slowed my roll. And asked why I was pushing myself to "keep up." Now I post when I want and that's it. Sometimes a week goes by... maybe two. *shrugs* The more relaxed approach has been a game-changer.
ReplyDeleteYou invest so much for son long so it's kind of hard to let that level of blogging (& all the rewards of it) go at first but I seriously do not care at this point.
DeleteTRhere is 0 point in hate blogging lol
I haven't been at this long enough to reach that point, but for me, it's been the changing landscape. The shift from one platform to the other, and for me, seeing many bloggers I loved interacting with disappear.
ReplyDeleteHow long have you been blogging Sam? I thought you were around a really long time.
DeleteGreat point though! It's not the same at all anymore. And having everyone leave takes away a lot of the joy and relevance of it.
I wish more bloggers felt like they can have a laid back blog vs all out or no blog.
Absolutely the same. I go back and forth between just posting whenever I feel like it and actually announcing a hiatus. It's exhausting :/
ReplyDeleteYes!! Can I just vanish for 3 weeks?? Does anyone even notice? Or care? lol
DeleteI have found that most of us are burned out on some level or at least on occasion and get it - so I don't worry about it anymore.
I think that's different if you're trying to get a certain number of page views or grow your blog but that's not me anymore.
Yes, I blog because I like doing it. I do it for me and I like getting to know all my readers. I think my only challenge is coming up with things to talk about other than books.
ReplyDeleteI would like to lean more towards other topics but I find it a little awkward too. But then most people seem to like when we go off topic so I think it's more our problem lol
DeleteYou do a great job with that though!
But you are still around and I would not want it any other way :D
ReplyDeleteYes. At a certain point you either quit or accept you don't want to blog at that level anymore and it's OK.
DeleteIt was hard for me too, remembering how busy and buzzing my blog used to be looking at stats 😂 But your peace of mind is more important! ❤🤗
ReplyDeleteIt is kind of hard to be honest! You work so hard to build something and it absolutely does go away if you don't blog at that level anymore.
DeleteBut yeah...sanity and happiness wins :-)
*HUGS* YES!!! Accepting to be happy with where you are at is the best adaptation of all. I love that you still give it a go here and there, and that's enough.
ReplyDeleteI never even think of quiting now. I'm comfortable where I'm at now.
DeleteIt is tough. I still post a lot but it's because I like to- if it ever feels like work I would definitely cut back. You're absolutely right- you gotta go at your own pace at the moment, otherwise why do it right? And I've found there's a certain comfort with having a steady crew who comes by and you get to know. I'm good with not being a "big" blogger, like there used to be- those big accounts- that WOULD be too much work lol!
ReplyDeleteYou're one of the blogs that admire most and would like to get to your pace - I like how you just blog whatever is interesting to you at the moment.
DeleteMy problem right now is that I want to post about what I'm watching or whatever but by the time I finally sit down there are 100 shows and it feels overwhelming lol
There have been a few weeks recently that I don't even turn on my computer.
Aw thanks! I always like to stop here too. :) And yeah I'm at that point where if I'm reading a weird graphic novel or whatever and I want to review it... I just do. People are probably like what's THIS crap? Ha!
Delete"I admire the hell out of people who can organize and spreadsheet their way into motivation".
ReplyDeleteI feel admired LOL.
Seriously, I'm like...in the middle. I made peace long ago with the fact that I'll never be a big fish in the blogging sea, and then again, I specialise in books that fly under the radar, so that would be counterintuitive. But I care about posting consistently, even if it just means once a week or so, and if I wasn't organised, I wouldn't accomplish anything at all. Also, I wouldn't have access to that handful of NG/EW books that I get approved for, among the (still small) number of them that I request. So, basically, I would have very few books to talk about.
"The hard part, for me, was - after years of building up a following and contacts, I had to let it go. The honest truth about slacking off is that you do lose followers and page views and all that. That was a little tough to let go of at first but I don't want to quit."
I'm not sure that one would lose followers or pageviews just because they start "slacking". Of course, you've been at it for longer than me, so you probably know best. But I believe that posting less regularly - or less, period - alone isn't a valid enough reason for people to stop visiting. I think there's a natural curve you hit when people just stop being interested and/or stop blogging themselves and being involved with the community at the same time when you start posting less or more randomly. We all get notifications of new posts, after all, so we can't blame lack of content if we don't visit anymore. I'm not discounting what you said of course - I do believe that giveaways and being on top of things attract (more) people. Only, I think that it's only a part of the problem when you stop doing those things.
You definitely do lose both but I'm also going back to the early days of blogging. The landscape is totally different now.
DeleteBack then, you could easily gain 100-200 followers in one weekend from giveaways, weekly memes like the blog hops on Fridays and the Sunday Stacking the Shelves and others that were around at the time.
And if you stopped reading or reviewing the latest and greatest people went elsewhere.
I would go from 100's of views per day to just a handful when I slowed down or took a break and it would take months to build back up.
Now I have about 20-ish regular people lol If you want to have ads or get books from the big pubs (I don't anymore) you have to remain relevant and have certain stats.
Now, like I said, I think things have changed some. I think we're basically blogging to other bloggers now and a lot of the run on new bloggers and people quitting has leveled out and we are who we are and support each other. We all understand pacing ourselves and burnout now. And some people just have a unique voice and do well anyway. But to get the #'s of yore requires more effort than I feel like giving lol
"And if you stopped reading or reviewing the latest and greatest people went elsewhere."
DeleteI guess that, even if I've been at it for more than 8 years, I missed the window where you could gain 100 followers in a WE and lose them in the same amount of time! 😂 You were there before me, plus I was less involved in the blogging thing in my first couple of years and before I joined Twitter (that is, before I started to make friends...other than you LOL). In my experience, I see what you see when you say "I think we're basically blogging to other bloggers now and a lot of the run on new bloggers and people quitting has leveled out and we are who we are and support each other". Things have changed, and it's OK.
I used to have five blog posts a week back in the day. Who were we? I'm definitely experiencing a lot of burnout this year. Moreso than last year surprisingly.
ReplyDeleteI could NEVER keep that pace now lol
DeleteI'm coming around lately to wanting to blog. Whether I actually make it to post is a different matter but at least I want to again :-)
I definitely understand. I don't know how people can post every single day and just keep that pace up for years and years. I know people used to do it, but I feel like most bloggers don't blog quite as often these days and that works. It's better to find what works for you than to quit altogether if you still love aspects of blogging.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
I did 7 days a week for probably 5+ years. And I loved it!
DeleteIt was when I started taking on too many arc's and scheduled posts and reading slumps that I hit the wall.
I think a lot of the blogging *rules* years ago were that you had to blog a certain way or not bother so people quit.
I feel like we're more about doing whatever works now.
What surprises me is how quickly the views go down when I only post once a week. 😛
ReplyDeleteOh yes! I do think you need to make a choice about what you want.
DeleteThere are people who will still have higher engagement even while posting less frequently. They're so popular people are waiting but you can't go from posting every day and then dropping off without losing something.
And then not posting the latest and greatest dings you too.
There's a huge difference between follower count #'s and who actually visits your blog consistently.
At this stage I'm ok with it.
Whilst burn out has been something I have struggled with, lack of motivation and Mr T working from home throughout Covid have also proved challenging. Most of all though has been my recent ill health which has meant I have let down several Book Tour organisers.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry about your health issues Felicity. I saw you talk about it a bit on IG.
DeleteKevin worked from home most of the year but he was down in the basement lol so it didn't bother me too much. His work schedule, in general, has put me out of sorts more.
Since his ew job/our move he works regular hours and is home for dinner and at night - whereas before he worked a lot of night shifts and that's when I did most of my reading.
I'm here for a few days, gone for a week or two. It's so random... I don't even try to keep up with what I have going on anymore. I DO make an effort to read and review any ARCs I've received, but it doesn't always happen. Busy life! Also, it's so hard to just sit in front of a computer these days.
ReplyDeleteLindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
It really is. I'm also just interested in other things now.
DeleteThis is exactly where I am lately too and that’s okay. I love the few followers I have and love returning to their spaces to show their blogs some love ❤️❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteBut don’t ever quit blogging. Selfishly I’d miss you too much lol