All that blogging

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I didn’t really intend to take a week off when my friend and teacher came to town for a workshop I organized but our days were crammed and I was too exhausted to keep my eyes open let alone think so I just quit blogging and reading blogs. I felt a little bad about just disappearing.  But I have to admit now that the time away was kind of nice and it’s had me thinking hard about this whole blogging adventure and the huge amount of time I put into it. It began as advice from my “guides” in meditation to keep writing some short pieces I’d been working on and I was kind of guided in a different way to the blogging world..

For a long time I held to a commitment to make two posts a week and that was all I did. Didn’t know much about blogging or building a blog and wasn’t sure about the point of posting these pieces but I was willing to follow both sets of guidance. I enjoyed the writing and two posts a week didn’t make much of an inroad on my life. Of course no one was reading them…

Eventually I began to think that the posts couldn’t be doing anyone much good if no one was ever reading them. So close to a year ago (a few weeks short at this writing) I started studying up on what I should do to get subscribers and readers. That led to spending a couple of hours a day reading blogs in my topic, clicking like and commenting and subscribing to other blogs, etc. And then I had to add time to read the blogs I subscribed to as well as regularly reading new bloggers in the relevant topics in order to keep growing.

It didn’t take long to realize that when I posted more often my stats stayed higher so two posts a week became three to five. Suddenly blogging became more like a 20+ hour/week venture. I didn’t feel oppressed and in fact I love the new “friends” I’ve made, the faces that are now familiar under the “like” button or in the comments. I love spending a lot of time reading deeply thoughtful posts that help me to realize what a huge network there is around the world of people who are seeking compassion and lovingkindness for the world.

But when I took off 6 or 7 days without writing or reading any blogs I felt kind of liberated. And I had to ask myself whether it’s worth devoting the kind of time I’ve been putting in in order to keep my numbers growing. I hoped that I might develop good enough stats to use the blog as part of the marketing plan for my book but while I’m pleased that I’ve gone from 2 to 300 subscribers in the year of trying I have to admit that I’m not getting enough interest to intrigue an agent or publisher. I don’t want to stop blogging but I am doing a big reevaluation of how much time I want to put into it if I’m only doing it for the enjoyment of writing about my adventures on the journey and keeping in touch with the people I’ve grown to care for. Don’t know which way I’m going to go yet…

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11 thoughts on “All that blogging”

  1. Oh thanks so much. Sorry to hear you’ve been ill. I don’t think I’m going to quit blogging but I do think I’m going to dump some subscriptions and quit seeking new people so that my reading time goes down significantly. And yes,we can decide so I think Ii’m going to go back to my promise to myself that I’ll post twice a week and if I’m bursting to write an extra post or two, so much the better.

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  2. I have had the same conundrum. I’ve not been so well over the last few months and my blogging has had to take a backseat . When I do occasionally get to write I really enjoy it.

    It’s so easy to initially make a pact with yourself to write one every two days or once a week etc, but its only us who make our own rules and we shouldn’t be so hard on ourselves!

    I know the decision is entirely yours, but I do hope you carry on blogging, even if it is only now and again 🙂

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    • I think the really hard part is having it as a job that doesn’t pay… on top of the work I do to earn a living. I think right now I have to come to terms with the fact that I’m writing in a genre that rarely creates a big hit without a big name attached and maybe my posts just aren’t inspiring enough; one or another I’ve worked really hard at it and I’m realizing that it’s probably never going to be successful enough to become my livelihood or to provide a market base for my other writing. Decisions still to be made…

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  4. When I started blogging, I had nothing else to do, so I jumped in, read, liked followed posted, rinse and repeat. I was fervent. It takes work and time. I enjoy it and will always do it in my free time but it is time consuming, Even now I am thinking of all the school work I have to do. Great post Leigh.

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    • Thanks. Yes I can imagine school and blogging could get in one another’s way. I’ve been fortunate that my movement teaching schedule has been light enough to make room.

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  5. I have the same problem although I haven’t gone as far with the blogging and getting readers as you have. I need to spend time marketing the book I have out and start working on the next one. But I too love the interact with people all around the world.

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    • Yes, I’m now wondering where my book would be if I’d put all these hours into directly pushing it but I’ve had fun and writing these posts has helped me see some revisions that I think will make it stronger. May be time for less blogging more book…

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  6. Thanks for the shout-out 🙂 I think your conundrum is felt by many. We all, at some point, have to look at how much blogging we’re doing in comparison to working on our books. We have to blog to build our platform, but if we’re not writing, what platform do we have? Take care. Kate

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