Quoted from The New York Times

. . . blogging is no longer for amateurs or the faint of heart. Blogging - if it’s done well - has evolved into an all-consuming art.

Isn’t that the truth?! I see three challenges for the blogger:

Challenge #1: Confidence. I’ve read somewhere that it takes about a year to develop your “voice.” That’s not true for everybody, but I suspect it is for most. I’ve seen bloggers who came out of the gate with a strong voice that draws many readers from the start. These bloggers are natural people magnets.

I wish I had this inbred talent, but I don’t. I read the posts from my “list” and wonder if they toil over every word, as I do. Some days I can post up to three articles, while I’m lucky to get one post written on “mediocre days.” I’ve learned not to post anything if I’m having a “bad day.”

Challenge #2: Getting your blog noticed among the millions of blogs in the blogosphere. In my last post I talked about traffic exchange services like Blog Explosion. While these services will help you in the beginning, they are big timewasters because you spend more time trying to rack up credits than blogging. My readers have said (and I agree) that networking with other bloggers is the best way to build your readership and search rank.

Challenge #3: Persevering Through the Tough Times:
Maintaining a blog is tough. If you’ve been blogging for a while, then you know. Coming up with new and interesting topics is not always easy. Perhaps your topic is growing stale. If so, ask your readers what they’re interested in reading. Feedback is always good.

Another factor is time. The author of the New York Time’s article said it best, “Blogging has evolved to an all-consuming art.” Over the past year and half, I’ve seen a dozen bloggers burn out. They either dry up or become overwhelmed.

My problem was that my blogging time ate into my writing time. To fix that, I’ve set particular time periods for my blogging: two hours in the morning and two at night. Sometimes I stick to this, and sometimes I don’t.

If I don’t finish writing a post when my time is up, I’ll save it for later. Often, I’ll come back and see mistakes that I didn’t see before. Or, I’ll come to the conclusion that my idea stank and move on to another topic.

One more thing: When I notice that my thoughts and ideas are growing stale, I realize that I need to get out of the house and get a life. Keeping a good balance is vital to your writing, whether you are blogging or writing a novel. If you can’t think of anything to write, don’t force yourself.

Instead, get out and enjoy some fresh air. Strike up conversations with complete strangers and let them do most of the talking. Who knows, they might give you some fodder for your next post.

Happy blogging!

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