Woo Hoo…Made it Through One Year of Blogging!

Valerie Cullers 43 Comments

As of last month, I made it through one year of blogging and looking back I have to tell you, I have learned a lot. A few months after I began blogging, I started writing magazine articles. The format is a little different and you have to write to the specifications of each magazine’s submission guidelines. I checked the Writer’s Guide and I decided to send a blog post to one of the magazines that publish them. 

Within a day or so, I got an email back from the Blog Editor. She said they only publish blog posts by bloggers who have been blogging for at least six months. I thought, “No problem!” I will wait six months and then see about sending in a blog post. However, about five months into blogging, I thought about quitting. It wasn’t what I thought it would be and I was getting discouraged. I seriously considered bagging it but decided to stick it out as my goal had been to blog once a week for an entire year. About a month after that, the readership grew and I am glad that I decided to stay with it.

The problem is real, though. The first five or six months of blogging is hard for a new blogger. It takes time to develop followers and get the reads and comments you would like. I read a blog post on the site Hellbound Bloggers by Harshit Singhal entitled: “5 Reasons Why Most Bloggers Quit Blogging Within Six Months.” He talks about the fact that 9 out of 10 bloggers will not make it through the first year. It is a great read if you want to look it up and very informative. I will mention the five reasons he states that most bloggers quit: 1. Looking for quick money 2. Not passionate about writing  3. Lack of motivation 4. Not enough topics and 5. The unavoidable renewal.

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So it’s tough for new bloggers, that’s seems to be an established fact. When I started blogging, I knew NOTHING about blogging. I just felt like I was supposed to start a blog. I listened to an interview with Kristen Lamb and she mentioned her latest book, “Rise of the Machines, Human Authors in a Digital World.” She is an established writer and her book is full of information about the publishing industry. She also mentioned that it has a special section on blogging. I read it cover to cover and especially focused on the chapters related to blogging. I learned so much from her and I still reread it when I need a fresh insight about the subject.  So, “Thank You, Kristen for all of your help, I couldn’t have done it without you!” 

We can do our best when blogging but we are still dependent on the readers to let us know if what we are writing is speaking to them. I want to thank everyone who read my blog, liked it, commented on it and followed it. I really appreciate the support and encouragement you have given me. I would also like to thank the Lord who gives me the ideas and words to say. I am not a natural writer and without His help I would never have been able to write even the first blog post.

I want to encourage all of you who just started blogging…stay with it. It will bear fruit and it be worth it in the end. If you’re struggling, check out Kristen’s book and you will be surprised at the amount of great information and encouragement you will find.

Again, a big “THANK YOU” to each and every one of you!  Please enjoy a piece of  Blogiversary cake (even if it is virtual) on me!

close up photography of pink birthday cake

Photo by Mohammad Danish on Pexels.com

 

 

 

43 thoughts on “Woo Hoo…Made it Through One Year of Blogging!”

  2. Thank you very much for your latest blog. I am a novice and I appreciate the encouragement. I’ve only been doing this a couple of months, and I’m already wondering if it’s not a great waste of time. I intend to read Kristen’s book. Thank you again!

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  3. important and essential your testimony, your experience. I do not know exactly how much blog time – I stayed a long time without posting – maybe 4 fours and I always feel the need to renew. Today, I’ve been posting photography, but I think it’s time to return to writing whether it’s fiction or book / film / record reviews. happy for your first year and many more.

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  8. Delicious cake without the calories? Yes please! Hahahaha Thanks for writing, I enjoy your blog and of course, a huge congratulations!

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  11. Congratulations Valerie for sticking it out on your first year!

    You are right, it is a long hard slog but if we weren’t doing this, then what else would we be doing? I’m not one for wasting time in front of a TV.

    I have too many stories to share yet with 30+ years of travelling, which produced many journals to digitise and photos to upload. 🙂

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    • Yes, and we so enjoy your travels and your photographs. They take us to places we haven’t seen and make us want to travel again! P.S. Did you go behind the wall before it fell? I was thinking about the time I was in Budapest before it was free…totally different vibe then.

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      • No. I’m sure it was a different vibe. I was in Yugoslavia in ’85 and although I haven’t returned since, I’m sure it is totally different these days.

        I’ve found that sometimes it’s best not to return to a country as the changes man not be what you expected.

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  12. When I was in Budapest, it was occupied by the Soviets. There were soldiers on about every street corner, in the restaurants and at the ice rink. It was the first time I was in an occupied city and I found it a bit repressive to say the least. I did not go to Yugoslavia during that time, but met a man on a train from there and he said it was the least regulated country and the best one to live in under communist rule.

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  23. Thank you for all the encouragement, Valerie! Your writing and messages are a blessing and you address real life with a Christ-centered heart and mind. So refreshing in this weary world.
    I also wanted to thank you for sending me a copy of your book, Psalm One for Women on the Run. What an awesome resource! I love how you have set it up with a fictional narrative to give one example of how the verse might apply to real life back in the day. Then the way you dig deep into each scripture one by one reveals so much more than first meets the eye. My husband and I have also memorized Psalm 1. Its timeless truth anchors the soul. God bless you and thanks again!

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