Today’s article is written by Suzannah Windsor Freeman, founding editor.
I have a confession to make: for the past week and a half, I’ve felt completely burnt out. Not just burnt out as a writer and blogger, but burnt out in general.
My 4-month-old twins are starting to teethe, and they’re cranky after a recent round of immunizations. My 2-year-old has a cold, and neither my husband nor I have had much sleep in a while.
So when it came time to write last week’s second post, I figured I’d let it slip until after the weekend. Monday rolled around, and I just didn’t have time to get that post up. Tuesday came and went, and things were no better. I started an outline, but just felt so utterly exhausted and weary that I couldn’t bring myself to finish it.
Thankfully, this morning (after a large coffee) I feel a lot more together and ready to jump back into the swing of things.
When Blogs Go Dark
If you follow any number of blogs over the course of a year or two, you’ll probably find that at least one of them will go dark.
Their feed stops updating and you’re left thinking, “What happened? I loved that blog!” Or, the blogger posts a notice saying, “It’s been fun, but I’m moving on.”
There are plenty of reasons people give up on their blogs:
- To start a new blog. Sometimes you want to take your site in a different direction, collaborate with other bloggers, or start something completely different.
- To focus their time and effort on other endeavours—writing related or otherwise. Life happens, and for some bloggers the need to focus on something else for a while is essential.
- To escape the drudgery of a blog that’s getting them nowhere. We sometimes stop to ask ourselves, “Why bother continuing to write for a blog that isn’t paying me back in terms of all the time I’m committing to it?”
Given the right circumstances, reasons #1 and #2 can actually be good and/or necessary. But what about #3?
Don’t Give Up Too Quickly
The internet is full of blogs that contain just a handful of posts. It’s all too easy to start a blog and then give up as soon as things don’t go the way you envisioned.
Here are some specific reasons why you might be tempted to ditch your blog, along with ways to help you conquer each challenge:
- You feel like no one is listening.
When you’re just starting out, it sure can seem like no one cares whether you turn up to your blog or not. It may take time to build the type of audience that will generate a lot of discussion, but in the meantime you can make the most of what you have. Check out 5 Ways to Make the Most of a Small Blog Audience for details.
- You don’t have time to write several articles each week.
Who says you need to write a post a day, three posts a week, or even two? I usually post twice each week, but I’ve come to realize that the world won’t end if occasionally I post just once. Most readers probably won’t even notice as long as the hiatus isn’t more than a week. Set yourself an achievable schedule, but don’t panic if you need to bail once in a while.
- You feel you’ve already written about everything in your niche.
I’ve been blogging for three years now, and am constantly amazed at how little I’ve actually covered. If you feel really stuck, read other blogs in your niche and see what topics they’ve covered; try going through your old posts and attacking the same topics from different angles; or bring on a couple of regular contributors to your blog to take advantage of their different perpectives.
- The prospect of making any money from your blog seems too far off.
I currently make just enough through Write It Sideways to cover costs and pay my regular contributors for their time. Every dollar I make goes back into running the blog, but I’m okay with that. Money is great, but that’s not why I’m here.
I wouldn’t recommend starting a blog with the intention of making a lot of money—readers are pretty perceptive and can tell if your sole purpose online is to sell them something.
Use your blog as a way of promoting who you are and what you do, along with helping others achieve their goals. Once you have a loyal following you can try writing an eBook, running an online course, or offering services to help bring in extra cash. In the meantime, if you want to earn money online, try pitching articles to sites that pay freelancers.
It’s not always easy, but giving up on your blog too soon may be a move you’ll regret down the line. With four busy children to care for, I can’t promise that my editorial schedule will always be one-hundred percent reliable, but I can promise to continue delivering quality content regularly.
When have you been tempted to give up on your blog? What factors caused you to persevere or to part ways with it?
I am in that position right now where I am wondering if I should keep going with my blog. For July and August, I have reduced my posting to 3 days a week (from 5) and it has made a tremendous difference. As you mentioned, maybe this is what I need to do long-term. Great article.
Three posts per week is more than enough, Terry! Glad you made the switch, and I agree it’s probably better for you in the long term to scale back. Thanks!
I wake up tired as it is, can’t imagine what it’s like having twins, too.
I think as long as your open with your readers, all ends well. If you have a busy time approaching and you know less blogging will be done, tell people. they will be more than ok with it.
Better still, ask for people to submit some guest posts. It takes you even closer to your readers 🙂
Hope your tired eyes ease in the coming weeks
Matthew (Turndog Millionaire)
Having twins is so rewarding and special, but it’s also very tiring! I do what I can, and give myself a bit of slack on the rest (which may sometimes include dishes and laundry!)
Thank you so much for your post. I was actually thinking of giving up on my blog as I felt it was just…well ‘rubbish’…lol! Compared to other blogs but I am going to keep blogging about any and everything that I hold an interest in. That way I can improve my writing skills and not be a QUITTER. Killing 2 birds with 1 stone, I guess. Thank you again.
I hate the feeling I get from quitting, Veronica. So when I feel like giving up, I allow myself to quit…for a few days. Maybe a little longer, if necessary. The urge always comes back, usually sooner than expected.
I’ve been toying with the idea of starting a blog, but have been scared/discouraged by all the other blogs out there in my niche (translation). Such big names in the industry are writing such great posts! But like you say, a blog is about promoting who I am– not necessarily competing. Thanks for the encouraging words!
If you write great content, people will read! It doesn’t always happen overnight, but a must-read article doesn’t usually stay buried long. Look at how many professional development blogs there are out there! And hey, there’s no shortage of writing blogs, either 🙂
I started my blog, Family Archaeologist, in Nov., 2010. It comprised essays on original family history documents, to which I tried to give a universal twist — relatable to anyone interested in history. I started posted several times a week as I was posting on the 100th anniversary of letters, postcards, diaries, photos and documents. I slowly built a small but loyal following, but my real intent was to have a blog to attract people to the memoir I was writing. I realized once a week was all I could handle and never missed a week. The writing is good, I got lots of positive feedback, but I was getting burnt out too. My posts took a LONG time to write, and I always had lots of photos. I could keep this blog going for 100 years with all I have in my collection, but the following wasn’t what I needed for a publisher to say “Wow! We want your book!” So I took the summer off–but did NOT let the blog go dark. I scheduled reposts from the earliest blog posts, which many had missed, which took a fraction of the time (but still took time) through September. I’ve had a welcome break, but my blog is still active–and I still tweet and post every new post on FB. This may be a good compromise approach for those trying to regroup and rethink a new blog or new goals.
Great strategy! I’ve done reposts over the holidays when readers tend to be busier. Thanks for sharing 🙂
It’s mostly personal motivations that have kept me blogging – I would have given up ages ago if I was just looking for traffic or comments! I’m a book blogger, and although I don’t get any money from my blog, the free books are a sort of payment. I also love talking about books, and every review is a chance to ponder what I’ve read and give my uninterrupted opinion on it. I have an academic background, and when working I always thought my skills were being wasted on marketing copy. Book reviews are so much more stimulating and rewarding (I tend to write long, detailed ones). Finally, I’m not able to work at the moment, but when I need to go job hunting again, my blog can go on my CV to show that I was being creative and working on my skills instead of just lazing around the house.
But mostly I like it and stick to it for the first three reasons. I do get lazy, demotivated or hopelessly disorganised at times (like now, actually; I haven’t posted in over a week!) but eventually I get over it. I also feel a responsibility to review the books I’ve accepted, and that pushes me when nothing else will.
Like you, I’m personally motivated to blog because it’s a creative and intellectual outlet for me. With four young children, I often need that escape!
I wish I had more time to write on my blog. But I do it whenever I get the chance and don’t get too stressed out about it. After all it is supposed to be fun, not a headache. If I only have a few minutes and no place to concentrate on writing something I just read other blogs, get entertained and leave comments. Even if you get to write something once a week or maybe even after two weeks, it should be well written and entertaining. I don’t think your followers will mind all that much if what you do give them is really good.
Great content is definitely the biggest deciding factor in whether readers stay or go! Commenting on other blogs is also a good way to connect with other writers online.
Great piece. All bloggers go through this, and I think that’s why most blogs burn out after three years. But I advocate “slow blogging”–blogging once a week or less, but on a regular schedule. I’ve written about it here http://bit.ly/NXumeJ. It’s also good to keep in mind that keeping an established blog–even totally revamped–is better than starting from scratch It takes a while for a new blog to reach the Google Spiders, so sticking with the old URL is good if you can do it.
Hi Anne! I agree that fewer than normal posts can work well, as long as it’s regular. Also, great point about trying to keep your URL!
Great post, Suzannah, as always. I started blogging last year in June, and although I don’t post much (once a week, maybe twice) and have gone weeks (ok, months) without posting anything at all, I enjoy it tremendously. I haven’t been tempted to quit, but sometimes it *is* hard to come up with relevant content. I’ve found that then it’s a good idea to post something short, a music video, a link to a cool article I found elsewhere, just to 1) provide readers with something, and 2) keep myself engaged. It’s too easy to let go.
Short posts are often the most powerful, Guilie! Best of luck with keeping everything going 🙂
I recently took a brief hiatus from blogging. It was the most recent of many I’ve taken in the four or five years I’ve been blogging. (Some have lasted close to a year.) So, I totally get what you’re saying here. A big part of the reason I felt stuck was my lack of clarity on the topics I wanted to cover. Now that I’m clear on the topic, time always seems to be the issue.
I like your idea about breaking the typical blogging “rule” of posting 2 or 3 times a week. Blogging can be very daunting when you commit to posting three times a week.
Yes, I think 1-2 articles per week is ideal. The key is letting readers know you’ll be giving them something on a regular basis, even if that is less than one post per week. Maybe one really great, featured article per month!
This struck a nerve. I loved my blog but recently felt completely uninspired. I really don’t know what to blog about anymore! Once it started feeling like a chore, it wasn’t fun anymore. The question is, how to make it fun again? Even once a week is too much right now.
Read other blogs in your niche for inspiration! Or maybe your niche is too narrow. Can you expand it to include similar, but relevant topics?
Thank you for writing this wonderful blog. It’s very inspiring, and must be a challenge with twins and another child. Wonder how old your fourth one is now!
Thanks, Shelley! The eldest is school-aged, so he’s a good helper 🙂
Hmmm… I may have responded to the five tips article. Or WordPress may have eaten my comment. I’m assuming the latter, so if I’m a repetitive sort of soul, bear with me. Anyway, I’m not burned out, but these are still wonderful tips. My blog is somewhere in the middle. I still consider it decidedly small, though I’ve done a couple of big dealish things. You’ve given me some great challenges for the next month or so.
Thanks, and good luck with those challenges!
Such a reassuring blog! I’ve come here from Nina Badzin’s recommendation, and so glad I did. I’m a big believer in less-is-more (loved your post on small audiences, elves and teacup chi’s 😉 ). Admittedly, I already only blog weekly, but have considered cutting back to fortnightly (reading this, I now feel lazy). But seriously, as a newbie, I have to wonder if interacting more on others blogs and posting less would really hurt my readership that much? Would love to know your thoughts on this…But anyway, sincere thanks for your insights 🙂
I think as long as your readers know you’re posting once fortnightly, they’ll be fine with it. What I don’t advocate is having huge, unexplained gaps between posts. Thanks!
I am AMAZED at how prolific you can be, despite all the chaos in your life! Wow…
I have never been a prolific blogger, but it’s amazing: Despite an irregular schedule, my audience seems to stick around! It was more than a month between my last two posts, yet I gained a good number of subscribers in the interim…so I’m lucky. I realize this isn’t normal, and that my audience is doing me a “solid” by being patient. And I love them for that.
I figure, if you have good quality content and a desire to share it, then post. If not, then don’t. Again, I know this doesn’t adhere to the rules of “Blogging 101,” but it seems to be working for me.
Great post!
There are no real ‘rules’ with blogging that need to be 100% adhered to. There are guidelines you can follow to improve your chances of success, but sometimes the rule-breakers are those that lead the way. I’m glad you’ve found what works for you, and all the best for your continued success!
Thanks for your insight. I’m a new blogger who writes about expat life in France and already panic about “oh no what if I can’t think of something to write about” and things like that. Your tips are spot on and I think that if you write for you, the audience will come. Well, hoping anyway. 😉
Writing for you is a must, Diane! Thanks for dropping by 🙂
Kids make everything tough and everything worth doing. They grow up fast so take time to enjoy the chaos. I have had some personal issues lately of my own, which have been stifling my creativity and putting the breaks on all my writing efforts. While I may be able to put my novel on hold, keeping my blog going forces me to write regularly. Its a good exercise for me and keeps the wheels greased while I get my right brain back on track.
I write only when I’m inspired and my audience seems to not mind that. This also keeps me from stressing out over lack of comments and lack of content. I’ve also found that by being myself and varying my content (I write about writing, books, devotionals, every day happenings, and photography) I appeal to more people and ensure I have more to say.
Like most undertakings I’ve attempted, blogging commenced with much enthusiasm and fanfare. Insert image: Confetti raining down, as my open top limo parades down Broadway!
Yeah, I’m thinking smugly, should I post every day or just every other day. I was young, foolish and drunk on the narcotic of lofty dreams—even though that was a scant few weeks ago.
Needless to say, I haven’t been that prolific. In fact, managing to pound out even one post a week has proved a more audacious goal than I’ve achieved.
What I refused to do was to throw together some near illiterate gibberish simply to meet some arbitrary deadline. Regretfully, we’ve all seen our share of blogs where quality has taken the ass end position to haste.
The good thing is that for me the writing itself hasn’t been the issue. I have a long writing history going back almost to the days of quill and pot of ink. I know how to write and think I come to the table with some degree of facility in that regard.
My real enemy has been all the minutiae of starting a blog, learning wordpress, promoting the blog, figuring out Facebook, and so on. These are matters utterly new to me. If all I had to do was write, I’d be motoring much farther down this blogging super highway, rather than being pathetically stuck in the starting lanes.
Actually, come to think of it, that may not be such a bad thing. The learning curve for mastery of blogging essentials, I suspect, is a lot shorter than that required to become competent as a writer. I console myself with this, murmuring that particular mantra to myself as yet another day passes without a new post to my blog:
Quality, hopefully, makes up for quantity. If my writing has neither the former nor the latter than I’m up that proverbial waterway–defecation’s creek–without an implement for rowing.
Thanks for the inspiring post. I love writing, but sometimes when it seems it is becoming a chore, along with all the other stresses of life, I start to feel burnt out. I could write about the stresses of life and how they are getting me down, but who wants to read about that stuff?
I think I’ll go put on a big pot of coffee and see what happens :).