I probably could have used yesterday's whiny baby post for my Insecure Writer's post, but you know... if there is an excuse to whine again...
Most of you know by now that Alex the FABULOUS, along with a few buddies, run the 1st Wednesday Insecure Writer's Support Group. Because let's face it, we are ALL insecure.
My LATEST insecurity?
I mean... I know I still have FABULOUS blog friends. But in the last year I've lost comments per post.... I'm not sure what that is about. Being offensive? I somehow doubt it. I've been no more naked or honest than I've always been.
But I think I've lost my ability to keep on TOP of it all. I still feel like I try to comment on others regularly, but... maybe I've taken on too much? Maybe I'm not getting to people as regularly. My strategy maybe needs to be more organized. I feel like a buffoon. Like I'm failing. But it isn't taking me any less time. Have I lost my skills at this?
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| Oh, man, I hope this isn't true... |
I hate the sound of that... gains and losses for what really are friendships. I don't feel less close to anyone. Maybe that is because the relationships, once established, are THERE. But I have to say, I am impressed as all get-out with those of you who seem to get around SO REGULARLY. Often to many more people than I EVER could.
Anyway... love to all of you struggling. I definitely believe this is getting harder.
26 comments:
When you put yourself out there it's natural to want some validation for the effort. It's impossible to get used to what I agree are 'diminished returns'. It's the perfect description for the ennui I am feeling as well.
I get very few readers now compared to what I used to get, but I also haven't been posting regularly ever since I moved this summer. Life keeps interfering with my free time.
Hi Hart, It is nice to meet you. I have ony be blogging since October last year, so I dont think I have the experience necessary to give you any advise, but I would think it would be similar to life - you need to work at relationships for them to continue or they just fizzle out and die! Sorry for the bleak comment, but it is unfortunately true!
Awww lovely NAKED Tart! It's not you it's them! LOL! Seriously! After over two years of blogging - I've cut down so much as blogging does take soooooooooooooooooo much time, sooooooooooooooooo much effort, sooooooooooooooooooo much of everything - so I'm guessing bloggers like me (and I'm not unique!! LOL!) just cut down basically!! I think with me - I am totally loyal to those who followed me in my early blogging life - they've not left me and have stuck with my blogging nonsense and I really feel they followed me cos they wanted to!
Take care
x
The longer we are here, the more friends we gain, and the harder it is to get around to everyone. It does take A LOT of time. And I am at the end of my capabilities as well.
The real friend will keep coming back. You know that!
Yes, I have noticed that. You aren't alone. I think it is the explosion of those blogging. I do. But I'm not sure. I'm not going to worry about it though. Just keep on keepin' on.
Blogging does take up a lot of time. I think lots of people are struggling with this. I think bloggers tend to visit the blogs of people who commented. The more I comment, the more comments I get. I cut down from daily posts to a three a week to manage the time commitment.
i think it's the community. I know i have less time in general to hit up blogs and comment, and i know that's the case for a lot of other people too.
I don't think it's you, at all!
Seems I was reading my own post here Hart, I get fed up with people putting their picture as a follower and NEVER hear from them. I am not blogging to be a success like Alex and Arlee but it would be lovely to get a few more comments for my efforts.
Have a lovely day.
Yvonne.
I really enjoy reading your blogs and I try to visit at least once a week. I'm sure your readers love your blog too but maybe life gets in the way and it's hard to follow as often as they'd like.
I seem to only average a blog a week but I'm trying to be better so that others will enjoy my blog too :)
You have a good, solid, blog. As the community grows I bet people are just having to spread the love a bit more. Also, I have found blogging and commenting go up and down for me, maybe that is the case with your other commentors?
I think we ALL are going through this, except Alex of course ... He is an enigma.
I know I am very guilty about not dropping by blogs and forging new friendships. Time is so spare these days.
I think we all have times that we can and can't spend blogging.
Personally, I used to post everyday. Now I am down to maybe three a week and sometimes less. That, I hope will change in time ...
Don't worry Hart, we will always LOVE our Naked Tart!
Doing everything, especially in relation to blogging, can take its toll. I love to comment and read other people's blogs, but at the same time, it's hard to get around to everyone, to make those connections with the new bloggers and keep up the connections with the old ones. I'm sure a way to balance it is out there, but I haven't found it yet. I suppose you just have to keep trying and hope things stick. :)
hi:)! I find the same on my own blog- though I'm not a prolific blogger by any means,. I think you've spotteed a general trend, and that twitter has a lot to do with it?
I'm finding the same thing, Hart! It's not just you. As others have said, I think blogging in general is slowing down and people are taking to Twitter and FB more. I know I'm now finding those less consuming and easier to keep up with. Blogging is still as much fun as ever but I just can't spend as much time on it as I used to.
You know, I notice that the commenting thing seems a little tit for tat which in turn makes me not give it a lot of weight.
The thing I do weigh more heavily is my RSS feed and daily hits. I mean, part of this is to connect with bloggers and part of this is to gain new readers, right?
At some point its hard to sustain any new friendships and have them be meaningful and write and do publicity! I know it must feel sad to not get as many comments but you have a book coming out it in what, a month??
Ha ha ha, It is Alex's fault, he makes the rest of us feel inferior. All we can do is the best we can do and we get back what we put out, or not :/ I have on order a super clone...still waiting...
Ha, I love the De-Motivational poster!
Blogging is HARD. I am finding that there are more and more blogs I want to read and comment on, and not enough hours in the day.
I definitely agree that once relationships are made, they stay - so even if you don't comment on every post every time, your blogging community will understand. :D
I got a bit obsessed with the amount of comments... the amount of people visiting... the amount of followers. So much so that I lost the point of why I was actually blogging. Now I'm ignoring the numbers and enjoying the posting and the relationships that I do have here.
Love you Hart
Lx
Same here. I've had to cut down on my blogging in order to get anything else done.
Hart, you have scarcely lost your touch! If comments are down, I think it's simply because there might be a kind of blogging burnout among a whole lotta people. People only have so much time, and it takes a whopping commitment just to visit a lot of blogs and leave comments. And don't forget, people like me often visit but don't leave a comment every time.
I feel the same way you do about my blogging friends (and you're one of 'em), and I try to keep up my visits and I love finding out what's going on in their lives. But some days I just feel like I don't have time or energy to do much anything beyond my job and daily life. And I only post once or twice a week!
I have definitely noticed that when I slack off on commenting on others' blogs, I get less comments on my own blog. Which makes perfect sense, of course. It's a give and take situation, whether or not we like that. I have also been known to abandon commenting on certain blogs when the writers of those blogs never return the favour of commenting. There can be an imbalance, i.e. "I comment more on your blog than you comment on mine", but if there is absolutely NO response, ever, then I will figure I'm better off putting my effort into other blogs. That's not always the case of course, but it has happened.
I don't know what makes people comment to a blog, in my case, I get few comments every now and then. I always answer and comment on those blogs who do that for me, but I'm not the chatty person that will comment on every post she ever reads... I guess that's why I don't worry much about the little comments I get. I also don't think it is about friendship. There's people I love to pieces but they do not follow my blog and I've made e-friends that I feel are strong relations but neither them or I comment on each other blogs. Friendships are more than that and, even though you can't see them, you know they're there. Don't worry so much, people will come and go in your life, the ones that stay are the ones that are worthy.
Good luck! From Diary of a Writer in Progress.
If I just had 20 followers ... I hear from people all of the time that they like my stuff, but that silly follower box always shows the same 13 people whenever I sign in to check my stats. I'm too embarrassed and scared to ask "Why aren't you following? Why aren't you commenting?" I get a little depressed when my friends are averaging 2,000 hits a day and I'm down around 50. Oh well, I still have my loyal 13, and as long as they're wanting to read me I suppose I can write for them.
Comments don't matter so much as do the page views.
Haven't read all the comments, but, yes, think it's a combo of the proliferation of blogs -- especially writer's blogs, or maybe it just feels like that to me (all of our publishers have told us we should blog since they're not gonna be out there hawking us?) -- and that blogger especially keeps having glitches in the commenting, though I've run into it other places as well. Where I've gone to comment and can't make it happen.
I do know that my blog(s) are getting more "hits" than ever, but WAY fewer comments too.
Like everything else, I guess we need to keep doing it if we like it (for me, my Staying Afloat one is an outlet -- my Wee Bit Heap one sometimes more a chore), and stop when we don't. And find a new drug.
xox
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