Friday 15 February 2019

What you can do to support a writer


Many years ago when I first started to blog (which was in March of 2013, so my 6th anniversary is coming up soon!), I read a post from another blogger talking about how you can support bloggers. I don't remember who it was, but I do know that it was one of the "big ones", meaning one of those fabled creatures who called themselves "full-time bloggers" and made money with blogging. At the time, this was a huge, unachievable dream to me, and I was in complete awe of these incredible people who managed to turn their hobby into a business.

Several years (and many a soul-searching session) later, I have found my own recipe for success, which for me is working a job I enjoy, blogging for fun, and writing articles and books because I go crazy when I'm not.

But I will never forget that post, for two reasons:
1. Even though I'm a blogger myself, I had never managed to articulate what I wished my readers would do. Reading what she wrote made me nod my head in acknowledgement, but also in wonder. I was thinking "yes, that's exactly what I want" several times while reading her post, without ever having taken the time to really ask myself (or my readers) what I would like them to do to support me. Because it felt presumptuous! How could I even consider asking the people who were already kind enough to read my stuff to do even more? I thought they would all run the other direction if I dared to ask them to do anything more than that.

And please don't think I'm trying to be humble. I'm not. Pretty much every writer I know feels the way I do, out of their comfort zone and constantly battling imposter syndrome. After all, we are usually the quiet, weird people on the outskirts of the real action, we've been thinking about writing (and doing it in private) for all our lives but only started putting it out there recently, so it's all new, strange, and baffling to us.

For every word that you read, we have written a hundred. For every article that's published, there are five that aren't. Out of all the blog posts that you have seen, there are at least three times as many that never made it on the blog.


2. I was floored that a successful, established blogger was brave enough to ask for help. 
She admitted that she couldn't do it all alone, and it made me respect her more, not less. Still, despite my positive reaction to her plea for help I'm still struggling to ask for help myself.
Asking for help feels vulnerable. Not only do you admit that you are stuck, you also have to rely on other people, which is scary. What if they say no? What of they laugh at you? What if they all leave you?
Yeah, writing it all down makes me realize how ridiculous those thoughts are, but that's how my mind works. Overthinking everything!

Well, after this very long introduction let me get to the point. How can you support a writer you like?
It's simple: by letting them know that you're reading. Writing is a solitary act (which is part of the appeal to us), but it's nice to know that people read what you write. After all, that's why we put it out there.
If the writer has a newsletter, subscribe to it.
If they wrote a book and you enjoyed it, take a moment and review it. You don't even have to write anything, just click on the stars! It takes less than a minute but means the world to us.

I would also like to thank everyone who leaves comments, has sent me an email or got in touch in another way. I don't expect it, which makes it all the more special when it happens!

It's a joy to write this blog and to write for the love of it. Thank you all for reading it.

Love,
Miriam


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4 comments

  1. I'm here! I read! And yes, this is so true. I light up when I get a comment on a blog or when someone shares it. Making a living blogging is a thing that I gave up on a long time ago. It's not about the dollars, it's about the community and the ability to just share what's in this weird brain of mine.

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    1. Yes, exactly! I love my day job for giving me the freedom to pursue hobbies I love.
      Thank you for getting it, and for showing the love!

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  2. I am happy to assist in sharing for a blogger friend! Having been there, I know the joy that comes with knowing someone thought enough to share my words. You are the only blog left that I stay connected with. But some of those other ladies don't blog anymore but we still keep in touch on social media.

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    1. It's crazy how many people gave up their blogs in favour if Instagram, isn't it? My daily amount of blog reading has decreased dramatically.
      You've been there almost from the beginning and I truly appreciate how you've always been there. Thank you so much!! ❤

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