Brandi's Tips for the Beginning Writer

Well I guess it is for some folks. In fact, I was just listening to J Freelancing 101: Get Your Questions Answered, a podcast from the ASJA (American Society of Journalists and Authors) 2009 conference. In it, a participant asked panel members about blogging.

A few members gave a big thumbs down to blogging.

Specifically they did not advocate the type of blogging that was valuable enough to be shopped around to paying publications. However, they did say it could work and have heard of a few cases in which doing so led to getting more published jobs.

What do you think about blogging?

As for me, I maintain three of my own personal blogs: 2inspired (for those looking for inspiration and motivation to find their dream career), not2shabby (for wallet-friendly ideas and DIY crafts) and this one. Truth be told, most writers think I’m crazy. I still haven’t figured out if they mean good crazy or the less attractive variety.

Are you contemplating whether to go for it or not?

I blog for several reasons. In fact, to me it’s not a question. I blog like I breathe. But if you’re on the fence and not sure if you want to make the commitment, keep reading. I’ll list the pros and cons so you can decide if it’s right for you.

Pros: Why I Heart Blogging

1. Practice makes perfect. I’ve been blogging personally since 2003 and professionally since around 2007. I can honestly say that my blogging and my writing in general, has improved by leaps and bounds. Having a blog forces you to get focused, come up with ideas and make time to write every day. Before I started blogging, I just didn’t have that same discipline.
2. Showcase your talent. I think blogging is a great way to show off your talent. A lot of times, especially if you’re a writer newbie, editors and potential clients want to see what you can do. If you don’t have a lot of clips collected yet, showing them your blog is the next best thing.
3. Get more jobs. I can’t tell you how many jobs I’ve gotten from blogging alone. Besides showing that I can write, it’s allowed me to demonstrate different voices, styles and tones of writing that I can offer potential clients.
4. Make friends. I’ve found a lot of writer friends from my blogs. It started with a comment here and there, then a Tweet, later a Facebook discussion and sometimes even a friendly weekly writer chat. Blogging has given me the opportunity to connect with writers and editors who I have the highest respect and admiration for-people who I hope to work with some day in the future. Also, it’s just fun chatting with other writers about everything from the challenges of working at home to being able to share your excitement about being published. They keep me sane when working at home gets too quiet and lonely.
5. Get confidence. When I first started freelancing, I was as frightened as my little bunny rabbit. I didn’t know if I could do it. Sometimes I’d stare at the computer screen with my heart thumping loudly, purely paralyzed by my own fears. But blogging changed that. When I started blogging regularly, writing three blogs, sometimes two a day, I lost that fear. Basically, repetition and my ability to do it every time scared it away.
6. Grow new ideas. Blogging is obviously different from other types of writing. When I blog, I often write spontaneously about a thought or idea I’ve just started thinking about. It’s fresh and new. And sometimes I use it as a platform to begin digesting something I’ve recently read or heard about. In a handful of cases, that initial thought or ideas sprouted out into a full-blown article that has gotten published in reputable magazines.

Cons: What’s Hard About Blogging

1. Time sucker. I’m going to get real with you. Blogging takes up a whole heck of a lot of time. And for most of us, we don’t get paid diddley-squat for doing so. Yes, this is where crazy sets in. The results of blogging are not always directly seen. You could blog for months and even years and still not make a lot, if anything. That’s why you need a goal. Either you blog for money (and you find out and work hard to do so), for indirect sales (jobs, sell products, etc.) or as a hobby. Know why you’re doing it and stay focused and committed. It’ll make all those nights blogging ’til midnight (I’ve been there and are there most nights) a lot easier.
2. You might get drained. Because blogging takes up a lot of time and energy, it is possible that you’ll run out of ideas and get burned out. If that’s the case, you may want to figure out a schedule that’s less rigorous or blog less. Or you may want to rethink your blogging topic. Maybe you’re just not as passionate about it as you thought.
3. You might lose money and focus. Since all of your time and energy are focused on blogging instead of querying, for example, you may see a dip in your profits.
4. It sometimes feels like you’re talking to a brick wall. I work really hard on my posts. But sometimes I wonder if anyone’s really on the other side of the conversation. There will be times when you’ll write and write and not get feedback and wonder if anyone’s really listening.
5. You may not be able to publish your ideas in the print world. This was one of the arguments of the panel members. The ideas is that it’s better to save your profitable pieces than publish it online where it’s already being published to the world.
6. You may lose hope. There are a ton of blogs online. And there are bloggers who are more experienced than you and more talented. There will be lots of moments where you’ll lose faith and wonder if you’re making a difference.

After you weigh in the pros and cons, the choice really is up to you. If you have the courage, inner strength and stamina to blog, then do it! There’s a ton of benefits from doing so. I should know. I’m three blogs and a handful of years in and I’m still loving every minute of it.

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