Every blog you write does not need to be perfect. Want to know why? Because every blog I read is not perfect or in some cases even finished. That’s the nature of blogging. The point is to get the idea out there while it’s still fresh and perhaps even a little bit raw. It is the ideas I am looking for; not necessarily the perfectly completed article.
I’m not talking about phoning it in
If you are committed to a publishing schedule, sometimes you will need to rush a post. Just because a post is rushed does not mean you phoned it in. Often times, the four- and five-sentence posts I share get many more comments than the long article style posts that are worked on over several days. I believe this is true for a couple of reasons.
Readers like bite-sized stackable content. I don’t always have time to carefully read a 1000-word post/article. On the other hand, five or six sentences that tell me what’s on your mind today is great stuff.
Readers like to complete the thought process in their context. Often times what’s on the writers mind will help you take your thoughts in a different direction. Let’s face it: You aren’t taking time to read blogs if your work is flowing and you’re cranking it out.
You’ve taken a break and are looking for inspiration to carry you forward.
Fear should not keep you from publishing
The response/reaction to a post not published is very predictable – none. There is no feedback (positive or negative) for the post that goes unpublished. My suggestion is you turn those ideas in your head into four or five sentences. If in 24 hours you still don’t feel the inspiration to turn them into a 1000-word masterpiece – publish it anyway.
Fear of publishing is keeping you from conversations that matter. By putting the raw unfinished ideas out there, you will generate feedback. Comments will come in on the blog, Twitter or Facebook. One single solitary comment on the post is enough to know it was worthwhile. Even no comments tells you something to make your future posts better.
Keep publishing. Keep putting it out there. Push your own comfort zone.
I like the idea of raw blogging. Sometimes no matter how much I work on a blog post, that’s how the post feels after I hit “publish.”
Oh, I’m glad it’s not just me that is not always thrilled about my posts even after I hit “publish.”
Hey Jim – As you’ve pointed out, long posts are difficult at times to invest the focus they require to get the meat of content.
I enjoy bite size morsels that feed my mind rather than a 4 course meal I won’t finish — so to speak.
Great stuff, hope all is well you.
Yeah, I hear you, Mark. I am just trying to keep you fattened up. I guess I am just a bit grandmotherly like that. 😉
Mark, you can turn your posts into novels my man – LOL
Funny seeing you here – I’ve been caught haha!
You can run, but you can’t hide – hilarious.
Cheers bro – hope all is well with you and the fam : )
Oh, come on, Mark, did you think I was a newbie? I can stalk with the best of ’em!
I have heard it more than once that I can write faster than my editors can edit. Heck, I wrote three books in three months, and I spew my wisdom across about a squillion blogs. I can’t help it that my brain is so busy with its inner awesomeness, but I can at least share it. Call it my gift to humanity. I was all out of bottled water and nonperishable food items, so what you get is a whole lot Murnahanism.
By the way, Jim, thank you for the piece. I like it, and I agree with having some nice rare meat on a blog. Just like in-person, most people will find their less-than-perfect moments. That does not mean it is not worth sharing.
I tried to be brilliant every day, but people hassled me for showing off. 😉
Glad to have you Mark. I’ve added your blog to my RSS feed so now I can be the lurker/stalker 🙂
Excellent, and I did likewise. I can always appreciate another lurker/stalker. Even the scary ones are fine with me. As I have often said, if I don’t get a death threat now and then, it just means I am not reaching enough people. 😀
Well stated Jim and quite frankly this is all part of the process known as “finding our voice”
Respectfully,
Paul Castain
and I think the process of finding our voice is not one that ever ends. 🙂
Jim
Jim,
Once again you read my mind. I have a post I have not published on my Veglatino blog because it was missing something. Thanks for the quick reminder will publish as is..
Thanks again.
Your readers will tell you what it’s missing and then you’ll we’ll all know – right?
Jim
I have to agree finished that post that had been hanging around my editorial calendar post SXSW Thanks