10 Surprising Lessons From 1000+ Blog Posts

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If I only knew then what I know now. I’m not sure if I would have done anything differently, but it might have made the journey easier. I hope this information will help you if you’re fearful or hesitant about publishing your work.

The first lesson is the most important. It’s more of a mindset rather than a tactic or strategy. I would have quit long ago if I had defined success by traditional measures.

Victory Comes From The Exploration

How do you define success for each story? Many writers use stats like fans, readership or email sign-ups. I see all of those as secondary metrics. They’re essential; I check those numbers often, but the victory comes long before the first reader clicks on my story.

Each writing session is an exploration. I always end a session with one of these three results.

• I learn something new or gain a deeper understanding.
• I reinforce something I already know.
• In rare instances, I open my mind up to new opportunities and ideas I never considered.

Each one of those results is a victory. I gain something from the experience. Whatever accolades I receive afterward is icing on the cake. I would not have survived this long if data were my sole measure of success.

Obsession With Stats Never Wanes

The first blog post I wrote received zero page views. That post was from way back when I blogged on a self-hosted Wordpress site. I still look at stats several times a day. I question anyone who claims they are unconcerned about their numbers.

Perhaps if numbers always moved in a linear upward fashion… Ah, but they don’t.

It’s Okay To Experiment

I often try new styles, new approaches to writing. Most of these experiments fail. I post something new every other day, so I don’t worry about the failures. I know some writers worry that a poor performing story will tarnish their reputation.

I find that to be a delusional attitude. Your failures don’t matter. Everyone, except you, forgets about the stuff that fails. And sorry to bruise your ego, but they’ll…