Happy Tuesday to you, fellow bloggers. May you all continue to have a good week with plenty of time for your writing!

Networking and blogging are perhaps the most difficult peripheral aspects of becoming a writer. Speaking from my own experience, it’s challenging to establish a consistent and concentrated blogging platform, one that amasses a group of loyal followers while still staying true to your personal aspirations. However, I’m a firm believer that your passion for blogging should inspire fellow bloggers to follow you and support you, rather than letting a desire for more readers fuel your writing drive.

A Note on Topics

Blogging excites many of us. That’s a given. However, our motives for blogging vary as much as our personal endeavors and histories. Therefore, the most critical step in setting up your blogging platform is to focus on a narrow range of topics.

This is where I messed up in starting my own blog. YA, NA, psychology, video game reviews…my breadth of topics was too wide when I first started “You New Adult Nostalgic.” As of lately, I’ve parsed my posts back to focus on YA, NA, and creative writing lessons (see my “Lessons to Practice” series). I think that all readers, no matter their interests, appreciate a blog where they can expect consistency in both the rate of publications and the topics being written on.

Write What You’re Passionate About

It’s as simple as that. For me, I know and appreciate young adult novels, horror novels and video games, post-apocalyptic fiction, and dystopian fiction. Even if I’m not posting excerpts from my fiction, I still want my posts to revolve around these genres. Topics like author spotlights, creative writing tips and tricks, and interviews are all helpful in rounding out your blog while also attracting more readers. Plus, sharing the occasional off-topic post (see my love for Acro Yoga, for example) is fun and can even pleasantly surprise your readers!

 

Practicing Consistency

Following a set schedule is key to getting your blog the traffic that it deserves. For example, I post these “Lessons to Practice” every Tuesday evening, and have been doing so since January 31st of this year. The payoff in following your schedule is that, as I previously mentioned, you are giving your readers something to anticipate — and establishing your dependability in the process. Reinforcement keeps readers of all ages and interests coming back time and time again. It also shows your followers that you are taking your blogging seriously and determined to see your platform shine, even in spite of those days when you just want to take a rain check and sleep (or binge on Netflix, or go out with friends).

Pay it Forward

Blogging is a social endeavor; that much is incontestable. We are all being vulnerable by posting our writing, creative art, and/or videos for all the world to see. Remember how much effort and courage that takes!

In order to make your blog a true macrocosm, be sure to always reach out and thank your readers. It doesn’t matter if they give you a single like or a full paragraph in a comment; readers enjoy knowing that they are being engaged and welcomed by a fellow blogger.

Speaking of, I want to thank Jed Herne, Renard Moreau, simple Ula, RedheadedBooklover, sheilarparker, Nusrath Sariffo’deen, coreys079, and snehdoshi. All of you chose to visit my blog and let me know that you enjoy what I have to offer. I will continue to do the same by further exploring your blogs and chatting with you all about the subjects that you really enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you found something useful in tonight’s Lesson to Practice.

How do you manage your blog? Do you still struggle with networking and getting your material read by a wider audience? No matter how successful you’ve been, I would love to hear your story.