Sometimes I have a hard time reading all the blog posts arriving in my inbox every day. Some bloggers post several times a week or even several times a day. It’s a challenge to keep up, and I worry that I’m missing something.
Some bloggers are even doing newsletters now! Thus instead of one post in my inbox, they’re sending me a collection of six or seven articles at a time. Holy cow.
On the other hand, a few of the longer-winded bloggers are cutting back, worried they’re overloading their readers. That’s why I’m thinking of switching to every other Friday to make your life a little less cluttered. I’d like to do what works for you. So spill it, good buddy, and we’ll go with the majority. Let me know what you’d prefer, and thanks.
I just voted, but figured I’d comment here too. I tend to visit blogs that blog more often. As long as I like their content, the more the better! I actually visit blogs as opposed to subscribing to them, because it’s too overwhelming. But when I visit the blog, I like to see lots of new posts!
Thanks for that feedback, Lisa. At the time I did that poll, a lot of bloggers were posting several times every day, and to be honest, it was annoying! But some SEO mavens said it was good. Well, so is turkey dinner, but not twice in one night! So after that poll, I went back to every Friday, about 500 words unless I can’t keep it that short.
I get on some sites where some bloggers blog all day. It gets difficult for other bloggers to post. Does that ever happen?
I haven’t seen that here, Shalilah, but sometimes I see people on Facebook who seem to have had too much coffee!
That’s what I’m talking about. I must admit I check back during the day to see what they’re doing now.
I agree with those who put the emphasis on the quality of what is being posted rather than the frequency. Readers have to take responsibility for selecting what they spend time on – writers for what they put forth. If more of the latter upheld their obligations, the former would have less to ‘wade through’ looking for the gems. Since you do accept your responsibility as a writer, your readers are guaranteed that their time with you is worth it.
I try, Chela, I try! I hate having my time wasted, so won’t do it to you either.
Hey Lynne – every other week would be fine for me, I also know your posts will be special, but sometimes I don’t have a chance to read them for a few days. Thanks for asking.
Vonnie
Vonnie, you’re in the same situation. Any feedback from your readers as to preferred frequency?
I use a RSS feedreader, so all I see are the titles to posts. When a title catches my eye, I’ll click through to read it and I enjoy seeing the list every day. Sometimes I’ll browse through it during breaks throughout the day, so it doesn’t matter to me if someone posts daily. Their titles go to the list with the rest and I pick and choose which ones to read when I have the time. I had to resort to this because my inbox became far too cluttered with blog post emails and I ended up deleting them all because it was overwhelming to try and filter out the ones I had time or desire to read. Feedly is the service I use, and I like it.
Hi Madison,
The prospect of getting organized will never lose its appeal. I can’t resist the siren’s call, and will go to Feedly right away to see if they can help me. Thanks.
It’s time-consuming at first to enter the urls of the sites you follow, and then find the ones which use feeds that aren’t the same as the url (some WP blogs require you to enter the feed addy, not the blog addy). But after that it is oh so much easier. If you need help figuring out how to locate feed urls, let me know and I’ll be glad to lend a hand 🙂
Thanks! I was sad to see Reader (and iGoogle, for that matter) go away. But now I’m all excited. Feedly gets high marks.
As far as I’m concerned, you could write multiple times a day and I’d be happy…
You’re such a doll, Mimi. One of my nicknames at work used to be The Queen of BS. Because I worked in HR, and was diplomatic and loquacious. On my fourth date with Bill, I told him that factoid. He took my hand, looked all moony at me and said, “Those are my initials.”
Laughing…well I worked in HR too, so maybe we have the BS gift..
I agree with you and Joanne. I would prefer to get a blog every other week and have something to say, etc. Whatever works for you, I will follow. However…I say let’s just going shopping at Chico’s or Fresh Produce, think about it and do some serious shopping.
Hear, hear! Your comment made me laugh out loud. Thanks.
Hi Lynne, as in my poll vote whenever you choose and whatever you choose is fine with me I’ve never felt overwhelmed by your posts.
Of course I’m an author interview/reviewer blogger so I have posts most days so when I follow a blog like yours it’s strange to not see a post more often.
Love yours
deb
Deb, I love that it seems strange. That means I’m not “overkilling” you!
Thank you for asking this question. What ever you choose to do, will be fine with me. I read your blog because it’s well thought out and interesting. And because you’re not loading up my inbox with posts, I look forward to receiving it. I’m glad to see you question the validity of blogging, monthly… weekly… daily, though.
As a general comment to the blogging community: Blogging can turn into a full-time obsession/passion for some. I would much prefer to get a blog every other week knowing the blogger had something to say than to be inundated daily with blah… blah… blah.
Jo Ann, I so agree with your last sentence especially! Today someone posted on one of my Facebook groups a post about how Cottonelle wipes are clogging up the sewer systems. Good Lord.
I think you are perfect just the way you are. I so look forward to your blog and YOU. your humor is just perfect…for me…thanks lynn please continue to hang out with us once a week. smooches
Kate, you are too kind! How could I do otherwise, now?!
I look forward to every post on every blog to which I subscribe! Sometimes I have to go back and catch up…depending on what’s going on in my life. I suggest you write when you have something you want to say and that we read it when time permits. I do not have a blog ( yet) but if and when I do…I will write whatever and whenever I’m led to do so…and I will trust that my readers will find time for me…at some point. I love your words, Lynne, no matter when I get around to reading them!
Thanks so much for your thoughts, Terrie. If I ever find myself without something to say (probably never; my apologies!) I’ll just say I’m taking a vacation day.
You’re only doing one post a week, aren’t you? That’s just about right for me. Keep up the good work!
Sent from my iPhone
Yep. Every Friday. Thanks.
I understand what you’re saying. You can go into your Reader settings and stop those emails in WordPress, which does help. I post 3 times a week, except for months like this when I have a special initiative to promote writers going on. There is a limit as to how much anyone can read a day: plus it’s good to cut down on how much blog promotion I have to do.
The whole problem stems from the search engines ranking you higher if you post every day and the peer pressure to blog seven days a week. It can lead to both writer and reader burn out. It also leads to far less comment being left as there is no time!
Please do whatever is right for YOU. You have a great blog. I wish you the very best of luck with your writing journey.
Thanks, Cate. I started this blog back in 2009 because I was a couple years from publishing my novel and everybody said “You must have a blog.” So I did. But then it became something way more than a means for publicizing my book. (In fact, sales ebb and flow completely independently of the blog.) It became a – well, soapbox isn’t quite right, because we’re all on the box together. It became a conversation about something that I came to feel very, very deeply about: a conviction that we’re wasting ourselves, self-immolating to show solidarity with the youth-obsessed. I wanted to find examples of that, that we might all learn, and from that gain power, and from THAT gain joy and satisfaction in the second half of our lives. My book is about that, but if I never wrote one more word of fiction, I would still need to pursue this path. So I’ll keep doing it, at the pace I can, and if I need a week or two off, I’ll let everybody know and go away for a while. But you guys are all being crushed by the weight of the words coming at you from every corner of the Internet, and I wondered if I might back off a bit, to keep from burning you all out. So that was why I did it. Good to hear from you.
Don’t worry about the weight of the rest of the Internet. We read what we want to read – end of story. If that’s you, then be there for us as much as you want to be. You can’t take responsibility for everyone’s craziness. Just be you. 🙂
Thanks for doing this Lynne. I Ditto Kathy. Please let us know your results. I think we’re all overwhelmed! I just can’t read them all!
I will, Nina. Things are changing every day. Normal practices are changing as well. It seems to me there’s an overload of blogs and blogging. I’d rather be of service than a burden.
I voted for every Friday and then thought every second Friday would also be OK with regularity being the key. There are certain blogs I know come in on certain days which I look out for.
Whilst I agree keeping up with daily postings is exhausting, some bloggers I follow cut their postings to about once a month but now the posts are very long which I also find exhausting. Balance is the key.
Thanks, Elizabeth.
Hi Lynne….will you be sharing the results with all of us? I would really like to know this for my own blog too! Thanks! ~Kathy
You bet!