Blogging is great. I just wanna get that out there before I start this post. Because there will be a few times when you’ll wonder whether I actually enjoy it. Trust me, I do. It’s all I think about. Sometimes it’s the only thing that makes me happy (but that’s another post for another day). The blogging industry has absolutely boomed over the last few years and a lot of us have got sucked up into it.
And actually managing to turn what was once a hobby into something that pays me more than any of my previous jobs have ever paid me is pretty spectacular. I’m incredibly proud of myself. Although I still have a lot to learn and a long way to go, I’ll never stop being proud.
But I have plenty of blogging pet peeves within the blogging industry and at least once a month I’ll have a mini breakdown and wonder whether I should jack it in. Blogging is great fun and should always be fun – whether it’s a job or not. As soon as it stops being fun, that’s when you need to take a step back.
And the blogging industry certainly isn’t all sunshine and rainbows and definitely isn’t for everyone. I was heavily involved in the book blogging community in particular when I first started blogging. And I had to GTFO of there because it ruined reading for me and made me miserable.
Since then, I’ve found my feet within the lifestyle sector (although I read and follow blogs from almost all niches!) and I’m very happy. it was here that I thrived, became the most inspired and managed to turn my blog into a business. But it wasn’t easy (and never will be).
So if like me, you’d like to turn your blog into a job and make a real good go at this blogging thang, first of all, congrats. It’s an amazing goal to have. But secondly, here are some *very important* things to consider about the journey you’re likely to go on within the blogging industry.
Comparisons
You’ll compare yourself to everyone. All the time. And if you don’t, you’re literally Wonder Woman. I think comparison is pretty natural in life but rarely are we in a real life position where we’re face to face with thousands and thousands of people all trying to do and achieve the same thing. 6 years on and I’m still comparing.
Judgement
People will judge you. You’ll judge yourself. When you tell people blogging is your job, they’ll be like “eh?” When you decide to start a new project, other bloggers will judge you. Then you’ll end up judging yourself and wondering whether it’s the right thing to do. All the judgement. You just need to grow a thick skin, that’s all you can really do.
Not feeling good enough
Going hand in hand with the above two, a nice yummy combination of comparison and judgement will definitely, totally, 100% leave you not feeling good enough. Yayyyyy! Again, another common feeling not just in the blogging industry but in life in general. But a mix of the above certainly makes a nice not feeling good enough cocktail.
Getting upset over lost followers / low views
If you get upset every time you lose a follower, then I’ll straight up say it, that I don’t think the blogging industry is for you. You will lose followers. People will get sick of you. Or not agree with you. Or not enjoy your content anymore. And un-follow you for a whole bunch of reasons. You really do need to let it slide because you’ll be crying forever otherwise.
Late payments (or NO payments in some cases!)
Long gone are the days of knowing exactly when and what you’re going to get paid. If the uncertainty is scary to you, then you’ll need to give it a re-think. Payments can be late (but SHOUT OUT to the PR’s and brands who pay within days!) and on occasion, you just won’t get paid at all (this has happened to me twice).
Relentless self promotion
Gosh it is tiring. But crucial. Any blogger knows how much self promotion goes into it on a daily basis. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, it never stops! Well imagine that… but forever! No, seriously though, when your blog is your job, you need to be on top of things like this every single day.
Rejection
You need to learn to accept rejection. End of. You can’t be the sort of person that gets completely broken if a brand says no to you. Or something doesn’t quite work out how you expected. It’s a huge learning curve, this blogging thing and sometimes, things won’t work out *shrugs*.
Loneliness
This won’t apply for everyone of course but personally, working from home and working for myself could potentially lead to me feeling quite isolated and lonely. Luckily I’m an introvert and too much interaction leaves me craving a quiet room to myself. There’s ways around this like coffee shops or co-working spaces. But still, something to consider.
This post was in no way intended to put you off. Although I’m aware now having written it that that’s very much how it’s coming across, HA! But seriously. I wasn’t *really* prepared for any of this before I really got my teeth stuck into it. And a lot of it came as quiteeeee a surprise to me.
I just think we should always be as prepared as possible, for whatever we’re setting out to do. That might be the Type A control freak in me talking but I truly believe that! So if turning your blog into a job or a career is your goal, then I hope you found this post helpful in what you may encounter in the long run.
And if you’re reading this like, “gurrrrl, I can handle all that with my eyes closed” then go get em.
Did you ever encounter any unexpected surprises within the blogging industry? Anything you never expected to have to do or contend with?
Wanna get involved? Join my supportive Facebook bloggers group, Starlight Bloggers!
[…] and worthwhile career, there’s no surprise that so many want a piece of the pie! But the blogging industry certainly isn’t for everyone and taking your blog full-time ISN’T all press trips, dreamy Instagram shots and getting paid […]
I’m glad I got to read this. I’m very new to this blogging life and sometimes second guess myself. I think “what if their not interested? . I know I can’t think like that and just keep on typing.
Absolutely – as long as you’re passionate, it’ll show.
I’ve been “guilty” of a couple of these, despite only blogging since March and not really looking at being an influencer (I’m far too old, lol) Even when it’s a hobby, it’s nice to be heard.
Oh you’re definitely not too old! We need a whole range of demographics x
You have to 100% enjoy it for you first. Always blog about your opinions and don’t be afraid to have a strong one!
I’m a newbie to the blogging industry and I love how candid you are in this post. I started blogging Feb this year and lost inspiration after only three posts. I feel like I am out of my depth and I don’t know the things that I need to know. My main problem was goals so big there seemed unattainable. Right now I am back at it and taking it one step at a time. I’ve cut my goals into sizable chunks and am ready for a challenge. Thank you for the inspiration and for showing it’s not all roses like we have been led to believe.
Sorry to hear you gave up but I’m glad you’ve given it another go. Blogging is supposed to be fun – remember that, especially when you first start! There’s SO much to learn. It’s taken me 6 years to learn what I do – and I’m still not done.
6 years and you’re still at it. I want to be as dedicated as you are. And you’re right, I am having fun. It is key.
Yep! It’s my job now, I absolutely adore it. You’ve really gotta find what works for you!
True, true. All in its time I suppose.
Thank you for the information! What I found fascinating for me was being able to start seeing how far across the globe my posts were reaching. And I totally agree about the comparisons. I do a lot of comparing to other bloggers…but this is where I find a lot of my inspiration for what I’m writing about and how my blog looks.
There’s definitely a fine line between healthy comparison and finding inspiration and unhealthy comparisons!
Love the honesty. I’ve been debating on making my blog into my job, but I honestly don’t know how. And I truly love to write, which is why I’ve considered making it my full time job. I’m just not sure though.
I admire your perspective. Thank you for sharing!
I definitely don’t consider blogging my career, but I 100% still suffer with the comparison and not feeling good enough parts! It can be hard when you picture a post in a particular way and it just doesn’t work out like that. You’ve definitely nailed it on the worst parts of blogging – I had no idea it would be like this before I started!
Beth x Adventure & Anxiety
Oh me neither! And I still get those thoughts too!
Great advice it could be a doggie dog world (as Snoop would say)in the blogging industry but I’ve learn promote promote engage engage is so important. I’ve had one sponsored gift with a brand I love and I was so excited my goal is to work with more brands and figure this sh-t out. Best of Luck with your journey
I think the phrase is “dog eat dog” haha! Hope you get to work with more brands – that’s a great start though, keep at it!
There definitely is non-stop promotion to do when you want to make your blog bigger and earn from it! I’ve stepped back from my blog for a little while, therefore stepped back from promoting it – although when you do take breaks maybe it’s a good idea to keep promoting old posts to keep the buzz going to your blog!
Chloe xx
http://www.chloechats.com
Just letting you know that you are amazing and you deserve a lot of happiness 💛
All extremely valid points! I’ve personally experienced a lot of those. Self-promotion can get exhausting but I know it’s something that HAS to be done.
Absolutely.
I loooove this post! It reminds me, a blogger, that it such a tough slog sometimes to simply put content out there that you love! I do blogging because I love it but I admit that at times it’s been a love hate relationship!
Rosie
I’ve definitely felt the love / hate relationship with it too!
I’ve been rejected so many times for things and I just try to accept that other things are coming and that is okay.
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
Absolutely. Not every door is yours 🙂 There’s something better around the corner!
love this x
Thank you
Great post, I think it’s important to show that it’s not all rainbows and smiles all of the time! My blog is pretty new but the one thing that would really get me is late payments, you wouldn’t get away with not paying a company would you, so why is it different for bloggers?! Becca x
Ugh don’t get me started! I’m chasing a payment at the moment and I have that feeling in my stomach that I’m never going to see it.
Such a great post! And I’ve definitely felt the majority of these things. Trying not to compare is such a hard one, especially when you’re new and the rejection can be tough if it’s a campaign you really wanted. Loved reading this x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
It definitely can be tough. I just don’t think you get let it get to you ever time otherwise it’ll knock your confidence.
Loved this post, Jenny. 🙂
Can definitely relate to the book blogging community comment. I used to be more heavily involved but the amount of criticism over anything someone doesn’t agree with really put me off.
While I’m still a book blogger, I’m now picking who I follow and communicate with more carefully.
Hope you’re having an amazing week. xx
I don’t blame you for being picky! I wish I was more picky when I was within that community.
Thanks for sharing this. I blog as a hobby so I always think it is interesting to read about full time bloggers xx
Thank you
Can relate so much! It’s great that you are shared this for anyone who wants to become a blogger so that they will know what it is really like. 💜
With love, Alisha Valerie x | http://www.alishavalerie.com
Thank you – I hope so.
Love this post! I would love to be a full-time blogger- sadly I’m not earning enough money from it to do it full-time right now, but I can totally relate to the idea of comparison- it’s frustrating when other people are growing more than you are!
You’ll get there! It definitely can be frustrating at times but you absolutely can’t let it get to you!
I am so thankful that because of you I am mostly prepared for everything on this list. You are one of the most supportive veteran bloggers I know and I learn so so much from you.
I’m getting better at making the comparison game purposeful (I.E. looking for why someone is doing better in my opinion and deciding if I can follow those techniques) but oh my…the relentless self promotion! That is the hardest one of all for me! Especially on bad mental health days/phases.
Awh that’s the nicest comment ever, thank you so much! And I’m glad I’ve managed to teach you some things! I think the way you deal with comparison is great and such a healthy mindset to have.
I find comparison to be the hardest thing to deal with. My blog is a hobby but I still find myself falling into the trap of thinking everyone else’s blog is better than mine. It’s tough!
You’re definitely not alone in that one!
I am still in baby land on the blogging but, I can’t seem to let it go. I am just going to keep rolling with it, to see where it takes me. I really look forward to your posts. Thanks!
That’s the best way to be! See where it takes you!
I agree with all your points here, especially comparison. However I would like to see myself as unique and doing my own thing but always think others are better idk…
FATIMAH • ROSEYGOLDBOX
http://www.roseygoldbox.blogspot.co.uk
You can still be unique and compare yourself to others for sure.
This was really interesting and I ended up reading 2 more that you’d linked to.
I’ve only been blogging since January, but the comparisons and not feeling good enough get to me at the moment! It’s nice to know I’m not the only one that experiences these things.
Bedtime and more post reading for me. Loving this blog 🙂
That won’t go away I’m afraid! It’s all part of the industry I think when there’s so many creatives doing the same thing as you!
Loneliness is something I often found myself sitting with. It is easy to sink into sorrow and comparison when traffic is low and engagement is lower.
One of the things I always try to remember is to appreciate the people I do have in my life and love the people who do leave there love with what I write.
Thank you for this exploration of all that blogging brings!
Gratitude is super important too!
So many of these are really relatable, I can understand how working at home a lot can make one feel really isolated especially if you don’t leave the house everyday, as I sometimes get that myself. The constant promotion can be so time consuming and draining too x
Kayleigh Zara | http://www.kayleighzaraa.com
I agree. Last week I was ill but because I work from home too, I literally didn’t leave the house in 8 days!
This is very insightful! As you know I’m only really just getting into the blogging world, but I’ve experienced a lot of these already. Whilst I’m getting better (kind of) with comparisons, the whole not feeling good enough thing is sooooo true. Starting blogging has actually made me realise there’s some areas of my self-confidence that I seriously need to work on, so that’s the next step for me. Also agree about the loneliness thing – I’m an introvert too so I don’t think it will bother me too much, however I can imagine I’ll be spending a lot of time in coffee shops in the future!
I think it’s great that blogging has allowed you to work on your self growth!
There is a lot of judgement in lots of ways, especially the way you say people react like ‘eh?’ As I also work full time on top of my blog (for now) I see the judgy-ness even at work – if there is anything to do with social media / bloggers, people in the office always start a rant about ‘blogger types’ which is so terrible. At least as bloggers we all know we are not alone in feeling like this! x
Ugh! Those judges are so annoying, especially from people outside the industry who really have no idea!
Yes! And they treat us like all we do is sit around asking people to give us free stuff 🙁
i definitely agree with pretty much all of these, especially when it comes to comparing myself to other bloggers and judging myself! this is something i do constantly and i hate that this is true but i have learnt how to not do those things too and just enjoy blogging because it makes me happy!
tabitha ♥ http://www.latenightsandlattes.co.uk/
You’re definitely not alone in that!
I feel that, despite being a hobbyist blogger, that I relate to so many of these points. Daily comparison? Check. Sad about low views? Check. Getting tired of relentlessly promoting? Check. It’s so frustrating! I’m glad people are talking more about this though because I don’t think non-bloggers realise how hard this all is…
They definitely don’t realise!
I’m new to blogging and it’s a hobby for now while I finish my degree but I definitely agree with all of your points. Losing followers is hard but you know i think Instagram hiding them is worse, I never expected that. The other thing is the amount of men in your inbox when you put up a selfie. These were things I never expected to contend with but equally I didn’t know about the hugely supportive communities of bloggers on social media so I think it balances itself out.
Haha can’t say I’ve ever had the men in my inbox one!
It’s not a pretty sight let me tell you, they don’t even use your name.
I’d love to make my blog my full time or at least part time job one day so this was a great. honest post about what it can be like. I find the self promotion bit hard sometimes as I have days where I just wanna be off the grid and relax but if it’s your job I guess it’s hard to switch off sometimes. You’re doing amazing though and you’re definitely an inspiration in terms of your work ethic and drive, I see you working hard on twitter each day and it’s really motivating. Thanks for sharing your experiences (:
Awh thank you so much! That’s such a lovely thing to hear! The self promotion can be super boring at times haha!
I love the honesty in this post Jenny. Blogging can be hard, but I can also be so rewarding. I know I’m not ready to be blogging full time, my scheduling isn’t there yet. But I’m in awe of those that can and do manage it. Thankfully I haven’t experienced any drama in the blogging world!
That’s great to hear! I tend to stay well out of drama!
This is a great post! While I LOVE being a blogger, I feel like too many people idolize the blogging industry without recognizing the hard work, dedication and challenges that also come with it.
Oooh yes I totally agree!
After reading this, I’m sort of grateful that I haven’t become fully integrated into the blogging world – though part of me would love to be able to make a living writing and working. At the moment I’m trying not to focus completely on stats or views or compare myself to others – though I think it’s hard not too. Thank you for this post – you’ve given me a lot to think about.
It definitely is hard not too. It’s human nature to compare, I think!
This is an excellent blog post that raises a lot of very important question. Many of the things you mentioned can happen in any industry anyway. But the stress of not being paid, loneliness and judgment, I feel, are very particular to the blogging industry and would be the things that makes me choose something else
Totally agree. In any “regular” job, you know you’re going to be paid at the end of the month and you know there will be people to talk to in the office.
Thank you for putting this out there. I have had a lot of people coming up to me saying ‘blogging is easy, you just have to write’. Well, no. We are also promoting it, being the photographer, graphic designer, SEO analyzer, social media manager and so much more. Blogging is hard and people need to understand and respect this profession more.
I relate to all of your points so much, loved the post!
There’s definitely so many misconceptions that blogging is a piece of cake.
I love this post! So honest and down to earth x
Thank you x
Love this post! There are so many things people don’t know about blogging especially if you’re not a blogger x
totally x
I found this entire post really relatable. I even posted something about this a while back and then I disappeared for a while. I think it’s important to recognize the need for breaks sometimes because it could be very soul sucking. You’re doing wonderful!
Totally. It’s harder to have a proper break when you rely on it for income x
Blogging is HARD. I’ve been at it for almost two years and have barely made anything…nowhere even in the realm of possibly making this my full time job. People wanting to get into blogging definitely need to realize how difficult it is, you can’t build it over night!
I think it’s ridiculous when people think blogging is a quick buck, it’s absolutely not!
So honest but so true! I definitely struggle to keep going sometimes. Getting the motivation up to write a post when you’re really not feeling it is so difficult and it’s been the reason why I’ve quit before but I’ve been trying so hard not to let it stop me this time around! Xx
It’s so important not to force it if you’re not feeling it!
I can relate to every single thing you’ve said! I’m never quite sure what to say when people ask what my job is as anyone I’ve explained blogging to in the past has never understood, and sometimes it’s just too much effort! I agree there’s a lot of judgement around it, I think so many people don’t understand how something like this can be a job xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
It’s soooo much effort haha!
It’s so tough being in the blogging world at times – far harder than I ever thought x
Same here!
I don’t think I was prepared for the bitchy drama that goes on and that it can sometimes be quite a toxic environment. You hit the nail on the head with all of it though!
Sarah 🌺 || Boxnip || Latest Post
It sure can. I stay well out of it!
I always question this. This post would be amazing for first time bloggers!
That’s what I’m hoping!
That’s such a good post. I think so many people jump into it without thinking through.
Yep me too!
I have to say I think blogging has bought out someone in me that had never been there before. I am constantly criticising myself and comparing to others which I never did before.
And you’re right that self promotion is almost soul destroying!
But it’s the moments where it all pays off that make it worth while.
I don’t think your post comes across as off-putting. It’s honest and really important that people know that the way they feel at times is completely normal x
Thank you! I’m glad it doesn’t come across that way.
I love how honest this is! Everything you said is so true, you haven’t sugar coated the blogging industry and what it entails and I think thats really important, especially if you’re considering doing it full time! I guess every job/industry has its ups and downs, its definitely important to be aware of them though
Totally agree.
That is perfectly correct. Blogging is not a one day job. It is with time you develop yourself.