Reader’s Corner: Tips For Starting Your Own Blog

I know that I already sound like a broken record, but I really love getting messages from my dear readers. Most go out of their ways to tell me how much my words have inspired them or how my funny stories helped them get through a difficult situation. But last week, I received an email which really surprised me.

good morning Ms. Jerellt! :) youre such an inspiration. as i read your blog i hope that i can be a very good writer like you. i can feel your thoughts and emotions on each entry. everything just sounds sincere. i love how you make sense. 

im planning to start a blog but im afraid i might not be able to maintain it im having a hard time composing intelligent sentences/paragraphs. can you give me tips on how to write/blog? i have a "page fright" :(

thank you so much and keep writing. don't stop! :)

- Just

This is the first time that a reader is asking for an advice. I am really flattered that she thinks that I am a “good writer” because I honestly believe that I am still far from being one. I know that I am not an authority to give tips, but I’ll try my best to answer her.

I won’t go into the technicalities of starting a blog. I can’t even give tips on how to make your blog a successful one. I don’t think I am already in the position to do that. The things I listed below are those which I believe will help her start a blog. If you're also scared of trying, then I do hope these will help you too! :)

How-to-Start-a-Blogging-Career Image taken from tipsaretricks.com

1. Know why you want to start a blog. A lot of bloggers have become successful. They get paid for writing and advertisements. They get freebies. They get invited to events. Do you want to start a blog for money, fame or freebies? Or do you want to start a blog because you love writing? I will be a hypocrite if I say that I am not dreaming of being an IT blogger. But I started this blog because writing for me is therapeutic. No matter where I am, I am in a happy place as long as I am writing. When I was young, I had this bold dream of making a difference in the world. I won’t be the person who can eventually find the cure for cancer, but I own a blog which has managed to touch the lives of a lot of people.

2. It’s not just about writing. Having a blog is very different from having a journal because obviously, a lot of people can see your blog. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people are very visual. Although I firmly believe that your style of writing should be your major selling point, you still have to consider a lot of things which include taking good photos and learning basic HTML programming.

3. Have your own style. If you try to read some of my old posts, you’ll see that my writing was a little stiff. I was sooooo serious! A couple of years ago, I wanted to stop writing because it started to drain me. It’s ironic that I suddenly started to hate the thing which used to make me happy. And then it hit me. I knew what was wrong. I WASN’T MYSELF. I am quiet, but I am not a boring person. People close to me can attest to my craziness. I initially thought that bloggers should write in straight English and be serious all the time. And then I realized that this is my space. I can do whatever I want with it. I CAN BE MYSELF. A lot of bloggers write in TagLish, some even write in gay lingo. For me, it doesn’t matter. As long as it’s your own style and it fits your personality, then go for it!

4. Find your passion. Aside from writing, mine is generally food. I love to eat. People say that I have high standards when it comes to food. Over the years, I developed an interest in traveling. When I got married, cooking started to fascinate me. I also love books and movies. When you write the things that you LOVE to do, the task will surely be easier. I can’t write about fashion or gadgets. Well technically, I can. But it will probably take me a week to come up with a decent fashion post compared to an hour when I write a food review.

5. Try to find your pace. One concern that Just pointed out is her fear of not being able to keep up a blog. Some online experts say that in order to have a successful blog, you have to post ONCE A DAY. I honestly don’t believe that. I’m still a firm believer that quality is more important than quantity. I have fallen into the trap of I-need-to-post-something-today which compromised the quality of my posts. I only write when I feel like writing. Even if I have a gazillion backlogs, I don’t force myself. If you want to post daily, then good for you. If you can’t, try to find your own pace.

6. Be truthful and sincere. I started this blog with the sole purpose of giving HONEST reviews. I know that taste in food is subjective. Whatever is delicious for others may not be the same for me. But I make sure that I write what my taste buds tell me. Hahaha! I am actually glad that Just pointed out that she can sense my sincerity in my posts. That only means that I’m on the right track. :p

7. Read other blogs. Before I started this blog, I was merely a blog reader. They talk about how they started. You will definitely learn a lot of things from other bloggers, not to mention that you’ll also gain a lot of friends. Now that I am a blogger, I have started to pay back for all the help and inspiration that my favorite bloggers gave me. It feels good when other bloggers tell me that reading my blog inspired them to start their own. But be very careful. Read other blogs to get inspiration. But don’t be a copycat. Read #3 again. :p

8. Engage your readers. Unless you’re already a superstar before you started blogging, odds are you’ll only start with a few readers. I started out with 5. Now, they’re probably 10! Nyahahaha! But I make sure that those 10 (or 20) readers come back to my site. I make sure that they ask for more. It feels good when readers come to me and ask why I didn’t have a Kolokoy Household post, or when they ask me to write certain topics. I make sure to answer comments and email messages. I recognize my readers through Reader’s Corner. I let them see the Jerellt as a person and not just the blogger behind jE's AnAtOmY. And I write honest, sincere and sometimes funny posts so that this blog site will be forever bookmarked to their computers.

9. Accept that not everybody will like you. Not everybody will appreciate the things you write. There was this one time when someone I know told me, "Pati ba naman Mang Inasal bino-blog mo?!" Aba teka lang. Blog ko 'to. Kaya kahit turo-turo ni Aling Nena sa kanto pwede kong gawan ng food review kung nanaisin ko! :p Even the nicest people have haters. Trolls are everywhere. Even if you have the cleanest intentions, people will still have something bad to say about you. Just pointed out my sincerity. But would you believe that a troll accused me of being fake? That troll said that I’m too good to be true and that my posts are all lies. I have this really bad habit of trying to please everybody. But then I realized that though it’s a cliché, I can’t please everybody. And I don’t have any plans of doing so. I’m happy with this blog and how it has touched the lives of a lot of people. If this blog has touched him/her in the wrong part of his/her heart, bahala siya sa pathetic niyang buhay! :p Aubrey was recently bombarded by a hater who hides behind a pseudonym. That restless soul kept on leaving nasty comments on Aubrey's blog. Kesyo mataba daw siya, jologs, baduy, cheap ang mga damit. Ako lang na best friend niya ang pwedeng magsabi nun sa kanya! =)) Seriously, when you start a blog or even when you share a part of yourself in the online world, you're not only opening yourself to possible friends, you're also making yourself vulnerable to haters. A lot of people put too much energy of "liking" a page, reading a blog or following someone on Twitter just so they can have access to throw hate towards other people. So when you start a blog, brace yourself for this possibility. And learn the art of not minding these negative people! :)

10. Just do it. You can follow all the tips that I listed above, but it all boils down to one thing. Start writing! You may have a million things that will stop you from doing whatever you want to achieve. But if you really want to achieve something, just do it!

Happy blogging and blog-hopping!!! And let's cheer for Just! :)

2 comments :

  1. Goodluck Just! Go and blog! Eh ano kung may wrong grammar minsan (minsan lang dapat ah, pag madalas na dapat mag-aral ka na)? Eh ano kung mali ang spelling minsan? Eh ano kung korni ang post mo? Iyo yan. Yang ang happy place mo. Basta masaya ka, gow lang ng gow. Pero uulitin ko lang yung sinabi ni Je about being copy cats. Don't be one! Nakakahiya kasi pag sinabihan ka ng gaya gaya puto maya ng kapwa mo blogger. Ahihihi..

    And tol, me likey this post mucho!

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  2. Naloka naman ako sa hater ni Aubrey, ang effort! Uy pero ngyare na din sakin yan before nung nag start palang akong mag blog, nag create pa ng account para lang makapag comment. Ang sabi nya feeling ko daw may reader ako, pero dinedma ko nalang kasi wala naman tlga akong reader that time. HAHAHAHA! Sa awa ng Diyos un palang naman, never ng naulit. Pag inulit nya un sasagutin ko na sya, andami ko na kayang reader... dalawa! Si cyler at cj! :P

    Last night, I posted something related with this post it's about the workshop that I attended two weeks ago and it's all about defining our purpose in blogging. And I must agree sa lahat ng sinabi mo dito. You must really know what's your real purpose in blogging, is it for inspiring, earning, or just popularity. And also use your blog as a catalyst to live your best life. Don't be a COPYCAT, make your own statement, and BE YOURSELF!

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