18 Stupid Mistakes Bloggers Make in their First Year - Christine Kane

My blog is one year old today.

I’m no longer a blogling. I have matured. Pretty soon my blog will need Botox. Or Viagra. Or both.

I’ve learned more this year about websites, blogs and the internet than I ever thought I’d want to learn. Lots of what I’ve learned, I’ve learned through my mistakes. Some of what I’ve learned, I’ve learned from other people’s mistakes.

For this post, I got some help from few of my favorite bloggers.

So, as I blow out the candle on my cake, my party favor for you is my comprehensive list of 18 Stupid Mistakes Bloggers Make in their First Year:

1 – Even bothering to get overwhelmed

What I’ve learned from connecting with web-savvy types and blogger types is that overwhelm comes with the territory. Every time you think you’ve got one rule of thumb down, it changes. Every time you’ve mastered one exciting thing, it’s out-dated. Just when you’re proud of yourself for starting a blog, someone will tell you that you need a lens. So, you make a lens. But then you’re supposed to Twitter. It’s 24/7 if you’re keeping up. Take your time. Go at your pace. You’ll improve in your own perfect way.

2 – Apologizing for not writing

Either create a posting schedule and stick with it, or decide to write when you feel like it and do that. But don’t go into the land of wishy-washy and spend the first paragraph of each post apologizing for not writing in days. No one cares all that much. Just write the post. An apology says, “I’ve already messed up bad.” Your readers rely on you to entertain them in some way. Don’t wimp out on them!

3 – Checking your stats hourly

Here’s the deal. Stats are a good barometer for some things. Especially if you have a clear-thinking mind. Or if you’re approaching your blog experimentally and viewing your stats with a marketer’s mindset. But if you’re mindlessly checking stats all the time, looking at your affiliate earnings every hour, then it’s time to step AWAY from the computer. Go play with your dog.

4 – Practicing “Field of Dreams” blogging

In an email to me, Michelle at Scribbit wrote:

One of the mistakes I made was thinking I could blog on my own terms, that I could post once a week in a little vacuum and “if I post it, they will come.” My husband kept telling me that I needed to post every day and get out there in the community but I didn’t think I wanted to. So I didn’t. And no one came. I finally started taking his advice, posting every day, reading other blogs and then realized how fun it was. If you want people to read your blog you have to be out there participating and contributing to your own blog regularly.

5 – Taking RSS subscription numbers personally

Okay, so if you’re Arianna Huffington, and you suddenly start a blog series on why you’re supporting Newt Gingrich for president, then your RSS subscriptions might drop. And it might be your fault for betraying your readership.

But let’s suppose you’re not doing any such thing. RSS feeds will move up and down in small increments. And really, it’s not personal. Just keep posting and doing the work and your devoted peeps will find you! (And while we’re on the subject, you can subscribe to my blog here.)

6 – Looking for rescue

Desperation shows. It shows in the music business. It shows in the book business. And it shows in the blogosphere. (Really. Don’t email Guy Kawasaki and ask him to link to your blog.) If you’re working too hard to get links and recognition, it kind of leaks all over the place. Bloggers don’t rescue. They’re way too busy. Bloggers are a motivated remarkable bunch! If you get linked, it’s probably because you’ve written something good. And then, you have to keep writing something good.

7 – Ignoring the community

Kristie T at the Home Business Blog writes that her biggest first-year mistake was “not reaching out to other bloggers soon enough.” She adds that she has worked on this, and “Now I have a sense of community with other bloggers.” I would add that it might feel really weird at first to leave comments and write an email or two. But most bloggers are really cool and happy to help and almost always write back! (Guy Kawasaki probably won’t write back. Unless you’re Arianna Huffington.)

8 – Being unaware of the Morning-After-Digg syndrome

Everyone wants to get Dugg. Everyone wants be Stumbled Upon. (Or some equivalent of those.) One thing to remember is that Diggers and Stumblers are a lot like pre-teen music fans. You may relish the praise. You may delight in that big tall spike that Feedburner shows in your subscriptions graph. But sometimes the fickle crowd moves on to the next big thing. And the Feedburner graph looks like one tall building in a city of 3-storey condos. The readers have gone out as fast as they arrived, and you’re left feeling like the blog equivalent of New Kids on the Block.

Digg. StumbleUpon. All of those kinds of things are great. But the next morning, it’s still just you and your computer screen, and another post to write.

9 – Not being prepared for a Digg

Three months into my new work as a blogger, one of my posts got Stumbled Upon. At the time, I didn’t know what happened until someone emailed me about it. I wasn’t prepared to take advantage of something like this. I didn’t have anything set up to connect with people and encourage them to subscribe.

If one of your goals is to get Dugg or Stumbled Upon, then prepare your blog. Write a free eBook that folks can download. Make subscribing to your blog easy. Include an “About” page. (Copyblogger writes beautifully about the “About” page on a blog. While you’re at it, read everything he’s ever written.)

(I’m about to launch a new design to this website based on all the blog advice that’s out there.)

10 – Comparing yourself to six-figure bloggers

Chris Garrett wrote a fantastic guest post on Problogger today. One of the things he wrote was, “One of my biggest mistakes in blogging has been quitting, chopping and changing.” He wrote that he had made hasty decisions about changing his blog whenever he compared his meager Google Adsense checks to the earnings Darren Rowse had been writing about. If fear is the mind-killer, then I’d venture to say, “Comparison is the blog-killer.”

11 – Over-thinking your posts

The world-famous Mike Sansone of Converstations says:

Over-thinking a post has got to be like burning the cookies. They still have a sweet taste, but it sure is tough to chew on. Some of the best posts I’ve written are quick jots on the blog. Some of the stinkers took 83 minutes to compose.

12 – Under-thinking your posts

I agree with Mike on #11 up there. But I’m also a big fan of editing and taking extra minutes to re-write. (I spend hours on posts when I’m passionate about them. But that’s my personal approach to blogging. And I love doing it!)

13 – Not writing for the joy of writing

If there’s any blog about writing and blogging that can uplift, it’s Liz Strauss’s Successful Blog. This post called 10 Reasons to Write and Publish Everyday is brilliant and inspiring. Print it out and read it when you get too focused on the external success and not on the internal success.

14 – Not practicing the Art of Allowing

Not everything happens because you got exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated and tense. In fact, the best things happen just because you showed up. The best things happen because you’re having a great time. In my music career, most of the performances, song cuts, radio airplays, and other opportunities happened with no effort on my part at all. I showed up. And good things happened. Same thing goes for blogging.

15 – Thinking that blogs just back themselves up

Elizabeth Perry of the fantastic blog Woolgathering wrote that you need to figure out how to back up your blog database. And she adds one word to the end of her thought – “Often.” (I’m thinking there’s a story behind this one!)

16 – Not considering the time commitment of blogging

Starbucker told me that he’s a blog dork. His “mistake” is about time. He travels for his job. He writes posts constantly (and has gained quite a loyal following). He works long hours. Lots of bloggers face this same dilemma. It does take time to add a blog into your list of to-dos. Remember that when you install WordPress and begin writing!

17 – Not attending the SobCon07 Conference

I travel and do shows in various cities. I’ve experienced the huge joy of meeting other bloggers who have come to my shows and greeted me at the CD table. Now, you get to do the same thing. AND, you get to learn from those in-the-know as well. Come to Chicago in May! Learn from all of us who have made these mistakes for you!

18 – Intentionally blank

If you’re a blogger, feel free to share your own mistakes! (And if you’re not a blogger, well, you can still share some of your mistakes, too.)

125 COMMENTS ADD A COMMENT
  • Monae

    Wow it’s 2013 and I am just stumbling upon this post. It was so insightful and helpful. I have been blogging for a few years but lacked the inspiration to do it daily. I am truly working on that.

  • Dancing Branflake

    I seriously love this. I’ve been blogging for a long time and people email me for advice, but I really don’t have any to give that I think is valid or worth anything. So I’m saving this and giving it to them. Thanks!

  • I.g.pradeep

    At first 5 months, i did mistakes. blogging for ad revenue is biggest mistakes of mine..

  • LCDHDTV

    perfect! I LOVE THIS!
    Thank for admin…

  • Michael Walden

    Excellent post! A great list of things that *I* need to watch out for as a *noob* 🙂 Thank you!

  • Aptus It Support Brisbane

    ohhh these lessons hurt i do about all of them thanks for the tips!

  • J.D

    Great post. way informative like article marketing.

  • sennheiser cx300

    Thank you for your post Christine…
    This post is terrific.

  • สถานที่ท่องเที่ยว

    Wah..ha..ha..ha.. I got 9 from 18 stupid mistakes. I pro mise that i won’t do it again. Thanks! 🙂

  • Web Design Vigo

    Great post.

  • Graphic Chick Brisbane

    My blog is only a couple months old but reading your article has made me think in a new way. Thanks for sharing!

  • Web design Brisbane Adriana

    Good article. It summarizes in few words the transition from an internet addict to an internet entrepreneur, in my opinion, because to create a blog you have to love Internet in the first place. The point you say the community is crucial, yes. By being aware of YOUR community, and giving to them, you will then start to receive. Thanks for the article, great value.

  • Jennifer

    What great tips! I just found this website, and I love it already. I’ve been blogging for four months and I can certainly relate to some of those traps (especially over-thinking and not posting regularly enough).

    I might add that writing really long posts might be a drawback for some people. Also, any blog that describes itself using the words “ramblings,” “musings,” or “random thoughts” doesn’t sound very inviting.

    Anyway, I still have much to learn. And now I’m going to make a vision board. Thank you!

  • Kelly Ann

    Thank you for sharing! Great advice and direction.

  • Jeremy Johnson

    I would add to this (unless I missed someone who already did), that a big mistake is giving up before the first year is over. If you are creative, take time to plan, and work hard while adapting when things aren’t working, some success should be had I would imagine.

    Probably the biggest thing I’ve learned is the social aspect of it. Getting out and commenting (usefully) on other blogs and trying to initiate conversation.

  • Barrie Davenport

    Christine,

    THANK YOU!!!!! This post is terrific. As a blogling myself, this info is invaluable. I am gathering bits of info about blogging like Hansel and Gretel. This post was the Mother Load!

    And yes, I feel overwhelmed. But I will take your advice and go at my own pace.

    Now I need to go blog, but I really want to stay on your site and read all of your posts!

  • QuilterBridget

    Thanks for this post…now I’m sure of it; I do NOT want to start a blog! EEKKSS! Too much time would be added to my “already spend too much time on-line” schedule. I have no idea how I stumbled upon your site, but one thing I’m glad to have found was StumbleUpon. I’ve never heard of it. I followed your link to it and it sure looks like something that would help me. I spend too much time searching for quilter’s blogs and I’m sure there are some really good ones (good for me and my tastes) out there. But searching the old-fashioned way takes lots and lots of time. Usually I find new ones by clicking on followers of ones I’ve stumbled upon. Guess I shouldn’t use “stumbled upon” so much! I wonder how many people thought I meant THE stumbled upon?! But, as you would probably say, who cares? Anyway, I’m glad I found this blog because I learned something new today. Well, two things. Have a great year, and HOPEFULLY (as I keep hearing people say) 2010 will be a better year!

  • Mark Strozier

    *“Comparison is the blog-killer.”*
    and
    *Apologizing for not writing*

    Oh but did I get these messages square in the face. Albeit about two years to late.

  • Coach T.I.A – Coaching You to Take Inspired Action!

    Love it! I’m in my 5th month as a blogger and am bookmarking this post! Glad to have found it sooner rather than later and doubly glad that I’m already following a lot of this advice. Thank you for sharing Christine! Tia

  • Tanya

    I just referenced one of these in my blog…thanks again for the great food for thought…as ever!

  • Tammy Morales

    Christine, I recently celebrated 1 year on my blog. Thank you for all the great tips, some I have experienced and others I hope to avoid now that I know where the pitfalls are.

    I had to laugh when you wrote about getting out into the community. This one just hit me recently (like last week) and it has been so refreshing and amazing to get involved.

    THANK YOU!

  • deb

    Hey Christine,

    As a newbie blogger, I’m glad I stumbled upon your 18 stupid mistakes. I’ve already made five and by writing to you, I’m fixing one. I’ll follow you on twitter and hopefully in another year, like yourself, I’ll be an ol’ pro.

  • Juanita Bitonti

    Christine,

    I just found you and am LOVING your blog and website. BTW, I haven’t sent you an email asking you to link up! LOL. I am, however, now “following” you……I’m a new blogger, so am guilty of several crimes listed above. I will be going to check all the links and try to be more worthy in the future. I’ve also downloaded your freebie Get Inspired – Live Creative package. Thanks so much…you are beautiful! XOXO Juanita

  • Karah-Leigh

    Love this post! Somehow someone came to my site from yours and I found this marvelous post… and agree completely with everything!

  • Deborah

    Wow, what a great list from Christine and a bunch of interesting comments. Definite food for thought. I’ve got a long, long way to go w/my new blog, methinks.

    BTW for whatever it’s worth I found your blog from a glowing review by Meadow (Danver??) Looks like her praise was warranted…

    have a good one…
    D

  • Rob

    Love the article.

    I’m a newbie blogger and rely on lessons learned from others for direction. Content such as this is invaluable!

    Another excellent resource, if I may, is Yaro Starak (http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com)…the inspiration behind a lot of what I do with my blog.

    One question…is it mandatory to commit all 18 stupid mistakes before acheiving success?!?!?

    I’m always looking for a new perspective and opinion on my blog!

    More to come…
    Rob

    http://www.pursuitcoach.com

  • TwoBlondesWalkIntoABlog

    We just recently started reading your blog and love it! As semi new bloggers, this article was really helpful. Keep up the good work!

    Jessica & Alison
    http://twoblondeswalkintoablog.wordpress.com/

  • sema

    great tips.i just started blogging 10 days back and it is very addictive. these tips will help to keep me rooted to reality.

  • Mr Javo

    I have committed some of those stupid mistakes haha. I will try to let them go 😉

  • Robin Feltner

    Indeed, good ideas here! Thanks for listing one of my personal pet peeves, the dreaded “sorry I haven’t posted in ages” post. ha! However, we can all use improvement…myself certainly included in that demograpic.

    Thanks again for the great ideas.

    Robin http://www.SupernaturalBotanicals.com/blog

  • Shannon McDowell

    Great list of “stupid mistakes.” I’m new to the blogosphere, and I can see now what mistakes I’m making. Hopefully your advice will improve the quality of my blog – or at least my attitude towards it. 😉

    Best wishes!
    Shannon

  • Debba Haupert

    Love this blog post. Thanks so much for all the great thoughts and links. It inspired me to post on my blog http://www.girlfriendology.com.

    We started a group for women bloggers in Cincinnati (www.cincinnatiwomenbloggers.com) and I’d love to post this on that site with links to here. Is that okay?

    Thanks again! Great info – Debba / http://www.girlfriendology.com

  • Erin Blakemore

    Great article! I will pass it on to my blogging clients…they need help! 🙂

  • Brisbane web designer

    Another mistake is not using trackback and ping.

    If you’re looking for inspiration start with other blogs. Write about what they have written about. Be part of the online conversation about the topic and make sure you know how to trackback to their post.

    In return you will get traffic and a little link love.

  • Christine Duncan

    this is great. Some of it I had already suspected–like the apology thing–some of it is new to me. thanks for the help.
    Christine
    http://www.globalwrite.wordpress.com

  • Nancy Kelly

    Wow Christine! This is great! I recently started my own music blog (by adding it to my website) and ‘stumbled upon’ you over at New Music Strategies! (this is my 2nd stumble, the first time may have been on myspace) So did Dubber ever make it over to the blog conference in Chicago? He said he missed his plane so blogged about Meeting Gerd Leonhard instead.

    Perfect timing for me to discover 18 mistakes (some of which I can see I am already making!) and just subscribed to your blog so that I can learn more from you! THANKS for being here and looking forward!

    Nancy K

  • Anne Bevan

    Hello Neighbor,
    ( I came to the Asheville area a few years ago – now living “over the mountain” in Old Fort) Do you know that whenever your name is mentioned, it is ALWAYS associated with the word “awesome!”.
    Thank you so much for this list – just beginning to think about a blog can feel overwhelming and your advice is much appreciated guidance.
    Best wishes for another fabulous year.
    Annie

  • Julie

    Hi,
    I just wanted to say “thank you” for your help, inspiration and great advice. I have read several of your posts to include 12 success tips for the self-employed. Why? Because I have started my own business http://www.bellagolfwear.com and blog. I am very excited but must admit, a little scared at the same time. Thanks again!

  • Carisa

    Yeah I’m a little guilty of apologizing for not posting. I used to be consistent but now I’ve gotten really busy and I can’t write as much. Makes me feel guilty! Great post though.

  • Simone’s Butterfly

    Great post.

  • Richard

    Christine, Thank you for such an excellent,blog. I have just posted my first blog and yours was so helpful after haveing those overwhelming feelings of what have i just done . And now after reading yours I feel just wonderful so thanks again for letting me see the light.

  • foodiefriend

    i decided to catch up on reading some of my favortie blogs. As luck or fate would have it, I went from the lastest Brittney drama to organics and farm policy to your blog. I will def. add you to my favorites. I appreciate your words. Love the resolution ideas. You stirred up some inspiration for content to add to my own blog. Of which, I had a big apology prepared to post but now…f–it! Just write…ya know!
    Peace+Blessings,
    FoodieFriend

  • Steve Bannister

    Christine,

    Thanks for the fabulous post. I just started blogging this past fall and I found that some of your “Stupid Blogger Mistakes” really hit home.

    All the best to you and your family in the new year.

    Cheers,

    Steve

  • Susie Monday

    Thanks for all the helpful advice, even though I am finding it 6 months later! That’s one of the things I love about blogs, the posts stay around for you to find them when you need them. I have been blogging, mostly in the world of art/quilt arts/etc. and have read several of your posts referred to by Lisa Call (Inspiration and New Work) — Like her, your posts reach beyond your field and into the hearts of creative makers in an unbounded universe of media and genre. Now I’m getting smart and adding your blog to my pageflake home. Instant read! One of my goals for the new year is to make my posts as inspiring as possible.

  • Dove

    Congrats 🙂

    I got here via your vision board piece. Loved it, very inspiring. And then I somehow wound up here, heh This article too is wonderful, and as spoken above, very informative.

    I’m a bloggin’ newbie and I got a bit discouraged at first, but it’s getting better and it’s so very enjoyable. It seems to inspire me to write more than anything ever has before.

    I especially liked your comment about “magic” in the vision board piece. “Magic” people rock 🙂

    Don’t really understand the RSS thing so much, and not sure how to link to a non-wordpress blog (I know, I’m very green), but I’m at work and I wanna retain your link for my computer at home, so off I go to email it to myself 🙂

    Peace,
    Dove

  • Annette

    I am new to blogging and have been reading all I can. This article was very helpful, and informative! I am off to read more of your articles. . .

  • Goddess of Leonie

    Thank you for your post Christine…
    I’ve spent some time thinking about this lately, having blogged for about three years and now clarifying what works for me.
    I do feel like there needs to be more mindfulness in blogging.
    I don’t necessarily agree with writing every day, or even on a regular schedule. I believe instead in writing when my spirit calls me, knowing that whoever needs to hear the message will hear it, and that for the most part, writing and blogging is a sacred act of blessing and honouring my own life.
    I also believe in Non-Comparison ~ comparing our own precious lives with others via stat numbers, comment numbers, or how our lives “look.” I have felt too much the desire to mould my life to Look a certain way so it is more presentable/radiant/marketable on my blog. If I don’t stay in balance, then I find my life becomes too much for blog consumption. Blogging should always remain one component of life living, not the sum expression of it.
    I believe in Taking Time Out – having regular breaks from blogging and reading other people’s blogs. I need these times to re-centre with my purpose, who I am and who I wish to be in this world. Sometimes reading other people’s blogs gets me outside of my own brain and can hinder my creativity – we begin living our lives through other’s blogs.
    And, most importantly, I believe in Perspective. If my blog isn’t popular (however that may be defined), what does that really mean on my own soul level? If I don’t blog every day, if I lose some of my audience by following my own heart, if I am not Queen of The Blog Universe – what does it mean? Not much. Not much at all.
    There is still the moon and the stars and Mama Earth waiting for me to sit on her. There is still my beautiful dog waiting to heal me with his eyes. There is still my own sacred, precious life to live, blissfully unblogumented and blog-free.

    Many blessings to you, and to me,
    as we walk our paths of Spirit to find home,
    Leonie

  • blogmunch

    Found your post from Jose from Tried it Myself…That is a very inspiration post. Just started to blog for less than a month and found myself facing several of the stupid mistakes you mentioned above.
    Although it is better to learn from others mistake, I find that it is more memorable to learn from your own mistake. Just hope these mistake dont overwhelm me.
    Did I tell you this is a great post.

  • Rebecca

    Such a fabulous post. I just found you because of Leah from Creative Everyday. I’ll definitely be back!!!

  • Emerson Abitz

    This one makes sence “One’s first step in wisdom is to kuesstion everything – and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”

  • masdhenk

    hehe..

    cute report 🙂

  • Deb

    I think I’ve done a bunch of these! This is a great post, and fun to read.

  • Christine Kane

    Thanks everyone for your thoughts, comments, well-wishes, etc! I got behind on comments here, obviously!

  • Lisa Mills

    Great article. Thanks! I’m just starting out in the blogging world, so it helps to know what to avoid along the way. I’m finding myself a little obsessed right now. 😉

  • sandra

    Thanks for putting it out there! I’m a newbie and appreciate this… the most practical advice I can find on blogging.

    I started my Blog in January. I suffer from #11 because like you, #12, I like it to be just right. The problem is that I have a ton of topics in my head but can’t seem to write about them fast enough. I’m also super careful of maintaining the integrity of the mission of my Blog. So although there’s a plethora of amazing Blog work out there, I’m having difficulty using other’s posts which sometimes can be extremely helpful. I have to learn to make better use of that kind of resource.

    Happy Birthday

  • AdamC

    Wow! Thank you so much for this post.

    I started my first serious blog just under a month ago and in ten minutes you have focused my mind to the mistakes I’ve been making. I recognize myself in too many of the points.

    I suppose my number 18 would be spending too much time on the technical aspects of blogging, promotion, layout etc., at the expense of actually posting.

    Thanks again and happy anniversary.

  • fivecats

    I found this yesterday and thought of you:

    http://www.copyblogger.com/zen-and-the-art-of-remarkable-blogging/

  • Janet Green

    Happy Blogiversary, Christine – I am in week three of setting up a new business-focused blog, and am using your “18 Mistakes” as a checklist. My tip #18 is this… based on my experience with the ‘biker chick’ website I’ve linked to my name in this comment… Don’t start a website when you mean to start a blog! I wanted the biker chick site to be a conversation site from the beginning, over two years ago… but was afraid of having to install and customize WordPress on my own domain. So I built it in good ol’ HTML. I am still updating that site manually, in HTML, on a near-daily basis… and am now trying to figure out how to retro-fit it into a WordPress installation. I really created a lot of worry and work for myself by not taking the WordPress plunge when I first started!

  • Rogers Place

    Happy Bloggiversary.

    Who cares about Guy Kawasaki. He ain’t no different than the rest of us. If he don’t have the time to answer our emails or consider a link, then I don’t have the time for him either. Maybe in a few years our blogs will have 3 times the traffic and revenue as his and he will be begging us for a link.

    Nice work on your blog and great post. Goodluck as you progress.

  • zenquility

    Hi Christine!

    Happy Bloggiversary! Thank you so much for sharing your tips and experiences with the rest of us. I am about to step into to Blogosphere myself, inspired by you and the other women at the retreat who talked about it so much.

    This blog may be a year old, but you were definitely blogging before blogging was cool–in the form of your Road Notes.

    Many happy returns!

    Chris A.

  • Tony Tharakan

    Interesting post

  • Leah Maclean

    This is a great post Christine and I would love to include it in the Carnival of Entrepreneurs that I am hosting this week. Is that OK with you?

  • Sherry Borzo

    Great advice and congrats on all that you’ve accomplished in a year! How do you do it is what I want to know. Every-day blogging is something to aspire to. I write about the people I’m meeting but sort of like Caren who posted she realized she was bored by her own posts. I worry about that too. Then there is this thing about time. I started by reading a Mike Sansone post which directed me to you. I’ve now been at my computer for over an hour. How much time do you spend each day, with ALL you have to do, to post, learn, comment?

  • Mardougrrl

    Happy Blogiversary!

    I am definitely guilty of not writing often enough–it’s something I’m going to work on in the next year. But I am definitely a “I blog because I like to” person, so far. I’m using it to develop my writing voice and chronicle these first years of motherhood, so as to discourage a second child. Kidding! 🙂

    Thanks for the advice!

  • Susan Lomuto Rose

    Great post Christine and congratulations on your first year! All great points, but #3 and #5 in particular resonated with me – in fact I found that at one point I had to step away from the screen to get perspective. My two big mistakes in the beginning – both of which were easily fixed once I recognized them:

    1. I forgot to Breathe Deeply. The brain needs oxygen. I held my breath often as I learned the technical ins and outs. Breathe Deeply. Relax. Repeat. Breathe Deeply.
    2. I forgot to Have Fun. Laugh out loud. At yourself. At your mistakes. At a world with technology that moves faster than a speeding bullet. The days might be getting longer now that Spring is here, but Life is short. Have fun with it.

  • Michele

    Happy Bloggiversary, Christine!

    And, though I know you have been chosen before, just thought you should know that I’ve nominated your blog for a Thinking Blog Award. 🙂

  • Gavin Heaton

    Happy blog birthday Christine. May there be many more birthdays and many more lessons!

  • Christine Kane

    Hi Ron! Thanks for the link…and the little poem!

    Zathriel, Yes, it all comes down to intent and what you want to do with your writing. I love that blogs are a little like Morning Pages for some people. They are teaching themselves to write and to have some kind of ritual. You may even find that you evolve into a space where you WANT to reach more people…who knows?!

  • Zathriel

    I blog because I like to. I don’t know if anyone is reading. I don’t much care. I don’t even keep my blog at a popular blogging site.

    Your article speaks volumes.

  • Ron

    Christine,
    Adsense rhymes with nonsense. Coincidence?
    http://rwrld.blogspot.com/2007/01/if-hemingway-wrote-blog.html

  • Yet Another Tammy

    Thanks for sharing your response to my question, Christine. Writing and blogging does create greater clarity for oneself, doesn’t it. What a great thing to be able to offer up something that might be of value to others and create value for oneself at the same time!

    Tammy

  • Christine Kane

    Thanks Nicole!

    Hi yet another tammy. 🙂 thanks for the note. what makes me float in the air is really just that i continue to do it. and that i have been able to convey in writing the deep learnings that have come from facing fear and striking out on my own and creating a career. i heard a zig ziglar talk one time and he recommended that everyone should write a book called “here’s what i think you should do with your life.” his point was that it woud get you clear on your own. (i think.) anyway, i feel like i’m getting that very lesson!

    Thanks Colleen. I do understand the overwhelm. that’s all i said in this past year. i kept saying, “don’t these bloggers get overwhelmed!?” and the answer was always “YES.”

  • Colleen

    Hi Christine,

    This is and will continue to be a great resource for me as I have just started my blog. (I had one a few years ago but didn’t let it live for very long).

    Thanks for sharing your wisdom. I kind of chuckled to myself at ‘don’t even bother to get overwhelmed’ as I’m overwhelmed just reading this post! I’m taking it in a bit at a time though, so as to get the benefit of the thoughts.

    Cheers and HAPPY ONE YEAR OLD BLOG! I’d say your toddler is up and running. 😉

  • Yet Another Tammy

    Christine,

    Happiest of anniversaries to you! I smiled all the way through your post because the advice was so on-target with some of my learnings, stumbles and experiences. I’m particularly drawn to your reminder to work and write from our passion and resist the temptation to get sidetracked by all the other things that can water down our intentions.

    When you look back over your year of blogging, what makes you float in the air with satisfaction and happiness?

    Tammy

    P.S. There were tons of Tammys in my elementary school classes but I’ve been wondering where they all went. Now I know. They’re all here reading your blog (though maybe some of them are from a different generation…I’m meeting a lot of newer model Tammys out there)!

  • Nicole Hyde

    Happy Birthday Blog!! As always, a darned good read!

  • Christine Kane

    Hi Susie, and thanks!

    Great point Ron. I couldn’t agree more. Really focusing on your own intent is a biggie. As a musician, I have to remember that MY products are on this site, and that Google Adsense is probably not needed to add more clutter to the intent. And yet, there’s SO much out there about Adsense that it’s easy to get distracted! Thanks!

  • Ron

    Congratulations Christine! A full year of high quality posts – that’s no mean feat. Thanks for keeping at it.

    It seems to me that the biggest mistake is adopting someone else’s motivation for blogging. People blog for so many reasons and it is important to stay true to your personal reasons and not get distracted by other people’s motivations. People who blog for income can’t get distracted by the “I blog about whatever I want because I love writing” motivation, and vice versa.

  • Susie

    HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY!!!
    Thanks for all of the tips and reminding me to just enjoy Blogging; I don’t always have to write something “profound” but instead just have fun with it all. This inspired me to be a little more creative and try a photo-caption entry…Thanks!

  • Christine Kane

    Hello all, I had to drive to Charlotte yesterday to load my guitars and CD’s onto the tech truck for my tour with the ballet (starting tomorrow!)…so I missed all these comments. Thanks for all the insights and well-wishes. I hope many first-year bloggers are in-the-know now!

  • Phil Gerbyshak

    Happy B-day Christine. Amazing year it’s been for you, and about to get EVEN GREATER come May 11th and 12th!

    A few of my little tips:
    1) Link out: Recognize that you are not the only expert in the room, so share the love and knowledge.

    2) Include a picture of you, preferably a candid one of you smiling. People resonate with pictures.

    3) Enjoy yourself and be yourself: Have fun and remember that folks can smell a fake from a mile away. You have fun and you are you Christine. Hooray for THAT!

    4) Don’t be afraid someone is going to rip off your stuff. As Seth Godin says, the more you give it away, the more you get back. Free is great. Free sells stuff. Really!

    Thanks for opening up your blog and your life to us Christine. We are better for knowing you!

  • fivecats

    “Pretty soon my blog will need Botox”

    Wouldn’t that be Blogtox?

    No? Didn’t think so…

    Actually, I’d add a few other tips:

    * Putting a filtering system in place for comments is important.
    You’re not writing in a vaccuum, that you cannot control your readership nor their responses and that some people, unfortunately, get off on being flat-out mean. For all of your work in writing a blog and the risk you take in “putting yourself out there” like that, you may simply be rewarded by receiving some ugly responses from people — typically anonymous — who can work on ruining your day (if you let them). [I’ve had to limit my livejournal to FriendsOnly, meaning (a) only members of livejournal who (b) have been friended by me can read any of my latest entries. Major bummer]

    * Balance spontananaety with reflection in your writing.
    With Google caching the web, anything that you write will, theoretically, be available for people to read for years and years. Your opinions and feelings may change on a topic; cached entries won’t be able to reflect this. As with most things public, just consider the ramifications of what you’re doing.

    * Blogging encourages community
    imho, the best part of blogging comes with the comments and responses after an entry has been published. I love the feedback, the chance to engage in a discussion with the writer about a topic or a part of an entry.

    * People who are great in the blogosphere are usually great in person, too.

    Happy Blogging Anniversary — you share it with our wedding anniversary (although we have a few years on your blog)

  • Lyman Reed

    Happy Birthday! That’s such a great list – I think I’ve been guilty of all of them at one time or another, and still fall into some of them on a regular basis… I’m still working on #1 and #10.

    And my own #18: focusing more on “what’s in it for me” than “what am I offering the world.”

    Thanks for a year of wisdom and fun. 🙂

  • tammy vitale

    Happy anniversary – so glad you decided to start and keep blogging. It’s been sort of like first reading Women Who Run with the Wolves. I can’t think of any higher praise.

  • M. Ömer Gölgeli

    Well, just as Josh, i’ve been making mistakes #19 and checking my stats way too much. Guess i’ve a long way to go till i became a “pro”.

  • barb b

    christine, thanks for the list which I will keep in mind if I ever undertake a blog. I have trouble with attachemtns and pictures. How about a glossary? I read up on Lens’ and Twitters and still have no clue. Except that i can make my own lens in 5 (yes 5) easy minutes. They haven’t dealt with me yet. any way happy blog day (thanks for telling me what blog stood for). thanks for a great year of reading. barb b

  • Sandy Renshaw

    Hi Christine,

    Happy B-day! Love the post. I relate to all of the points, but especially #1 and #2. I’ve been feeling bad because I just can’t get everything done that I want to do… like everyone else. It’s really a great problem to have.

    Looking forward to seeing you in May at SOBCon.

    Sandy

  • Easton Ellsworth

    Happy Bloggin’ Birthday, Christine! And fantastic post here. Onward to a greater second year!

  • Caren

    Oh – forgot to say Happy Blog-i-versary!! My life has been enriched immensely. Thanks for what you do!!

  • Caren

    Christine – Not just mistakes? But STUPID mistakes? Yikes.

    I tried to blog a couple of times – thought I’d do it anonymously, then when I got going and felt confident, I’d let people know about it. So, I’d add #19 – make sure you have something to say. I went back to read my entries, and *I* was bored! LOL Not in an over-critical, what will people think way, but – I was really bored by what I had written! And I had lived it! LOL Thought if I didn’t want to read it, why would anyone else? I was treating the blog as an online journal. Didn’t work for me. So, I’ve decided to start another blog only if I actually have something to say to others. Go figure.

  • Michael Dickson

    You overlooked the essential. Don´t blog if you have nothing much to say. If bloggers paid attention to this rule, 95 percent of them would vanish.

  • Arjun

    Hey…

    I found your site through StumbleUpon, oddly enough.

    Thanks for the great advice. I just started my own blog about a month ago, and a number of these do apply to me, so it was all very helpful.

    Arjun

  • Colin

    HAPPY B-(log) day! Now that you are so well versed in bloguistics, blogology, blogalalia, and have apparently achieved PAX BLOGIUM, we now have even less in common than before! Well done and carry on. I’m very proud of you!!!

  • Christine Kane

    Hi Jose. Yes, honesty is a good place to start! And welcome to the blogosphere…

    Thanks Tammy! And welcome to you too!

    chickiepam, the RSS thing is something ANY blog can do. it’s called “burning a feed.” You don’t sign up for it. You just make it so that your blog has that option so that other people can sign up for it! (and there are lots of health blogs out there, so you guys should find a nice niche!

    Nneka, thanks for a #18! I was waiting for that!

    Thanks Judy. And good luck with your blog!

  • Judy

    Wonderful list. As a new blogger I have lots to learn. I will be revisiting and learning from this list again, and again, and again! Thanks for sharing what you have learned along the way. I have recently found your blog, and am becoming a real fan.

  • Nneka

    HAPPY BLOGIVERSARY!!!

  • Nneka

    Oh, the irony! This morning on my way into my day job, I said to the heavens, “I’m exhausted.” I need some signs that I’m on the right track. After 2 signs, I open my reader and number 1: “Even bothering to get overwhelmed”. And I should know this as someone that’s been in and out of this game for 3 years.

    The rest of the post was just more pointing and waving. Basically, do what is mine to do. All the other great stuff will follow.

    Thanks for the post 🙂

    BTW, number 18, pick a topic and stick to it, don’t ramble on about your fish if your blog is about personal finance. Unless it’s a post on the price of different species or some such thing.

    In Spirit,
    Nneka

  • ChickiePam

    Happy Blogiversary!
    As a new blogger, I appreciate the advice. I’ll be checking the links today in between clients and writing the next blog! It’ll be on fibromyalgia…I think my blogs are a bit different in scope from yours! We’ve started with general massage type informaiton like what to expect from your first massage, and how to get the most out of your massage, what craniosacral work is, and now Grace did a wonderful blog titled “What if” that is not massage related at all!

    I have not yet figured out the RSS feed thing. (I’ve only found the part where as an individual you can link up, and we’re a company. So I’m continuing to investigate.) Our current method of getting hits to our blog is to email and/or call friends and family! I’m sure that could go a bit easier.

    Gotta go get to that thing I don’t call work (I think of it more as joy).
    Pam

  • Tammy

    Christine –

    Happy One Year!

    As a new blogger– this is an EXCELLENT overview for those of us in the first half of our blogging year. I appreciate it very much and have been through every link you connected us to. Well written and now I’m going to have to write about you on my blog. You’re so lucky! (laughing) Thanks so much.

    Tam

  • Jose Tudor

    Christine,

    Happy birthday! Excellent post!

    I’ve only been blogging for about 2 months, and without a doubt I’m a #3 offender (at least I can admit it). I’m trying to squelch this one.

    I’m also making mistake #19, which is looking too often at my own blog in amazement. At least it helps me proofread my posts. I think I just need to get over myself and focus on consistently posting good content.

    Thanks again for the post. At least I know what the other 17 mistakes that I need to avoid are!

    Jose

  • Christine Kane

    Thanks for the thumbs up, Michelle! (I see you with a cigar in your mouth, leaning back in your chair and saying, “You’re going places, kid!”)

    Thanks Mike! No Blogtox yet. But I hear everyone’s doing it!

  • Mike Sansone

    Yes! Happy Bloggiversary. A grand post to celebrate with – it should be included as a must read for everyone (whether they’re on Blogtox yet or not). Stay contagious!

  • Michelle

    This is the best blog-iversary post I’ve seen, very creative and helpful. I’m giving it the “thumbs up” right now–thanks for the link too, in a post this good you’re going places. 🙂