How to Get Over Fear of Rejection as a Blogger

This entry is part 11 of 11 in the series How to Start a Blog

When it comes to blogging, one of the biggest fears that holds writers back is fear of rejection. What if I pour my heart out on my blog and people hate it, or even worse, no one reads it? Unless you have started a blog or considered starting one, you don’t realize just how much you put yourself out there when you start a blog for all the world to read. Let’s talk about how to get over fear of rejection as a blogger.

First, your fears are legitimate. Plenty of people find out I own a blog and say something like, “Oh, I’ve thought about starting a blog, but…” Bloggers, simply the fact that you start tells me you are a courageous person! Good for you.

As writers, our words come from our very self. We write from inside of ourselves and it takes great courage to put that in public for friends, family, and the community to see.

What if people hate what I write?

Unless you are writing about politics or some other highly controversial subject, I would encourage you not to worry too much about hecklers, trolls, and haters. Your main issue will be getting ANYONE to read your posts, so a troll or two might be a welcome conversation starter. Don’t let this fear hold you back in the first stages.

It’s true that once you’ve been writing for awhile and gained a larger audience, you’ll post something that will raise controversy. And yes, these days people hide behind their keyboards and spout out all kinds of opinions and cruelty. If you blog long enough, it will happen eventually that you will become the target.

Disagreements are part of the deal if you blog on a regular basis. One of my most controversial blog posts is this one: For All The Parents Whose Kids Won’t Get an Award. Click on the link to see some the love and hate comments. Another post I wrote that was republished on Today Parenting gathered quite a few nasty comments.

My cousin, Jeff, who regularly contributes to my website, found his blog the center of controversy when he wrote this: The One Movie You Should NOT Take Your Children To See

Just like everyone, behind this computer screen I’m a human being with feelings. A part of me longs to jump into the discussion and defend myself. But overall, I try not to let it get to me. The people making these accussations honestly have no clue about me or the type of person I am.

Some of the best advice I’ve read is this – Don’t let HotGuy1234x7 (or any anonymous online person) steal your joy. Haters gonna hate. Yes, everyone is allowed a voice, but that doesn’t mean you need to allow it to affect your spirit.

What if no one reads it?

While fear of hecklers and critics is an honest concern, when you are just getting started it’s the fear of crickets that is the biggest issue. It’s really tough to pour your heart out on a post and have 3 people read it.

Ouchness.

In this post, How to Write a Blog About Yourself that a LOT of People Will Actually Read, I go into more depth about how to write in such a way that you will attract readers. Yes, you want to write what you love and enjoy, but you also need to write with the reader in mind. Offer your reader something of value.

In the beginning, expect that you’ll spend an equal amount of time promoting your blog posts as you do writing them. Promotion is a huge part of the work of a blogger. Now that I’ve been blogging for several years and my website gets a steady stream of traffic, I can publish a post and a few hundred people have read it within a couple hours, even if I do nothing to promote it. (So look forward to the day that that will happen for you, too!)

Still, I spend plenty of time promoting my posts, mainly on social media like Facebook, Stumble Upon, Pinterest, and Instagram. When you are just beginning, don’t expect anyone to find your posts or for Google to do the work for you. Our world is crammed full of information and it’s your job to prove that people need to step away from the noise and come read what you’ve created.

What if I look stupid?

You might.

Before you write a single post, own up to the fact that there will be times your blog won’t do well, you’ll mess up something, a post will flop, or some other major bummer will happen.

That’s life, and certainly life when you are a entrepreneur or writer. There is risk involved in any endeavor.

Probably the biggest reason I’ve had the courage to start my website/business is from the lessons I learned losing 100 pounds and becoming a triathlete. Failure is part of every success story.

Think about my weight loss story:

I lost weight 100s of times before I lost it the final time and kept it off.
I signed up for races and didn’t get to the start line, let alone the finish line.
I finished races last.

As a blogger:

I’ve written posts that 3 people read.
I’ve created products no one bought.
I’ve tried to get momentum going on social media for different ideas that went no where.
I’ve spent money on things that ended up being a waste.

That’s life as a business owner, writer, or and creator.

So: