Posted in Blogs, Books, Chocolate, Family, Holidays, Movies, Televison

The Phantom of the Blogging Tips

Posted on by D. Parker

1funny1068If you are reading this blog there’s a good chance you’re not just a reader, you could also be a blogger yourself…or one of my family or friends (Hi family and friends!).

What I mean is, many people who read blogs are also bloggers who send their creativity out there, into the universe, in one form or another, through an intricate web.

Yet too often, The Phantom of the Blogging Tips (er, Blogera? No? That’s not a thing?) is inside your mind, telling you how to blog instead of letting you find your own voice.

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 So before you’re past the point of no return:

1. Don’t second-guess yourself, there are literally millions of others out there willing to do that for you. Go with your instincts.

2. Before you post you may stop and think: will my readers like this, hate this, be offended, not press ‘Like’, will Unfollow, or what if they send an army of robot ants to carry me off in my sleep? Let me help, the answers are: Hopefully. Possibly. It’s a distinct possibility. Maybe. Hopefully not. And it’s the internet, stranger things have happened.

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3. You’ll do a post you think is amazing, you’ll press publish (very important step, many bloggers forget this one) and tumbleweeds will roll across your blog and you’ll wonder, what did I do wrong? Probably nothing, most likely it was WordPress..again.

4. Your posts could be awesome, but people are busy and there’s an infinite amount of information out there…or they just can’t find your posts.  https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/  Get out there and be your own Number One Fan (but not in a creepy Stephen King way).

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5. You may never be Freshly Pressed https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/03/26/why-i-will-never-be-freshly-pressed/ or gets tons of Likes,  or receive awards, or become an overnight sensation…don’t compare yourself to others, it will suck the joy out of blogging (and life).

6. Don’t be afraid to try something new or different. Tell us about a movie, a book, something you cook, draw, paint, build, remember, did, crafted, give us advice (we might not take it, doesn’t mean we don’t want to hear it)…anything, but it’s your voice we want to hear, authentic, not copied, or some regurgitated whatchamathingies we’ve read everywhere else.

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7. Even if aliens are stealing your likes, keep trying, they’ll give up at some point or move on to another planet.

8. Expect the unexpected, roll with it then work it into a post, like the other day I heard two guys whispering, ‘I’d tap that MILF’ – naturally I looked around to see who they were talking about, then realized it was me. The feminist side of me was appalled and outraged, but the feminine side of me was all-Southern-belle-I-do-declare-swoony. Then they ruined it by adding, ‘Or is she GILF?’. I so don’t look old enough to be a granny! OK, but maybe a cool one.  https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/01/30/revenge-of-the-nouns/  https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/26/coulda-woulda-shoulda-2/

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9. Keep a good sense of humour, balance, and if you can, relax, it’s just your diary you’re letting the whole world read, ok, when I say it like that it does sound kind of terrifying. But remember, when in doubt, chocolate out!

10.  Find your own style, your own groove, your own path, your own magic. Cookie cutters are for Christmas, be yourself.

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11. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This applies in blogging too.

12. So ignore all The Phantoms of the Blogging Tips, even me. You can do this.

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Author:

Very me

334 thoughts on “The Phantom of the Blogging Tips”

  1. I like this advice. As someone new to blogging, I’m finding it interesting how I both really want people to read what I’m writing, then freak out when they do. Like quite freak out. I’m also trying to apply a truth check to what I write. If I say something I try to look at it and ask myself if it’s really actually true for me. This is an interesting process! I’m also trying to cultivate the mindset that this is not a competition. I don’t win at internet by getting more likes or whatever. What I love is hearing so many interesting, passionate and authentic voices and adding my own to the din.

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  2. Hear hear!

    This is an excellent reminder. Thanks! 🙂

    My blog is self-hosted on wp.org where we don’t have likes…

    (although someone – you, I think, possibly? – has found a way to like my posts anyway, so that although the like doesn’t appear on my post I do get the notification of it in my email)

    …but everything else is the same.

    Some months ago I realised my aged blog had slipped into a same-old-same-old pattern, so I spent this summer revitalising it. Did a lot of work on it. Learned loads of new stuff and applied a fair bit of it over a three-month period.

    I enjoyed the process, and I like (although my like won’t appear on my posts or in my email) what I’ve made of it.

    But by diving into that pool and doing enthusiastic lengths, I also came under those personal pressures that fill the blogging world. All the ones you’re talking about here today. I had to keep shaking myself free of them al through the process.

    They’re real, and I’m glad I don’t have to worry about them.

    Liked by 2 people

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    1. David, you’re wise to learn and to adjust, that’s really what blogging is about, sort of like life. 🙂
      I hope you are doing well, I know you’ve had a lot to process recently. Take care, best wishes. 🙂

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  3. Ha! Love it! I had to share this one on LinkedIn. There are so many messed up career advice articles there, I had to show them how to do it right by sharing yours.
    I hope your cold is better, or best– all gone, my friend. Mega hugs.

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    2. Thank you for the kind words and the share, Teagan 🙂
      My cold and I had to break up. It just wasn’t going anywhere. He was keeping me in the house, living here rent-free, taking up all the tissues, and making me watch rubbish TV. So I told him, it is you, goodbye. 😉
      I’m over half done your book, may I say again, thank you so much, I’m hooked, it’s incredible! I’ve already starting writing the review, well, in my head. 🙂
      Take care, hope this weekend treats you well, dear one. Megahugs!!!

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      1. You don’t know how happy it makes me to know someone, especially someone brilliant, likes my book. With your kind words cheering me on, there’s no way I can fail to have a good weekend. You’ve made my day. Mega hugs right back! 😀

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      2. But I’m kind of sad because I’m at that point, as a reader, you know, where you only have like 20 pages left and you have that decision – should I just get through knowing I’m going to reread it anyway or really, really slowly read the pages trying to stretch it out. It’s so awesome, I can’t decide. And loved your post today. So many distractions (but again, housework can wait). 😉
        Megahugs and all the best. 🙂

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  4. Oh, that soooo reminds me of my first year blogging (and my 2nd, and my 3rd, and…wait–I’ve only been blogging for 3 years?). Did you know that I’ve managed to infuriate every member of my family at one time or another? Every blogger should understand that if you haven’t, you will. **it happens when you’re blogging. At the end of the day, when I don’t know what to say or whether it’s going to be taken badly by 50% of the world, I have to remember why I started blogging and why I continue to do it.

    Whether ragweed or rose, the flower had to start out with a seed. 🙂

    Thanks for a great post. so true and written so entertainingly

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  8. GILF?!! Ugghh, ugghh, and ugghh to Infinity!

    I do love your thoughts on this and am trying not to let my “love sponge” quirk prevent me from posting authentically. I’s a tough (blogging) audience out there.

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    1. I know, right? What’s with that?
      It’s true, it’s tempting to give them what they want, but what if what you want to do is also what they want…wait, now I’m confused. 😉

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      2. I know, it must get boring when you’re superior beings who travel through space (and probably time too), have to find amusement where you can I suppose, but stealing our ‘Likes’, space dudes, get bet hobbies. 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Great post, I have one on the same theme that is in my drafts hahahaha. It’s all good advice, the only way to find your ‘voice’ when writing a blog, is to stop worry about how said voice will be received by others. *nods*.

    – s.u.t.Cloud

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  15. I have met a few people who read blogs and don’t have one. I can’t imagine the days before I blogged. All these ideas just ran around in my head. I had to call people, or wait until I saw them, and then tell them my ideas. It was so inefficient.

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      45. …five, six, seven, eight!
        shlemiel, schlemazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated!
        We’re gonna do it!
        Give us any chance, we’ll take it!
        Read us any rule, we’ll break it!
        We’re gonna make our dreams come true!
        Doin’ it our way! 😉

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      46. do we have to get a job at a plant making bad beer now? I mean, I am okay with linking arms and skipping down the street, but we should draw the line somewhere… oh, and I wasn’t to be Lenny… but not Squiggy.

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      47. Did you say ‘have to’ get a job at beer plant? Really? Suds is suds. And with that, I’ll be Squiggy, or Carmine, or Edna, or Shirley, but not Frank.

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      79. Is it weird that often when I see the word ‘it’ I think of Tim Curry as Pennywise the ‘clown’ from Stephen King’s ‘It’ and feel slightly apprehensive? Same happens with sewers.

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      95. you don;t have the murder mystery yet… you have to make it through at least one… if not all three of the action/humor sci-fi first… in fact, I could even send you book 4, which is written but not edited yet. And the Monkey book… and the Wizard book,,,

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      115. I just sent you the entire first novel of my sci-fi series… be kind… and don’t give it away to anybody else… HA. I hope you can open it. If not, let me know. I might send the new murder mystery too, which isn’t even available to people yet.

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      116. I’m guessing, if your blog is any indication it should be, er, fascinating, um, intriguing, hmmm, well, something! I only give 100% honest reviews, but from what I’ve read so far, it made me want to read more. Oh my, I loooove ARCs!!! And mysteries! I was going to say I love murder, but that sounds wrong, how about, I love reading about murders (that even sounds a tad creepy). 😉
        I can open it, but not download it. 🙂

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  17. Haha, on point! No. 2, yep been there. The irony is, that same post that had tumbleweed blowing past it forever is now the most viewed post on my blog!! A funny world 🙂 p.s. Lol at the gifs!

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  20. Ah true and no aliens are after your likes Donna, you’ve them beat. I was a little weirded out by the dancing gingerbread man. I’m going to sit down in a cool place and think about my favourite font for a while…

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  22. Donna, I hope they don’t send an army of robot ants to carry you off in your sleep—primarily because I’m not finished with my complete design of them—but not to worry as soon as they’re finished we’ll give it a try. By the way, love the plug for your blog—’or they just can’t find your post.’ and my aliens have never given up stealing my like, I’m convinced that I’ve lost hundreds of thousands of likes ever post because of those darn aliens. But this is definitely great advise. Now bloggers…go do your thing! :O)

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    1. I hope the ants are gentle, at the very least, design them so they don’t wake us up as the carry us off (less panic until we’ve reached our destination). 😉
      Those aliens, they’re relentless. 🙂
      Thanks for dropping by, now get back to work on your blog (not necessarily the army of robot ants). 🙂

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      1. Darn, and I was so looking forward to getting back out in the garage and working on those little buggers. Note to self; make sure the design includes a ‘do not disturb’ switch, so that the victim doesn’t wake up until it’s too late. Got it. 😀

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  24. Love the gif of misery. You can hit me with a wet noodle now as I just watched it for the first time a few weeks ago. Great post D! Bloggers just gotta be themselves.

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  29. A wealth of wit and wisdom as per usual Donna but please do tell for the uninitiated what is a MILF ?! or a GILF for that matter, I’m afraid I’m a bit OODWA (Out Of Date With Acronyms) 😀

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  31. Yes I can do this. That’s what this article makes me feel. I go with my heart and publish what I want and let it appeal to those that it will appeal to. I cannot survive pleasing everyone, that’s like attempting suicide. I must first stay true to myself, then others and play nice as I go along. I enjoyed reading this article along with its humorous facts. I found your link on Danny’s wall and I am just going to tag along with you and see how this connection works out. Kind regards.

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    1. I’m glad it makes you feel that way, that’s what I was going for…all that advice just makes people think they have to twist around and do a blog the way they’re told them should, just be yourself, that’s always more than enough. 🙂
      Isn’t Danny wonderful, so generous and kind, glad you found him then found me then I found you – pretty amazing in a giant virtual haystack.
      Hope this day treats you well. 🙂

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    1. Thank you kindly for sharing it. 🙂
      It certainly takes time and there’s no magic formula despite what many tell us, just do what you love and hopefully others will love it too. 🙂
      Hope this week treats you well, Hayley. 🙂

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      1. Awesome! Yes OM is really good that way! My blog would probably still be collecting dust in a corner somewhere if it wasn’t for him lol Nice to meet you! 🙂

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  39. Ignore something on the Internet? That’s impossible. Particularly if it’s something I have an opinion on. I think it’s written in stone that I need to make some inane comment in that situation.

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    1. Over 2 years. Just write what you love and they follow.
      And because I’m such a shameless self-promoting bloghussy here are the links to my posts on blogging tips:
      https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/04/10/im-hooked-on-a-feeling/
      https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/
      https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/03/26/why-i-will-never-be-freshly-pressed/
      https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/05/12/i-cant-make-you-love-me/
      https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/06/09/to-blog-or-not-to-blog/
      Hope this day treats you kindly 🙂

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    1. Congrats on the award, starlight, starbright, first star blogger I see today, lol. 🙂
      Well-deserved and loved the questions.
      Thank you so much for the nomination, so thrilled you would think of me. 🙂
      While I technically don’t accept awards anymore, I liked your question so much I had to answer.
      1. Is there a genre you have tried to read multiple times but just have never got into? Why do you think this is?
      – This may sound strange, and while it’s not really a genre, I have trouble with a lot of bestsellers. People ‘oh and ah’ over them and tell me I have to read them or my life won’t be complete or something and yet, a lot of them are disappointing and I wonder how they’re bestsellers (I guess the marketing and hype). Maybe they’re disappointing because it’s too much hype?
      2. How do you pick your next read? Is it chronological or based on the mood the last book left you in?
      – I tend to read multiple books at once, but I pick them based on title; mood; if it’s a series, the next; author; sometimes a recommendation; or by the description.
      3. What do Blog Awards mean to you?
      I’m always so honoured that people nominate me, but I had to stop accepting, this is going to sound totally snobby, but I was just getting too many and I didn’t feel I could do them justice while also sharing, liking, leaving comments and answering comments, tweeting, blogging, etc. But you wonderful bloggers ask such awesome questions. 🙂
      Hope this day treats you kindly and congrats again. 🙂

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  45. You are very good at engaging, and it takes time, but it has really given you some good numbers! I try my best to engage and share and promote, because that is a good portion of what brings people back. I try not to be selfish, I don’t want to just post (here, there or anywhere) and not give back, and you’ve been a great example of that!

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    1. Thank you so much, Kate, you’re such a sweetheart, although your doughnut post made me crave doughnuts even more, ok, I can’t blame you and it was a yummy post! 😉
      Hope this week is good to you Kate. 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Ian, not only for the reblog, but your always supportive and sweet words. 🙂
      I hope people are just following their heart when it comes to blogging, not twisting themselves into pretzels trying to get stats and fame. 🙂
      Hope this day is as wonderful as you (not possible, but we can hope). 🙂

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      1. Lost for words – other than to say kind people like you are few and far between. Your passion, compassion and love for what you do goes beyond words. As you say you need to enjoy blogging not try and be number one there is only one pardon the pun.

        Your posts are an inspiration to any blogger and your posts are always #AceMustRead 😍

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  49. I’m not a big social media person but I love blogging and the blogging community. I made a conscious decision a year or so ago and I don’t look at my stats page for some of the reasons you listed. I’ve labored over a post, pouring my heart out, and the response might be dismal while I throw a couple of photos out and it hits a home run. Oh well, I write what I want and let it fall where it may. I try to be a good blogging friend and ‘read’ posts and exchange comments because let’s face it – we write for the comments. 🙂

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    1. I don’t look at my stats much either, mostly because I forget, after all, for me, that’s not what the blogging was about, it’s to write, and as it turns out engage – love comments, likes, sharing, reading other blogs…if I became a famous writer from it, sure, that would be lovely, but realistically (and statistically) what are the odds. I’m just enjoying the here and now, what’s the point of enjoying the destination when you can enjoy the journey too? 😉

      Liked by 1 person

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  53. I’m new to blogging, but I’ve been writing forever. I love your advice. I find that the greatest satisfaction in writing and sharing comes from within. Your words remind me to remember that truth. 🙂

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  54. Oh my gosh! I laughed out loud again! I love your style!! And your voice! One question- where do you find all the moving things? Thanks again to Janice Wald for introducing us!!
    And thanks again for the follow!

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  55. Hi D. Thank you for this post. I am new to the world of blogging and I am very aware of the process of finding the right professional voice for my blog. This is an exciting process and at times frustrating – but well worth it. Your article applies to more than the world of blogging but finding your voice in the world in general. Thanks for sharing your humour and insights with us! Warm regards, Fred (www.fredwalterblog.wordpress.com)

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    1. Thank you, Fred for dropping by and for your kind words. Yes, the advice applies to life in general and to blogging in particular. Very astute. 🙂
      Finding your voice can be quite a process, it’s an ongoing on because we keep learning and adapting, but the journey can be awesome.
      Warm regards and hope this day treats you well. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

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  58. Every single time I stop by your site, I find myself reading your words with this great BIG GRIN on my face. I just wanted to stop in and let you know I LOVE the smiles that erupt each and every time I read your words!

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      1. I do! But you know I am in my 50’s and I really didn’t learn it until this year. I am astounded at finding my own voice finally.

        I enjoy your blog a lot. I follow so many so sometimes I get behind but I always come back to it. It gives me a smile, often.

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      2. It doesn’t matter when we find our voice, as long as we find it (and keep it) and cherish it. 🙂
        You’re welcome anytime, and I know what you mean, so many blogs, so little time… 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you kindly, Ian, for the reblog and all the support, I really appreciate it. 🙂
      You couldn’t possibly be further behind than me, I feel like I’m on a blogging treadmill. lol 😉
      Hope this week treats you well. Hugs xo

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    1. No, it turns out the gremlins wander endlessly through the virtual secret passages of WordPress. 😉
      Hope this weekend is treating you kindly, dear Teagan. Mega nonglitchy hugs xoxo

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    1. Thank you so much for the remarkable reblog, Ian. Hope things have been well (all things considered). Thanks again for the #bloglove and hope this week treats you kindly. Big bloggy hugs xox

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