My Typical Blogging Day
Blogging October 3rd, 2008
I think I need an intervention. Since I started blogging last summer, my daily routine has changed dramatically. It’s gotten to be like a second job.
I sometimes joke that I need an assistant to accomplish everything I want to do in a day related to my blog.
Writing for the blog is a walk in the park. It’s the “… other blogging duties as assigned” requirement that takes up a good chunk of my time.
See how you compare.
Herewith is my typical blogging day (don’t worry …. somewhere in here I have a life, but just barely):
5am – 7am:
Review spam comments and release those incorrectly tagged;
Review and respond to comments, about 25 per day;
Update the number of days the plastic bag is still stuck in the tree (see count in sidebar);
Check my stats (total visitors from day before, backtrack interesting places visitors came from);
Check blogs where I’ve been backlinked (based on Technorati and WordPress dashboard links);
Check BlogCatalog discussions and comment if something piques my interest;
Check Humor-Blogs for posts from my fellow humor writers and vote up my favorite ones;
Check Twitter for responses to my Tweets; read other Tweets from my Tweet Peeps;
Drop the maximum Entrecard cards (300) while commenting along the way;
Study effectiveness of having purchased ads on Entrecard sites to see which I should buy again;
Write a new post, mull over a new post or stress about not having a new post;
8am – 5pm: The Day Job
6pm – 8pm:
Review spam comments and release those incorrectly tagged;
Review and respond to comments;
Check Twitter and BlogCatalog again and engage if the mood strikes;
Return to comments left during the day and follow them back to the author’s blog; comment on theirs when the mood strikes; buy an Entrecard ad if they are an EC member and I can afford them;
Enjoy other blogs and comment. I religiously follow 26 blogs daily;
Respond to direct emails from other bloggers;
Write a new post, mull over a new post or stress about not having a new post;
9pm: Watch Family Feud.
10pm: Lights out and hope to literally dream up a blog post.
OK, so that’s four hours a day during the week. You thought this was a part-time job? Hell no!
Weekend duties:
Research and consider new WordPress plug-ins to use;
Read and comment on blogs I didn’t get a chance to visit during the work week;
Explore new ways to market my blog;
Sweat profusely if my host server goes down for Saturday morning maintenance or has a load issue;
Write a new post, mull over a new post or stress about not having a new post;
Check Copyscape to see if anyone stole my content;
Respond to direct emails from a half dozen close blogger friends.
Call or visit friends and family who haven’t abandoned me for being chained to my blog.
—
So there you have it. My blogging life. If I ever manage to take a week’s vacation, is anyone up to the task of filling in for me? There’s nothing in it for you except the satisfaction of helping to keep The Junk Drawer breathing.
Although you’re probably too busy with your own blogs and might wonder, like I do, what you ever did before you started blogging.
Can you remember what you used to do before you gave yourself over to the Blog Monster?
Stumble it!
October 5th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I think you have to be honest with yourself about what your goals are. Ask yourself: why do you blog? why is it important to you to grow your audience? what is your return of investment both in time and money? what are your benchmarks and what does it mean to reach them?
Blogging can be anything from a simple artistic release to a profession, depending on why you do it. Make sure the sacrifices you make in terms of personal time are in line with your purpose for blogging.
Jeff’s last blog post..Perms through the ages: A hair-raising experience
October 5th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
It’s easy to let it take over your life, isn’t it? I find myself spending more and more time on my blog and less and less time on my “real” job, which has left me staying up way too late, sleep deprived – not good for the “real” job. I’m trying to work out a schedule now, one that’s reasonable for the blogging. It’s easy to get sidetracked, though, when you’re on the Internet. So much to see, so much to read…
Lisa’s last blog post..Halloween Crafts, Costumes, and Party Decorations to Die For
October 5th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Oh, wow! I can relate.
October 5th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Karen — One thing that helped make dropping 300 EC cards easier was using the Firefox EC toolbar. I recommend it if you don’t have it. Get it here: http://entrecard.com/page/ec_toolbar I have been known to get up earlier than 5AM some mornings, which is nice because it frees up my evening for other highly productive activities, such as watching America’s Next Top Model.
kat — Welcome aboard. Glad to have you!
PurrPrints — When we have a blogger get-together, first order of business will be a therapy session for the addicts. No laptops allowed.
Mike — I wonder now if someone had told me what I’d be doing a year later, whether I would have started blogging at all. It kind of crept up on me, all this work. Then again, it’s a choice I’ve made all along, so I have only myself to blame.
Shadowsrider — Funny about your horses needing Jenny Craig. I bet you can’t believe all they can eat in a day! Your day sounds busy and difficult. I don’t know how you do more than one blog. That concept seems insane to me. More power to you!
sensitive skin care — You’re right. Writing this actually made me more conscious of how much time I’m putting into it. Let’s see if I can take longer breaks throughout the week. I think it’ll do me good.
Susan — It’s funny how we have “bloggy thoughts” throughout the day. Lots of times I do as you do, and remember something I read about in a blog. If I tell someone about it, it feels funny saying “One of my blogger friends….” There are still people who don’t know a thing about blogs and wonder what I’m talking about.
PaulsHealthBlog — I can’t imagine blogging with children tugging at me. I know I would never do it. I’m constantly amazed at all the parents who do! Stunned, really.
Jeff — Thanks. I know this is a familiar conversation. It is all about balance, but it’s also about how driven I am to do this. My ROI has always been the feeling I get knowing that people enjoy Junk Drawer. Each time I try to slow down, I realize how much I want to do it. It’s like my fuel. But, yes, it’s worth taking a look at the sacrifices and making adjustments accordingly. I know you told me if I pulled back I wouldn’t lose any readers. Do you promise?
Lisa — Absolutely. It’s the truth. It can take over your life, and as Jeff said, at what cost? I suppose we all need to evaluate what we’re getting out of our blogs and decide for ourselves if we can tolerate what we might be missing as a result. This weekend has been somewhat of a wake-up call for me. Maybe I writing this post was the intervention I really needed?
Sherry Martschink — I knew I wasn’t alone.
October 5th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Hey Kath- I’ve been struggling with this- the time spent away from kids & other stuff. So I timed myself: how long did it take to visit one commenter and comment back. About 3 minutes. Times 60 commenters for my last post. That’s 3 hours. I CAN NOT do that. for no money. As women, we feel so guilty for not reciprocating but we have to ask ourselves: are we sacrificing our real lives to appease people we will never even meet? and if the number of people actually commenting is only 10-20% of total visits, does it even matter that much? I don’t have the answers- I just feel ya, sister. 🙂
Happy Hour Sue’s last blog post..The Jerk Goes to Target
October 5th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Quote:
Update the number of days the plastic bag is still stuck in the tree (see count in sidebar);
I would like to see it updated every hour….and on the hour….and a live camera 24/7 🙂
—————-
I like Blog Catalog…the discussions look like fun
Alan’s last blog post..Do Gay men and Women see her turning the same way ?
October 5th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
That is a lot to do. I know I try to drop 300 but rarely do. I try to hit at least 250 a night if I start on time. I’m trying to set up some type of schedule so that I can get 300 a day. The dropping is like a addiction. I really don’t feel right if I haven’t dropped at least 200 cards.
I do have my favorite blogs that I drop on first and then I hit everyone else. I don’t think I keep the kind of day you have. I would probably be going crazy after day two.
ImitationAngel’s last blog post..Green Is My Favorite Color
October 5th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
omg…you sound like you’re doing what I used to do. Then I took a break and came back fresh.
I decided to get back to what got me started in the first place so now I never promote my blog, other than posting a link on twitter once in a while.
I drop by BlogCatalog & Twitter to chat and have fun, that’s it. I truly believe entrecard is a huge waste of time … and now only have it on my photoblog and the only time I “drop” is if I’m on a blog and happen to see the widget.
Basically I feel like I’m back to basics. I do a post then visit the people who comment on my blog … hopefully I can get to all of them and if I can’t I’m hoping they understand.
That’s it! It works for me because I found all that other stuff was becoming like a job, like you say. Now it’s like it was when I first started. The only difference is when I started I was obsessed with my stats, now I never look at them.
DrowseyMonkey’s last blog post..Awards & Memes
October 6th, 2008 at 5:35 am
Happy Hour Sue — I hear ya. Responding to every comment and/or visiting commenters’ blogs and commenting back takes more than half my daily blogging time. I couldn’t do it if I had kids because that would take precedence. I do it because it helps grow my blog and develop a community, which has always been important to me. I guess you could look at that as the payment I receive. But, yeah, it’s sort of insane the time we spend. Balance is key, and I think I learned that this weekend when I took more time away from my laptop. This was a good article for me to write. Very therapeutic.
Alan — Don’t laugh. I’ve been trying to figure out a way to get a live bag cam set up. But I’d have to find a secure location that faces the tree to set up the camera and PC. So far, no luck.
ImitationAngel — I’m all about numbers. I feel “off” if I don’t reach the 300 max drop in a day. I know some people think it’s a waste of time, but it hasn’t been for me. I’ve found some great new blogs and it does bring me quality traffic (over time).
DrowseyMonkey — Yes, but, you ARE promoting your blog. Especially through BlogCatalog. You may see it as only fun, but I’m sure you get more visitors that way. I always wonder how you have time to pop up in every other BlogCatalog discussion and you are a Master Twitterer! I think, “God, I could never do what Drowsey does.” I think you and I spend a good deal of time with blogging activities, just focused in different ways. I think you are an example of someone who does really well writing and having fun, and the visitors just come. That’s the way to do it! I tip my hat to you.
October 6th, 2008 at 6:03 am
thanks for sharing your routine. i do wonder sometimes how other bloggers allocate their time. i don’t quite have a solid routine yet, so i’m rather inefficient. :O
kouji | capiz’s last blog post..haiku poem: poverty (freeplay)
October 6th, 2008 at 6:26 am
Good grief! I am exhausted just having read that! You’re awesome!
October 6th, 2008 at 8:17 am
I’d certainly be happy to do a guest post for you one day, if you were needing one. You and I do have a similar amusement at life’s quirky minutia. 🙂
Jenn’s last blog post..Button Pushing at the Pump
October 6th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I will be your assitent for $100 per month
October 6th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Oh my GOSH!!!! I thought blogging from my iPhone was a challenge!!! If you can do all that, then I must step it up!!!
KFJ’s last blog post..Carwash
October 6th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
kouji — Don’t worry, you’ll find a system you can live with.
Corrina — Awesome or stupid. One of the two.
Jenn — We do share similar sensibilities for humor. I may just take you up on it. I like this idea of calling out for guest posts to take a break. It worked wonders for me when my sister, ann of the cellphone bag, gave me a post.
brooke — I can’t afford you.
KFJ — Noooo! Save yourself!!!!
October 7th, 2008 at 10:03 am
This is why you have such a fantastic blog girl. 😉
HUGSSSS
Lori’s last blog post..All about fat
October 7th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Maybe you should consider becoming a stay-at-home blogger? 🙂
I have been following your blog for quite a while now and you never fail to entertain me!
Nichole’s last blog post..Addicted America
October 8th, 2008 at 1:46 am
I love this post! Your routine is very close to mine, except I have a glass of wine or a Jack & Coke accompany me on my evening blogging activities. And yes, I do remember what I did before the Blogging Monster got me: sleep.
Vivienne’s last blog post..Dying to Vote
October 8th, 2008 at 3:28 am
Sadly lack of money has forced me to join the work force. Extended hours and 3 jobs has limited my life to nothing. I can’t even find time to blog…sad…
survivor’s last blog post..How to Poop At Work
October 8th, 2008 at 5:20 am
Lori! — I don’t know. It may not be so fantastic anymore. I’m taking more time away from it. At least this week. I needed the break.
Nicole — I’d love to be a stay-at-home blogger. Of course, then I’d have to live with a stay-at-home salary. Thanks for the compliment!
Vivienne — Ah! So that’s the secret?! I still sleep as little as I did before, but I do miss my weekend naps. The monster ate those.
survivor — Shame. I’m sorry to hear that. But you do have yourself an interesting blog there. One of a kind!
October 8th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
I will lower it to a low low price of 19.99 per month
October 8th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Hi Kathy ~ my day is similar to yours & I work FT also, but I also have 2 blogs and 3 online businesses. I find it impossible to drop 300 ECs especially for one blog, much less 3. I’m going to bookmark this to come back & read more of the comments here. I’ve read some of the recommended efforts aren’t a good ROI and will be cutting back on some of my social networking sites. You’re obviously doing something right to have that money followers & subscribers! I’ve visited you many times before via EC
Cindi @ Moomettesgram’s Musings’s last blog post..Olive Kids ~ Personalized Clocks ~ A Review
October 10th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
brooke — You drive a hard bargain.
Cindi — Good grief, how do you do it? The things I’m most inclined to drop are the social networking sites, as you said. I’m not sure they pull in as many potential readers as EC does, so I focus on that. I’m slowly moving away from BlogCatalog and I didn’t Twitter at all today. As a result, I feel more in control and that’ll be better for my writing. Thank you for always visiting! I do appreciate it.
October 11th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Wow, that is definitely a lot work and didn’t realize how much time in my day I put into my own blog. I definitely spend most of it either writing or doing research for my posts. Also, I definitely check my stats wayyy to much throughout the day – what can I say, it’s a guilty pleasure:)
Matt Savage’s last blog post..The Dilemmas of Male Virgins
October 13th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Matt Savage — I hate to admit it, but I spend more time on non-writing duties than I do writing. How did that happen?? But since writing this post, it’s made me at least slow down a little with all that extra stuff. I am somewhat of a stat addict, mostly interested in where people come in from. But you’re right, it’s a very guilty pleasure! I can’t stop!
October 13th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
my jewelry business has become my second job, and I seem to be spending more time online than at my work table. Go figure!
storybeader’s last blog post..turning your passion into profit
October 15th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
I find that when I make a list of the things that I need to get done on a daily basis, I get much more done. I Between taking college classes and taking care of a very busy toddler, I’m pretty busy. Making a to-do list in order of importance really helps me focus.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
storybeader — Another victim of the Blog Monster!
Business Support Classes — I live by lists, too. If I didn’t write things down (or email myself notes), I couldn’t survive. Gets worse as I get older, sadly.
April 3rd, 2010 at 5:32 pm
We have a similar day except I add 2 hours to the mix with “I should be doing….” Your dedication sure has paid off for you. Very successful blog and terrific writing!
.-= Fisher´s last blog ..Who let the cats out? =-.