The blue and navy bars mocked me from my computer screen. Like a staggered row of dingy tenements, those statistics told me one thing:
Your posts are irrelevant. Give up.
I admit, I have shed tears of frustration over those metrics. Since 2013, I’ve poured hours of work to create what industry professionals call a “writer’s platform.” It’s supposed to assure folks in the publishing world that I’m marketable. They can take a chance on my novel because people like to read my work.
The proof is in those little rectangles that indicate the number of visitors to my website.
Please forgive me if I sound cynical, but “build it and they will come” apparently doesn’t apply in the blogosphere.
Trust me, I have targeted, focused, spent hard-earned freelance writer funds, promoted, boosted, SEO-ed, and spent more money to promote my site.
And yet, sometimes it seems as though I’m wasting time and resources trying to build up enthusiasm for my site.
So I did what any self-respecting writer would do: I begged and pleaded for site visitors in the post I wrote on March 1, 2018: Pouring Out My Heart [http://www.sweetgumlife.com/2018/03/01/pouring-out-my-heart/]
In return, I received some small acts of kindness.
One of my brick-and-mortar friends (someone I know outside of the virtual world) offered up hope. Essentially, she commented: Don’t give up!
An author friend sent me an entire paragraph. Essentially, she commented: Don’t give up!
A close relative sent me a one-liner. Essentially, she commented: Don’t give up!
And my dear father-in-law sent me a few short words. Essentially, he commented: Don’t give up!
Sometimes, an act of kindness is simply a smile from a stranger.
At other times, it comes in a few comments, which reflect our Father’s love.
And gives us just the right encouragement to soldier on.
Stephanie L. Robertson is a writer and editor who maintains a southern lifestyle blog at www.SweetgumLife.com.
A busy Christian wife and mom, Stephanie and her husband of 19 years live in the Huntsville area with their teenage daughter.
Stephanie has a self-published short suspense story on Amazon and is working on adding a novel. When not immersed in mom/wife life, she enjoys photography, Pinterest projects, coffee with family and friends, and immersing herself in a good suspense novel.
