Throwback Thursday to When I Actually Blogged

Strangely, and for reasons I still don’t understand, I gain new followers every day (and here I am, still not rich and famous). To those of you who are new here, I swear I don’t always suck. I used to post religiously every week. Sometimes I posted twice. I was inspired. I was hopeful. I was excited. I was preparing to rule the world.
Something happened, yo.
This post could have been alternatively titled: Throwback Thursday to When I Actually Gave a Fuck.
It’s not that I don’t care about you. Every time I get a notification that I have a new like, comment, follower, a tiny voice inside me says, “Someone loves me. They really do love me.”
(Typing that out makes it sound so profoundly pitiful. *opens Google app to google, “Is it bad to think that strangers love me when they follow my blog even when I know it’s not possible they can love me and I only think it for, like, a split sentence?* Google wasn’t sure.)
I love the essence of blogging. I love writing. I love finding and reading good writing. I love the connections.
But, as much as I’d love to be that lucky bitch in every chick flick who has a mental epiphany/breakdown and leaves everything for a rundown, centuries old house in the middle of France and spends her days consuming goat cheese and red wine while writing her fifth novel on her antique typewriter at a table that looks out on a picturesque lake while wearing an oversized cable knit sweater that doesn’t make her look as big as a house, because she’s maybe a size four, I can’t because I live in the real world.
In the real world, I work a full time job, have debt, and spend an ungodly amount of time wondering how I’ll ever fund my next vacation, a house, or my next overpriced hipster donut.
For some time now I’ve considered the possibility of monetizing my blog. Only recently have I realized that I’ve been working my ass off at a part time gig and getting nowhere in the process.
I shouldn’t say ‘nowhere’, as I’ve actually gained something greater than Ellen hosting me on her show and then surprising me with money to pay off all of my debts*–I’ve gained loyal readers, many of whom I call true friends.
But, it’s finally time for me to put my efforts into ways to better my standing, my life, my writing game.
In the coming months, I hope to move to self-hosting. That’s just the first step in my Make Actual Money From Writing/Blogging plan.
Until then, you’ll have to bear with me and the construction zone mess this place will likely be.
If you are one of my newbies (or oldies, I’m not discriminating) and you’re still reading this mess, here are some of my older posts that I wrote when I was still young and full of writing zest. I hope they’ll keep you going until I figure my shit out:
I love sharing embarrassing personal stories about toilet disasters
Geez, poop AGAIN?
Now farts? Come on…
Because everyone likes to laugh at the inept one
I’m really hairy (Speaking of which, I skipped my mid-week chin plucking to write this. You’re welcome.)
Tell me more about your own writing struggles. Misery loves company and all…
*Well, actually, if Ellen would have me, I mean…I wouldn’t say ‘no’…

Just a pic my grandma took of our family dog taking a shit on our lawn, because I couldn’t think of any other pictures for this post.

74 thoughts on “Throwback Thursday to When I Actually Blogged”

  3. Good luck with the move! 🙂 I hope you get your writing mojo back/find more time to write… It’s difficult sometimes to find balance. I’m really looking forward to reading more of your UK adventure posts!

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    1. Well, first, you can have ads and the money (though small) doesn’t go to WordPress. Then, you can work with companies and affiliate links. You also look more professional and serious to potential companies or editors.

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    1. Self-hosting means that you host your site as opposed to WordPress or whatever site you’re using. I’m still learning about monetizing, but I think the real money is in affiliate links.

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      1. Not to interject myself in y’all’s convo–but you can monetize through WordPress, too. I run ads and affiliate links through my blog and I’m on WordPress. I’m still small potatoes as far as the income from that goes right now, but that will grow as my readership grows. *crossing fingers* Admittedly, you’ll get a bigger piece of the pie if you self-host.

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          1. I have a the “business” plan through WordPress. It removes all of their ads, logos, etc. from your site. If you ever want to swap blog tricks/tips, I’m here, friend!

          3. If I went self-hosting, I’d need a tech person. Website maintenance, for me, is intimidating AF. lol With the plan I have, I rarely struggle to do everything myself. Monetizing was relatively easy. Joining affiliates and adding links was easy. I guess it just depends on an individual’s level of tech skills, what they can afford, and how much time they have. For me, what I chose fits my skills and needs (and pocketbook).

          4. There is a company called Lyrical that is very affordable and they do all the techie crap. I’m wondering how it compares to a higher WordPress plan?!

          5. They’re comparable plan is only $10 more a month than mine. So it might be worth it to you. But I don’t see anything about what themes they offer, monetizing or anything. Might be worth a phone chat with ‘em. Can’t hurt, right?

          6. That’s one of my many to dos this weekend-to contact them and ask them my million and one inane questions! First one being- “What do you do when you don’t know what to do?”

    2. Ok…I’m going to interject as well. I am self-hosted and I have a Liberal Arts degree, which means I am sooooooo not a techie! LOL. I manage just fine. The hosting companies usually have pretty good tech support, so if you need help, they are awesome. I haven’t had any major issues that I couldn’t figure out (or Google to get the answer) since I started a year ago. I started out as self hosted because I knew eventually I wanted to try to make some money from blogging and possibly build an audience big enough to actually be able to sell a book or two at some point. I did try the Amazon affiliate program, but I think I tried that too soon. My blog is still very small and I couldn’t get the three sales I needed within the first 180 days for them to keep me on the program (sad, isn’t it?). I guess my peeps are readers and not shoppers! They told me I can reapply when my blog is bigger and there’s more of a chance of making sales. Once you make your three, you’re in! I have been fairly successful with my Zazzle shop, though. I make a few bucks here and there with it. I just tie in products I make with my blog posts. I haven’t made enough to pay bills, but I’ve made enough to pay for my hosting renewal, domain name renewal and some other blog-related expenses! Katie, you appear to have enough followers now that I think you could be a champ at monetizing your blog! 🙂

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      1. Thank you for weighing in as this is all HUGELY helpful!! I’m going to check out Zazzle and I have a hosting company in mind already! I’m excited 😬😬☺️

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  6. Your blog is *everything* and the likes and comments mean we love you. I’ll be sure to inform the Google so that the answer will be there for the next person who asks. Keep doing you, because that’s why we all keep coming back day after day, praying to see a new post!

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    1. Yeah. I hate to think that I’ve barely gotten to know you through your blog and then “poof” you’re not here anymore. I wish success and wealth to you and all your endeavors, my friend — and a visit from the muse to reinvigorate your love for writing! We all go through slumps and they don’t call these the dog days of summer for nuthin! Sending magical sprinkles of fucks left to give your way!
      Mona

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  7. I really hope your move to self-hosting is smooth and good for you. Your posts are awesome and always so funny and relatable.
    I don’t have enough followers to make any money from blogging, and between school and trying to get my real life together I feel like I’m kind of just wasting my time. I love all the friends I’ve made, but I can’t help but feel like I should be focused on other things. I’m just not good at networking and doing what you need to do to gain followers. *shrugs*

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    1. There seems to be something in the air. So many bloggers seem to be needing a break or IDK! What other kind of things are you interested in focusing on, Adie?
      Mona

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      1. I’m in school right now, so I need to focus on that before anything else. Also, being online all the time just gets exhausting, you know? There are only so many hours in a day and I’d like to spend more of them spending face-to-face time with friends and family and doing things in the Real World. Especially lately, I often feel like I’m so worried about keeping up with blogging that I’m not letting myself have real life experiences (which, ironically, would probably give me things to blog about so I wouldn’t have to worry so much).

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    2. It’s SO tough. Like, I really should have called this a full time job. The networking part is really important if your aim is to gain followers, but that brings up other issues (at least for me). I always think I’m being braggy or annoying when I promote my own work. It’s really tough to find the balance ESPECIALLY when people outside of the blogging community don’t do much sharing for you.
      I’m always thinking I need to focus on something else- something that could bring more income. Le sigh.

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      1. Yea, I hate doing self-promotion, as necessary as it is. I just feel like I’m annoying people and no one is really interested in my stuff. I’m also totally lost when it comes to using Twitter–I don’t translate well over there, I guess. I have over a hundred Instagram followers, but none of my blog traffic comes from Insta. I know Twitter is The Place To Be for promotion, but even on my old super-active account, I never broke 75. Networking is just awful.
        It doesn’t help that I’m in school trying to get a degree and sometimes it’s like my blog is distracting me from that, which is why it seems like every couple months I have to take another break, which gets my head juuuuust above water, but then in another month I’m drowning again. *sigh*

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        1. You know what all this sounds like? We all need to make a “Super Awesome Cool Blogger Friends” group (we can come up with a better name—I’m flexible on that) and help promote each other! I love all of y’all’s blogs so much and don’t want them to be gone! I have no shame, so I’m really good at screaming “READ MY FRIENDS’ BLOGS!!!!”

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          1. Lol I don’t think I’d ever give up blogging completely. I just take frequent breaks from it to keep up with all my real life responsibilities. Still, by all means, feel free to promote me whenever you want! =D

          6. I will! And just FYI, like Adie, Mona, and Kat, if you ever want to guest post on my blog to promote yourself and stretch your legs, I would be honored! 😉

        2. Honestly, Twitter is useless. We used to discuss it all the time in a blogging group that used to exist. Almost everyone got very little traffic from Twitter. StumbleUpon, which is now Mix and Pinterest is where it’s at apparently, but I’m terrible at social media. I rarely even update my Facebook page for my blog.

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          1. I don’t get Pinterest. I don’t know anything about StumbleUpon/Mix, but Pinterest is tough for me because my blog isn’t very image heavy and Pinterest is a visual search engine. I also have no idea how to get onto group boards and stuff, which is apparently what you need to do to get any real traffic? I don’t know. I’m pretty much just over the internet in general at this point lol!

          3. Honestly, I’m beginning to think the only blogs that do well on social media are blogs about blogging. SEO crap and things like that. Ugh. I will take my five loyal followers over making a fortune posting about that garbage, any day!

      2. So I’ve been out working and am just now able to get back to this. Damn. I’ve been missing out on all of the fun. If we were, indeed, to set up our own “community,” we could be the Legion of Doom like JoJo told Allen — yes, or we could be the DUNGEON OF LOOM! Just because Legion of Doom is already someone else’s thing. I think and I don’t think the DUNGEON OF LOOM has been taken yet. Or maybe it has.
        Yeah, and all of this shit is hard work. Don’t get me started, y’all. You know how I can write forever without coming up for air.
        Mona

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      3. I’m living for all of this. The blogger group, the Dungeon of Loom. Sprinkling some of my shamelessness around to my friends. Bombarding people with shameless self-promotion until they can’t refuse but to follow…this ain’t even my whole day.

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  8. I was a much bigger blogger a few years ago. I met my wife through my blog (she was one of my fans on the other side of the country). I was hosting writing contests. I was doing guest posts on other people’s sites about once a week. I even spent time traveling around the country (USA) meeting other bloggers who were part of my blogging circle of influence. It was great fun, but then something happened.
    The problem is, I have no idea what it was. The writing just really slowed down and I got involved with life. Today, I live in a small town in Vietnam in a huge three-story house on the coast where the cost of living is basically zero. I work less than 15 hours a week to give me all the time in the world to start writing again and I’m still having trouble getting motivated to sit at my computer and get it done.
    Sending you good vibes from the tropics here. How far you take this is UP TO YOU, not your circumstances. Go get ’em.

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  9. It’s the funny but true blogs like yours that makes us smile that are so freaking worth staying loyal to regardless of how often they post. Good Luck with the move and let us know how it went and if its worth it.
    Anna x (one half of the Cinnamon Buns and Roses Blog)

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  10. I’m with cinnamon buns with this.
    You should feel loved with all our comments/”likes”/follows. You’re awesome and I’m sure everyone that finds your blog thinks so. I’ll still read your funny madness even if you post more sporadically. It just might take me longer to notice the new posts!
    (I used to be like “omg it’s Thursday, Katie has probably posted something funny for me to giggle at” as soon as I’d get to work!!)

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  11. I meant to leave a comment here saying how much I enjoy your blog and wish you the best of luck with the self-hosting and I’ll continue to read every delightful scrap you throw out and then a bunch of other people dropped in and said the same thing. And I’m okay with that. It means your chances of success are pretty good and everybody benefits.

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  13. Yeay! I can’t wait until you self host, it’s about time you get something out of your amazing and funny writting. Even this post made me chuckle! I know is hard, stressful and worrying but we are all here for you, and guess what: we do love you! Goggle is wrong! 😉 I was planing on doing the same as I’m hoping to do some product reviews … food reviews 😂, might as well see if I can get 1 or 2 pounds out of it lol!!

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  14. Yo girl Rome wasn’t built in a day. I’m new to reading your blog and like what I see. I do know from watching Allen’s blog the struggle is real. Keep it up girl you got this 😉

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  15. Good luck on the self hosting. I did it waaayyyy too early in the game and regretted it. I lost all my followers in the process. I think I wrote a post or two weighing the pros and cons of self-hosting. Let me know if you have any questions. My switch over was more on par with a sky scraper being imploded, crumbling to the ground, the debris being removed for many months then condos being built in it’s place.

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