Welcome to the final part of the series on making blogging schedules work for you, and this is where I tell what works for me and what doesn’t. Here is my typical day as a book blogger to inspire and help you make your own blog schedule that works.
Typically I spend more than 30 hours per week on my blog and book blogging related works, making me a part time blogger and more. I also juggle between beta reading, writing and content development work for my clients. And none of this would be possible without a proper blog schedule that works for me.
I normally post four times a week and I have a bookstagram where I post thrice a week. And I am nothing if not being consistent. Yes that sounds like a lot for a hobby blog, but fortunately Elgee Writes is not just a blog that I work on for fun.
To put it in perspective, I work so hard on my blog because it acts as my portfolio and this is where I generate my paid clients from. You will understand it better if you start substituting “content marketing” every time you call it “blogging”.
I have an almost set routine, though the COVID19 situation has thrown the balance a little off. But it still works with minor tweaking here and there.
My mornings
My typical day begins around 6 30 AM. I am not a morning person, but I have come to realize that waking a bit early gets a lot of things done and you can always slack later in the day, if you want to.
I love spending the first hour or so on writing, so that I can actually focus and not worry about answering texts or calls.
7 to 8 30 AM: Usually I have prepared outlines for the blog posts or article for my clients the previous day or so, and I just have to put my thoughts into words without having to use the browser for research (AKA the distractions) much.
8 30 to 9 30 AM: Once that is done, and as my family wakes up I make a quick breakfast and coffee hustle. If you personally know me, you would understand when I say “I need a breakfast before 9”. Else, you will have to believe me when I say “HANGRY” was made up to describe me.
Since we are all working from home at the moment (and possibly until the end 2020 at least), things are kinda slow for now. Else this would be my peak time in terms of household chores.
9 30 to 11 00 AM: This is when I write down my to-do list for the day and check if any weekly goals have to be changed. Speaking of goals, I also do a check in of my Google analytics and social media stats on a daily basis.
I also quickly hop on to the social media to check if my scheduled posts are getting posted and answer any DMs or mentions I have received. This invariably ends up with my scrolling my Twitter and Instagram feed for a while.
If there were any client calls I schedule them here, so that I can alter my schedule if needed.
Depending upon the day and the work schedule, I usually spend the morning reading something for work (AKA beta reading a manuscript) or a non fiction.
11 00 AM to 1 00 PM: This is the time I spend on cooking lunch, catching up on errands and household chores. I also have a very long curly hair routine which I try to squeeze in here too.
My noons
1 00 PM to 2 00 PM – I usually hit the gym on weekdays just before lunch. This is a practice that I am trying to build again, now that the gyms are open in the UAE and we are free to use them.
Being the bookworm that I am, I usually read on my phone while workout on the treadmill or so just to keep me distracted from the fact that I am actually working out. I will let you know when it actually works.
2 30 to 6 00PM – This is the time I completely spend on research and development which means I am doing email outreach and pitching for clients.
This is probably the second most productive time of my day.
The daily chores can range from clicking photos for bookstagram to logo designing for a client. And one day is like no other. There is always something going on and fire to put out.
Sometimes (though I am trying curb that habit too) I catch up something on Netflix while I do some monotonous task. White noise helps me too.
My evenings
6 00PM to 7 00PM – Depending on the weather, I take a walk or watch Netflix or just take a break from work.
7 00PM to 9 00PM – Dinner and family time. I speak to my parents who are back in India and would be retiring to bed around this time. So that helps.
9 00PM to 11 00PM – I catch up with whatever is pending from the day.
I usually spend the time prepping for the next day’s writing session in terms of outline, tone etc.
I usually hit the bed by 11 00 PM and read a bit (or lot, depending on the book) until I can convince myself to sleep.
On most days, I get most things on my list done. It is generally a full packed day and I rarely take off. But it is only because I love what I do and I love keeping myself busy.
What do you think atypical day of a book blogger looks like? What is yours like? On an average, do you get most things done on a daily basis? Let us talk.
One of the major blog goals I had when I started was to have a consistent post schedule and be more organized. While I have things in control, it took me so long to reach this place of peacefulness. Let us talk about a few tips that can help you create a blogging schedule that you’ll stick to easily.
In our next post we will talk about the blog schedule that I have been following for a while, so that you can use it as a guide to make your own.
Set your blog time aside
Everybody’s life and routines are different. So to start with, identify the best time for you and your blog and set aside a few hours to spend only on your blog. When I say blogging it may include everything that you do for a blog from researching a topic to scheduling your social media or answering your DMs.
Next, you have to make some tough calls. Note that there is no magic number or correct answer to these questions. You just have to choose what works for you. Remember we are aiming for consistency, so think of the long term when you choose your blogging schedule.
How often do you want to publish on your blog?
Who are your target audience?
What are the broad topics that you will write on and does that match with your audience’s interest?
What are the items that you depend on someone else’s input?; and
Which ones can you outsource or automate?
Once you honestly answer these questions you will have a realistic idea on what you can and what you can’t do.
Create an editorial calendar
An editorial calendar is the correct place to start with while creating a blogging schedule that you’ll stick to. A blog schedule and editorial calendar are closely interlinked.
An editorial calendar will act as the backbone of your blog and will keep a track on what is being published and when, and also what are you planning to publish in future. Usually it is filled for a month and I know bloggers who do it for a year even.
I use Spreadsheets for marking down the special days on the calendar and the blog content for the month. If you participate in any memes or link ups, you can put them down on it too. This will ensure you won’t forget what is pending and what’s written up.
Build an idea tank
How many times have you sat in front of the screen and waited for inspiration to strike to write a post? Not knowing what to write is one of the major reason why we do not post as per schedule.
And that is why you need to build an idea tank. Yes it is exactly how it sounds. You need a place to dump all your ideas without judgement.
Credit: Giphy
I use Evernote for that and any topic that remotely feels like it can be a blog post topic goes into a note. It is not the right time to think if it is a good idea or not, just dump it there and stop thinking about it.
A quick tip to get things done faster – batch similar tasks. If you are designing header images for a post, do it for the entire week or even month at a time. Work on SEO research for all the posts at a time instead of repeating the same task for each post.
This is one of the best things that I learned in the last few years and it only saves me time but ensures I don’t get bogged down by small tasks repeatedly, and thus keeps me on the blogging schedule that I have been following religiously for a while now.
Social media time
Like it or not, we spend a huge amount of time on social media, especially for our blog. We try to be everywhere at the same time. Promoting our content and responding to our DMs and mentions are just a tiny speck when it comes to blog promotion.
So ensure that your blogging schedule includes time for all these social media activities like following your peers posts and engaging with them. And these activities should not be affect your other blog schedule.
Get a partner or ten
Another quick tip to ensure you stick to your blog schedule is to rope in a partner or two to keep you accountable. Or you can quickly join a Discord or Facebook group of like minded bloggers who are also working towards similar goals.
While all the above tips might help you to create a blogging schedule that you’ll stick to, I believe everything starts from your inner self. So when the going gets worse and it feels like the blogging schedule is getting out of your way – slog through it. Because slump begets slump.
The more you procrastinate or cancel things, harder it gets to go back to your routine and schedules. So as much as possible push it through and get yourself on to that discipline of following the schedule.
Of course that doesn’t mean you have to overwhelm yourself. Just take one step at a time and get things done.
How hard is it for you to create a blogging schedule that you’ll stick to? What are the challenges uou face when you make a blogging schedule? Let us talk.
I have been working as a freelance writer for more than five years now and you wouldn’t believe the number of times I stopped myself before I mentioned that on my about me page. Yes the scary impostor syndrome is much more common than we like to acknowledge. And that’s exactly why we are talking about how to deal with the impostor syndrome and how to overcome it.
Well, when I spoke about this impostor syndrome to some of my friends who are in the similar profession as mine, I was shocked to understand that they shared the same worries as I did. At least once a week, I contemplate if I am a fraud, an impostor, trying to show off as someone who is knowledgeable than she is actually.
And these are some of the things that actually work for me, and may do for you too.
And without a beat, I read some of the comments and engagement I received on my blog posts to remind myself that there are indeed people who want me to talk about it.
Giphy
Reminding yourself of your past positive experiences and appreciations will help in defeating the impostor syndrome and other self doubts.
Know Your feelings
Your emotions including mood swings matter. Understand why you are feeling the way you are and what triggered you. Are you comparing yourself to that person? Did you meet someone who make you trigger the impostor syndrome?
Spend sometime to objective understand what your triggers and warnings are. Knowing the cause and effect might help you avoid those pitfalls or even use them as a motivation.
Perfectionism Kills
If you are a perfectionist, impostor syndrome might be a common occurrence for you.
You are probably setting your expectations far too high than the standards, and consequently setting yourself for failure right away. And if and when you fail, it inevitably leads to shame and guilt.
Giphy
As a self-sabotaging perfectionist you are focusing on your mistakes and shortfalls, instead of your positives. Curbing the desire to be perfectionist is a good way to overcome the impostor syndrome.
Avoid negative self-talk
Boost your confidence and esteem by curbing your negativity towards yourself. Often these self talks sow the seeds for the impostor syndrome that you are trying to overcome.
Visualize your success and benefits every time you have self doubts. Stop attributing to your success sheer luck or hard work, but accept that you did well because you are talented.
impostor syndrome is usually accompanied by the fear of being discovered as a fraud by others. What if someone finds that I am not good enough? How long till they figure out? These fears and insecurities impact the future performances and becomes a vicious cycle.
Instead take action to overcome the impostor syndrome by constantly increasing your knowledge and increasing your productivity. Focus on sharing these knowledge with your peers and consistently work on being valuable to the team and your clients.
Take actions towards reducing those insecurities instead of letting them affect you.
Start a conversation
Reach out to someone whom you trust, like a friend or colleague and understand if they can relate to your feelings. Build some support system where you can share your experiences and insecurities and try to deal with the impostor syndrome.
Hearing reassuring and encouraging words from others might dissuade your self doubts. And it may not come as a surprise that women are more prone to self doubts and it is harder for us to overcome the impostor syndrome.
Fake it till you make it
Sometimes we fail and there will be things that we do not know. But that is what we are here for – to learn and grow. A few losses do not make someone a bad athlete or a bad businessman.
Giphy
So the next time you hit by a wave of self doubt, fake the courage and confidence that you aren’t feeling at that moment and dive through it. If you win, you would know that you are capable of doing it. And if you don’t, you will learn how to do it.
Finding your ideal beta reader might seem to be daunting task, especially if it were your first time using the services of a professional beta reader. Let us talk about some of the qualities that you might want to look while you choose the ideal beta reader for your next manuscript.
While it is true that finding a good beta reader is important, the success of the partnership largely depends on finding someone who is the best fit for you and your manuscript. Here are a few qualities that may seem vital in choosing your next beta reader for your MS.
Do they belong to your target audience?
Ideally your beta reader should fall into the demographic of your target audience in terms of age, gender, interest etc. Or someone who is capable of putting themselves in those specific shoes for you, hypothetically.
For example, if you are writing a middle grader story with a strong female, your best beta reader should be a female, middle grader or someone who is capable of responding from the point of view of a middle grader.
If your book is about a special field (say a sci-fi about volcano and geothermal stuff) or set in an exotic location, you may have to narrow your search to that. It would be great to have two beta readers – one a specialist and a non specialist.
Are they regular readers themselves?
It goes without saying that a good beta reader should be a voracious reader of different genres. And even if they don’t specifically enjoy reading the genre you are writing in, they should be able to appreciate it.
If it is possible take look at some of the book they have reviewed in the past on their blog or on Goodreads and make sure their style will suit your needs.
Are they publishing savvy?
Your next beta reader should be savvy enough to know what makes a well written book great in terms of writing, credibility and marketability.
They should have both good instincts and knowledge of the present publishing scene to suggest relevant changes for your manuscript. They should know what appeals to the mass market and your target readers alike.
To ensure your beta reader hits all these notes, it is probably a safe bet to find out your next beta reader through recommendations and referrals. At least go through the testimonials from the past and present clientele.
Do they know what is expected of them?
A good beta reader should know what type of suggestions and opinions would matter to you, aka an author. They should be honest and opinionated but at the same time they should ensure those criticisms/opinions are valid and relevant.
While catching typos and grammatical errors maybe helpful, that is not their job nor it is vital at this stage. For example, they should be telling you if the narrative voice was interesting enough, but not about the high school grammar.
Do you prefer they were writers themselves?
I know many authors use their peers to get their manuscripts beta read, and that is wonderful. But I would suggest looking for strangers, who are not writers themselves or a professional beta reader.
A fresh set of eyes would always bring in newer perspective to your manuscript . Also you need not worry about them using your unique ideas themselves or them attempting to help you by “fixing” your book.
A professional beta reader would at best tear open the book for plot holes and weaknesses and would help you rebuild them, as a reader. Not as a writer, which would still be you.
Are they too close to you?
Your ideal beta reader should preferably not be someone who is too close to you – like your partner, mother or a close friend, for many a reasons.
Are they regular readers who are publishing savvy? Are they bringing in a fresh pair of eyes or have they read your other writing and have an idea about your style already? Would they be brutally honest about their reading experience? And would you and your relationship be alright, if they tear your book apart and criticize it?
Were you able to think of two or three specific people who would tick off these boxes? Then you have got your dream team of beta readers. And if you still have a spot left on your team, you can take a look at hiring me as your beta reader.
What do you think as the qualities of a good beta reader? How do you choose the ideal beta reader for your manuscript? And readers, let me know if you have the qualities of an idea beta reader? Let’s talk.
I was not been a great morning person, until a few months ago. Just a few weeks into the new year, I realized I was always running out of time in a day and decided to get up few minutes earlier to catch up on things. One thing led to another and now I can’t stop raving about the benefits of waking up early.
Waking early by 6 AM is a habit that was expected of almost every Asian kid and as I got into later teens, it somehow translated into a rebellious thing to do – waking up at 8 or 9 AM. But now that I am an actual adult who has a never ending to do list, things have come to a full circle.
Credit: Giphy.com
Let us talk about some other benefits of waking up early.
[ez-toc]
Amazing start
Getting a head start on the day and ahead of your usual schedule can make you feel better about yourself. The feeling of being in control and not running like a headless chicken translates into a peaceful and productive day for me.
I even sneak in a bit of reading (non fiction books) into the morning schedule and that makes me feel like I am on the top of the world.
The quiet time
With the new normal of working from home and the non stop zoom calls and texts, getting some quiet time before the chaos starts is a blessing. Not having to think over the noise of Netflix and the other background commotion helps in focusing on the work in hand.
Credit: Giphy.com
I wake up an hour or two earlier, depending on the day, and having the whole house to myself is a perfect way to start a day.
Increased productivity
It is no secret that the brain is alert and focused in the morning, at least once you have loaded it with caffeine.
With zero distractions and the newfound quietness, means you can put in some meaningful work as soon as you get up. And the high that you got some deep work done, will let you ride through the day on a positive note.
Eating the frog
We all have the one thing on your to do list and you keep procrastinating until we reach the deadline. And then half bake it, so that we can get it done with.
Don’t get me wrong. They are usually not even something I hate doing. And it is sometimes something that I want to do really well.
Of late I have been working on doing those special something tasks as soon as I wake up, like the post that you are currently reading. More often than not, these tasks require focus and uninterrupted time – a great choice for the morning task.
Being more organized is a goal by itself for many of us and waking up early is a good way to start with that habit.
Get your breakfast on time
I can’t skip breakfast and I end up getting headaches if I do. While it is a good thing, I used to have the first meal of my day at around 11 AM (as I used to wake up around 9 AM), which meant the subsequent mealtimes are also disrupted.
Credit: Giphy.com
But since I started waking up early, I have been eating my breakfast by 9 AM or earlier, which is something I have been trying so hard to so far.
So there is no more excuses for you for grabbing that granola bar or simply skipping your breakfast. Eat something filling and healthy, dude!
An extra hour or two
Not having a work life balance and not having time in a day are some of our usual complaints. But when you wake up early, you are basically getting an hour or so extra each day – an hour that you can spend on exercising or reading a book that you have been promising to.
I know these benefits of waking up early sound cool. But in reality it is definitely hard to get off the bed in the morning especially in the cold winter.
Here are some tips that worked for me when I started waking up earlier
Try to go to bed earlier. If you are a night-owl like me, I know it sounds hard. But it is all a matter of getting into the habit. If you usually go to bed at 12 AM, try to sleep in 11 PM – baby steps work better.
Don’t think waking up early as a chore. I know it sounds harder, but if you understand that it is for your own benefit, not some thing you HAVE TO DO as an adult.
Instead, imagine waking up early as a reward by itself and you are getting an hour more each day.
Hype your morning up. Just before you sleep, mentally plan and prepare for all the task on you to do list. Imagine of all the things you can get done from to do list before 9 AM.
And finally, do not think. Get off the bed as soon as you wake up. Give your brain no chance to come up with excuses to get two minutes more of sleep or to snooze.
It is no secret that many of us struggle with blogging consistently. And many bloggers consider putting out content regularly as a success parameter. Let us talk about why it is so important to have a blogging schedule to ensure that you are blogging consistently.
Blogging consistently: Why do you need a blog schedule
Why do we keep insisting that bloggers should be more consistent? Why is keeping up with the blog schedule so important? Here are a few reasons for you to consider.
Makes you look professional
Having a blog schedule and blogging consistently makes you look like a professional at what you do. And guess what! That means your audience and readers will take you more seriously.
Every time (or so) you add a post or update something on your blog, the Search Engine Gods (aka Google or Bing) make a note of that. And that is a good thing because they understand that you are still relevant and show yours more frequently on the search pages – and that leads to? YES, MORE TRAFFIC!
Builds trust and authority
We only take in advices and suggestions from people whom we trust.
Gaining that trust and subject authority from your readers takes a long time and needs hard work. And that comes from a portfolio of articles you have written on the topic by blogging consistently.
For instance, the index of all my reviews here usually acts as my portfolio for the authors before they ask me to review or beta read their books.
Having more than 200 book reviews somehow helps them make that decision. What do you think?
Keeping your readers happy
Oh we almost forgot the most important reason we are screaming into the void here blogging. Our dear readers!
Having a good number of traffic or ranking high on the Search Engine results would not matter if we are not able to retain the visitors on our site. And we can have happy and returning visitors only when we post consistently.
Credit: Giphy
If you post 20 times in a month and then go missing from your blog for the next three months, chances are your blog readers would forget you. There are thousands of other blogs they might move to, and it won’t be their fault.
Avoid that dreaded blogger burnout
We all have been there. The blogger burn out is real and it is so damn painful. You watch your fellow bloggers posting such creative posts and all you can do is stare at the blank screen.
Well, let us talk about how to finally defeat (or avoid, let’s be realistic here) the blogger burnout – blogging schedule!
Do you have a blogging schedule? What are your struggles when it comes to blogging consistently? What are your success parameters as a book blogger? Let us talk
