Monday, September 07, 2015

On Being a Writer: Promote

When I first started this blog, I made a promise to God that I would use it to bring Him honor and glory, that if I didn't spend time with Him, then I wouldn't spend time here.  This blog was important to me, but God was (is) even more important.  You can read more about that in my first blog post.

For me, blogging was a way to share what God was doing in my life.  At that time, I was becoming more involved in leadership roles in my church. Jeff was in the process of becoming an Army Chaplain. I was raising two sons with another on the way. Let's not forget about working full time.  Life was busy and there was so much room for God to work.  His work and love could be written about here.

But who would read it?

My friend Kim introduced me to blogging, so I started clicking on blogs she followed and leaving comments.  My hope was that those people would come back to my blog and share the love.  I guess that was my first taste of self promotion.  It was a little scary.  Was it the right thing to do?  Did I want strangers actually reading my blog?  The Internet can be a creepy place.  I was relieved to read in On Being a Writer that Charity did the same thing: I left comments on other blogs or linked to other posts by other writers hoping for reciprocation.

Like Ann, I promoted the work of others. I was involved in launch teams for Sara Horn.  It was fun to get involved and connect with others on topics we felt strongly about through books and blog posts. I was able to make friends and connections at the same time.


Through Leafwood Publishers, I was introduced to author Nancy B. Kennedy and was able to read and review her books. I count it a blessing to know her and support her writing.



The more comfortable I got in actually clicking publish, I felt that I needed to extend my audience.  After all, if I am sharing about God, I need people to actually read it.  I became involved in blog hops and link ups.  One of the first was MckMama's Not Me Monday. As an imperfect mom and wife, it was fun to meet up each week and share in the shenanigans of life.  Wives of Faith has also had some blog hops such as Wife to Wife Wednesday, Military Family Gratitude Photo Challenge, Military Spouse Appreciation Link Up, and the Wives of Faith Christmas Blog Carnival. I was able to meet some other bloggers through these activities, and I am hoping that some of them are still readers.

Because I wanted to reach more readers, I created a blog button for others to share on their blogs. I was one of those new bloggers that would click on those buttons to visit new webpages and meet new people.
But in all of this getting my name out there stuff, I had a struggle.  I know I'm supposed to be writing. I know God has given me a gift, but how far does it go?  How much do I self promote?  Is that sinful?  Those are questions that I've had great difficulty with.  After publishing a really great blog post (well, I thought it was great), I didn't get much response.  The response I got was from two relatives.  I'm thankful for that, but I was shocked the response wasn't greater.  I was disappointed and began to reflect on the whole situation.  I then posted about that in How Many Likes Can I Get?

But honestly, why did I click Publish?  Was it to get a million Likes or to stand up for Jesus? 
Hard question.  It shouldn't be, but it is. 
I was standing up for Jesus, but I also wanted to get a bunch of Likes and Shares too.  Hypocritical, I know. 
So where is that happy medium.  Can't I do both?  I think for me, I have to realize and understand that it doesn't matter how many Likes and Shares I get. What matters is that I spread the message for Christ.  That even though one person might read my post, that one person was hopefully touched. 

For me, I know my heart is in the right place. I know that whether I publish here or at Wives of Faith or Planting Roots or finally fulfill my dream of writing a book, that my heart is connected to God's and that's why I share words. For Him.  With sharing His work in my life, there has to be some promotion.  I have to get my name out there.  I just have to always remember: it's not about me; it's about Him. If I get to big headed, I know God will convict me of that prideful sin.

I do know that I have to promote.  I'd prefer the old fashioned method of word of mouth from those that now about this little space on the Internet.  However, I know there is a great big world of social media out there that can promote His work in my life.

You can find my words about this Life Worth Living here at my blog. 
You can also find some of my favorite posts on Pinterest on my board Blogs and Such.  
I also tweet out my blog posts although I am not an expert in the Twitter world.
And Instagram...I have an account but I'm not sure how to use it for my blog.

There. My social media connections are out there. What I ask is this....

If you find something here on the blog that you feel is worth sharing, please share it.  You and I can be a team in spreading the word of God's love.  That's my goal here, and I hope that's your goal when you visit here as well.

Here's to promoting the Word of God!




28 comments:

  1. I enjoyed your post- I agree it can be tricky to get the balance at times- are we promoting ourselves or God? But, as you say, I think it comes down to our motives- seeking God for what to share and what we should be doing to promote it and then trusting him for the results.

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    1. That trusting thing is difficult sometimes. Sometimes I doubt my abilities because I haven't gotten the results I wanted.

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  2. You had some good thoughts about self-promotion. I think you have done much more than I've come up with. Thanks for walking us through your process.

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  3. I'm feelin' ya, friend. How much is too much? I understand the post-post blues when no one reads or cares. That hurts. But when I pray first and prepare my heart, the pain is lessened and joy comes - even in the absence of feedback. Thanks for sharing your words here- I'm glad I stopped by!

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    1. Oh, Karen! I need to do that....Pray first! I am going to start praying before I start writing and before I click publish or send. Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

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  4. There was a time I fretted over the numbers of hits/views/comments, etc. on my blog. At some point, I realized that shouldn't be why I'm doing this. Like you, of course I hope to connect with folks in some way...to shine that light of encouragement. There are still times when I have strong feelings about a post I've written that I check the views far too often. I need to constantly remind myself to get out of God's way and give it to him. All of it. Glad we can support each other in this journey.

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    1. Sometimes I just wish that Stats tab wasn't there! I am so glad we can support each other as well!

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  5. Great post! For Gods glory I need to remember that because so often it is easy to get caught up in the no comments, shares etc.

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    1. Thank you, Tara. So much I need to remember from this post too!

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Thank you so much for stopping by. I hope in some way I have blessed you. I look forward to reading your comment. I may not always get the chance to respond, but I do read every comment.