I’ve had a net loss of three of my 1,297 blog subscribers in the last two weeks. I don’t know why, but I have a hunch it is because I have either stepped on some toes with my criticisms of Trump, or perhaps the individuals who hit the “unsubscribe” button just did not want to read about Trump anymore.
I understand, if they left for either reason. If I thought Donald Trump hung the moon and the stars and was sent by God to save the United States, I wouldn’t want to read my blog either.
If I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown because of the rapid dismantling of democracy in the United States, I wouldn’t want to read my blog either.
I get it.
I don’t want to write about the Trump Administration every day. That’s why I took a break from it last week. I only blogged twice.
That break freed up time for me to work on the companion journal/diary I’m creating to go along with my I Need The Light! devotional book.
It gave me time to edit most of the historical short stories I plan to publish as a collection later this year.
I needed to take time to do those things for my mental and physical well-being. I hope to have more weeks in which I only blog a couple of times.
When I started blogging more than a decade ago, I was encouraged over every subscriber milestone. The numbers are not that important to me now, but I noticed I was on the verge of having 1,400 subscribers. Then, my numbers started going down. I needed to evaluate the situation and determine if I was doing something wrong.
I concluded that after a decade I have started fearlessly speaking my mind. Perhaps some of my subscribers liked the old me – the me who just blogged once-a-week about the craft of writing or the books I read. The old me struggled to think of something to blog about once-a-week.
But that’s not me anymore. I’m older, but not necessarily wiser. I’m in a place in my life’s journey where I am no longer afraid that I will offend someone who sees politics or other major issues differently than I do.
I am no longer afraid that if I blog about politics I will alienate someone who would have otherwise purchased one of my books.
I blog because it has become part of my identity. I blog because I am deeply concerned about what is happening to and in the government of the United States. I cannot turn my back on my political science degrees and my sense of patriotism.
But most of all, I blog because I thoroughly enjoy forming online relationships with other bloggers and subscribers. Readers and subscribers will come and go. Perhaps I’m finally finding my voice and my niche, and I no longer attempt to reach the masses.
What I write about will not and cannot appeal to everyone. That is a good lesson for me to remember when I publish a book!
In conclusion, it’s not really about the numbers. It’s about the relationships I have made and will continue to make through my blog. If my subscribers dwindle down to 100, it won’t bother me now because I have come to understand that it’s just about the relationships and exchange of ideas.
Thank you for being my friends.
Janet
Janet's Writing Blog 
I won’t cancel my subscription, Janet. Keep up the good work. He is too old to remain in power forever, although it seems like that some days.
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I do agree, Janet. It is about the friends we make, not the numbers!
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and it may just be that fewer people are reading blogs these days
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Chasing subscribers is a pointless exercise and can become an obsession if we’re not careful. I appreciate that you blog honestly about the things that concern you. Most of the people who read your posts probably already agree with you, but you never know—you might influence one or two people along the way, and that is a considerably more useful aim than simply gaining anonymous subscribers.
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Sometimes loosing such people are actually a blessing in disguise.
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Thank you, Pat. LOL!
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Yes, and I value our friendship, Rebecca.
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That’s true, Vicki. I hadn’t thought about that.
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Yes, life is too short to always be striving for higher numbers and no substantive exchange of ideas and opinions. I would love to think I’ve made one or two Trump supporters see things from a different perspective, but I will probably never know.
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Yes. There’s one follower on Facebook that I would love to see disappear. He never puts anything original on FB, but he’s ready to attack what I put on there.
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He sounds worse than my know it all. I don’t think he would have been so superior and condescending if I were a man. His cancellation was a pleasure to discover after I checked if he was still a subscriber
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I don’t know your exact exchange with him, but I agree he wouldn’t have been condescending if you were a man.
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As do I, Janet. Standing up for what we believe is important.
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I like what you said at the end, Janet. Blogging is really about relationships and the exchange of ideas. I usually lose one or two readers whenever I mention religion or politics, but that’s okay because the reason I started my blog was to discuss leadership, history, and current events. I needed a way to share my thoughts on those subjects, and blogging gave me that space.
I think the problem now is that people want to live in their echo chambers, listening only to the side they already support, which I believe is very dangerous. We need to hear all aspects of an issue in order to form an informed opinion. I follow some bloggers whose views I often disagree with, but I still read them because every once in a while I learn something new. I only unfollow if the content is extreme, or if they’re just trying to sell something and the posts become unappealing.
I’m trying to stick with two posts a week because I have other projects I’m pursuing. Researching and writing blog posts is time-consuming, and I don’t want my blog to become a burden or lose the joy of writing. I think you’re doing great, but taking a break here and there is not a bad idea, especially since the current administration seems to create chaos on purpose, and we’ll drive ourselves crazy if we try to follow their day-to-day madness.
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Thank you for taking the time to write such a well-thought-out comment, Edward. I think you are right that most people just want to hear what seems to verify what they already think or want to think. Just as compromise has been tossed to the wayside in Congress, the genuine exchange of ideas across our society is dying — if not dead. Perhaps that is a chicken-and-the-egg question. I’m not sure which came first, come to think about it. If Congress is a reflection of the general population, we are quickly losing our way.
I’m creating a companion journal for my new devotional book, and I’m working toward self-publishing a collection of historical short stories. Once those projects are completed (except for the dreaded marketing!), I want to finally concentrate on the historical novel series I’ve been working on for longer than I care to admit. My blog has shown me that I am capable of speaking out about injustice and wrongdoing on a platform and in a way I didn’t see coming. We don’t know what we are capable of until history puts us in a new position. Since you are a military veteran, I don’t have to tell you that! I think my blog has helped me find my writer’s voice, but I am only exhausting myself if I blog every day about the chaos in Washington. After nine months of chasing that rabbit, I think it is time for me to find a new blogging routine. I feel like I’m “preaching to the choir,” as most of my blog readers are probably more informed than I am about what’s going on.
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You’re very welcome, Janet. You’re so right about Congress, and my hope was that the Senate, which is supposed to have higher-quality politicians, would stay above the fray, but they seem to be getting worse by the day. Your project sounds wonderful, and I don’t think you’re preaching to the choir; I think you’re providing valuable insight. Remember that what you’re writing is available to far more people than just your followers. Many people view and read your posts who are not WordPress members, so they probably aren’t commenting or clicking the “Like” button. I can see my own “View” stats, and there are definitely more people viewing and liking than it seems.
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That’s a good point, Edward. Someone told me just yesterday that they read all my posts and forward them to others. They never comment, and I had no idea he was reading my blog.
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I think views and visitors are a good measure of your reach on the internet, while likes and comments measure WordPress community engagement, which, of course, I love and is the real reason I’m a blogger. So keep up your great content; I bet a lot of people are reading it.
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Thank you.
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No girl, it’s not about the numbers. Don’t allow the numbers to dictate your voice. I know you won’t. Keep speaking your truth my friend! 🤗💖🙏🏼 This is not the time to be passive! 👍🏼
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Thank you for the reinforcement of that, Kym. I knew it, but it’s good to get validation.
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No problem my dear. I can relate, and there is no need to sweat the small minded stuff from small minded folks. The chaos stirrers are growing in numbers obviously, but we don’t have the time or energy to entertain the mess! 👍🏼
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