If you’ve been following along with the HackerNoon Blogging Fellowship Course, then you have learned all the skills to succeed as a writer. Congratulations; you should be proud of yourself! But your journey isn’t over; in fact, being a writer is a never-ending adventure.
So, what should you do now? What comes next? Don’t worry, we’re here to help you figure out the next steps you need to take.
1. Form a Strategy
Creating articles based on random ideas that pop into your head is great, and you shouldn’t stop doing that. However, something you can do in tandem with that is strategizing your content.
For example, if you’re a tech writer, and you know Apple is holding a conference in July, strategize writing articles related to Apple/Apple tech that month. Chances are that people will be searching for Apple-related articles, and they will stumble upon your stories.
Want to take it even further? Strategize when exactly you should be publishing your article. If you notice that more people read your articles when they’re published on Wednesday, move your entire schedule to always publish on Wednesday.
2. Connecting With Other Writers
Being a writer can often feel like a lonely profession, but it doesn’t have to be. One way to make it less lonely is by reaching out and connecting with other writers. It can be on LinkedIn, Twitter, or any other social media. And it doesn’t have to be a whole big gesture – here’s what you can do:
- Repost their articles. If you see them constantly posting their articles, check one of them out. If you think it’s good, it doesn’t hurt to repost it.
- Like and comment on their articles. You don’t even have to go as far as reposting. Liking their articles is still a helpful and supportive gesture. Want to take things a step further? Leave a nice comment on their article. Writers love receiving comments, especially when they’re supportive.
- Let them know of job opportunities. You come across a website that is looking for a writer to cover a tech conference. You know a writer who would be perfect for that. 2+2=4. Letting each other know about gigs and opportunities is a great way to build friendships with other writers and to really form a community.
3. Avoid Burnout
No matter how much you love your job, feeling burned out is always possible. However, there are things you can do to try to prevent it:
- Pace yourself. If you write 15 articles in one week, then it should come as no surprise when you feel burned out. It’s important to stay active and to cover important topical events, but by trying to do too much all at once, you can quickly burn yourself out. If you know there’s an important event you have to cover, maybe put all of your time and focus on that instead of trying to write multiple articles about multiple different topics.
- Break your routine. Having a routine is important, but once that routine starts to feel like a chore, you know you have to do something different. They don’t have to be big changes; they can be small. Write articles from home every day? Try writing one in a coffee shop or in your local library. Instead of writing articles every day in the evening like you normally do, try to write one in the morning or in the afternoon. These may seem like small changes, but they can have a big impact.
- Know when to take a break. And if all else fails, the best thing you can do is take a break. It doesn’t have to be for a month or even a few weeks (although you can if you want to); just taking 2-3 days to clear your head and to reset can do wonders. There’s no shame in taking a break to rest your mind.
Navigating strategy, connecting with fellow writers, and avoiding burnout are just a few challenges every writer faces. For a comprehensive guide to leveling up your skills, check out the HackerNoon Blogging Fellowship Course. This online program is designed to turn aspiring bloggers into seasoned experts through 8 step-by-step modules covering everything from SEO and personal branding to monetizing your content.
If you’re ready to level up as a writer…
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Sign up for the HackerNoon Blogging Course today!
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