5 Reasons Why I Waited a Year to Launch This Blog
Abandoned Mansion, Beirut
This might sound strange to you, but I waited over 365 days before launching this blog.
Why did I wait so long?
I mean, the ability to launch and run blogs is so easy. I could have launched my blog within hours of getting the idea.
But that was part of the problem.
The ease with which to get into blogging: Low entry, means very little planning. Very little counting of the cost.
I wanted to avoid that.
Over the years I jumped into two other serious blogging projects without much thought. My passion for these projects faded quickly. And I eventually bailed.
I didn’t want that to happen again. I wanted this to work.
Plan and Prepare with Purpose
The idea for this blog came to me shortly after November 30, 2007. That means I could have easily launched this blog in January 2008 at the latest.
Instead, I decided to launch this blog on December 1, 2008. And during that time I was waiting I decided to develop a business and marketing plan, write articles and learn as much as I could about blogging.
Share My Plan with Others
One thing I discovered is that creating a business and marketing plan for blogging doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, my plans evolved over a handful of emails to my wife. I simply explained to her what I planned on doing.
Sharing your idea with someone will help you refine your idea, too. Great novelists do this all the time.
In this case, my wife was my sounding board. She pointed out blind spots in my idea. Expanded areas I neglected. But most importantly, she pointed out my competitive advantage.
Discover My Competitive Advantage
Halfway through 2008 my blog idea cystallized. My wife and I saw how my blog could fit into the blogging community.
By discovering my competitive advantage I saw how I could exploit weaknesses and distinquish myself…something I needed to do if I were going to thrive in a competitve place.
All I did was read as many blogs as I could in widely different fields like politics, social media and Christianity.
But that wasn’t all.
Sustain the Passion for a Year
Another part of me wanted to see if I could simply keep the blogging fire burning before I launched the blog. Having two failed blog projects under my belt, I was concerned I couldn’t.
Turns out I could.
In the course of six months I wrote 33 articles and generated 44 more titles and topics. Darren Rowse says this a good signal that I picked the right subject.
Naturally, when December 2008 arrived, I was ready to roll.
Abstain from Distractions
However, the most important aspect of waiting so long was that I wanted to abstain from writing, audience chasing and pursuing the approval of men.
Up until November 30, 2007, my life was consumed by writing, chasing audiences and pursuing man’s approval.
This is what got me into trouble to begin with.
Great blogging is only part writing. The other part is participation. Participation like:
- Reading blogs.
- Commenting on blogs.
- Replying to comments.
- Networking with bloggers.
In essence, great bloggers build relationships with people. This includes seeking approval.
I knew first and foremost I needed to seek God’s approval for my blogging idea. And if at the end of that year, if I still had peace with God on this topic, move forward.
You know the end of the story–I believe I found God’s favor.
What Did You Do Before You Started Blogging?
Let me know what you did before you launched your blog. Did you plan for months, weeks or days? What inspired you to launch your blog? How do you keep the blog fire burning?
Image credit: CraigFinlay
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5 Comments to 5 Reasons Why I Waited a Year to Launch This Blog
Demian, actually, that’s a HUGE factor in the success or failure rate of blogs, and I’m glad to see you waited. Even though I knew to have several posts saved back before launching, I didn’t on my latest blog (linked from my name) and as such my posting frequency suffered when I was down with my surgery.
Not only does having lots of posts waiting in the hopper show you’re dedicated and can remain engaged, it also puts less stress on you when writing. You’re not cramming trying to get the next post out, and if something comes up, you have a buffer zone to help deal with it.
I currently have two more blog projects brewing but they probably won’t launch for months as I get the content level built up and the design tweaked to my liking.
Great post, by the way!
Demian FarnworthJanuary 13, 2009
Appreciate the great thoughts. And like you said, what makes having articles in the hopper nice is you can pull one out and post with minimal tweaking.
In other words: you write an article and then let it sit before you post, which can make an article go from good to great.
Look forward to your other work, Ben.
Angie FarnworthJanuary 13, 2009
Love it! I, too, have a failed blog behind me. Though I had a nice little audience, the thing consumed all my time and sucked me dry. As someone who’s called to be a writer of books, my blog should never have gotten my “first fruits” of writing. So this time I’ve been planning. And waiting. Oh, and talking to my favorite internet marketing dude about it (that’s you, babe). I hope to launch a sustainable one some time between March 1st and April 1st of this year. God willing. 
Demian FarnworthJanuary 13, 2009
@Angie, I’m like a teenage boy when you comment–bashful and stupid with love. Any help you need…I’m here.
February 5, 2009
[...] as you might remember, it took me a year to launch this blog. And for the first four months of that year–before I read Zacherias–I knew I wanted to [...]
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January 12, 2009