Tag: #bloggingchallanges

Interview with Romila! (Founder of Novemberschild)

Hello Friends,

Welcome Back!!

I am here again with an interview. Please welcome Romila( Founder of Novemberschild).

She is an author, a blogger and now she writes articles for publications and websites.

So without any delay.

Let’s get started!

Interview with Romila! (Founder of Novemberschild)

1. Me–A short introduction about you and your blog?

Romila– I blog-write and tweet as Novemberschild. I am have been around since 2004.

I turned a blogger in 2004 out of curiosity to see how this whole thing works and never dreamt it would go so long – 15 years. In 2008, I turned a full-time writer. I quit full time blogging in November 2018.

I am writing books and articles for websites and publications. I am a voracious reader, devoted coffee-drinker, avid thinker and a fashion lover.

Conversations with me are endless & joyful – the perfect combination! Just like my hilarious tweets, I am a very witty person in real.

I happily accept bouquets and brickbats in my writings. I don’t have a blog currently. I like to travel, talk, express and spread happiness. When I am not writing, you can find me reading books and sipping coffee or chatting with friends.
Writing makes me contented. I love listening to music under a calm starry night. Reading literature soothes my soul.

I am a fun person and very friendly. I have been featured in Paycheck India –IIM (Ahmedabad) Project, Baggout, Buzz Magazine, Speaking Tree (Times of India), Blogchatter, Mumbai Matters to name a few.

2. Me-How did you get into blogging? What inspired you to start a blog?

Romila– I never planned to be a blogger, and it just happened out of curiosity when blogs were just getting famous.

3. How do you motivate yourselves, your source of motivation?

Romila– Life! Every second of my existence motivates me towards better work and better writing. I am my own motivation.

4. Me-Do you want to mention about few challenges which you faced in your blogging journey?

Romila– I will not call them challenges but they have been part of my blogging journey.

Defining where to start is always a challenge, especially if you are new to blogging. A lot of your time is spent finding that topic that really calls to you. As I realised I am better without a niche, blogging became easy for me. There are millions of bloggers in the world.

How in the world am I supposed to stand out? Instead of trying to blend in, I differentiated myself and my content to make a noise in this blogging world and it worked in my favour.

Creating connections in the blogging circle is very crucial for the blog’s survival and keeping these relationships on and offline is a struggle.

I took the social media way and made bloggers my friends and met them in real, discussed ideas over coffee and made sure we are connected to each other timely.

5. Me-What suggestions do you want to give newbie bloggers?

Romila– Blogging changes. It is completely different today than it was when I started in 2004. Blogs have a shelf life always be learning and changing.

Think of new content you could offer your readers. Keep your senses open for things your reader needs. Write a lot. The posts should either be informative and educational, or entertaining. Spell check many times. And give each piece a proper edit. Articles with tons of grammar and spelling mistakes are not acceptable to readers.

Keep a list of ideas at one place. When writer’s block hits, you’ll always have specific topics to draft. Be active on social media. Make your presence known- the actual engagement from you- no bots, automation or gaming. Have a media kit, press page, and work page.

Keep editing it all the time and it’s a great way to keep track of your accomplishments! Use WordPress from the very beginning. Read articles and magazines of your niche. It will improve your writing style a lot.

6. Me- Do you want to give some tips or ideas for those who are interested in making money from a blog?

Romila– Blogger, please don’t expect to start making money right away (and don’t get discouraged if you don’t make some money after a year).

There’s no “get rich quick” scheme in blogging but you can go with Affiliate Marketing but only after one year of blogging.

Be careful there a lot of spam emails, they offer money but they damage DA of your blog and relationship with Google.

Making money as a blogger is possible and straightforward, but all these tips of earning income are not going to work for you or for everyone.

Don’t be afraid to tweak your methods to see what works best for you and your readers. Making money through blogging takes a lot of persistence, but it can pay off in the long-run if you’re starting out from below.

Just remember that you don’t have to use all of these money-making avenues at once in a marathon speed. Have patience. Give time to learn what works for you and what doesn’t.

7. Me-What is the most frustrating aspect of blogging? If any? Please mention?

Romila- Believe it or not, I’ve done this whole blogging thing for 15 years now. It’s pretty much the longest I’ve ever had to explore a curiosity.

There are some of the things that really frustrate me in this blogging world such as – When Jetpack makes your blog down, When another blogger writes basically the same blog post as yours, When you spend hours pouring your heart out in a blog post and no-one reads it, When you get more than 10 new subscribers in a week and then you realise they’re all fake accounts.

When a brand is really happy for your post but then doesn’t pay your invoice for really long, When you find out a blogger with the same stats gets paid twice as much for the same work and getting a promising email about a sponsored post, only to find out its spam.

8. Any common mistakes which bloggers do with their blog? And they should keep an eye on this.

Romila– Most of the bloggers don’t identify their audience. Many get the topic and have the facts, but don’t connect with anybody. Blogging without a niche doesn’t work for everyone.

Having a tightly defined and clear mission- read it as niche, makes you much more likely to gain a strong and passionate following that’s incredibly valuable to your blog.

Inconsistency is one of the greatest factors of an unsuccessful blog. Creating great content doesn’t take 5 minutes, which is a problem for those who are accustomed to instant gratification. Not committing to blogging is another big mistake. A lot of people get into blogging, and think it will have an instant impact but get a rude awakening instead.

Readers/audience doesn’t care about your blog unless you’re a celebrity. Write blog posts that are entertaining, topical, and/or useful. Stop writing poor posts.

Always proofread before posting. Use spell-check and review your work, Take time to research the concepts, facts, and ideas. One of the most limiting mistakes bloggers do is they think they can do everything alone.

There are a lot of dedicated blogging groups in every niche. This would help in the growth of blog with extra promoters and give you a greater social circle to utilise for exposure of your brand/blog.

9. What do you love about blogging and your blog?

Romila– 15 years ago, blogs didn’t exist. Today, there are over 100 million of them and at least 10 new blogs get added every day. I have stopped blogging but I still love blogging and I encourage it a lot.

Even though ‘blogging’ has hit it big, most people don’t get what makes blogging so powerful, helpful, and beneficial. The only way to become a better writer is to write – pages and pages. The more you blog, the more you write – and the better writer you become.

Blogging isn’t just a good way to become a better writer, it is the fastest path to becoming a published writer. Bloggers get to read their readers’ comments the same day they click ‘publish’.This makes blogging a great way to get feedback on an idea that you want to develop further.

10.Your message to readers.

Thank you, readers, for your time who visited my blog regularly and all those who read my articles, tweets, microblogging pieces every day. One thing I desperately need is your feedback.

While the comments/feedback options allow readers to specifically address what I’ve written that day, what I’m looking for is a greater sense of what people want. What exactly do you want more of? What topics interest you the most? All suggestions are welcome.

Thank you, Deepika for giving me this chance to speak to readers through your blog about myself and my blogging experience.

This interview today got back my good old days of regular blogging. I wish to get featured in your blog again.

Deepika your blog is in the right direction, I love your poetries and the interview series. I wish you good luck and should you need any help in blogging or writing please do ping me, just a tweet/email away. Will be happy to help.

Note: Dear Readers, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you like to have me in your blog! I look forward to more conversations with everyone. You can directly contact me – mywritingworkshopblog@gmail.com

Here is amazon central author link – https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B074TLHNY9

You can check it here her 6 ebooks based on poetry, prose, non-fiction genre.

GoodReads Link–

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8015855.Romila

Thank you so much Romila. It’s a lovely talking with you. You guided and gave suggestions by your personal experiences in the journey of blogging.

Best wishes for your future projects.Thank you so much for giving your time.

Regards and Gratitude,

Deepika

Interview with Priyanka Nair!(Founder of Virtual Siyahi)

Interview with Priyanka Nair

Hello Friends!

I am here again with an interview with my blogger friend and founder of ” Virtual Siyahi“.

Please Welcome Priyanka Nair!

She is a multitalented personality, a blogger, a poet, a YouTuber and a published author.

She recently published her first Ebook on self-awareness. I have read the book. She put her soul in the 26 chapters of the book. Such an Inspiring book.

You can also read. Link is mentioned at the end of the post.

So without any delay.

Let’s get started!

1. Me-A short introduction about you and your blog?
Priyanka– I am an MBA and have completed two certification courses in Mental Illness.
I have around 8 years of working experience which includes Industrial, Academics and Content Writing.
Out of many roles in my life, presently I am playing the role of a full-time blogger.
I started as an Open Diary Blogger two years back and now I write mostly on Mental Health Awareness and Societal Issues.
I have named my Blog as Virtual Siyahi meaning Virtual Ink as I write on digital platforms.
2. Me-How did you get into blogging? What inspired you to start a blog?
Priyanka– I was working as an administrative Officer in an International ICSE school in 2016 when I was diagnosed with a critical illness and I had to quit my job to undergo a year-long treatment. For someone like me who just cannot sit idle, it becomes very depressing and frustrating when life becomes restricted.
WIth my 2.5year daughter by my side and the unbroken spirit to make it back in life I identified my passion for writing and created my first free blog at WordPress on 26th Dec 2016. I started writing from Jan 2017and till now I haven’t stopped.
3. Me- How do you motivate yourselves, your source of motivation?
Priyanka– The only source of motivation for me is my inner strength and I always remember WHY I STARTED THIS. To sustain, to find purpose, to fight out and get away with my health conditions and it worked. Even in the treatment period, I had something to look forward to.
4. Me- Do you want to mention about few challenges which you faced in your blogging journey?
Priyanka– Honestly speaking I just started writing without any clue of the existence of the blogging world, the competition and the future it holds as a blogger. I use to write one or two posts in a month and for the initial one year, I use to share my blog only with my close friends and facebook friends.
Eventually, I learned it while I was in the game, it is said that unless and until you come out of your comfort zone you don’t experience things you have only imagined.
The biggest challenge was to make myself accepted as a blogger by my friends and family members, A MBA with sound work experience and now suddenly blogging? Was the big question mark on the people around me. But I believed in my idea and I am continuously working on it and in between, I stop seeking validation. Trust me, it worked 🙂
5. Me- What suggestions do you want to give newbie bloggers?
Priyanka– Patience and consistency is the KEY. I wish someone would have told me this when I hardly had any readers, I use to doubt my writing skills and my content quality but trust me it takes time to get identified to get read. Just focus on creating original and quality content and you will move ahead.
6. Me- Do you want to give some tips or ideas for those who are interested in making money from a blog?
Priyanka– I am still working on this area but yes with my experience I feel one needs to create credibility first as a blogger. Regular visitors and descent amount page view then only opt for monetizing the blog.
I have seen most of the times people create blog thinking they will start earning immediately. Bloggers do earn and any good blogger can earn but it takes time.
7. Me- What is the most frustrating aspect of blogging? If any? Please mention?
Priyanka- I feel it depends on how one takes it. If I write daily I get descent views and readership and I feel satisfied and if I don’t write for a week my stats fall. If you are not consistent and engaging you to lack visibility.
I would also like to mention that working with some discipline and boundaries help, instead of following the rat race and doing what everyone is doing. Be your own self, identify your niche and continuously work on upgrading your skills which will ultimately lead to improvisation of you as a blogger.
8. Me- Any common mistakes which bloggers do with their blog? And they should keep an eye on this.
Priyanka- I feel people give up too early when they lack visitors or readers. With my experience, I would say it takes at least 6 months to a year to get a hold of the blogging world. Keep trying, be flexible with learning new things. Read a lot and do not compare yourself with anyone. Just focus on creating amazing content.
9. Me- What do you love about blogging and your blog?
Priyanka– I don’t see Virtual Siyahi as a blog, I see it as my business, a little venture of my own with little investment of time, dedication and money in buying the domain name. I continuously work and strive to make myself better with every blog I publish.
When someone sitting in the other part of the world reads my blog finds me at Instagram or Facebook, just to message me and let me know that they found my blog amazing that’s what I love about Blogging.
It is not restricted to one place or person so why should we write keeping a few people in minds. My blog gave me a new purpose and I want to work till the day I no longer will have to introduce myself.
10. Me- Your message to readers.
Priyanka- Write what hurts and write it loud. This my mantra and I follow it every time I write. Unless and until you write straight from your heart you won’t be able to form a lasting connection with your readers. Happy Blogging 🙂

Thank you, Priyanka. Best wishes for your future projects. It’s a pleasure to have you on my blog. I hope all these answers will help to all the newbie to understand the basics of the blogging. Lovely talking with you.

You can read her fantastic and honest blogs here.

Interview With Vibhu Gaur! (Founder of #Onelife13)


Hello Friends,

I am back again. This blog is slightly different from my previous ones.

I started an interview series with my blogger friends.

In this series, various bloggers turned authors share their experiences regarding blogging and its challenges!

I hope this will help you if you are a newbie blogger.

Here is the first interview with “Vibhu Gaur” (A blogger, A poet and A published author). Recently He published his first E-book “Disconnected Vibes”.

So without any delay,

Let’s get started!

1. Me-A short introduction about you and your blog?
Vibhu– IT Consultant by profession, I am 31 years old and reside in Delhi. An avid reader, passionate blogger and cycling enthusiast, my time gets divided between my family, work and hobbies. Writing comes naturally to me and has indulged me since I was 11 years old. Poetry remained the focus throughout childhood and youth hence it’s always a thought away.
The blogging journey started about a year back (23rd July 2018 to be precise) and has been one of the most liberating and healthy hobbies I decided to pursue along with cycling. The blog has been named “onelife13” and targets lifestyle and wellness topics. The core concept is to spread awareness among people that they need to give importance to themselves and their lives as well. There is no need to get lost in the race to achieve but rather enjoy the journey.
2. Me- How did you get into blogging? What inspired you to start a blog?
Vibhu– I have always been extrovert and outspoken. So to address various concerns related to chaos and struggle in our lives and distorted notions I needed a platform. Blogging seemed effective as well as approachable for my love of reading and writing. Along with lifestyle and wellness posts, I keep infusing other useful content for my readers like my travelogues, stories of inspirational individuals, city exploration, social issues, etc.
The real inspiration or push behind the blog has been my wife. I am lucky to have her unconditional support and the space she gives me to pursue my passion and hobbies.
3. Me- How do you motivate yourselves, your source of motivation?
Vibhu– As already stated, my wife stands out as the primary source of motivation for me. Additionally, I seek motivation from life itself, the beautiful people and my surroundings. I try my best to mingle with nature in its raw form which acts as a trigger for ideas for me. Staying in sync with changes in society is another factor which motivates me to write. And one of the biggest motivators is the feedback and love bestowed upon me by the readers.
As a result of the love and appreciation of my readers, I was able to publish my first e-Book recently, named “The Disconnected Vibes” and available on Amazon for download. Another form of motivation bestowed upon me by the community.
4. Me- Do you want to mention about few challenges which you faced in your blogging journey?
Vibhu– The biggest challenge when I started was to source ideas for content creation. I was stepping in the public domain with a vision and consistency was paramount. Secondly, it was to get any kind of engagement or recognition as this community is vast and full of extremely talented people.
Off late I have another set of challenges since I have switched to my custom domain and hosting. These include SEO, indexing, crawling, and reachability. The struggle is never-ending but the journey is beautiful.
5. Me-What suggestions do you want to give to the newbie bloggers?
Vibhu– Every newbie should focus on content quality and consistency. Engagement and readership take time to build. Read and appreciate other boggers’ content too and build relationships. Keep realistic expectations from yourself and do not get intimidated by established bloggers.
  • Use social media effectively to market your content and enhance the reach.
  • Take care of SEO compliance for better results.
  • Define a niche and explore its flavors.
  • Do not shy away from hard work.
  • Be smart to spot and grab opportunities.
  • Shed the fear of failure.
6. Me- Do you want to give some tips or ideas for those who are interested in making money from a blog?

Vibhu– Well! That’s the ultimate aim for most of us and what’s better than to earn through your passion. This question is exclusive and I’ll try to answer with utmost sincerity. To earn money from any venture, it’s important to get the basics right. Listed below are some action points which serve as pre-requisites for a monetization ready blog.

  • Basic blog structuring (theme, widgets, security, visibility, reachability).
  • Decent amount of audience.
  • Quality and quantity of content.
  • Effective social media presence.
7. Me- What is the most frustrating aspect of Blogging? If any? Please mention?

Vibhu– It can vary from blogger to blogger but for me, it’s the lack of engagement even after your dedicated efforts. Honestly, there is nobody to be blamed for this but every time you put out a well researched and crafted post which doesn’t garner the expected audience the feeling of frustration creeps in.

8. Me- Any common mistakes which most of the newbie bloggers do with their blog?
Vibhu– Plenty of things worth mentioning here. To begin with, re-reading your words and analyzing your blog from a reader’s perspective is what we all shy away from doing. Secondly, promoting the content seems an uphill task but believe me there’s no substitute to that unless you are rich enough to opt for professional services. And the most important aspect, keep the content simple for a larger audience to understand.
9. Me- What do you love about blogging and your blog?
Vibhu– Blogging is therapy as well as liberation for me. It gives me a chance to be with myself, me and my thoughts with no adulteration or diplomacy whatsoever. Moreover, I feel privileged to be blessed with the skill to express myself and help other’s see a different perspective of life.
My blog is my playground and I am a free creator which is a feeling to rejoice. It’s a reflection of me as a human being without filters and judgments. My blog provides an identity to my thoughts.
10. Me- Your message to readers?
Vibhu– The world of blogging is as rewarding as any other profession in existence. You can achieve and shine only if you have the passion and will to work hard. Anybody offering a shortcut is only distracting you from your target. And most importantly, it’s a journey to be enjoyed. So be true in your efforts and HELP OTHERS. Wishes and blessings go a long way.
For those who enjoy reading, be our support and critics for we write because you read.

Thank you, Deepika for this lovely platform and opportunity.

Here is the link of E-book and blog.

Link to E-Book – https://amzn.to/2SuHOiN

Link to Blog – https://onelife13.com/

Now I am ending this conversation with a happy note. Thank you so much Vibhu for giving such an honest and clear answers.

Lovely talking with you!

I will meet you in my next interview. Till then take care and be productive.

Regards & Gratitude,

Deepika