The 5 Things Bloggers Secretly Have to Deal With

Depending on who you're talking to, blogging could either be an honorable choice of profession, or one step above being in a crappy punk band when it comes to how people gauge your success.  

It's all about one's perception. And perception is a powerful mechanism.  

As a blogger, you're either viewed as Hemingway-like, typing away like mad on a typewriter with incense burning, or you're simply stringing together busy work while looking for a "real job." 

Agitating, for sure. But such is the life of a business blogger.  

Aside from often unrealistic deadlines, the notion of virality, and you know...writing every day, there's also the common annoyances that make having a drink nearby a necessity. 

Unlike math, those who can't write are often the ones who think it's easy. It's not. It's an all day, coffee fueled, pride swallowing siege that you wouldn't wish on anyone. And we (bloggers) love it. 

As Nathaniel Hawthorne once said, "easy reading is damn hard writing." 

In addition to pure ignorance, here's five other things bloggers secretly have to deal with on a daily basis.  

1. You're Constantly Being Pitched 

Utter the phrase, "You should blog about that" to any blogger and you're sure to catch a swift backhand to the ear. 

Okay, perhaps that was too much. Hyperbole aside, you'll definitely get one helluva stink eye. 

The modern business blogger is much like a seasoned record executive. However, instead of receiving crappy demo tapes to toss in the trash, you're constantly being pitched terrible article ideas that require immense restraint to avoid denouncing the offender's entire character and general way of life. 

Tips for Offenders: Before you pitch an idea, ask yourself, "Do these words I'm about to put together in a sentence make any sense?" If there's any hesitation, there's a good chance that your idea is stupid. Don't bother your friendly blogger with it. Because it's stupid. 

2. Fending off Grammar Police

If you've ever watched America's Funniest Home Videos, you know this classic scene. 

Poor dad is simply trying to show his son a good time with some blunt objects and inevitably always winds up getting hit in the crotch. 

Ouch. 

We all know Dad meant well. But...all anyone can remember is that brutal hit. 

Grammar mistakes are silly, sure. And no one knows this more than the blogger. Chances are if they haven't caught the error themselves, one of their coworkers or bosses has. 

The last thing they need is to be publicly persecuted by every reader who can't wait to display their knowledge of possessive pronouns.

Tips for Offenders: Spot a grammar mistake? Unless it severely detracts from the article, try keeping it to yourself. Chances are the author has already noticed it. If they haven't, a coworker or boss has. Don't pile on. 

3. Finding a Featured Image

Once a blog post is completed, proofread, and optimized for search, any blogger can tell you the process is far from over.

In fact, finding a featured image can seemingly take more time than writing the post itself.  

Unless your company has a paid service, they'll find Sasquatch before you'll find any relevant, engaging, royalty free images for a damn blog post.

At least that's what it seems like. 

4. Dealing With Clueless Managers 

Imagine for a second that blogging were a more visual art form similar to painting.  

If you want something produced quickly, anyone can throw together a finger painting reminiscent of your kindergarten show and tell. But let's be honest, any such work is really a painting only a mother could love. 

As a manager, if your aspiration is to create content only the parentals of its authors could love, then you'll find it's a very easy process to manage. 

However, if you want something that's sought out and admired, a certain level of commitment is required to the writer's process. This means respecting the time it takes to write a quality post. 

You can't "write really quick" just as you can't "paint really quick." 

Yet, every blogger has heard one or all of the following:

• "Could you newsjack this real quick?"
• "Oh, it's fine. Just whip up a post on [insert topic.]"
• "How come we couldn't get more posts out this week?"
• "You've been spending a lot of time on this post."
• "It shouldn't take you too long." 

Tips for Offenders: Respect the process. You're not in the trenches actually doing the blogging, so don't pretend you know how long it takes to produce a quality article that actually resonates with an audience. You hired this person for a reason. Trust them. Trust their process.  

5. Finding Your Happy Place

The truth is, bloggers have an inborn attention deficit disorder. This is partly what makes them great writers. They're always observing and in a constant state of curiosity. 

It also makes finding the space to get stuff done pretty challenging. 

Phones ring. People talk loudly. Twitter happens. Coworkers constantly swing by your desk with no regard for the headphones currently placed over your ears (which sometimes aren't even playing any music at all. A clever ruse that's incredibly effective.) 

Finding a happy place is critical in getting any semblance of work done in an acceptable time frame. This means once we find it, we often don't move or break character until the moment passes. 

Tips for Offenders: We're easily distracted. And true, it is our cross to bear. We get that. But if the headphones are in, or if you see a blogger typing furiously with an enraged look in their eye, fall back. This is what "the zone" looks like. Don't interrupt it.