What I Wish I Knew Before Publishing My First Articles

Nuggets of wisdom for newborn writers

Are you intimidated by publishing your work for all eyes to see?

Do you fear negative comments?

Does your stomach give a wild lurch at the thought of your friends stumbling upon your blog?

Good. This article is for you.

Many people think the hardest part is writing. It is not.

The most challenging part is plucking up the courage to let it out into the world.

We all struggle between a desire to have an opinion and the fear of being judged for having one in the first place.

Here is the secret: if you want to be successful in any area, you have to make the jump.

The most challenging part is plucking up the courage to let it out into the world.

Your voice matters. You don’t.

If you are only starting your journey of publishing content online, you are not that important.

And it is a good thing!

Your perspective is important, but you are not.

At first, nobody is going to read your work.

You have to battle your way through the sea of content creators.

It is like sitting alone in a café. You think everyone is staring. You think everyone is judging.

In reality, nobody gives a damn about you.

You are not that important. Yet. Isn’t it an encouraging thought?

You won’t stand out straight away, so you might as well experiment, make mistakes, change the topic, change the angle.

It gives you plenty of room and time to find your audience.

Failure should not be a part of your vocabulary.

You have choices.

You can submit your first draft or question your work and live the same existence corrupted with doubts and fears.

When you get rejected, you can succumb to a victim mindset and give up on your work, or you can create another draft, read more about the topic, and give it a go with another publication.

Rejection doesn’t have to be a roadblock. It can serve as a redirection.

Mistakes are not the endgame. They steer you in the right direction.

Do you know what happens when you don’t try?

Nothing.

Is rotting in one place better than making mistakes and improving your craft?

Mistakes are not the endgame. They steer you in the right direction.

As long as you learn, the error is not a failure. You course and correct. It is life. It is art in its finest form.

Don’t run away from making a mess. Embrace it. Chase it.

In the past, fear was the path to survival. Today, fears have become irrational. They stifle our growth.

You won’t die from writing your heart out. If anything, it will make you feel more alive with every article you publish.

I won’t lie. You won’t eradicate your fear of criticism or rejection. We are humans, and we crave acceptance.

But once you recognize that the fear of failure is responsible for your lack of action, it won’t be paralysing anymore.

Suppressing shame or fear only magnifies it. Acknowledge your fears, and they won’t wield power over your impulses.

When you shed a light on your fear of rejection, it will make you bolder.

As your confidence goes uphill, you become a better writer.

You don’t have to write about what you know.

You can write about things you wish to experience.

See what emotions come up when you imagine your life ten years from now. Writing is best when it makes you feel.

Type words and see how they look on the page. Feel the truth spilling out from you.

Having a strong opinion is your superpower.

Your writing can unravel the greatest desires within you. It doesn’t have to be logical. It has to be emotional.

Why would you thrive on writing about popular topics yet hardly evoke any emotions in you?

Look around you. Do people live a fulfilled life because they follow trends? Or do they feel rapturous because they dare to follow their hearts?

Whose energy is more attractive?

The same with writing.

If you feel compelled to discuss a topic, dig deeper into the world of fantasy because your heart urges you to, it will always turn out magnificently. You will always find your audience.

Write about topics you don’t connect with, and you will struggle with your creative expression.

You have to suck to get better.

Bad writing leads to better writing.

If you want to excel at something, you have to start.

If you don’t practice, you won’t get anywhere.

A basketball player has to know the field and learn to balance his body to make a great shot. It won’t happen overnight. But with consistency and training, he will turn his dreams into a reality.

You won’t discover your niche if you don’t venture among the topics you suck at. They can make you angry, nostalgic or curious. If they make you feel something, find out what it is.

Give yourself permission to write something terrible.

— Dax Shepard

If you dial down the noise of a perfectionist, several things will happen:

With each article, you will feel more at ease with hitting the ‘publish’ button.

Failure won’t have scary eyes anymore.

You will become curious about life.

It won’t be comfortable. Then again, comfort does not offer growth.

Dare to suck.

You will come out as a winner.

Doubts are okay.

Everyone has doubts. Not everyone makes a spectacle about them.

Stephen King doubted his works. J.K Rowling questioned her worth.

Everyone has a little voice in the back of their heads whispering: You are not good enough.

But everyone can also choose not to follow that voice.

The only thing that keeps you away from publishing your work is your disbelief in yourself.

How would you know if your writing really does suck if you don’t publish it for others to read your work?

That oppressor inside your head is fuelled by your imaginary fears. They are not real.

We all live in our imagination. Our reality is warped by fears and beliefs about what we think we can or cannot do.

Say “no” to every belief that undermines your writing process.

• I don’t have time to finish it. NO. I will make the time.
• Nobody cares about my perspective. NO. My voice matters.
• I will never be as good as them. NO. With practice, I will reach my level of mastery.

The only thing that keeps you away from publishing your work is your disbelief in yourself.

We miss out on a lot when we freeze to express ourselves.

I know it is scary to expose your heart to the public. But vulnerability is the strength that makes writing so appealing.

Start where you are today.

Allow yourself to publish not-so-good of a piece.

One year from now, you will be grateful that you have made the jump.

Even if you fall flat on your face, you will have a great story to write about.

Thank you for being here,

— Kate