If You Can't Stand Tumbleweeds, Don't Start Writing Online
A Dose of Realism For Writers
I’ve been writing professionally for 25 years.
I cut my teeth as a radio journalist, then shifted sideways into print copywriting when ink on paper still mattered.
Then I watched it all tilt digital — blogging, sales letters, video scripts, SEO articles, email funnels, social media, Medium, and now Substack.
A quarter of a century in the trenches. Hundreds of client projects, and dozens of my own.
That’s definitely more words than I dare to count.
And here’s the blunt truth most gurus won’t whisper: When you start writing online, the world won’t care.
You’ll hit publish and refresh your stats. And you’ll be greeted by the sweet sound of silence.
No likes, shares or money — just tumbleweeds.
Most people quit here because they expect applause on day one. Most can’t stand being unknown while they earn the right to be seen.
Yet that’s the cost.
You show up daily, stacking words no one reads — until one day, someone does. Then another. Then fifty more.
Writing online is not about going viral in your first week. It’s about having the stomach to keep going when no one is watching.
That’s what separates the talkers from the builders.
So if you crave overnight results, don’t bother. If you can’t stand the echo of your own voice for months on end, don’t bother.
But if you can stomach the tumbleweeds — if you can plant seeds in barren soil and trust they’ll break through — keep typing.
Your audience, income and recognition will all come later.
So commit to staying the course, or don’t start at all.
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📧 loz@contentchampion.com