Well, it's true. I do like having readers respond to the things I write here. But here's something else that's true. Almost no one ever does.
Here's a quick story. At this conference I attended a few weeks ago, I had a friend and colleague of mine mention the draft chapters of the novel I started posting here at the beginning of 2019. He told me that he hadn't gotten around to reading them yet, but that he had them bookmarked and was looking forward to diving it. Then he asked me what kind of feedback I'd received on them so far.
I looked at him and smiled. "You're the first person who's even mentioned them to me."
The look on his face was priceless. I don't think he thought it was possible. A: That I could post such a thing and not get any feedback on it. And B: That I would bother to post something like that if I wasn't getting any feedback on it.
Welcome to the world of blogs. Say whatever you want. Almost no one is going to read it and, of those that do, almost no one is going to have any kind of reaction.
That's okay. I get it. We're all busier than ever. And if there is a skill set that is increasingly absent in our society, it's the one associated with long-form reading and writing. You're more likely to get a reaction from a ill-conceived Tweet (assuming a bunch of additional ill-conceived Tweets count as a reaction) than you are from 500 words that you've carefully considered and curated. Sorry. #TLDR.
Which is why it's all the more remarkable when a reaction is actually received. Hey. I read this. I agree. Or I don't. Either way, thanks for putting it out there. I appreciate it.
That's a big part of why I keep doing this. Because when those connections are made the results can be pretty amazing. I've made friends. I've gotten consulting gigs. I've interacted with some of my favorite authors. All because I put my thoughts down in writing and posted them in the public forum we call blogs.
It's not for everyone. But for me it's been pretty satisfying.
+ + +
This post first appeared on Eric Lanke's blog, an association executive and author. You can follow him on Twitter @ericlanke or contact him at eric.lanke@gmail.com.
Image Source
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ianm/2009/08/06/10000-unread-hotmail-emails/
I still find it satisfying too. Although the content of my blog has shifted over the years, it's still focused on association management, plus I ghostblog for several clients. I'm sure I'm one of many stealth readers who appreciate the time and effort you put into thinking and writing.
ReplyDeleteI feel compelled to respond to this. I read blogs and very seldom respond. Generally, I'm looking to be informed or entertained, and not necessarily to engage further, but this makes me think differently about that.
ReplyDeleteThis: "And if there is a skill set that is increasingly absent in our society, it's the one associated with long-form reading and writing. You're more likely to get a reaction from a ill-conceived Tweet (assuming a bunch of additional ill-conceived Tweets count as a reaction) than you are from 500 words that you've carefully considered and curated."
Eric, I am one of the readers who very much enjoys your blog, and we have even referenced some of your posts in our association learning blog at WBT Systems. Thanks for providing your insight and inspiration - we will continue reading!
ReplyDelete