You Want to Start Writing Online, But Held Back by Doubts?
Edition #10, How I overcame my fear of writing online
Do you want to start writing online?
But doubts are holding you back. Can’t stop worrying about the judgments and criticisms from others? And you feel unsure of yourself?
If that's what you're feeling, know that I have been there. Just about 9 weeks ago, I was terrified at the thought of writing online.
And in this newsletter, I will talk about how I overcame them and finally started putting myself out there.
Outline
My Story
You don't have to be an expert
You will find the time
Don't wait till you figure out your niche
Do it for yourself
The right people will support you
1. My Story
“You are not an expert in anything”
“Your friends will mock you and think you are a wannabe”
“No one will even look at your work”
These thoughts were running through my head right before I hit publish on my first Substack newsletter.
Posting content online isn’t new for me. But this time was different.
In the past, I had posted content for Instagram and Twitter, but it was anonymous. I was hidden behind logos and designs.
This time, I was writing under my name. No logos to hide behind.
I was really nervous about finally writing under my own name.
I was scared because I didn't feel like I had expertise in any subject.
I was scared of people's judgments.
But still, I decided to hit publish. And I am so glad I did it.
By no means I am an expert in writing. I have written only for 9 weeks. I want to talk about the doubts that almost stopped me from writing online and how I overcame them.
2. You don't have to be an expert
I have nothing to share. I know nothing good enough or deep enough.
I often feel like I'm not an expert, and because of that, I hesitate to write and share my thoughts.
But I actively remind myself that expertise is a myth. Who is an expert anyway?
The world is constantly changing, and now it's impossible to be truly an expert and know everything about something. Technology is advancing every day, so it only makes sense to keep learning and stay continuously informed.
You're never going to be an absolute expert in anything because there's always something new to learn, even if it is your field of 'expertise'.
I started embracing the fact that I am a learner.
Another thing I realized is that I don't have deep knowledge about a subject yet. The word ‘yet’ is very important here.
The fact that I'm writing this newsletter encourages me to actively research and learn. Having this newsletter motivates me to explore topics I'm curious about, and hopefully, one day, I'll know enough about them.
Also, no matter what stage you are in your journey, you are always going to be 1 step ahead of someone. Your advice and reflections can always help others, no matter the situation.
For example, if you're an international student struggling to find a job, remember that there are people eager to join the school you're studying in.
If you feel like you need to be an expert before you start writing online, do this instead:
a) Pick a topic you want to learn more about.
b) Each week, learn something new about it and share your findings.
3. You will find the time
I have a full-time job, I'm learning another language, keeping up with friends, and handling household tasks. So, I'm quite busy already.
I was worried I was going to burn out if I wrote a newsletter every week. That I wouldn’t find the time. This was almost the major thing holding me back.
But I had heard over and over again that if something is important enough for us, we find time for it.
And turns out, it's the truth.
For example, if your school expects you to be in class at 8:00 am and your degree depends on attendance, wouldn't you make sure to be there on time?
I wondered whether I could prioritize myself with the same dedication and respect I extend to others and my various responsibilities.
So, how do I actually manage to find time to write a newsletter a week?
I've set aside Saturdays specifically for writing. I don't plan any social events or other activities; Saturdays are reserved exclusively for working on my newsletter.
Truth be told, I actually spend most of Sunday working on it as well.
If you want to find time to work on writing online:
a) Try timeblocking days or hours in your calendar and dedicate them entirely to writing.
b)
Give yourself deadlines, for instance, My deadline for scheduling my newsletter is Sundays at 5 pm.
4. Don't wait till you figure out your niche
I don’t even know what I want to talk about. I want to talk about neuroscience, psychology, but also marketing. But I also want to reflect on my experiences and lessons I had learnt.
Yes, I am passionate about neuroscience, psychology, and marketing. And every now and then, I write about my personal learnings and my experiences in general. Experts would say that it is still very broad.
I know that most experts and gurus ask you to find your niche before you start writing online.
Yes, I agree. Having a niche makes it easier to plan your content, know what you will write about, and understand your audience's interests and preferences.
Especially in an oversaturated market.
But you won't find your niche by just theorizing. At least, I didn't, and I still haven't.
I spent hours, days, and weeks trying to figure out my niche. I made diagrams, and graphs, and used frameworks from influencers on LinkedIn and Instagram. I read multiple blogs and watched many YouTube videos.
But I still do not know my niche yet.
I'd say what helps me narrow down my niche is not theorizing and using frameworks, but actually writing every week.
For instance, when I started this newsletter, I thought I would be talking about marketing tools. You can see, that my first post ever on Substack was about Google Analytics. I thought that writing about tools would be super interesting to me, as I love using marketing tools. But it turns out, that's not the case.
So, even if you don’t have your niche figured out, its no big deal:
a)Keep writing consistently (in my case every week), no matter what
b)Keep trying out different things; It's only through writing and experience that you will be able to find your niche
5. Do it for yourself
What if I spend 7-8 hours writing a newsletter and no one even bothers to look at it? It would be such a waste of time.
I worried about pouring my heart and soul into this newsletter only to have no one bother to read it.
Whenever this thought crosses my mind, I remind myself that I am doing this not just for others, but also for me.
I see it as documenting my learnings. I'm passionate about neurology and psychology, as well as marketing and communications. So, every week, I publish a post on what I've learned about these topics.
I see my newsletter as my own encyclopedia, something I can refer to whenever I want to recall what I have learned about something.
So, if you worry about no one reading your blog/newsletter:
a) I would recommend not looking at the statistics too much and not caring too much about numbers.
b) Tell yourself that you are writing because you have something exciting to share, not because you want to get views and make money.
6. The right people will support you
People might think I'm a wannabe because I am writing online.
Here is the thing.
The people who genuinely support you will keep doing so, and those who mock you are likely already doing it. They'll make fun of you no matter what, and starting a newsletter won't be the reason they begin.
And you know what? Life's too short to worry about people who mock you behind your back. I've decided not to think about it. To stop caring.
And even if they judge you? So what?
All the supportive people in my life, those who truly have my back, consistently read and praise my newsletter. They like it and encourage me.
So, if you fear judgments from people around you:
a) You don’t have to tell them that you are writing online. You can wait till you feel confident enough. But keep writing!
b) Remember, people are mostly focused on their own lives. They're not paying as much attention to you as you think.
So this is how I tried to overcome the limiting beliefs that were holding me back.
What about you? What limiting beliefs are holding you back? Share in the comments below.
Edition #11: How To Use Storytelling To Create a Marketing Campaign
Quote of the Week:
Complaining about not achieving success despite working hard is like complaining about an ice cube not melting when you heated it from twenty-five to thirty-one degrees.
Your work was not wasted; it is just being stored.
All the action happens at thirty-two degrees.
James Clear, Atomic Habits
🌠 Thank you for reading this newsletter.
See you next week,
Irene