279days

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279 Days to Overnight Success
Prior to the launch in February 2008, I spent the summer and fall of
2007 actively reading a number of blogs that I identified with. My purpose
in doing this was to get comfortable with the kinds of conversation
taking place, and observe first-hand how people had successfully grown
their blogs. I began with Steve Pavlina and several members of the Life-
Remix network. I spent hours studying the archives, reading their flagship
content, and seeing how bloggers dealt with different situations.
After I launched my site, I wrote individual messages to this small group
of people who had helped me. The first people I wrote to were Jonathan
Fields, Gretchen Rubin, and J.D. Roth — three people that I especially
looked up to and thought, I like what they are doing and I appreciate the
communities they have carefully nourished.
My message to them, and to other people I wrote later, was to simply say
“Thank you for inspiring and teaching me through your writing.” I did not
ask them to link to my site or otherwise do something for me.
Please understand this: asking someone to link to you without an established
relationship or without answering the “reason why” will not work.
www.chrisguillebeau.com/3x5