Five Lessons I’ve Learned After Blogging About Cars For Two Years

"Torque Affair" (torqueaffair)
03/04/2016 at 07:50 • Filed to: blogging, writing

I’ve learned that no one cares about what I have to say about cars, or anything else for that matter.

No, I’m just joking. Of course people care. I highly appreciate the four regular readers who routinely read my writing only to point out flaws in my observations or say things. Things like, “You are a gay minivan.”

Here is the original Jalopnik comment:

I have toiled on my site, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for a little over two years now with almost no one reading it except for the minivan commenter. The effort to reward ratio is almost zero.

During this time I’ve learned a few things which I thought I’d share with you. At this point, I understand if you need to go read something else instead, like “how to mentally prepare yourself for a Kanye West presidency in 2020 .”

However, if you have any desire in starting a car blog of your own or starting anything, then you might find what I have to say somewhat interesting, but probably not as captivating as the latest Republican debates. How could you possibly pass up watching old men bickering at each other saying stuff like: “You should go scrub toilets” or “Your face looks like a burnt tortilla chip”

I have always loved cars, and realized that it was perhaps time to start doing something about that passion. I thought I’d initially get people together and go driving, but then I realized I knew so few car enthusiasts at the time that it was virtually impossible to sync up our schedules to meet up and drive. Also, I owned a Mustang at the time and it took me a while to realize that the only people who were fans of the car were high school teenage girls and street racers. Auto enthusiasts took one look at my car, glared at me in utter disapproval and then immediately walked away.

So, I decided to start writing. I was so naive and clueless at first. I thought…well, if I just create weekly posts, surely I would steadily gain followers and subscribers. It shouldn’t be that hard.

WRONG!!

Not only is it hard to gain followers of any kind, it’s actually easier to lose followers. And every time you lose a follower or a subscriber, it’s like getting punched in face.

Lesson #1: It will probably be harder than you think

Wise folks have always said “if it’s worth doing, it will be hard”. To that I say “why can’t it be easy?” I would love to create a few posts, have them go viral and then automatically gain millions of followers! But, alas, that’s not how it works. The truth is that it takes a lot of work. Just like anything else, even something seemingly straightforward like a car blog, takes grinding away at it and putting in tons of effort.

But the fact that it takes time to build a following is not a bad thing because when I go back and look at some of my first posts, they were embarrassingly bad. Enough to where I should probably delete them. My latest ones are still bad but not where I have to look away in shame and hide in the bushes.

Well… maybe occasionally .

Lesson #2: Creativity is hard

It’s relatively easy to come up with a few article ideas and write about them. But to do so consistently over a long period of time is not that easy. If I was solving a specific problem or focused on a specific topic, like how windshield wiper bolts are manufactured, then I would probably come up in google searches for people typing in, “How are windshield wiper bolts made?” And soon thousands of people wondering about the same thing would find me on the interwebs.

But, since I’m focused more on creativity and entertainment, it becomes trickier. The overall theme is car-related but that’s about it. Being creative requires a good state of mind where you can think and become inspired by new ideas. Some days it’s tough to be creative when you get rear-ended, your basement floods from a leaky pipe, your dog vomits all over your carpet, and you wonder — why am I even on this planet? But it’s all about the grind, so no matter what the circumstance, the creativity must carry on!

So you might be wondering: this sounds like hell, why do you do it? Wouldn’t I be better off selling toothbrush cases on Amazon? Maybe. But I really do love cars, writing, making videos and the process of creating things even if people compare me to a minivan.

I feel compelled to keep going. I don’t know…maybe I have a mental problem.

Lesson #3: You need to enjoy the process most of the time

Blogging about cars isn’t always about driving cool cars and doing cool car things. I would say the actual driving part is minimal, since most of the time is dedicated to actually creating the content. So enjoying the content creation aspect is hugely important. I suppose I could be out drinking beer, staring at the ceiling, or having anything resembling some kind of a social life, but I find it satisfying to create something, putting it out there and then having almost no read it.

Wow , I am really screwed, aren’t I?

Lesson #4: Be patient

Maybe, for a handful of people things happen overnight, and by handful I mean two, but for the rest of us overnight can mean many years. That means you can be doing something for a very long time without meaningful results. Like anything else, it takes time to be really good at something. And so a lot of this blogging business is about doing it over and over again until you’re so good, you can’t be ignored. That’s what they say anyway.

The process of growing your readership or fanbase can be like watching grass grow. What?! Only 2 more views on Youtube? What the hell!!

Wait, did someone just unsubscribe? NOOOO!!!

But that’s how it goes. It’s like chipping away at a brick wall with a paperclip hoping that someday you’ll get through to the other side. I’d like to keep thinking that if I keep at this long enough and continue to improve, something will come out of it. But even if it doesn’t, I’m fine doing this anyway since I like to torture myself.

Lesson #5: Don’t expect anything, just keep moving forward

This is much easier said than done. Because there are no guarantees in the world of art and creativity, I can’t really be sure where blogging or doing anything creative will end up. The only thing I can do is rinse and repeat, without having any expectations whatsoever. Just like I put on clothes every day (I try to anyway) , I also create some stuff. There are a few benefits to continually creating content. I would like to think that my work does improve over time and that the more that I create, the higher the chances that people will find me.

But, who knows?

And as long as my readership is growing slowly, from four regular readers in 2014 to five regular readers in 2015, there’s no reason to stop. Who cares if there are people who don’t like what you read or have to say — there will always be someone who hates that you even exist .

I might be a gay minivan today, but I’m a gay minivan that will keep working at this. And then maybe someday, I’ll become a gay 2-door sports coupe. Because, who wouldn’t want to be a gay 2-door sports coupe?

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!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is about exploring my fascination with cars. I’m always on the lookout for things that interest me in the car world.

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DISCUSSION (27)

Stapleface > Torque Affair
03/04/2016 at 08:01

You're a gay minivan? Seriously? What does that even mean?! I'd read your stuff, but I can't at work. Apparently your website is blocked (who knows why, random shit gets blocked). I'm rarely online if I'm not at work though.

AkursedX > Torque Affair
03/04/2016 at 08:12

Good post. I just started blogging stuff a few months ago and I definitely found that writing about things that I want to write about comes so incredibly easy to me. But I really think that would change quite quickly if I suddenly felt like there were things that I had to write about.

While I have had a few articles that have had success beyond my wildest expectations, I am just glad that somebody is reading my posts. And as long as that somone keeps reading, I’ll do my best to put out content that is worth reading about.

(I need to start doing one of those signature things like you have at the end of my posts)

jariten1781 > Torque Affair
03/04/2016 at 08:36

My uncle is a serial entrepreneur (nothing fancy like that term usually invokes, he’s started 4ish small engine repair businesses and a couple vending machine ones). His advice, which seems like it would translate well to blogging, was that to establish a core group of customers you need to spend more time advertising and networking than actually producing. There’s no organic growth from zero so your primary goal should initially be just getting people metaphorically through the door. Advertise to the point of being obnoxious, go meet with everyone including the ones sacrifice quality for quantity initially. Get kicked out of offices one week and be there again the next, etc. Once you’ve got people coming to you then work on quality. Once your quality and user base is established you have two choices: 1) continue aggressive marketing for growth 2) focus on quality and value and allow for slower organic growth (well, and his preferred option: sell to someone then go do it again in another city).

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Torque Affair
03/04/2016 at 08:49

“Also, I owned a Mustang at the time and it took me a while to realize that the only people who were fans of the car were high school teenage girls and street racers. Auto enthusiasts took one look at my car, glared at me in utter disapproval and then immediately walked away.”

Right in the feels.

JustJim > Torque Affair
03/04/2016 at 08:53

I feel in some ways I could have written this. Maybe in two years I’ll write something similar.

I don’t have an idea problem, but more of a focus problem. Trying to do my passion for free while looking for a new “real” job I can’t imagine actually liking breaks up my writing time. A 1500 word post ends up being a 3000 word longform and gets tl:dr responses, oh and grammar correction Nazis.

I’ve had a few, probably more than my fair share, get boosted to Jalopnik which is euphoric. A more common result on the other hand is a 2 second sarcastic response will get more stars and responses than a post I’ve worked on for several days. That sort of thing makes focusing all the more difficult.

I look forward to more of your content. Good luck.

Justin Hughes > Torque Affair
03/04/2016 at 09:07

“A gay minivan.” I’ll have to remember that one.

And yes, the struggle is real. I completely agree with this.

Loping Camshaft > Torque Affair
03/04/2016 at 14:43

Worth it?

I’m considering subjecting people to my own little corner of Kinja soon.

swaptastic > Torque Affair
03/04/2016 at 17:39

I think you need to take a step back and ask yourself why would someone come to my site in the first place and why would they continue to come back. I think writing about a niche area of the automotive world is more helpful for building an audience. Is there a particular area you find more appealing?

Torque Affair > Loping Camshaft
03/04/2016 at 18:41

Only if you enjoy writing! Try it out and see what you think.

Torque Affair > swaptastic
03/04/2016 at 19:37

I figure I’ll sort of meander my way to it, like someone wandering through the forest and somehow stumbling into whatever it is I should be talking about!

Torque Affair > JustJim
03/04/2016 at 19:42

Yeah, the focusing is tough. Keep working at it, though! Just try to ignore people’s reactions as best you can and keep producing.

I’ve noticed the comments almost always get way more recommends than the actual post! Wonder what the stats on that are...

Torque Affair > jariten1781
03/04/2016 at 19:44

Haha, that’s not bad advice!

Torque Affair > AkursedX
03/04/2016 at 19:45

That’s it! As long as one person out there is liking your work, you know there’s gotta be way more out there that would enjoy your stuff. Just a matter of persistence!

Torque Affair > Stapleface
03/04/2016 at 19:47

Blocked!? That’s crazy! Wonder why...

swaptastic > Torque Affair
03/04/2016 at 21:31

That can work also. Remember articles people disagree with strongly seem to do better in terms of sharing and traffic than articles they agree with.

Stapleface > Torque Affair
03/05/2016 at 14:45

It’s the federal govt, I’m sure it’s some dumb reason. Maybe because it has the word “affair” in it? Who knows. Lol

Green Mountain Car Guy > Torque Affair
03/07/2016 at 17:52

Since I was little, I have always loved the idea of being a writer for Car & Driver. Driving all those different cars, and trying to find the sometimes subtle difference in them. When I started doing swap drives for a couple of local dealerships a few years ago, that desire to write about cars came back. Here I am, driving a bunch of different cars! Why not write about them! Those stories, thankfully, will likely never be “published”. But, once I was granted authorship to Opposite Lock, I started to write things again and enjoy it. I’ve not had that big “shared to the front page” post yet, but, I’ll surely keep plugging away at it.

But, though I don’t have my own blog or readership, almost everything you’ve said rings true to me. I wrote a huge 5-part travelogue about a road trip with a friend of mine who has since died of cancer. The first comment on it was someone who happened to find me using the wrong terminology. Ohh well.

I do also share your feelings and fears about content. Would I even be able to keep people interested - could I come up with even a weekly column? Am I entertaining enough? Do people even like the stuff I’ve written up to now? I’m just a young(ish) guy in Vermont - what value should my opinion have?

And that’s just it. I only have to overcome one thing! My own self. I doubt myself, I worry too much. I am terrified to be in front of a camera (for evidence of this, I am Bill from Doug’s trip to VT in the Aston video - I was so nervous and fidgety it’s almost funny in and of itself.)

Well, that turned out longer than I expected it to! Sorry. lol.

tl:dr - I feel your pain.

Torque Affair > Green Mountain Car Guy
03/08/2016 at 07:51

Thanks for sharing your story. Completely agree - it’s tough to put yourself out there, but you do get used to it after a while. It does get easier when you realize that people might make a negative comment or two, but then they completely forget about you seconds later.

Keep going though - as long as you enjoy doing it, don’t stop! Persistence will eventually pay off! That’s what I think anyway.

Green Mountain Car Guy > Torque Affair
03/08/2016 at 08:40

That’s the plan! Keep plowing along. My friends and family tell me they like it, so, that’s all that matters, right??

Torque Affair > Green Mountain Car Guy
03/08/2016 at 19:27

Even if 1 person likes it, that must mean there must be others! It just takes time to find and build an audience.

JTEdwards > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 11:36

For me, it’s too easy to let the reality of the situation to sink in. We can’t all drive like Chris Harris. Or write like him. Or Clarkson. Or Harry Metcalf.

The truth is, lots of people like cars, and lots of people like to write. Even scarier, most day jobs suck, so daydreams push us into fantasies of spinning prose about tire smoke and 4-wheel drifts, and suddenly the outlook of our bleak existence is a little bit rosier; it’s like that for all of us.

However, ask someone like Chris Harris why he does what he does, and he doesn’t talk about the semantics. It isn’t about escaping a shit job, or because he wanted readers to follow him and read his stuff and daydream about his life in envy. He loves to write. He loves to drive. That’s it; and that’s all it needs to be.

We project that validation until it becomes the reasoning behind our action, and that’s backwards. You don’t write because you need someone to read it, you write because you need to express your passion. The day that you do it purely for the followers and the fame is the day that you turn yourself into a Kardashian, and that’s WAY worse than a gay minivan.

jcn-txct > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 15:23

Writing is hard but if it’s a passion, it makes it all worthwhile. If you stay involved/connected with all things automobile, you will remain relevant and have a never ending subjects to blog about. Regarding an audience, it’s like farming or gardening you put something out there and it can either not germinate, wither on the vine, grow enough to sustain you or provide a an overwhelming bounty. So screw the “gay minivan guys” all they did was create a profile and attack. You did something positive and not for the faint of heart. All of this honesty and intellect has made me hungry, I need to go make myself a sandwich.

Torque Affair > jcn-txct
03/18/2016 at 18:44

haha, yeah, fortunately i have fun doing it so I’ll keep going!

Andrew T. Maness > Torque Affair
03/18/2016 at 22:34

I would say the actual driving part is minimal, since most of the time is dedicated to actually creating the content.

This is probably the most important part of the equation to understand, and ultimately what causes would be auto critics to flame out, which is find because if they can’t deal with the reality of the situation, then they weren’t cut out for this line of work in the first place.

The rest of what you wrote is spot on as well, and having had all the same experiences I can relate to those feelings. It’s tough to put a lot of energy and effort into something you’re not getting paid to do, or even if you’re getting paid, still damn tough.

All I can say is keep going, you’ve got a knack for it!

Torque Affair > Andrew T. Maness
03/19/2016 at 09:42

Thanks man! Appreciate it. As long as one person likes what I’m doing, that’s motivation enough to keep going!

Cooperd0g > Torque Affair
04/14/2016 at 10:58

I actually find your articles very entertaining. I’m a total Kinja noob so I didn’t realize that I was missing articles from you because they don’t always show on the main Jalopnik page. I don’t comment much because it seems like my comments never get approved (not sure why, I never write anything bad) so I kind of stopped trying to comment. I will try to do so on your articles from now on. I also didn’t realize you had your own website. So I am getting caught up on articles from the last few months here and will bookmark your blog for daily checking.

Sorry I don't have any cool cars for you to drive though.

Torque Affair > Cooperd0g
04/14/2016 at 19:39

Thank you very much! Yeah, I do have my own site - feel free to subscribe to my email list. I send out updates whenever I put up a new article.

No worries about the cool car thing - I find a way to beg people to drive their cars whenever I get a chance!