I Dreamed My Blog Post Went Viral…

Recently, I had a dream about one of my blog posts suddenly going viral. It was a critique I wrote on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel Hopeless. Most people appreciated my objective analysis of the novel’s tackling of the sensitive subject of sexual abuse. While others criticized me for having the audacity to call out their beloved bestseller, being a novice author myself.

Being a writer who has mostly been ignored on social media, going viral was a flattering and scary experience in equal measure. I read each and every comment, no matter how rude or condescending. Some of them made me want to delete my original article, but I kept going. But the positive ones made me feel like the greatest writer on the planet.

My social media following increased exponentially, followed by a significant growth in my book sales. People were talking about my book everywhere. Some said it was awesome, while others dissed it as an amateur attempt. Many readers slid into my DMs and gave me ideas for the subsequent books in the series. A big-name publisher contacted me for a contract with them for my next three novels.

I reveled in my success as an author for many weeks. I enjoyed getting interviewed and giving speeches. People who had rejected me earlier contacted me–influencers, talk shows, bookstores, and even local news reporters. Fans, young and the elderly, sent me numerous emails and letters praising my work.

That’s when I let the success get into my head. I forgot the purpose of my writing and thought about what would sell. I cared less about the issues and more about the money. I let everyone else dictate the content of my books. I succumbed to the pressure of everyone else’s expectations and forgot the joy of writing.

Thank Goodness I woke up before I learned how this ended. Because it couldn’t have been good. Losing my purpose as an author is my biggest nightmare, and I don’t ever want it to happen. If my content ever goes viral, I will read this article to ensure I don’t get sucked by the black hole of fame. Sure, I want to be successful, but not at the price of forgetting my writing goals.  

How would you react if your content went viral? Let me know in the comments.