The only problem with getting Freshly Pressed is that everything afterwards is a bit anticlimactic. Once you’ve tasted the sweet success of heavy hits on your blog, you begin to yearn for the same thing everyday.
The whole experience is exciting. Getting notified that your blog post has been selected and then the agonising wait for it to appear on the ‘Wall of Glory.’ The excitement of getting all those likes and comments on the blog post itself. Then the inevitable slow down of views, likes, comments and new followers.
Of course the pinnacle of being Freshly Pressed is getting the widget to place on your site that says you’ve been Freshly Pressed.
All this heady mixture of acceptance, approval and attention tends to make you sit up that bit straighter when you type your next blog post. It also serves as a goal post to aim for.
Then you start to wonder, ‘Will I ever reach this height again? Have I peaked too soon?’
The sense of accomplishment is soon replaced with one of concern. What if you have peaked too soon. You may never write anything that is worthy of being Freshly Pressed ever again.
The worst thought is that you may well match or even exceed your Freshly Pressed article and it will never get that stamp of approval or be placed on that ‘Wall of Glory’ because you’ve met your quota.
These questions suddenly popped into my head earlier today. I was going over old comments, I do this periodically in case I’ve missed responding to someone, and read one from my friend Tyson Carter over at Head In A Vice. He jokingly said something to the effect that it was odd that I’d gotten Freshly Pressed and then had a heart attack! He went on to say that perhaps he did not want to get Freshly Pressed quite so badly now.
Joking aside, it does make you wonder if there is some sort of price to be paid for being included in the small group of nineteen folks who get chosen each day. What if I do excel myself and by some longshot get Freshly Pressed again? What might happen this time?
Just thinking of the consequences makes me shudder. It doesn’t concern me too much though. I think that perhaps barring sudden death, that I might just accept the consequences and let the chips fall where they may. After all, I had four whole days to bask in the glow of getting Freshly Pressed before I had the heart attack.
Four days of excitement and acceptance from the WordPress community. Four days of getting more followers and the best daily view count ever.
Seems like a fair trade to me.
Related articles
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- Things to Consider about being Freshly Pressed (seapunk2.wordpress.com)
- Things to Consider about being Freshly Pressed (5oh9.wordpress.com)
- Waiting for Freshly Pressed: A Timeline (mikesfilmtalk.com)
- I am Freshly Pressed. No word yet on when I’ll be Freshly Squeezed. (seejacobwrite.wordpress.com)
- Getting Freshly Pressed: Riding the Crest of the Wave (mikesfilmtalk.com)
- Freshly Pressed, Hold the Wrinkles (mikesfilmtalk.com)
- Freshly Pressed! (cobwebscupcakesandcrayons.com)
- What Makes a Post Freshly Press-able? The Frailest Thing (judithsmarkworld.wordpress.com)
- What Makes a Post Freshly Press-able: Bacon In a Toaster (drndark.com)
It was Urban Exploration: Off Limits Curiosity can Kill
Sorry if I missed something above but which of your posts was freshly pressed? Would like to have a look at it
😀
Glad you took it in the way it was intended 🙂 Always good to put a smile on an old mans face………LOL
I appreciate the shout out, as always, so thanks again Mike!
I agree! Not only with the dart board idea but the fact that some very strange things get pressed! Sorry Tyson, but I thought your remark about the heart attack and being freshly pressed somehow being connected so funny, I had to share, that and give you a shout out in the process! Cheers mate!!
Appreciate the shout out, makes me sound a nice person! I wouldn’t grumble if I was ever freshly pressed, but reading the forums and people saying how badly it affects stats and the people visit then dont come back…..I think I’d rather plod along trying to get repeat visitors. More importantly you’re on the mend, and if anyone deserved the accolade however it is decided its you buddy. ( I still believe its a load of sites on a dart board, with someone blindfolded throwing darts and choosing sites that way. Obviously not yours but I have seen some very strange things get pressed……) 🙂
I don’t know if it is or not. I know it does seem almost unobtainable. Still I thought that a humorous look at getting pressed and the anticlimactic feeling you get afterward might at least open the floor for that very question…Can I get it twice? lol
I’ve had some of these same thoughts rumbling around. I was ‘Freshly Pressed’ almost the same week I began blogging. Instead of nowhere to go but up, it feels like an unattainable goal – to be ‘Freshly Pressed’ twice. Is that even possible? With the number of blogs starting each day and the millions of terrific bloggers out there?
Oddly enough, it wasn’t until I wrote a blog post that in essence belittled the whole Freshly Pressed process that I got it. I don’t know it there is a connection…
I continually live in hope of getting another of those heart stopping (sorry I just couldn’t resist) e-mails! Thanks for the support mate!! ;-D
Thanks! This was just a quick post for a chuckle. I probably check my view counts a bit too vigorously! LOL Cheers mate!! 😀
Thanks! I just popped this one out for a chuckle or two, I’m glad folks have enjoyed it! I’d love to take credti for Meg’s great writing ability, but I think she’s left me behind in the writing department. Cheers mate!! 😀
I want to be freshly pressed at least once; but apparently my little horror blog isn’t good enough for their criteria. I don’t mean to sound bitter. It’s just my thoughts at the moment.
I just got more hits in the last three days than I did in the previous couple of months. It’s a pretty heady experience and I can’t imagine NOT wanting to repeat it. Go for it. Why not?
Hmm. Man gets Freshly Pressed, has a heart attack and other assorted ill fortunes. Sounds like the premise for a horror story. I’ll get to writing that right away. 😉
You would definitely deserve multiple Freshly Pressed titles, sans the heart attack, though. When I started reading Meg’s blog I was impressed how well she wrote and wondered where she got the writing ability. Then I started reading your blog and that question was answered. Keep up the good work, and it’s nice to see you so active so quickly.
I assume you are doing better now, which makes me happy. 🙂 Also I really lately feel like I should care more about stats and site views and stuff. People are always talking about it and I forget I can even check and see…Good luck with getting re-freshly pressed!