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Stumbling on Sally Hepworth

Quite by accident, I found a book called The Secrets of Midwives earlier this year. It was one of a handful of Australian novels offered at a discount on iTunes when I was looking for something to read on the train. I liked the sound of it; a story of 3 generations of women, all midwives. The characters had present-day problems that could only really be solved by reliving aspects of the past. I couldn’t put it down.

Sally Hepworth.

I later learned that it was actually the debut novel of Sally Hepworth, an author from Melbourne. Naturally, I sought out her other books and read them both in quick succession. Because I enjoyed them so much, I got in touch with Sally for a chat.

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I don’t really know how I’m going at this blogging gig. Some people are measuring success as bloggers in dollar amounts and fame (and there’s nothing wrong with that!) but I’m pretty happy here in my own little world. I might be actually kind of terrible at “successful” blogging. Some examples:

My blog has made almost no money and I’ve tried just about nothing to combat that.
Lots of bloggers monetise by hosting ads, having affiliate programs and collaborating with brands. I’ve never had ads and likely won’t because my website is pretty and full of white space, which I love.
As for collaborating with brands? I’m just not gonna do it anymore. I might review stuff here and there if I love it, like period pants or menstrual cups, but that’s it. Some people can write sponsored posts that are marvelous. They are captivating, interesting and funny. I am not that person. Sponsored content is a dry and boring read when I’ve written it. I’m just not going to do that to myself or the lovely people that visit here any more.
Affiliate links- I have dabbled, on book review posts. Know how much money that made me? I’ll tell you. Lean in.

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There’s a growing trend that sees me cringing sporadically as I scroll through my social media feeds. A culture of oversharing. I’ve been trying to wrap my head around what motivates parenting bloggers to write this stuff, not to mention the readers that seems to adore it. We are at an interesting place in the parenting blogging world. A place where nothing is sacred.

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Have you ever done a Myers-Briggs personality test? A friend of mine told me about them so I gave it a go, for a bit of fun. The result was a type called ENFP. To cut a long story short, my type is the most introverted of the extrovert types. It makes a fair bit of sense to me.
My personality, who I am, is why I write here about absolutely anything I want to. I rarely shy away from any topic. Deleting and blocking trolls is not a problem. I don’t hesitate in publishing anything unless I don’t feel up to arguing with detractors. I’ve written things that lost me Facebook fans or Twitter followers with honestly zero fucks given. Those people aren’t who I write my stuff for, anyway.
My personality is also why I can walk into a room full of people, even people I know, and head straight for a quiet corner. I love talking to people and socialising but it can be overwhelming at first. I’m the person at the edge of the swimming pool, easing my toes in slowly and dreading getting to hip level because it will be so cold. I know, though, that once I dive in, it will be amazing. Continue Reading

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Sally Hepworth: On Women, Relationships & Writing

Stumbling on Sally Hepworth

2016: The Most-Read Things I Wrote This Year

The Culture of Oversharing

Inspiration, Validation & For Fun!