The Case for Publishing More and Worrying Less

Content strategy usually focuses on optimization: better keywords, better headlines, better structure. All useful. But sometimes the best strategy is simpler.

Publish more. Worry less. Here's the case for prioritizing output over perfection, learning from real feedback instead of speculation, and trusting that more attempts lead to more success.

The argument for more

Why would publishing more - with potentially lower quality per piece - be a good strategy?

You don't know what will work

You think you know which posts will succeed. You're usually wrong.

Posts you sweated over flop. Throwaway pieces catch fire. Prediction is hard. The best way to find winners is to create more attempts.

More content means more keywords

Each post targets different keywords. More posts mean more opportunities to rank, more organic traffic sources, more ways for people to find you.

One great post can't compete with a library on keyword coverage.

Authority comes from volume

Topical authority requires comprehensive coverage. Google trusts sites that demonstrate deep knowledge through extensive content on their topic.

You can't build authority with five posts, no matter how perfect.

You improve by doing

You learn more from publishing 50 posts than from perfecting 5. Real-world feedback beats theoretical optimization.

Each published post teaches you something about your audience, your writing, your topic.

The downside is limited

A mediocre post that gets little traction costs you... a few hours. It's not a disaster. It's just a post that didn't work.

The upside of a post that works can be substantial. Traffic, leads, reputation, opportunities. Asymmetric outcomes favor more attempts.

Why we don't publish more

If more is better, why do most bloggers under-publish?

Perfectionism

We want every piece to be great. So we labor over each one, publish slowly, and accumulate drafts that never see daylight.

See our piece on why perfectionism kills blogs.

Fear of judgment

Publishing is exposure. What if it's bad? What if people criticize? This fear keeps posts in drafts.

Reality: most posts get little attention, positive or negative. The fear is disproportionate.

Overthinking strategy

Analysis paralysis. Which keywords? What angle? How should this fit the content plan? Endless strategy without execution.

Lack of systems

Without workflows, calendars, and processes, every post is a project. Projects are hard. See our guides on content calendars and writing faster.

What "worry less" means

Worrying less doesn't mean caring less. It means:

Accept imperfection

Some posts will be B+ work, not A+ work. That's fine. B+ published beats A+ in drafts.

Trust the law of averages

More attempts mean more outcomes across the distribution. Some will underperform. Some will overperform. The portfolio wins even if individual pieces don't.

Focus on trends, not individual posts

One post flopping isn't failure. A pattern of posts flopping might indicate a problem. Judge your approach over 20 posts, not 2.

Let go of control

You can't control how posts perform. You control whether they exist. Do your part (create and publish), then release attachment to outcomes.

Stop the endless tweaking

Published posts don't need constant revision. Publish, move on, create the next thing. Only revisit posts when there's clear reason - declining traffic, new information, obvious improvement.

Implementing "publish more, worry less"

Practical steps for shifting your approach.

Increase your frequency

If you're publishing monthly, try bi-weekly. If bi-weekly, try weekly. Push slightly past your comfort zone.

Shorten your production time

Set time limits. If a post is taking too long, it's probably overthought. Ship it and move on.

Lower your per-post standard (slightly)

Not garbage. But not polished perfection either. Aim for "valuable and good enough" rather than "flawless."

Create a publishing pipeline

Have multiple pieces in progress. When one publishes, another is ready. Continuous flow beats sporadic bursts.

Track output, not just outcomes

Celebrate publishing consistency: "I hit my publishing schedule for 12 weeks straight." This is in your control and builds momentum.

When this advice doesn't apply

Publishing more isn't always right.

Reputation-sensitive contexts

If you're a lawyer or doctor, accuracy matters enormously. Don't sacrifice quality for volume when stakes are high.

Very competitive niches

Some niches have such high-quality competitors that truly mediocre content won't rank regardless of volume. Quality becomes table stakes.

When you're completely burned out

If you're exhausted, more isn't the answer. Rest first, then consider sustainable rhythms.

When quantity is already high

If you're already publishing daily, more isn't the lever. Optimization becomes more valuable.

The balance

This isn't about being careless. It's about rebalancing.

Most bloggers are over-indexed on quality and under-indexed on quantity. They worry too much and publish too little.

If that's you, the prescription is more output, less agonizing. Not abandonment of standards - just recalibration toward action.

For more on productive mindsets, see our guides on writing consistently and quality vs quantity.

You can always improve a post later. You can't improve a post that doesn't exist. Publish more. Worry less. See what happens.