BBAW: Blogging

The world of blogging is continually changing. Share 3 things you think are essential tried and true practices for every blogger and 1-3 new trends or tools you’ve adapted recently or would like to in the future.

I feel highly unqualified to be writing a post on this topic. I am not exactly a Top Blogger. But I thought maybe I would offer up some practices and advice for/from bloggers like me: laid-back, unfocused, non-goal-oriented bloggers. I know you guys are out there!

Rule #1: Do what you want when you want
The top complaint I see from bloggers is the dreaded BURN OUT. Post after post has been made about how bloggers have just gotten tired, have collapsed under the stress of daily posting and keeping up on reading and commenting on other blogs, and dealing with review copies and reading deadlines, and blah, blah, blah, blah. And all of these posts come with an apology and an overall tone of guilt. I totally understand that bloggers who are looking to brand themselves and receive A-list review copies and have 100 comments per post are stressed. But I often find myself wondering why... Unless this is your career goal, you need to relax. If blogging gets too stressful, you will start to hate it. Then you will quit. Take a breath. Realize this is supposed to be fun. That it's about a community of readers-becoming-friends, and just like with your real life friends, your true blogging buddies won't abandon you if you only post a few times a week, or even miss a week altogether. Believe me, I know.

Rule #2: Be Comfortable with "Mark All as Read"
I'm not sure if this is a standard for all the laid-back bloggers, but I find myself subscribing to new blogs all the freaking time, leaving me with 200+ blogs to read every day. That is just not going to happen. Since I like variety and meeting new people, I'm not going to stop subscribing. I've just learned how to organize my blogs into folders and how to hit that "Mark All as Read" button without feeling any guilt. Just like with Rule #1, Rule #2 is all about realizing that blogging is not my job and it's not a chore, it's fun.


Rule #3: Review Copies are Awesome, 50 Review Copies are Horrid
At first, I accepted almost every review copy I was pitched. Then I got so backed up, review copies were all I could read. And I hate having to read from a list. I'm more of a spontaneous reader, picking up what I want, when I want (hello Rule #1). Now I am very, very selective with the books I accept, and honestly I am not accepting many right now. All that pressure. *shudder*

So those are some Rules that bloggers like me follow. I assume this also counts as Advice for those bloggers who are a bit more focused on Developing a Readership and Acquiring a Reputation and the such not. Now here's a bit of Advice for the more relaxed blogger:

Advice: Remember that You Rock
Sometimes it's difficult realizing that your number of followers is chump change compared to the number of followers other blogs have. When you have 50 and they have1 800, you can feel like small potatoes. Don't. First of all, those 1800 followers may be the result of pure and simple following and have nothing to do with the number of people who actually read and comment on the blog. Second, exactly what are you winning with more followers. Is someone paying you per follower? Decide if that's something you really care about or if it's just something you think other people care about. And finally, remember that this blog is for you, not for other people. And of course, you rock because you are a reader who's out there promoting, discussing, reviewing, and interacting with books.

So there's the rules and advice from a small-time, spontaneous, sporadic blogger who's happy where she's at.