I’ve been blogging for probably a little more than 3 years. I started with Blogger (very limiting platform) and eventually moved to Wordpress (thanks to Maili) and have relatively enjoyed blogging for the most part. Obviously, blogging is not for everybody. Just look around you. How many links do you have that are broken or haven’t been updated in months? And there are several bloggers who have just abandoned their blogs altogether.
Blogging is mainly a hobby for most of us so I guess my question is what makes you keep on doing it? What inspires or motivates you to keep blogging when so many others have quit or have decided to take a break? I see some readers/bloggers are apart of reading challenges especially <a href=http://readingadventures.blogspot.com/”>Marg and check out her sidebar — wow. JMC has her SBD (short for Smart Bitch Day) where she provides insightful and meaningful commentary on her reading material and posts them every Monday. And I have my graphic novel posts set on Mondays, I don’t know what else for the rest of the week and TBR challenges are always posted on the 3rd Wednesday of every month until the end of the year.
The bottom line for me is that I love reading and discussing books and would love more reader interaction but I have no control over the latter. I love blogging about books but my problem is that I don’t read fast enough and I can’t do anything to change that. I do have fellow blogger and friend Melanie to help out on occassion. She reads mostly mystery and listens to audio books and reads some non-fiction (big Sylvia Brown fan here). In the end though — blogging is fun and addictive but the hardest part is coming up with fresh and interesting topics and staying up to date. So, enough about me. How about you? What keeps you blogging? And if you’re a reader contemplating starting a blog, what are you waiting for?
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I just celebrated 3 years of blogging too. I started my blog because I noticed my comments on other people’s posts were getting longer and longer. I figured I should just post my opinions at my own place.
At first I struggled with what the focus of my blog should be…a theme for a lack of a better word. I just literally woke up one day to realize that it was “my” blog and it could be whatever I wanted it to be with no particular focus. Ever since I liberated myself I’ve enjoyed writing so much more.
One thing I’ve realized recently is that I love the interaction I have with other readers on my blog, I really do, but now I think that I’d still write even without the interaction because it’s become cathartic to express myself in this way. Who knew?
Its blogs like your that inspire the rest of us.
I just started a blog this week, and gawd it is fun to have my own bully pulpit! I can say whatever I want whenever I want! Of course, I am only saying it to five people, at least 3 of whom I’m related to by blood, but still… there is something about putting your words out there that makes it more gratifying than just keeping reading notes on my Macbook.
I wanted to start a romance review blog to chart my own reading, and to keep track of others’ reviews of books I read. I have read so many books since discovering the genre 18 months ago that I can’t even remember some of them.
I have no idea how active I will be — it sure can be time consuming, and once Labor Day comes, I’m back in the classroom, but for now, its hella fun!
Great topic! I really enjoy blogging — most of mine consists of book reviews. I think I’ve done a whopping three op-ed pieces in the time that I’ve been blogging (nearly two years). I do it for the readers. Their conversation and responses are really enjoyable. It’s especially great when I’m lucky enough that something I write strikes a chord, or starts a long conversation. I feel very fortunate in my blogging partners and I don’t know if I’d do it on my own, since I’m a slow reader and a slow writer as well. Having other people to do it with spreads the responsibility for producing content around, and makes it a lot more fun as well.
Thanks Brie, Li, Marg, Taja, fl (good luck!) — appreciate you guys sharing your thoughts! I guess as continue to read and enjoy books, I’ll continue to blog about them.
@fl — the difficulty lies in trying to figure what the heck to discuss on daily basis but I’ve since let that go and don’t want to go down that road. I don’t want to start something that I am unable to keep up with.
I’m late, but I’ll chime in. I’ve been a blogger for about three years now. I started out with a personal blog and did that for two 1/2 years. When my thoughts on the books I was reading began to be the only thing I was blogging about on my personal blog, I shut it down and started a reader blog. When I began, I had no idea how big reader blogs were. I thought I was alone in the world of book blogging, and then I stumbled across DA, and from there I found you, and then I kept on branching out.
I blog about books because I love to read and it’s fun. I’ve always been a person who loved to express my opinions and hear about other’s as well. Blogging is a way for me to do both, and meet really cool people in the process. I do wish I had the time to read more, at this point I try to post at least one book commentary a week and If I’m lucky, two.
Keishon, I only read Shutter Island (neat twist at the end!) and I saw Mystic River but I look forward to reading Lehane’s other novels and thank you.
I had no idea blogging was so hard. lol I just started mine because I thought it would be interesting. I thought getting it off the ground was the hard part! Wish me luck!
Totally agree on the Bloglines thing. Some days I set myself a target and say No matter what I am going to comment on at least 5 romance blogs or 5 craft blogs because I am conscious that there are a lot of times when I do just skim through the Bloglines feeds and that is it.
Interesting post (and comments)!
I started blogging because I just wanted somewhere to write down my opinions on books — but getting to know others via their own book blogs and/or comments has been a big plus!
Nowadays, I usually only write reviews (or opinions *g*) on books that I’ve really enjoyed. I think I used to post a lot more on my reads than I do now. Probably due to the time factor as it takes me a while to gather my thoughts and pinpoint exactly what I liked and what I didn’t. And I figure if I didn’t really like a book that much or if it was just so-so, I’ve better things to do than to spend more time thinking about it!
I’m also with the others on feed readers — I love Bloglines because there is no way I’d be able to follow as many blogs as I do now, but at the same time, it probably makes me a less-frequent commenter on other peep’s blogs. Which is not great, because the interactive-ness of the blog format is what keeps it fresh, IMHO.
I just started my blog in January and it has been great fun. I feel like I’m still feeling my way as far as reviews go and still change and tweak things occasionally. I sometimes wish my writing style was more entertaining, but I’ve decided I need to write what comes more naturally! I’ve had trouble writing reviews lately because I’ve been doing more reading (10 books in July). I either blog a lot and don’t read or vice versa!
It’s been interesting and fun to see what posts get the most readers. A young adult book I reviewed early on still gets the most people viewing it (20+ views everyday) and the most comments.
Your blog is one I check nearly everyday. I’ve found some wonderful books based on your recommendations. In fact, I just finished all six of the Julia Spencer-Fleming mysteries and loved them. I’d probably never have found them if I hadn’t seen your review a month or so ago!
I started blogging because I was a lurker at Rosario’s blog and Maili’s blog, but I didn’t want to hog their comment sections with my opinions. SBD actually belongs to Beth at Sum of Me. My first reviewish sort of post ever (3 years ago!) was an opinion about Nora Roberts’ Blue Smoke posted for Beth’s SBD. It’s a habit now.
I find myself writing fewer reviews lately, mostly because I’ve been busy but also because a lot of what I’ve read hasn’t really engaged me or stuck in my mind. And I’ve noticed that I’m commenting less, interacting less, because I’m reading through Bloglines or Google Reader, and not visiting each site individually. Must get out of that habit, because I do like more interactivity when it comes to reader-blogging.
Hey BevQB, couldn’t agree more with all that you said. One main reason why I started a blog was because I so love to discuss books with other readers and often was somewhat impatient or felt that I wasn’t getting the reader participation that I liked on message boards and the like. Over the years though, I’ve learned to just write down what I like and dislike about books and if someone agree or disagrees with me, great. I always welcome different perspectives as there is always more than one way to look at something. Now more or less, I write for myself. I’ve given up on reader particpation like I see on other blogs and like Vanessa said — maybe that’s not such a bad thing.
I don’t consider what I write reviews either but it’s a term I like to use however. I thought I could label them opinions or something but it just doesn’t have the same ring to it. [g] Have a great weekend.
I started my blog about 1.5 years ago. Basically, I’m an opinionated old bat and I enjoy having my say. My intent/focus was never to garner readers to my blog, but was primarily to amuse myself. The fact that a few people DO visit me is just extra-fun icing on the cake and gives me a chance to champion books, audio books, and authors that I love.
It makes me all kinds of happy when someone tells me they read and enjoyed a book based on one of my commentaries. BTW, I still seldom refer to what I write about on my blog as reviews because they seldom resemble the more generally accepted review format. Since it’s my blog, I just write whatever I feel like writing.
Having said that though, not long ago I realized I put too much pressure on myself to review/comment on every book I read or listened to. Until one day I realized that I was actually AVOIDING reading books because then I’d “have” to take the time to write something about them. After sternly reminding myself that I didn’t HAVE to do anything on my own blog, I have been happily TBR diving for a couple of months now with only occasional book commentaries if/when I felt like it ( I REALLY labor over any writing I do).
I still have to remind myself from time to time that if it’s not fun, there’s no sense doing it and that I need to amuse myself and BE myself first. If anyone is interested in what I have to say, they’ll find me and that will only add to my enjoyment but it can’t be the REASON I blog.
Hi Peggy P — thanks for delurking
Taja — I will be bookmarking your site since you’re a fellow Dennis Lehane fan. Thanks for dropping by.
Marg — completely agree with you especially on the having a life outside of the computer part. I know I do which is another reason as to why I can’t finish books in a timely fashion to blog about them.
All of you — thank you.
For me, I think the interaction with others is what keeps me blogging. That and the fact that it has become such a part of my reading life and process that in some ways I can’t imagine not doing that. Having said that I do think that my blog is evolving a little (I’m not sure what into — it’s a work in progress) in that I don’t seem to manage to review every book that I read anymore and I don’t really feel guilty about it. If it happens it happens! The challenges help with getting different reading material and I think helps me avoid reading slumps, and again is a good way to meet new people, as is participating in a lot of the group blogs, although I don’t spend as much time on the group blogs as others do.
I do love to know that people are reading and so do spend a little time trying to at least comment but I do have to keep on remembering that I need to have a life away from the computer as well.
I started blogging back in 2005. I too started with blogger but it was a private blog, just for me. It was only this June, when I made the switch to wordpress, that I turned my blog into a more public blog and that I started to comment on other blogs.
I have the impression that this move influences my blog(ging). I post more regularly and I think I write differently. So far, I’m okay with these changes. I like that I now I write more and the fact that I’m now more public and delurk sometimes on other blogs (more like Peggy P in that regard) is good for me, I think . So right now, I’m okay with blogging; when it starts to no longer be a hobby (posting just because I “have to”), then it’s time to take a break I think.
Gee, I just never thought about feedback…I read this blog nearly every day and enjoy your book reviews and whatever else gets posted. I read a bunch of blogs daily, some of the biggies (like Dear Author) and then the not so big. But, then see, I’m a reader not a writer and in a group of people…I’m a listener not a big talker. So reading the blogs (for me) is just like listening in and it’s not that I don’t have an opinion about what I read, I just don’t have that burning desire to express it. I enjoy the heated arguments that go back and forth on some blogs, you know, the general bitchiness, I just don’t feel the desire to get involved. Hmmm, I guess I ‘m just that passive person in the background soaking things up and I thank you for taking the time to write and I’m happy to be your (not so responsive) audience.
Geez, that was a lot of work and I’ll probably never write again!
Hey Vanessa — that is true about people lurking more than commenting. I think when it starts to feel obligatory then I know that I am no longer doing it for myself but for other reasons. Overall, your main audience should be you and the rest…as they say, will follow. Thanks.
Hey Sarai — I see that you all had started the DIK blog. It looks like a lot of fun. Looking over some of the books you all had as favorites made me want to go back and read some of those books. Blogging should be about connecting to other people and developing friendships. I haven’t been a big commenter myself lately so I really should be visiting with other bloggers more. And good luck with your writing! It’s cool to see aspiring authors go from unpublished to published. There are quite a few aspiring authors who blog and who have become published.
I have 2 blogs and a fun blog that I participate in with other ladies. For the most part my original blog started off b/c of my writing. I was hoping to connect with some people who would encourage me to finish up my book and get published. Then i started posting reviews and decided I wanted to keep it seperate (hence the second blog which is a minute by minute post of what I am thinking as I read a certain section.
From there I started the DIK Laides blog (http://www.dikladiesrule.blogspot.com) for my fellow bloggers to get together and tell us their favorite books/heroes and why. Now authors have started coming as well.
A lot of the time blogging is a way to meet new people, get book recommendations and just relax. I enjoy it b/c its fun. If I ever start taking it serious then I know it’s time for me to step away but right now it just leads me to interesting people!!!
It’s fun for the most part. There’s definitely been times when I was tempted to give it up, though. I think we all go through that. There’s times that I’d like more interaction/comments. But I’ve found that just because folks are commenting doesn’t mean they aren’t lurking/visiting regularly. Also, a larger more interactive audience would make me feel more obligated to post regularly and less irreverantly. Not a bad thing, I guess, but if I find I enjoy blogging less when it feels like work. I’m glad you’ve stuck around, I’ve been paying attention to your posts from back in the day when you were a regular and very articulate commentor on AAR.