I'm wondering if it's worth maintaining this blog. My enthusiasm for books and sharing books I've found is an exciting idea, but I'm wondering if it translates well into reality. I look around the web, and there are others who are talking about kid's books in a much more useful way than I. I love reading their blogs. I prefer reading their blogs, to writing my own. I don't say that in a poor-me, I'm-feeling-sorry-for-myself way, I say it in all practical honesty and reality. When I read their reviews I think, "Yes, that's how it supposed to be done!" (I don't know how my reviews sound. I just hope they're coherent!)
I never meant this blog to be "professional." Just fun (for me.) But I'm finding that I'm not having enough fun with it lately, and actual posts take up a lot of time, in my effort not to sound like an imbecile. I never expected to be "popular." And honestly, sometimes the thought of blogging about a book I read takes the joy and magic out of reading it.
I get about 1200 views per month, 95% of those from Google searches for a specific book or topic (so it appears.) I have 39 subscribers, 28 "followers", although I'm not sure how many people actually read it, because only a few regulars comment. So it begs the question: am I performing a useful function? Because that's what I need to be doing. If my book talk isn't being useful, is there really a point in doing this? Writing posts is not a quick, easy thing for me, although granted, some are easier than others. It's time consuming.
I don't feel depressed, so please don't think this is a bid for sympathy. I'm not that invested in this blog. And maybe that's the point/problem. Should I be that invested? I'm just in a contemplative mood, wondering if this is the best use of my precious time. Sorry for the stream-of-conscious rambling.
13 comments:
It sounds like you are where I have been for a while. My blog was meant for friends and family to keep up with our goings on...something a little more substantial than the annual Christmas letter. I didn't get comments or anything, so I wondered if anyone was reading it, and if our loved ones weren't reading it then why was I spending my TIME on it? My time is stretched thin indeed these days, and I don't want to waste it when maybe I could get a little more sleep or 5 minutes longer in the shower...
Anyway, I understand what you mean. But I for one hope you continue to write about your readings because I find it interesting and real. Other book blogs I read seem like a brag log of all the pages someone read in a month or are otherwise a complete snore. I just want to know, in real life, what you thought of a book and get an idea of whether or not I want to invest my time in it.
If you're not having fun and it's becoming "work" I say don't worry about it, or at least take a break. But I like reading your blog. I find that getting lots or comments, or at least regular comments makes blogging a tad more fun (shallow of me, I know) If you participate in Follow Friday you'll get lots of followers and a few good readers\commenters. If that's what you want, anyway. I don't know what to say. I feel that way too sometimes. Good luck!
I feel this way all the time too. It's part of the ups and downs of blogging I suppose. I, for one, would miss you if you stopped! But if it helps, do take a break, and then maybe come back to it after awhile. But yeah, it needs to be fun and something that you enjoy doing, even if it's just for yourself and no one reads it. All the time I also think what's the point, no one reads this... but I know if I quit, I would miss it terribly. So I just keep going and going.
But what Jenny says it true, if you do want to try to get more readers (which is a totally different thing than followers and subscribers!) then try out some of the popular bookish memes. She mentioned Follow Friday. I love the Top Ten Tuesday, as you know.
Whew, long comment. Over and out!
I hope you don't give up your blog, I have always enjoyed reading it. Sometime I also think blogging is time consuming and tedious, but it usually passes. And when there are no comments, I wonder if anyone is reading. But these feelings usually pass.
As Suey said, participating in popular memes also helps.
I hope you think more about it before ending your blog and bear in mind that some people really do enjoy it.
I am one of those who follow you via google reader!
I too wanted my blog to be useful--although I enjoy the process of writing, if there isn't a point to it, I dunno if I'd keep going. So I specialized to the point that now I feel as though I'm a valuable resources on particular subjects (time travel books for kids and multicultural sci fi/fantasy for kids). Knowing that I am building an edifice of reviews on those subjects in particular reassures me that I am doing something that some people might find useful!
So that's what worked for me.
Maybe you should try not to review books for a while, but just to write what you thought? Sometimes I can't stand the thought of trying to "review" a book, but find that if I let it be a more oraganic sream of consciousness post it's fun.
I do enjoy your blog-sorry for not commenting more!
Thanks for the mentoring, ladies. I wish I had the opportunity to chat more in-depth with seasoned bloggers in a face-to-face session. (I loved getting to chat the brief time we did this summer, Suey.)
Maybe I'm just going through a the-honeymoon-is-over stage.
I should try participating more in popular memes as Jenny, Suey, and Alex suggest. (I'm just usually not "with it" enough to have the post ready to go by crunch time. I'm too fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants, until "What?! My pants are on fire?! Where'd that come from?!")
I like the thought of specializing, as Charlotte and Alex do, but I don't know what in.
But I really like your organic stream-of-consciousness idea, Charlotte, since those are the posts which flow better for me.
Kathy, I'll keep trying to be "real."
I always enjoy reading your posts, but it has to be enjoyable for you! I am not interested in a standard book review, but I do like knowing what real people are reading and their opinions.
I often feel the same way and just take a break until inspiration strikes or I feel like posting again. It's too much to get caught up in the craziness of page views and followers. My blog often only gets 1 or 2 page views a day. But I know sometimes people read via Google Reader, as I do.
That said, I like your blog and will continue to enjoy any posts you write, however few and far between!
Megan,
I noticed you have a young daughter who likes Nancy Drew. Have you thought of focusing on mysteries for kids - old and new there are lots of them, even the American Girls have mystery books. It a fun genre and becoming more and more popular. And something to share with your daughter.
Megan, I'd miss your posts if you quit, bit I really understand where you're coming from! I've been blogging for 4 years now and I've just in the past year or so really felt like I've acquired (built? grown?) a loyal readership. I do think you have something to add to the kidlitosphere, though. I try to write my posts a week out usually, but I, too, have to make those 11th hour decisions--do I miss X to work on my blog, or do I just forget about it? I don't know if you know it, but the Read Aloud Thursday linky stays open all weekend (until Sunday night) so you don't have to have your post written on Thursdays.
There are many book blogs out there, I guess, but I enjoy yours because it's one I happened to stumble on. I've learned about interesting books from you, and your taste in children's literature seems similar to mine, so I trust in and am interested in your assessment of books.
I write to figure out what I think about something. If other people read it, that's cool, but not my primary goal. If the thought of blogging about a book detracts from your actual enjoyment in reading a book, I'd say that's inverting the order of things, and that a break is in order. I enjoy reading your blog, so I hope you won't give it up altogether.
Check out "Blogging without Obligation" http://www.tartx.com/blog/?page_id=233
Again thank you all for the comments. I so appreciate that y'all have taken the time to read and respond. I don't plan on stepping away completely, because I do love the interaction with you, both here and on your blogs, but it's nice to be reminded that I can blog on my own terms. (Thank you for that link, J., that was great. Very freeing.)
Amy, I didn't realize that the link was up that long. Good to know.
Alex, great suggestion. If only I loved them as much as Olivia. I can only take mysteries in limited doses these days. But I am still poring over specializing options.
If you stop, where will I turn to find a set of books for my kids that I don't have to scour out myself. I admire anyone who blogs for the simple fact that they are keeping a journal of sorts (which is something I wish I had done my whole life, but still don't do).
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