So What's Going on With Book Blogging?
I have been trying to find the words to describe my unexpected hiatus. I've tried to write this blog post for at least three weeks and finally, I put my foot down. If I am being realistic, this slump came after BookCon. Even though I was in a place I felt so inspired, some of the behavior and lines I saw discouraged me. I suddenly became very unhappy with the old blog. I used Wix and while it is a fantastic site, it's not the greatest for blogging. When I settled on Blogger, I felt more motivated. It was the simple, yet still kept my theme. That was back in August... here we are halfway through October! I want to get back into blogging and posting on Instagram. I miss the interactions I would have with my followers and chatting about books! There are some things that are still getting in the way of my return.
I feel the need to address the negatives about my book blogging. So this is me, calling myself out. 1.) I have ARC envy. How can you not when scores of bookstagrammers and bloggers are receiving boxes and swag of amazing future titles. I want to read those books, even though my TBR shrieks in horror. I may one day get to that level on being on a mailing list, but right now I make my own way
and purchase my own books. I believe the concept of the ARC has lost its way in the community.
Instead of being a promotional tool, it has turned into a status symbol. I have received 2018 ARCs, therefore I am better. While those bloggers may not feel that way - on Twitter and Instagram, it can totally come across that way and I get caught up in it! A part of me believes that to be relevant/successful, you need to be posting about the new books, and creating the buzz. How can you do that when you don't have that content? It's a vicious cycle, one that I play over and over again in my head. I need to break this wall down. I need to remind myself why I started book blogging in the first place.
2.) I attribute success to likes on Instagram. I am a very small Instagram account. I have a few hundred followers, and I am sure a good chunk is spam accounts. Over the past few months, bookstragram pictures have started to become the same. Smaller accounts try to emulate larger accounts to get a bigger following. Bright colors, fake flowers, and candles are current dominating props. I think rep searches have also become such a big part, that every post is just one giant advertisement. Don't get me wrong, I have tried to be a rep for some candle companies, and even when they say follower count doesn't matter -it does. With the horrid algorithm now, I see more sponsored posts/ads then my actual followers. The last time I posted was about the release of Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas. By the time I posted, people were fed up with seeing the book in their timeline. While I was busy trying to please my followers, I stopped trying to please myself. I also don't see as many of the accounts I follow either. They have been lost in the fray or don't post at all anymore. It is not the community I joined over a year ago. I hope that acknowledging my flaws allows me to overcome them. I've seen some "blog positive" tweets lately, that have been getting me back in the mindset of blogging.
To close out this post here's an update:
I have been reading The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. It is a wonderful collection of Grisha stories. Leigh's writing is so rich and vibrant, it's hard not to love it. Headed to my mailbox today is Dare Mighty Things, a competitive science fiction novel. Epic Reads said it was like a Hunger Games set in space, so I obviously couldn't resist. Otherwise, I have taken up crochet! I was inspired by a co-worker who knitted a beautiful baby blanket. Michael's, of course, fueled this fire by having a sale on yarn and some great coupons. I currently have two projects going, both blankets. One is a pattern from the Michaels website. You can find the pattern here. I used "Faerie Cake" instead of the Pumpkin Spice because in person it's kinda ugly. My second project is a giant granny square blanket. I also used the Caron Cakes from Michaels for this. The color I chose is "Strawberry Trifle." I am trying to find a balance between crocheting and reading because I enjoy both hobbies immensely!
Well, there ya have it! I'm sure I rambled in this post, but honestly, my mind feels clearer. I have some things to work on and need to blog, read, and take pictures for me. Do those things because I want to, not as an obligation! Thank you for reading and Happy Sunday!
I feel the need to address the negatives about my book blogging. So this is me, calling myself out. 1.) I have ARC envy. How can you not when scores of bookstagrammers and bloggers are receiving boxes and swag of amazing future titles. I want to read those books, even though my TBR shrieks in horror. I may one day get to that level on being on a mailing list, but right now I make my own way
2.) I attribute success to likes on Instagram. I am a very small Instagram account. I have a few hundred followers, and I am sure a good chunk is spam accounts. Over the past few months, bookstragram pictures have started to become the same. Smaller accounts try to emulate larger accounts to get a bigger following. Bright colors, fake flowers, and candles are current dominating props. I think rep searches have also become such a big part, that every post is just one giant advertisement. Don't get me wrong, I have tried to be a rep for some candle companies, and even when they say follower count doesn't matter -it does. With the horrid algorithm now, I see more sponsored posts/ads then my actual followers. The last time I posted was about the release of Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas. By the time I posted, people were fed up with seeing the book in their timeline. While I was busy trying to please my followers, I stopped trying to please myself. I also don't see as many of the accounts I follow either. They have been lost in the fray or don't post at all anymore. It is not the community I joined over a year ago. I hope that acknowledging my flaws allows me to overcome them. I've seen some "blog positive" tweets lately, that have been getting me back in the mindset of blogging.
To close out this post here's an update:
I have been reading The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo. It is a wonderful collection of Grisha stories. Leigh's writing is so rich and vibrant, it's hard not to love it. Headed to my mailbox today is Dare Mighty Things, a competitive science fiction novel. Epic Reads said it was like a Hunger Games set in space, so I obviously couldn't resist. Otherwise, I have taken up crochet! I was inspired by a co-worker who knitted a beautiful baby blanket. Michael's, of course, fueled this fire by having a sale on yarn and some great coupons. I currently have two projects going, both blankets. One is a pattern from the Michaels website. You can find the pattern here. I used "Faerie Cake" instead of the Pumpkin Spice because in person it's kinda ugly. My second project is a giant granny square blanket. I also used the Caron Cakes from Michaels for this. The color I chose is "Strawberry Trifle." I am trying to find a balance between crocheting and reading because I enjoy both hobbies immensely!
Well, there ya have it! I'm sure I rambled in this post, but honestly, my mind feels clearer. I have some things to work on and need to blog, read, and take pictures for me. Do those things because I want to, not as an obligation! Thank you for reading and Happy Sunday!
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