What Have You Learned in Your First Year of Blogging?

I had my 1 year anniversary on Christmas Eve and this was supposed to go up then, but I was happily consumed with paying attention to my husband who is never home. A while ago I asked some of my favorite bloggers to tell me what they learned in their first year in blogging and they had some great answers!

Katie @ Katie’s Book Blog

Oh geez.  Had to make it a hard question, huh.  Lol
The most important thing I have learned about blogging so far is to have fun with it.  Sure it is work but it is also something we do because we love it.  Don't ever forget that it is your blog and you can do whatever you want with it.  Sometimes you just have to throw out all the rules and have a little fun!  - Katie @ Katie's Book Blog (3 years in January)

Ashley @ Basically Amazing Books

The most important thing I've learned about blogging is that a blog is a personal thing and that you need to do it however works best for you. When I first started blogging, I was really new to the blogging community in general. I had seen my sister's family blog and had visited a few of my Goodreads friends blogs but that's about it. So I just kinda went for it. And I loved it. But then I started noticing that other people did things differently and I thought that maybe I was doing something wrong, so I subconsciously started making changes to what I reviewed and how I presented myself online. And I didn't really like it. I have never wanted to stop blogging, but there was a time when it was a challenge to find the motivation to post anything. 

And then I noticed what I had been doing and made a conscious effort to make my blog about me again. I've never cared about my stats and I rarely check them. (The only thing I check with any kind of regularity is how people find my blog, because some of those Google searches are crazy funny). But for me, blogging has always been about books. I blog because I love books and I love talking about them with people, sharing my ideas and there is very little in life that makes me happier than realizing someone has read a book based on my recommendation and loved it. 

So Ashley's grain of blogging wisdom? Who cares what anyone else is doing and who cares what other people think about your blog (unless you have an automusic player... and then listen when people tell you it's the suck). Do what you want with your blog. There is never going to be a person that everyone likes. There will always be people who choose not to read your blog, people who don't like your content, maybe even some who don't like you. And you know what, that's okay. Because other people do or will. And it's not about them anyway. It's about you. Figure out why you want to blog. Figure out what you want out of blogging. And who cares what other people think. If it makes you happy, go for it. Don't intentionally try to alienate people or anything like that, but don't worry about what other bloggers are doing. Worry about what works for you and go for it. 

When you do, that's when the magic happens. That's why the blog becomes a pleasure not a chore and it makes it worth doing.

Isalys @ BookSoulmates

Honestly, I'd have to say it's the level of commitment and responsibility involved.  Running a blog takes time, energy and most importantly, dedication.  The more successful our blogs, the more that is expected of us and that's why you have to blog about what you love or it won't be worth the investment.

In the world of book blogging, I've also learned that there's a great deal of responsibility involved.  As bloggers, we must always be fair and honest to those we review books for.  We owe it not only to the authors who work so hard to publish their books, but to our readers who expect unbiased reviews from us.  I also find it really important, as I'm sure most of you would agree, to keep our followers informed of not just our opinions on books, but what's developing in the literary world.

Lisa @ BaffledBooks 2..0

For me, the most important thing is just to relax and have fun. I spent a lot of time trying to make sure everything was perfect, keeping endless lists and stressing myself out on things that only I would notice. It came to a point where it became work to post, something I tried to avoid, and I had to step away for a month before coming back and just having fun with it. Blogging is supposed to be fun people, don't forget it!

Louise @ Between the Covers

Aside from the bare minimum HTML necessary... *laughs* I think the most important thing I've learned is how welcoming and supportive the book community is as a whole. From fellow bloggers, to followers, to authors and publishers, I've been blown away by the kindness, encouragement, cooperation and support I've found in those I work with on the blog. The genuinely great people I get to interact with has made the effort more than worthwhile.

Yara @ Once Upon a Twilight

There is so much in general that I've learned from blogging or about blogging since I began back in Marc of 2010. As far as what I consider the most important thing that I've learned, I think I would say its building relationships with the authors and publishers. The whole point of blogging about books is because you love what you are reading and you want to get the word out about those books and who wrote them and published them. Without one or the other, then you don't have a book review blog.

So what have you learned since you began blogging?

Categories: Random