I saw someone recently said "they felt like they are distant from the blogging community and don't know how it happened??" (Which is what inspired this post) I thought.. wait.. am I in this community? Where is it? What do I need to do to get in??? I have never really seen what is the definition of being considered "in" the blogging community. People say the book blogging community is going down hill. So I decided to come up with my own definition for all of us so we don't feel left out of this community. I personally don't think it's gone downhill. The book bloggers I deal with are friendly and fun. If you do any of the following you are in this book blogging community, so have fun while you're here!
Did you answer yes to any of these questions?? Then you are in! Do you have any more things to add to this list??
Aww, this is such a wonderful post! And I'm totally with you, I don't think it has gone downhill at all. True, I haven't been blogging for a really long time but in my two years I've noticed some really great things about the community, one of which is the enthusiasm we welcome new bloggers and readers. Of course there is negativity but I feel like that's a given in every community! Overall though, I just feel so proud to be a part of this book blogging community. I feel like there are too many good things about it that I can easily ignore the bad things. And this post is so wonderful! I really honestly don't feel like there's a set guideline of what you have to do in order to be a part of the book blogging community. Even if you just read a blog from time to time, I feel like that constitutes as being part of the community!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I agree that there are a lot of cliques in the community. But I tend to feel the same about the blogging community as I do about people who wonder if they have a bikini body. "Do you have a body? Then you have a bikini body." Do you blog? Then you're a part of the blogger community. I've found a small group of bloggers that I really enjoy reading and commenting on. That's all I need to feel at home. But really, if you just blog and don't do anything else, you're still a part of it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the community itself definitely has corners and niches based on genre and age, but overall the criteria you set up is really great. Whenever something comes along that seems to impact bloggers as a whole we're generally pretty good at coming together and that's when you can see how well it works. Great post!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, and while I steer clear of the drama and have my foot in both the YA and Adult Blogging world, I think you nailed it with this list.
ReplyDeleteI think its the natural instinct of human beings to form groups and develop hierarchy within those groups...it is not a pleasant aspect of human so society imho because it always involves some form exclusivity, that very concept goes against the idea of community inherently! I object to the idea that somehow since it is not as small or selective as it used to be means it is going down hill..it is a positive in my opinion because there is more diversity of opinion and that is a good thing!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, there are many times that I have stopped to think about this as well and in the last year I finally figured out what Kristen H. mentioned- it is what you make it. I started really commenting and sharing feelings and doing loads of events. I think it has made my blogging experience as well as my bookish experiences better overall. Wonderful post Angie.
ReplyDeleteI agree, great post. I enjoy the community and I don't think it's gone downhill at all, but then I'm new! There's some great blogs out there, and so many- seems pretty vibrant to me. Sure the big blogs are in their own orbit and that's fine, but there's room for everyone. I agree with Jessica too, there's the larger community but also a smaller group of blogs I read and comment on frequently and that works for me. Everyone has different interests of genres and after a while you find the ones that have similar interests.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Angie :) I think another way of being part of the community is chatting about books on social media. I love dropping it on twitter to find
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I definitely feel like I'm a part of the book blogging community, in my own way :) I'm still a newcomer so I don't' know a lot of other bloggers yet, but the ones I have met so far have been so nice and helpful!
ReplyDeleteLove this! I'm pretty new and not quite confident but I do feel like I've gotten to talk to some really great people who have similar interests as me and that is really fun. I'm unaware of drama and I like that. It's nice to be blissfully unaware in my own little corner!
ReplyDeleteThis is fun. I sometimes feel like a distant cousin in the bookish community. I want to be in the community (it's why I started blogging) but it can be very intimidating if you aren't a particularly outgoing.
ReplyDeleteNice post, and I really like your list and completely agree. I used to know more book bloggers "personally" meaning I talked to them outside of the blog and I'd met them a few times or more in person. Nowadays though, I think it's more difficult for me to have those type of blogging relationships. Most bloggers I talk to don't live near enough to me. But regardless, I consider myself part of the community in large because we're all doing the same thing in the end.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com
I've always felt that I'm a part of the community because I choose to be. I feel connected with all the people who run the blogs that I visit as well as the ones that choose to visit me. That connection makes us a part of the book blogging community because we all share a passion for reading. It makes me a little sad to think that there are bloggers who don't feel like they are a part of all of this. Just like you said, if you are running your blog, commenting and discussing back with other bloggers, visiting their blogs, and posting reviews, then you are in fact part of the community. Like every community, I'm sure there will be cliques and drama, but I've always steered clear of that and try to welcome everyone. Love the post! It's not a topic I've seen discussed yet. Jaclyn @ JC's Book Haven.
ReplyDeleteVerra nice :) I wonder sometimes too. There are definite cliques that's for sure. I try to visit with whoever. Big blog. Brand new baby blog. Some that blog about totally random stuff or books all the time. It's always sad to see a blog end but I so agree that book blogging's not going downhill. There are so many awesome ones out there and new ones popping up every day :) I think you came up with a fab list up there.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I've been wondering too, if only because I analyze every bit of my blog and blogging experience. I kind of figured the same thing- I blog, there are bloggers that I often check out, so I guess I am in it. At the same time, I've always thought I need to be more social, especially when it comes to Twitter. Be even more "part of the community" if possible.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, interesting post! & I don't know if I told you this already but I love the new design!
-P.E. @ The Sirenic Codex
I don't think I have ever been apart of blogger drama. Thank God! I will say from time to time I am afraid someone will plagiarize me. I don't think that I have these outstanding blog posts that are really really great so that might prevent some plagiarism. That is the only drama I can think that I would even be involved in. I agree about making the blogging community what YOU make it. Don't let others determine or make you feel whether you are in it or not.
ReplyDeleteTwo years is a LONG TIME! LOLOL! I agree about just reading a blog post... or something simple. I think that people think we have to be these huge blogs or be in a click to actually be in the community. There are no sets of guidelines. When I wrote this post I thought to myself... you know what? I AM IN THIS COMMUNITY! I feel pretty proud too. I have worked hard and enjoy the work others put into their posts as well.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great comment!! I love how you compared it to a bikini body. This is true. " Am I beautiful?" We do all tend to have these feelings... our bodies.. our blogs. How can you not compare your blog to a bigger better blog? I too have found a couple of bloggers I just love. AND I visit all the blogs that stop by here (this week I will be a little behind since I am out of town). I believe that also helps build community. Really you came up with a great comparison!
ReplyDeleteYou are right about genre... I blog about all books. But some blogs are more romance/paranormal and I don't read a lot of those books. But I WILL visit the blog if I enjoy their other posts. Rabid Reads is one of those blogs. I don't read anything she reads but her other posts are great. I do think that we do come together as a community. A few years ago when I first started blogging I remember seeing bloggers talking about a fellow blogger whose house burned down and the community was coming together for it. I was really new so I don't know who it was or any details. But I remember that really making an impression on me as a book blogger.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kimba!! You actually make a difference in the blogging world to me. You have made me feel like I am apart of this community. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou are right. We do just form groups. When you are a new blogger.. this really makes you feel "out of the crowd". It's like being a new kid in school. This is why I always tell new bloggers to just keep going. Don't stop blogging because you feel like no one is reading it. You are adding the community just by trying and getting your voice out there. Speaking of... can't wait to read your blog again!
ReplyDeleteI just started blogging in mid-December 2013. I was lucky enough to stumble upon Parajunkee's blog on New Year's Eve while I was nursing a cold. I got involved in her New Year's Challenge and picked up a lot during that short time. I start taking notice that commenting was important so I make a point of doing it. And I do see people come back to my blog in return and commenting on my posts.
ReplyDeleteI hope I am a part of the community, but like yourself, I haven't seen much drama. Just people talking about it mysteriously.
I have been (book) blogging for less than a year but answered a big, fat YES to all of the above! Most bloggers within the community have welcomed me with open arms. Others, not so much. Luckily, I don't measure my worth by the attentions of others. So far, I haven't encountered any real drama and hope it stays that way. I was never the mean girl at the lunch table and certainly don't plan on starting now. What's the point? I mean, we're talking about books people. Maybe, I'm just naive and haven't seen the dark side yet...
ReplyDeleteAwesome, I was able to answer YES to all the questions! So far, the community has been awesome. At first, I felt I wasn't a part of it, but I later realized I wasn't a part because I didn't make an effort to be a part of it in the first place. The community doesn't come to you, you come to it, and it has to take great effort from your part to be able to feel you "belong". That's how I see it, anyway. Like for example, when I firsts started blogging, I rarely commented on other blogs. I was so sad nobody visited my site, and it was then that I thought, "They don't know me because I haven't introduced myself yet." So I went around - I visited old blogs, popular blogs, new blogs. I commented and placed my breadcrumbs everywhere, and that's how people slowly recognized me, and that's when I started making awesome friends, and I can't be anymore happy of where I am in this blogging community. Like what Kristen sadi, the community is what you make it out to be.
ReplyDeleteFaye at The Social Potato Reviews
I've always felt like just having a blog (or commenting on blogs or interacting with bloggers if you don't have your own) makes you a part of the community, but I also feel like I'm more on the outskirts of it than I would like to be. I don't spend a lot of time on Twitter. It's just not something I care about -- and I forget. I'll have the tab open for HOURS but not check it once. That's where so much of the interaction is that if you don't use it much, you're kind of left out of the loop. At least from my POV. The bonus to that is that you don't see all the drama either! I think Instagram is getting more popular and it looks like a lot of fun...but I don't have a cell phone.
ReplyDeleteI had to think about this for a little bit before I put my two cents in. After blogging for 5 years now, I have seen some of the issues pop up in the community, and at times I do feel as if the community has fractured just a tad bit. When I first started, while there were a ton of book blogs out there, there was a core group that almost everyone either read, or at least heard of. The community was smaller, and like many groups, seemed to be a bit closer than what it is today.
ReplyDeleteAs the community has grown, and some of those early bloggers have bowed out, I've seen the segregating of certain blogs, normally done because of genre. It seems as if certain genres have broken off from the larger community, and have formed associations of their own. Imagine the book blogging community as a major city, and some of the genre groups as it's suburbs. There is still some intermingling, but the more time passes, the more self contained those suburbs are getting to be.
The other issue I've noticed, because of the expanding size of the community, there is no way for everyone to know each other, or even know of each other anymore. Five years ago, it seemed as if we all knew each other's business. There are just too many of us now., that is seems as if the closeness has dissipated just a bit.
With that being said, I've found this community to be one of the most welcoming and one of the most nurturing of new members. When I first started, I had so many questions, and would ask so many to answer them for me, and they all did it with warmth and an open heart. I couldn't ask to be in better company, and I'm hoping I'm part of this community for another five years, or more.
This is an awesome discussion topic and a good question to ask. Your list is a great bookish community "criteria". :) I've seen quite a few blogs and videos on youtube lately about how the book blogging/tubing world has changed over the past few years. Knowing/Hearing all of this, I still decided to take a risk and join.
ReplyDeleteI, myself am a very young (only a week old) book blogger. I already love it though. I love that there is so much to participate in; discussions, commenting on other blogs, memes, read-alongs, challenges, etc. It's just great. It's become my new love.
Even if book blogging community is changing, it's not all bad. It's growing and that's not a bad thing. There may be some small blogs that don't get much acknowledgement, but I think if just one person views my blog, I'm fine. I do count myself as part of the book blogging community because I do all eight things, but even if I only did one, I still would.
This has inspired a new post now. I'm going to stop commenting before I say it all right here. The post will be up tomorrow. :) I'll be sure to link your blog as the inspiration to it all.
I've never been part of blogger drama (as far as I know :p) and I hope to keep it that way. I really don't feel like having drama lama on my blog. That's why I'm so sad when I see someone plagiarized or when people get so many jealousy that they can't be happy for others.
ReplyDeleteI think being part of this community means you have a book blog, a love for books and you interact with other bloggers :)
Who on earth is saying the book blogging community is going down hill? That's crazy! I see so much admiration amongst bloggers. So here's some admiration for you: you rock! You ARE apart of the 'community'! :))
ReplyDeleteGreat post and lovely to see so many comments from other bloggers who feel the same as me, blogging away happily while not getting caught up in the drama!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Yes, I love that list and I went down and went check, check. HEHE :) The blogging community is awesome and we have a fun time chatting about our favorite hobby!
ReplyDeleteYes to all of the above!
ReplyDeleteI love this list. I've always thought of myself as part of the blogging community because of these things on your list. I don't know what all the drama is about most of the time but that's ok. I try to avoid drama when I can just so I'm still happy with blogging. Great list, it is most important to have fun while blogging. Without fun there really isn't a reason to do it.
ReplyDeleteI agree.. I think by participating in the blogging community and events really can make blogging that much more fun. I find that interacting with people is what I am looking for. I don't want to just talk to the air. I find it a lot of fun to see people pick up a book I read and love it also. It is good to know that I am not the only one to sit around and think about it.
ReplyDeleteI think that the smaller blogs tend to "get a long" more. These larger ones I have never really seen comment back to my comments or bother to visit my blog. Not that I really care so much about that but it does make one wonder how they get so many followers without interaction? I do think you are right about genres too. I have a huge amount of interests so I will follow blogs that are just about video games or just about movies. I love it and they usually find something they like at this blog also. I love to stop by your blog because I do feel like you are very friendly and engaging and that is what really attracts me to a blog.
ReplyDeleteI agree.. Just LOVE books. New people I think can be very intimidated by all of us. I always try to make new bloggers feel welcome and help them out in anyway I can. Twitter is a fun place to be. For me.. I use twitter not just for my book blog but for anything entertainment. So those who follow me on there might see different kinds of tweets. I just hope I don't scare them off with those random tweets! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and don't feel like you are a newcomer when I read it. You should see my older posts. Yikes. I wasn't really a writer when I first started blogging and have become much better at it over the years. I think you came into the blogging world ready!
ReplyDeleteLOL... well I suppose in a way I am unaware also. Only because when people talk about the drama they won't actually say what it is though they have an opinion on it. Like by not talking about the specific event but just saying their opinion on it leaves them out of the drama. But I just feel out of the loop if they say that all the book bloggers on twitter are talking about "it". I am think to myself, I haven't seen any of those tweets. You are right though.. even if I did read about blogger drama I would stay in my corner and not write a post about it. I don't want to have a bad reputation on this blog. I try to keep it positive and fun.
ReplyDeleteI do think that if you aren't as outgoing as others you may feel less apart of the community. This can happen though in any social situation. If you don't talk to others you will be viewed as the outcast in the corner. Which is kind of sad in a way.
ReplyDeleteI tried to meet some bloggers in real life and it was a disaster. Not that they were rude but what I thought we were going to be doing (which was gathering the bloggers in our state) was NOT what they had intended at all. They wanted to find all the authors in our state and market to them since they were like publishers or marketers or something. They even reprimanded me because in my blog posts for that month I wasn't mentioning authors only bloggers. I am still shocked at the whole situation and will never try to meet up with other bloggers again. Sorry just not happening.
ReplyDeleteI agree and I hope that a lot of new bloggers will see this post and realize they don't have to be in a circle group of friends (bloggers). I remember when I first started blogging (many many moons ago) Parajunkie had visited my blog and commented on something. I thought I was in!! She came to my blog.. I must be amazing. She didn't come back or keep following. I was disappointed. How did I lose her as a follower?? LOL! Of course time has gone on and I've learned more about blogging and what it actually means when someone visits your blog. They might not actually be a follower just a visitor. But who cares??? So long as they read something that made them want to stop and read and comment.
ReplyDeleteI find it sad to see a blog I have been following end too. Last year there was one I loved that just disappeared but they did announce they will be back in August so I am hoping that is true. It takes a lot to keep me waiting almost a year for a blog to come back. That list was .. well I was bored and it just came to me. The hard part was making that damn graphic for it. LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou are IN!! LOL! Twitter.. I kind of use it. You know.. I don't know how these bloggers use it to their advantage. I get bored on it after 5-10 minutes. Thanks for the comment on the design. I love it too. In fact.. it kind of made me a little addicted to designs. I was already thinking... what theme will I pick next?? Of course that won't be for a couple of years sooo... well guess I'll just stay in Wonderland.
ReplyDeleteParajunkie is an amazing blog for first time bloggers. I used her blog A LOT when I first started blogging as well. She doesn't do hard elaborate posts about blogging design and what not. It is short and simple and really does help out. I am so glad to have discovered your blog myself. I found it through Kimba Caffeinated Reviewer. So you can find great blogs in many different ways.
ReplyDeleteAbout the drama... I love how you used the word mysterious. I mean ... it is like a clue puzzle. So then I will start bouncing around looking for what happened. Then I am frustrated when I can't figure it out. LOL!
HAHAHAH! I love this "What's the point? I mean, we're talking about books people." Yes!! Though I will say the only time I would be upset is if someone plagiarized me. That would hurt my feelings after all the work I've put into the blog. I find that really if you do try to go out there and be in the community then you certainly are. You talk about books and write about bookish things boom.. you have a membership card. Book Riot is a great website and I think they are a great example of what it means to be in the community.
ReplyDeleteYes that is true... the community does not just come to you. Whenever someone talks to me about blogging (not just book blogging either) I try to tell them the importance to find blogs like theirs and to visit those blogs. If you don't visit those blogs most likely your blog won't be found. I thought when I first started blogging that as soon as I did a post it would show up number 1 on google search. Boy was I wrong. Everything you have said about "breadcrumbs" is true and it's the number one tip I can give people who want to blog. I have been blogging like 3 years now and trust me it was an uphill battle. But I do feel I found my voice ... Honestly I love to visit new blogs. It is fun to me and rewarding. Great comment!!
ReplyDeleteYES YES! ;)
ReplyDeleteI do agree about this whole genre thing. I have a slight problem with this because as you know.. I blog about a huge variety of entertainment topics. I do read more YA then any other genre but I am not one to turn down a Stephen King book. You on your blog Ryan have some great followers. I have noticed that they are pretty kind and I have even visited their blogs from yours. You have a strong following of followers who like you for you. Even myself for example. I don't exactly read the same books, but I have found other interests that we do have in common and enjoy discussing them with you. Those are the blogs I really gravitate to. Are you only going to do memes and discuss only a certain topic? Or are you able to branch out and bring something new to the table.
ReplyDeleteI don't spend a lot of time on Twitter either so don't for one minute think that makes you have a good blog. I have seen bloggers complain that they lost a twitter follower today. Honestly I don't even know how many followers I have on there. I could care less. Not that the followers aren't important it's just that twitter isn't my goal to reach out to people that way. I will admit I have had followers on the blog who just wandered off and I do wonder why they stopped commenting/following me.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you can use instagram from their website??? I just looked it up and found this post http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/here-is-how-to-use-instagram-on-your-desktop-no-phone-or-browser-required-windows/ maybe you can use that???
Wow, that sounds like an awful way to meet book bloggers. Hopefully you can meet one or two that you talk to online just to hang out and talk books. That would be way more fun.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Oh wow... one week old blogger??? Well I am glad you joined the community (and found my blog). I know what you mean about loving it. I really enjoy discussions and doing all the things you listed above. I am glad that you already count yourself apart of the community!! So great. I am going to stop by your blog right now and check out your post!
ReplyDeleteYes to this!! I loved the comments on this post. Seeing everyone happy with blogging and enjoying themselves. That is really the key to having a good blog and not having blogger burnout.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the fun part. I love reading other posts... and just learning about books I might not have otherwise heard of. That is actually my favorite part. Especially comics. I have the most fun reading about different graphic novels and comics.
ReplyDeleteI can now say I'm a two week old blogger. Lol. Thank you! I'm glad I joined and found your blog too. Discussions are really nice, I have a few ideas for some, I just need to sort of work on expanding them. And I believe I have forgotten my post I was going to make! :( How's that even happen? I don't think I wrote it down. Ah, oh well. Maybe it will come back. Thank you for looking for it though. :) I should have written it right away apparently. Haha.
ReplyDeleteI started my blog three years ago but am only very recently enjoying a moderate level of success after a rebranding and beginning to engage with the blogging community. I agree itis frequently overwhelming and intimidating. But it only takes one person being willing to help you. Or one post that makes you feel included. And the whole world opens up. Thank you, Angela.
ReplyDeleteYEAH! I am so glad you are finding the community more now. I had a few people help me along the way.. and well to be honest google was one of those "people". LOL! I think engaging with the community goes a long way and you will really find that there are nice people out there and that the more you comment the more people will visit your blog too!
ReplyDeleteMore blog traffic is, of course, a goal, but I find I'm enjoying "meeting" new people as well. My IRL circle of friends is sadly short on bibliophiles and bluestockings. Thank goodness for the internet!
ReplyDeleteI do agree.. I don't really have the blogger friends that others have. But that's OK. I have a few people I follow and we do talk more then just the passerby comments. I love love to really get to talking about books and things we like.
ReplyDelete