Today's topic concern how to blog; bloggers are supposed to reveal some of their secrets, like technical tips and rules they impose on themselves and their visitors. Not that I have a lot to say - I am still learning the ropes.
Well, I think the most important rule on my blog is to write honestly about books I review. Sometimes my reviews might sound a bit harsh but I always try to do a book justice. If I don't like it I state clearly why, often giving examples. I definitely think that constructive criticizm is the best gift you can give to anybody. It might hurt at the beginning but it will be beneficial in the long term. If I write an essay I choose a topic that really interests me - otherwise there is no need to write anything at all. Your personal commitment will be clear for every reader. It is the feature which makes your blog different, fresh and interesting. Be yourself and show it!
Another rule is to react to feedback from my readers. I try to answer every single person, anonymous or not. I highly appreciate that you take time and effort to comment and I suppose every comment deserves an answer (apart from spam but there is an answer too - I delete it ;) ).
Now balancing life and blogging. Sometimes I feel I spend too much time on my blog and generally, in front of my computer. I try to take a day "off" every week but it is not always possible, for different reasons. If I am personally engaged in a book or in a story it is hard to me to let it go and progress to a new topic. Now question time for my readers - I would be pleased if you answered at least one of these questions in your comment! Thanks in advance!
- What is important to you as a blogger?
- How do you choose books/topics for your blog?
- How do you balance life and blogging?
- What would you like to change on your blog in the future?
I love your reviews and you are so good at being negative, ok that sounds wrong. But you are so good at picking out what you did not like and explaining why. While my style is more to ramble on and on. But that is why we are all different :)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes I confess that I like to read the reviews of books you do not like the best. Buu on me I am evil.
I have sure never revealed any blogging secrets but I do have one advice. Comment on other blogs, answer comments on your own blog. You can't expect people to come to you if you never go somewhere (if you are a big blogger that is)
Lol, that is the only advice I have ever given to other bloggers
Good advice Blodeuedd - thanks for your comment and I would like to reveal that I am writing a rather negative review right now - soon to be published - so you will have a lot of fun I suppose! :)
ReplyDeletePerhaps it is wrong that I am better at finding faults than at praising books but I must admit a book I don't enjoy makes me devilishly nasty. I try to temperate it with the sense of humour but I am aware that I must work on it.
Lovely advice. I think it's important to be honest about the books one reviews, especially if you think the book has major flaws. At the same time, being specific keeps one from simply bashing the book or the author.
ReplyDeleteI choose books based on the challenges that I'm in and recommendations that spark my imagination. Essentially I write up every book I read that is not for my work or my dissertation. So the topics reflected in my blog are what interest me.
What I chose to read next is a reflection of what's happening in the real world for me. What I chose to review next is a subset of what I read. I blog after my kids go to bed; it's my free time after work and chores are done.
ReplyDeleteTo blog well you need to know: your topic, your audience and your voice. Come learn more.
I love the refreshing honesty of your reviews, anachronist. I'm not good at negative reviews - if I really don't like a book, I often won't bother reviewing it, but it very much depends on my reasons for disliking it. Usually if I dislike a book that much, I abandon it, unfinished, so can't give a full review anyway.
ReplyDeleteHow do I choose books to review? I don't feel obliged to review every book, I will only usually review a book if it inspires me in some way - and I rarely review books I'm re-reading, because I think first impressions are the most accurate.
And yes, if someone has made the effort to read and comment on my blog, I will always respond, and read and comment on their blog too (if they have one).
Thanks Birdie and pussreboots for your visit and your comment - I highly appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteTracy now it's my turn to blush - thank you very much for calling my honesty refreshing! I also don't review every single book I read. Some of them are too trite, some of them don't stimulate me enough to write, sometimes I don't have time to write any useful review so I put it off.
I try to answer every single person, anonymous or not.
ReplyDeletei do the same, but sometimes i get the feeling that most people never wander back to see that i've responded, since comment systems aren't all integrated to notify readers. i'd be happy if we could all get to a place where commenting becomes more interactive.
lisa I suppose some people wouldn't wander back anyway. I almost always check whether a blogger answered my comment or not.
ReplyDeleteBTW I haven't been able to see my lovely followers for some time. If you can't see them either on this site - it's Blogger again, not me.
I'm still trying to find a balance. It's not easy, so I enforce time limits for each day. I would like to improve my comment box, so that you don't have to login to comment. Still deciding on which widget to get or if I want one.
ReplyDeleteThese choices are never easy, Lena - you can't be sure what will work and what won't work for your readers. Well, time limits are one hell of an issue too!
ReplyDeleteWhat is important as a blogger? Finding subjects that are interesting and can be dealt with in a half page post.
ReplyDeleteI choose topics by writing about whatever I am reading and interests me. I.e. it has to bite me in the bottom.
How do I balance things? I don't.
What I would change. More images would be nice. :-)
I respond to comments too.
i do the same, but sometimes i get the feeling that most people never wander back to see that i've responded, since comment systems aren't all integrated to notify readers.
ReplyDeleteIf the comment box has a 'notify me by e-mail if someone replies' tick box I try to remember to tick it - yours doesn't have that system Anachronist - but I check your blog regularly anyway. (I have no idea whether mine has that system or not, or what you have to alter on your settings to get that system set up, anyone care to enlighten me?) If it doesn't, then I try to remember to check back, I don't bother with 'subscribe by e-mail'
And there are several bloggers whose sites I post on regularly, a few others I post on occasionally. Sometimes I'll check out a random one, but I'm not good at reading large numbers of other blogs - it's seriously time-consuming - but I really must make more time to explore.
I.e. it has to bite me in the bottom.
ReplyDeleteHow do I balance things? I don't.
LOL that's my girl! Honest to the extreme. I like topics which can bite and scratch as ugly cats and no, I don't balance things at all.
Tracy yes, you would need to change settings a bit. Your blog doesn't have that system either but no problem - I check it when I can :D Oh wait I just saw it: "subscribe by email", right below this window...hmmm...when did I switch it on?
BTW - thanks Blogger wizards, I see my followers again!
ReplyDelete