I’m sure you’ve heard of this statement at least once in your life when you venture in the blogging community: Blogging is time-consuming. Like, really time-consuming. All that free time you have now? Well, once you start book blogging, you can expect all that free time to disappear if you want to be a frequent poster. Unlike what most people that doesn’t blog think, blogging does not come easy.
Most of the time I use to blog is used by me thinking of new ideas and new posts to write. Writing book reviews is the easiest part of blogging for me – I almost always know what I want to write about the book and how to express myself, although sometimes, I have to make things a little less crazy sounding so you guys can understand what I’m trying to say. A Kelly nerd fact: Sometimes I plan the exact words to write in my review while I am still reading the book. Taking notes while reading helps a lot with this. I can guarantee you this: once you start taking notes, writing book reviews would be at least 25% easier for you.
While a lot of people find writing discussion posts easier than writing up book reviews, writing discussion posts are one of the hardest parts of book blogging for me. Sometimes, I have no idea what topic I should write about for a discussion post. At other times, I have tons of discussion post ideas, but once I put it all down on paper, the post ends up being way too short, kind of like this one. I sometimes cheat a little with discussion posts; to expand them and to make them longer, I add a GIF.
The hardest part of book blogging in my opinion is thinking of new never been done before ideas. It’s hard to stand apart from the crowd, especially when every single new idea you’ve thought of have been done before. I always admire the people who come up with never been done before ideas. How do you guys come up with never done before ideas? Please excuse me while I rack my brains, trying to think of new ideas.
How about you? What’s the easiest part of book blogging for you and what is the hardest part of book blogging for you? Do you have trouble coming up with new ideas? I want to know!
The hardest part for me is finding the time to put in to it and make my blog what I want it to be. I also go through blogging slumps where I can’t think of a single discussion post that hasn’t already been done. I run out of post ideas and I wish I were more creative. The easiest part for me is just enjoying it. Whenever I have time to blog or do blog related things, I really enjoy myself. Which tells me that I need to make time for it.
Kim recently posted…A Summer Reading List
I have SO much trouble with discussion posts. That’s why I rarely do them. Everything seems to have been done before. I struggle thinking up anything new too. I tend to take notes while reading too. Makes it much easier to write the reviews that way. Great post!
Kristen@My Friends Are Fiction recently posted…Blog Tour- Play List for Paranoia by J.R. Johansson
Writing discussion posts is definitely the hardest part for me. A lot of the time I’ll get an idea that I think I’ll have a lot to write about and then when I get around to putting a post together, it turns out that I don’t actually have anything to say and I scrap it. I think sometimes it’s too easy to end up posting only memes, because they’re quick to do, or to post only reviews, because that’s what most blogs focus on.
Louise @ Nerdette Reviews recently posted…Stacking the Shelves: May 2014
I don’t actually do discussion posts on my blog because I always feel the subjects I want to bring up have already been covered (for example you Kelly ;P). I always struggle to think up new ideas but because I follow multiple blogs that cover a lot of topics from design, fashion, beauty etc I can see where book blogging can pick up on things and intercept the books with other topics.
Oh, and you’re totally right, book blogging has taken over my life, it’s not just the blogging but the reading just to get the content for reviews!
Georgie @ What She Reads recently posted…MINI REVIEW: FRENCHED
Well, I don’t think it matters if it have been done before. Maybe Blogger 1, 2 and 3 have wrote a similar blog post “once upon a time” but when you do it, it’s your post and your opinion/look at the topic. To me, that’s make the whole difference.
I mean: I read your review of a book as well as other reviews of the same book. I don’t stop and say “Oh no, others had reviewed this before, I don’t want to read another.” :)
I don’t think I have big problems, coming up with topics. I get inspired by a lot of people, a lot of things, a lot of views in my life. And yes, sometimes I write a post and thinks “Hey, that’s new” and people respond to it. Then, after a couple of months I find out a blogger actually had the same idea 3 years before me. Well, that’s life. Booklovers had a lot of the same ideas, same inspiration. :)
Eeyorenyk recently posted…Victoria Scott: Fire & Flood
Great topic! The easiest for me is the book review. You’ve got the book, you’ve read it, you know what you think about it, you write the review and try to make it sound interesting. If it’s a little short add some pics and pretty fonts and away you go.
Trying to come up with other topics is difficult for me. Not necessarily the writing part of it (for me anyway because I love to babble away) but “Is it interesting enough that people will read it or even give a crap?”
I tried to come up with something that I could write every week non-book-related and I ended up failing miserably. So until I come up with something specific I just write about something/anything and stick it in one of my categories. I’ve been told so many times to BE MYSELF so I’m sure whatever I come up with will be mostly babbling. lol
Carrie recently posted…Do You Keep A Journal?
I enjoy discussion posts the most from other blogs, but sometimes I find myself feeling underwhelmed trying to write my own because I am so worried about making it clear that it is just my opinion. I wouldn’t want to offend anyone, and usually the posts I want to write are about something I have a big opinion on. I think I should concentrate harder on putting out more discussion posts though, because that’s what makes blogs enjoyable to me!
I don’t take notes as well as I could while reading, and when I have, it helps the review process. I think you are probably on to something with the 25% easier. :)
Anne @ Lovely Literature recently posted…Sex in books: What do you prefer?
This post is great! My blogs really new not even a month old i don’t think! So i haven’t got much experience but i’m already finding it really time consuming and quite hard to get it going. It’s mainly just book reviews so far with the other odd post but hopefully when iv’e got a steady flow going i’ll be able to start discussion posts! I think they’re a really great way for bloggers to interact with their followers and love those posts! Because i’m new to blogging i have all these different ideas of posts to do so i just keep writing them down and saving them for when my blogs older and my thoughts run dry!
I take note when reading when i can, and it helps LOADS but sometimes i just forget or aren’t able to, maybe i should start carrying a notepad with me! Haha. :)
I find discussion posts easier to write since I have notes before hand but I do know what you mean about the post being too short when you write it. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing though because maybe people will have a lot to say about the topic.
Taking notes while reading is the best thing ever! Writing reviews off of notes is so much faster.
I know what you mean about blog ideas! Even if it’s been done before, I think there’s always a way that you can tweak it. Everyone blogs differently and same ideas are expressed differently. For me, I try to read as many things as I can (not just book blogs) and I can get inspired by that.
The hardest thing for me when it comes to blogging is finding the time to blog. I have ideas but sometimes I put it off because I don’t have time and it just snowballs from there. I try to schedule things well in advance but sometimes I fail.
alice-jane recently posted…Book Expo America 2014: BookCon & BEA
I’ve been blogging for over two months and in all that time I have done a grand total of ONE discussion post. I find these topics so hard to come up with! The one discussion post, once I had the idea, was very easy to write, and got so long that I had to keep trimming it down because I worried no one would want to read it otherwise, but… discussion topics just don’t seem to come to me easily. Looking at other people’s opinions in the comments here though, I feel kinda relieved to know that topics that have been done before are still welcome. I really liked the one discussion post that I did and I really hope to be able to do more!
But yeah, book reviews are easy! I find the hardest part of blogging is probably just… finding the time to do EVERYTHING. Like, I have enough time to read a couple of books and write reviews every week, but I also need to find the time to read other bloggers’ posts and comment. I love the socialising part of blogging, but it’s so hard to find enough time to do it. I participated in Armchair BEA last week and to my shame, I maybe only managed to comment on a tiny handful of other blogs. I really wanted to do lots of blog hopping, but I just can’t find the time. ):
Cynthia @ Jellyfish Reads recently posted…Sunday Post #4
I think the easiest part of book blogging for me is writing the reviews for the books I have read. I usually try to time finishing my current novel the day before I plan to schedule when the post is to become public. That way I will have enough time to sit down to write out all my feels, and somehow design it where it sounds coherent and not insane. I believe the hardest part for me is posting other posts not including reviews to attract the attention from others. I think it’s really just me trying to stop myself from putting myself out there, and show my true self.
Meredith recently posted…Black Chalk Review
I don’t do discussion posts either. I love reading them on other blogs, but when I try to write them, they end up poorly written, especially compared to other discussion posts I see. I could work on that too make mine better written, but I don’t want to. I think I’d of my biggest struggles is committing to review requests. Sometimes I agree to review a book that I lose interest in even reading but then I feel obligated to read it anyway (I tell authors and publishers that accepting a review request doesn’t guarantee I’ll post a review but I still feel obligated). Writing reviews is the easiest part of blogging for me.
Coming up with ideas for discussion posts are the hardest for me. Actually writing the discussion posts are the hardest for me. They take much longer to do. Reading the books is not hard at all, but it is time consuming. I always wish I had more hours in the day, but we just make do with the time that we have.
If I were just starting out blogging, or coming back from a blogging break, one thing I would do differently is take a couple of weeks to just schedule tons of posts. (at least 1 month of posts) before I even actually make the first post go live. Starting out with that kind of buffer would be amazing. Otherwise you will always feel like you are playing catch up. And trust me, it is very hard to get more than a couple of days ahead when you are going to school full time or working full time. That buffer would make things so much easier, because yes, blogging is super time consuming.
Great post!
Michelle @ Book Briefs recently posted…{ARC Review+Giveaway} Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore
I never have a hard time coming up with ideas BUT time is a real kicker. I often end up spending 6 hours on a Saturday writing up and scheduling blog posts for the coming week or two. Like you, I find reviews easy to write. But then, my blog isn’t terribly personal or in-depth, because I have to protect myself from certain someones online.
Beth W recently posted…Stretching Your Cents: Savings
The hardest part for me is writing my reviews and actually sounding kind of professional. I just feel like my writing is so poor! I know I’ve only just started but I always feel like my reviews are inadequate. I definitely don’t think reviewing comes easily to me..maybe in time it will, or at least I hope. I can already see what you mean about time though. It’s having the time to read and then write reviews, as well as take part in weekly memes in addition to making sure you have enough time for your offline life!
Vicky recently posted…Book View: Eleanor & Park
This is all so true! I have just started keeping a notebook by the bed (where I do most of my reading!) so that I can jot things down, that is a great suggestion. I also will get ideas right before I am about to fall asleep, and then forget them by the morning. Or, I will come up with something just to see that another blogger has thought it up too (and of course, written it before I did!). And time… oh, time. I blog mainly in the middle of the night, so I am not even sure that what I am writing is coherent. But I think the worst for me is knowing I HAVE to write a review for a book, for whatever reason, by a certain date/time. It kills me, especially when I have nothing to say. Even if I liked the book, sometimes it is hard to review it, and I will stare at the screen, and I imagine crickets chirping in the background. And the kicker is, no one in my offline life understands at all. My husband always says “just write whatever you thought of the book”. Um, not that easy! He doesn’t get why some posts take hours to formulate. Thank you thank you thank you for this post! It is making me feel like other people totally get it (which, as fellow book bloggers, you all do!).
Shannon recently posted…Review: Pawn by Aimee Carter
Great topic. I was just thinking this the other day. I’ve only just been blogging around 5 to 6 months and at first it seems like it will be a breeze. Just expressing your live for books. But boy was I wrong. It’s a lot of work. Something if you want to be something you have to have dedication. & your right on, it won’t always come easily.
For me writing the memes, and reviews are the easiest. My reviews I keep simple so it doesn’t give to much away and I try and write it right after I read. So the feels are still fresh. I like your idea of notes, I’m gonna have to try that.
I find discussions post the hardest too, aswell as coming up with original content. I always feel like the discussions have all been done and as for original, it’s like you said it all been done before.
Again great topic!
-Amanda @ Escaping Reality Within Pages
Amanda recently posted…Faded Trilogy by Chloe Miles Giveaway!
I think the hardest part of blogging for me is putting down my thoughts in an organized way that people will clearly understand. I know what I want to say in a review or discussion, but sometimes it takes me a few drafts to put it all down in an understandable way. It’s also difficult for me to remember to post the posts.
However, what is easy for me is knowing what I want to say. Usually I start a review knowing exactly what points I want to make and state. The same goes for most other posts.
I also find it extremely hard to find time to read and write posts. Usually I write all my posts for that week on the Saturday or Sunday before. Which isn’t the best system ever, because then if I’m busy those days then I only have a few posts to put up for the next week.
Great discussion topic :D
Kim @ Kimberly’s Novel Notes recently posted…Review: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibiushi
I really love writing reviews and haven’t tried discussion posts yet. I think I would do the same as you Kelly, trying to add lots of graphics and fonts to try to flesh it out if it was too short. But I try to make my blog really visually appealing with photos of books and DIY projects etc. I want to make my blog into a combination of books and DIY!
Nic recently posted…REVIEW: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Sometimes I plan the exact words to write in my review while I am still reading the book <– Oh, I do that too, and I always think it's a little weird, b/c what if suddenly I read a part that just totally blows my review apart?! Yeaah, haha.
Blogging definitely always take more time than I think it! Lovely discussion (:
Cyn recently posted…Musing About Things: It’s Hard Recommending Books
The hardest for me is the book reviews – which is strange, since I really do like it when they’re all finished. But sometimes getting there, and finding the write words, and deciding whether or not I want to spoil something or not, I get a bit lost in that. That’s why I switched over to only reviewing books that I really feel like I have something to say, usually ones that LOVED or hated. Which is why I rarely do 3 star reviews on my blog anymore.
I’m guilty of the gif thing ;) I tend to ramble in my discussion posts, so to break up the text and give some white space I’ll add a gif and hopefully it flows well with the whole thing.
Kayla @ The Thousand Lives recently posted…ARC Review: Essence by Lisa Ann O’Kane
I’ve realized that blogging for me is something that makes me happy. I’m not really the most dedicated blogger out there, but I’ve always reviewed and written posts that makes me curious, and makes me happy. It depends on other people whether they want their blog to be that successful.
Jules recently posted…Book Review: Prom Impossible by Laura Pauling
I think the hardest thing for me, as weird as it seems, is finding time to read with all the work I have in school. I’m always reading plays and other reference materials that sometimes I’m too exhausted from all of that to actually pick up a book and finish it quickly. It’s times like that when I feel especially lucky to write with three other people for my blog. Great post!
Kiersten @ We Live and Breathe Books recently posted…City of Heavenly Fire Book Launch! + GIVEAWAY!
Definitely finding a way to stand out is not easy, but even a little bit of originality in a blog helps ideas flow. I find it difficult to write reviews actually. After a while my feelings start to sound the same. How do I uniquely say “oh this book was good, not great, but I enjoyed it” a bajillion times for different books? That’s what I struggle with.
None of blogging is easy for me! Sad to say, but it’s true. OK, maybe STS posts are easy. :) I review less than half of the books I read, simply because I don’t think I can think of enough interesting things to say about a particular book. Or, I just want to enjoy the experience of reading sometimes, and not have to worry about writing a review.
I do try to take notes, and when I do a thorough job of it, it does make the review process much easier.
Stephanie @ Inspiring Insomnia recently posted…Review: Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell
Reviews also come very easily to me. I make notes like you and most of the times I have a general idea of what I want to say.. Like you, I struggle with discussion posts. Sometimes I have a lot of ideas, but I have NO idea how to translate them to a (long enough) post. Or I just don’t feel like writing it down, even when I think it’s a good idea. I think that’s why I love my fairytale news feature. I don’t only use it for discussion posts, but I’m also allowed to post other things. So when I don’t feel like discussions, I go back to my good old love for fairytales :D
Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…Review 263. Cammie McGovern – Say what you will.
I’m a newer blogger yet, and I’m still trying to find my footing-I continue to tweak my review formats and add/change features. Right now the most challenging thing with blogging is just keeping up with everything. I started by posting daily and it was too overwhelming, so I recently cut back to 3-4 posts a week and it’s going much smoother now. I have to prioritize my time and I’m mom and wife first, reader and then blogger :) Oh, and housework and other real life stuff is in there somewhere, as well (though it’s below blogging, really clean laundry is overrated, lol).
Just found your blog through a link on another blog and I’m now following you on bloglovin :)
Finley Jayne recently posted…Contemporary Fiction Review: Swamplandia, by Karen Russell
Discussion posts are the absolute toughest for me. I do a lot of memes in hopes of generating conversation around the topic for the week. I guess its kind of like hitching on other people’s ideas, but I totally brain fart when it comes to trying to find something original to write about. Another thing I find hard and am conflicted about is images and gifs. I am so nervous of just doing Google searches and using what I find, that I just use nothing, and then my posts look pretty plain. This is a great discussion post!
Tanya @ Rantings of a Reading Addict recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday ~ Books I’ve Read So Far This Year
Whew! I’m exactly the same!
Writing up reviews is way to easy. But I take a long time to process my thoughts enough to get something decent down, so that’s a time hogger. I don’t write up many discussion posts. In my (rough) blogging schedule, I do 2 reviews and one “something else” like a feature (mostly) or a discussion (rarely). Because of this, I try to turn my features into something that can be discussed, by including questions. But yeeeahh. Sometimes I just lack inspo!
Brea recently posted…Playing Musical Books with Outcast by Adrienne Kress!