I’m participating in Armchair BEA all this week. If you’re a new visitor here, you can learn more about myself and my blog on my About page or my Armchair BEA Intro post.
The current topic of discussion is blogger development.
I’m new to the book blogging community, as a contributor if not a reader. I’ve been writing here at Cheap Thrills for just over two months, so there hasn’t been a whole lot of development… yet. Here are just a few of the things on my mind as I continue to find my place in the blogosphere.
Reviews:
When I started, I knew I wanted to do more than just reviews. As a reader of other book blogs, I’m always much more interested in discussion- and community-oriented posts than I am reviews; these other posts are what will keep me following a blog… or not. It’s mainly because there are very few blogs out there that consistently review books that interest me, and if a blog has enough else to offer, it doesn’t matter if our reading habits don’t quite match up. So it was important to me to make sure I had plenty of other ideas for content.
In the future, I’ll continue to keep an eye on my balance. I feel like it’s pretty good right now, but I also feel like I’m falling behind on books that I’d like to review here. Part of the reason is that I’m currently doing a weekly Sigma Force review leading up to the new release next month. Once those are done, I’ll have more time slots, so to speak, for other reviews. I’m also still settling into a style of review that works for me, and that will come with time, I know.
Online Presence:
When I started, I had my blog and I had my Goodreads account, and those were my places to talk about books. I do have Twitter, but it’s my personal account and I talk about anything and everything there. I’m also not prepared to go spending money on things like self-hosting and professional design. Blogging is a hobby that I enjoy, and unlike a lot of hobbies it’s one that I can do for free, even if it marks me as not as “serious” as other bloggers.
In the future, while I don’t imagine any monetary investment happening any time soon, I have been toying with the idea of more time and effort investment, in the form of social media — a blog-specific Twitter account, a Facebook page… that’s about as far as I’ve gotten (since those are the only social media sites I currently use for myself).
Collaboration:
When I started, I was mainly concerned with just finding my footing. I’m still doing that. So guest posts (in either direction) or co-bloggers aren’t anything that’s on my radar at all.
In the future, I’d be more open to the idea of guest posts, either writing them for other blogs or having another blogger post here. I’d also be interested in hosting (or co-hosting) read-alongs or other community activities… things that involve collaboration with other bloggers while keeping this as my own space.
I try to write the kind of blog I’d want to read, but it’s always helpful to get outside opinions, so… do you have any suggestions for my fledgeling blog? Things you’d like to see more of? Less of?
Cheap Thrills 
You have a nice blog. I think that as a new blogger it’s really to keep up the balance between the blog and real life. As you grow your blog you’ll see what works and what doesn’t. I am constantly surprised by what posts are popular and what posts get ignored.
Keep up the great work.
AH@Badass Book Reviews.
It seems like most bloggers, even those who’ve been going for years, still struggle with these things from time to time, so at least I know I’m in good company. Thanks for stopping by!
I stayed away from self hosting for a while, but then came across a host that was pretty amazing and I jumped the bullet. Do I miss the free wordpress? Yeah, there is more of a network and people can follow you and find your posts. Yes, blogging is hobby. Like I said, I got lucky with a host and then won a blog design so I was able to tweak things and just design the header myself.
I’m glad you’ve decided to write reviews in a format that suits you. If you think something was missing from reviews you read at other places, then someone else thinks the same thing!
Jess @ Literary, etc.
I’m not saying I’ll never self-host (because of course the moment I make a definitive statement like that, I’ll change my mind) but for me, for right now, it just doesn’t make any sense. But maybe someday it’ll feel right to make that switch.
Interesting! I’m exactly the opposite since I read blogs primarily for the reviews. That’s not to say I don’t enjoy a post about blogging that generates discussion. I do! But I’m far more likely to find those through people sharing a particular article on twitter, while I’ll follow a blog only if I like their reviews :)
A lot of times I’ll end up skimming reviews, or skipping them altogether, if it’s a genre I’m not interested in (or, conversely, if it’s a book already on my TBR and I don’t want to be influenced before I read it). But that’s what’s so great about the book blogging world is there’s something out there for everyone. Thanks for reading!
Guest posting is a great way to build that community you desire. I have found so many people that I have thing in common with that I might not have discovered if it weren’t for guest posts. The first year of blogging is the hardest, but you’re on the right track if you’re already looking to improve! Tattooed Books
Thanks for your comments. It’s hard for me to network without it feeling fake, but then it’s frustrating to wait for it to happen naturally. I keep telling myself, blogging isn’t a race, and I’m only two months old!