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Welcome to our weekly BlogAnon meeting where we confess a particular blogging sin and turn to you for support, suggestions and that blogging bond so we know we're not all alone. Don't be shy. Read along and let us know if you identify with us this week.
Last week I asked why you started blogging and why you keep blogging. I got lots of different answers to suit all of your different interests and personalities. Lynn (who someday will inspire me enough to learn how to use our stove) wanted to know OUR answers and that seems like a fair request.
I started this blog in order to interact with a book meme that I found when poking around on Google for an online book community. This was before I was introduced to Goodreads. If I had found Goodreads first, I probably never would have bothered to start a blog. It was a bit daunting, and somewhat scary, to put our information out there and see what happened. And per usual, I just went ahead and dragged Andy into things without telling him about it ahead of time. He was the one with the cool Bumbles nickname after all.
I continue blogging (with Andy as my muse) because I really enjoy writing. I also really enjoy having a place to connect with the friends I have found online. I also like getting free stuff in the mail. But sometimes, I wonder if I am overdoing it.
I wear myself out every now and then - getting so excited about this idea or another that I volunteer for lots of projects and collaborations that I leave little time for our own space here. I rarely run out of things to say. I just tend to run out of time to say it.
I also have a feeling that some of you run out of time for reading all that I might find time to say on a daily basis. I know I have minimal time for visiting all of the entertaining and terrific posts you create out there. So, I think I am going to change my posting frequency for the New Year.
I have been posting daily for two years. That sounds like a lot doesn't it? It has never felt like work to me because I am writing what I want to write. But I need time for other things, like watching Survivor for example. So I plan to post 3 times a week going forward. Maybe more if I have something fascinating to share. But I think 3 is the magic number. It allows time for me to do other fun things, and it doesn't overload your feed Reader either.
I'm curious to see how it will change my blogging too. Will I become more creative? Longer winded? Or will I drift away a little bit more as time goes by, having let go of my daily habit? Whatever the result, I'm sure I'll blog about it!
How often do you post? What are your preferences from the bloggers you follow? Is less really more? Or do you forget they are out there sometimes? Have you ever changed your blogging ways?
14 comments:
You're right Molly. Everyone blogs for their own reasons. When I first started, it was a novelty. It was something new to me, and I really had no real concept of what it was, what it involved, it's purpose(s), and so on. I had no direction or "business plan". I was just learning as I went. Over time, my blogging style changed which included getting into and out of memes, posting topics, posting frequency, following choices, etc.
Right now, I post about once a week. I've found the more frequently I post, the less comments I get. I attribute that to readers only reading your most recent post when they visit your blog. At least for me, very few people go back beyond my most recent one. If I post more infrequently, it allows readers who visit to see that post and it gets more exposure. Obviously, if someone who visits actually took the time to read any posts they haven't seen since their last visit, then you would get more comments on each post, but that just isn't the case. So I choose to post less frequently to get more exposure.
I'm on a partial blogging hiatus so I post maybe once a week or only twice a month. It just depends. I love your movie meme so some weeks that is my only post. Before the partial hiatus I posted at least four or five times a week. I had a meme for everyday that i followed and I threw in some giveaways and book reviews on the weekends. But it got too daunting and I wasn't getting my homework done...thus the partial hiatus. I hope to get into more of a groove this next year. Maybe around two or three times a week and see how it goes! Of course, your movie meme will be one of the posts!!!!
I love reading your posts. But I understand wanting to drop the frequency. Whatever you do I'll be reading. I don't think your long winded at all. I don't mind reading a well thought out, well written post. You are good at what you do :)
I think I'll stick with the once a day thing for awhile, taking a break when I need to. Sometimes I just like to watch Survivor too.
We started out shooting for daily posts, but since we were doing only book reviews, that became unrealistic pretty fast - and sucked the fun out of reading because I was always on a deadline. Also caught on quick that Dave's contribution to "our" blog was going to be in an advisory capacity so that left me doing all the writing.
Now I post when I finish a book or when I think of something fun to talk about or just when I need to vent. It's not like I'm drawing a large crowd that is anxiously awaiting my next words of wisdom. The blog is for me and I do it when I enjoy it.
BTW - I always love reading your "long winded" posts, but don't feel bad about cutting down. Do what you enjoy. But Survivor?? Seriously?
I'm not entirely sure why I keep blogging. However, in part I think its for two reasons - one is a venue for my thoughts and the honing of expressing them. And secondly - I get hugely validated here. I get excited when I've written something that creates response from people. Maybe if feels like getting noticed in an ever increasingly busy world.
Either way - I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Slacker moments, but not stopping. I don't know what I'd do with those kinds of withdrawals.
I am one who reads your blog every day, but I follow very few blogs and very few people follow mine. I like updates, but I COMPLETELY understand cutting back to fit more into your life. Now that my masters degree is ALMOST done I am hoping to start blogging more (after May when I defend my thesis that is!)
I read you every day (when i am not sick, ha) but I am with lovesmukiwa. You are a busy woman and a daily schedule can get tiring. I blog sporadically at best. I want to post regularly, but I find time management to be difficult. Something to work on in the new year to be sure.
Keeping up a daily post is a lot of work; enjoy your time away from the blog!
Post when you want to, about whatever interests you; I will read you as long as you are around to be read!
As for me, I should probably become more regular in this blogging habit--a firm 2x/week, for example, rather than the randomness that has prevailed for a while now. But sometimes I just don't have anything to say...
Enjoy Survivor ;)
:( I know I rarely come by every day, but I love all of your posts and will miss having so many to connect with you on.
But since you brought it up, maybe you could post about Survivor since I think this has been one of the weirder seasons. Every week when they show a two second clip of Dan I am surprised all over again that he's still there. Jason and I pick who we think the winner will be after the first episode and we both did a poor job of predicting this one.
How often do you post? I only post when I get an idea worthy enough for me to share. I have limitied computer time on breaks at work and since all I do is look at computer at work when I get home most days I don't even go in the same room with my home PC. Not even to check email.
What are your preferences from the bloggers you follow? Is less really more? I can't keep up with folks that post more than once a day. I try to comment when I can but again, limited time, so I do what I can :)
Have you ever changed your blogging ways? I used to do Music Memoirs meme but stopped because I thought others would find it rather boring, plus my computer time was decreasing.
Another great BlogAnon meeting. Good discussion about a topic I've been seriously thinking about.
I can see why you want to cut back on daily blogging. You are probably still doing daily writing with your other commitments. If we want to read what you have to say there are other places on the web to go.
In my case, I want to slow down with the quantity of posts and concentrate on quality. I love writing everyday too but now I want to work on improving what I write. I'm thinking four or five times a week. I know it still seems like a lot but a couple of days are memes which, in my opinion, doesn't count as writing.
I'd probably prefer 3-5 posts per week from the blogs that I follow. I'd love to say daily posts but I just can't keep up with them! I myself have a dismal posting record. I still focus too much time on reading other blogs and not enough time on my own.
I've posted nearly daily for 3 years. Sometimes it is harder than others, but I usually find something to write about.
My problem isn't the posting, but the visiting of all my pallies' blogs--which I like to do. There aren't enough hours in the day lately and I feel like I'm missing everyone.
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