It’s raining this morning. Hard. And that’s ok. I just finished mowing our yard yesterday evening and I was afraid that the lawn was too dry. I am in the office all day so this puts no damper on my plans of typing and filing and working on the annual report.
What I wanted to talk about this morning is blogging. It amazes me that about a year ago I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue on and that kind of scared me. Last June I felt in an entirely different place. I felt too busy to keep up on book reviews and book chats and I posted maybe once or twice a week. Maybe. I usually missed writing a Morning Meandering. I was hardly reading a thing so there was nothing to talk about there, and for a while I took a real look at wondering if my season had passed.
Since my time in blogging, a lot of great bloggers have come and gone. A few that really inspired me in the beginning of this crazy chatting about books, are hard to find now…. occasionally popping up on Twitter or on Facebook… but nothing on their site – if the site is even still there. All that time – typing, talking books, chatting, sharing…
gone.
And I had started to think I was too.
So what did happen?
I fought for it. I wasn’t ready to let go of my love of talking books, or my chats with all of you. I accepted that it was ok to step back and do life and not completely let go. So that is what I did and slowly throughout late fall and winter I came back…
but really it was the book expo this year in New York that sealed the deal for me.
I love the expo. I love my bookish relationships that I have made here talking to book lovers on this screen, and then meeting them in real life, and still chatting books with them. I LOVE talking to authors, and publishers, and the heads of publishing houses about what makes them tick. When at the expo, my mind flows with blog post ideas…
topics of publishing houses
connecting with narrators
audiobook week
blogiversary
meeting bloggers (I actually don’t like that word) meeting like-minded Book lovers
events
amazing books coming soon
author events
I literally started making a list of ideas on the plane home.
Soon I will be reaching a mile stone post. I see it coming and I am excited about it because it is crazy to think that for the past 5 years I have chatted books and life to you and I am as energized now as I was when I started. How crazy cool is that?
I can’t imagine going anywhere any time soon. This post was to hopefully inspire any of you out there that are on the edge of deciding, “do I go on?”…. its ok to take breaks. This is supposed to be fun – not a chore.
And I….
am having fun.
If you are a book reviewer/lover/chatter… ok ok, blogger, how long have you been doing this? If you have been doing it for a while are you surprised how long you have been doing it?
What energizes you to keep going?
Oh yeah – and don’t forget – it is audiobook month (I wont let you forget!) GIveaway here for a $25 gift card. An entry for ever comment you have on an Audiobook related post that I have up this month. To help you out… here is what they are:
Book Journey 
I’ve been blogging for 6 years and am having some moments like that. Thank heavens for Julie’s encouragement. She’s told me not to quit but to pull back and see if I miss it. I’m reading, but finding the time to write posts is hard and the longer the books sit there waiting, the harder it is to write about them.
I went through that last year Kathy where I put off writing reviews for so long I forgot about them entirely. I am glad Julie encourages you to hang on – you would surely be missed 🙂
I’ve been at it for six years this February, and have had some times like Kathy describes, when I read but don’t necessarily want to find the time to write about my reading. This summer my goal is to post one thing a week. That keeps my hand in. What usually energizes me is conversation, but in the last year or so it comes from so many different directions that it hasn’t energized me for writing on my WordPress blog as much. There are so many barriers to commenting, especially for people who aren’t bloggers themselves.
Conversation energizes me too… that is one thing I never tire of, talking about books! 😛
I’ve been at this about ten months now and for a while, it was wearing me out (about February this year). My husband encouraged me to go on and I changed my posting schedule to be less demanding and it’s working really well for me now. I’m scared about how things will go when I start back to school in the fall, but reading makes me happy and sharing how much I love words makes me happier so I don’t see myself stopping completely any time soon.
Its good to make it work for you. When people shut does there sights entirely it makes me sad because they closed a door that someday they may wish to reopen.
I’ve been blogging at one place or another since 2005. What keeps me going? I like writing and conversation, so I would say I blog because I enjoy it. I don’t always have the time or the inspiration and have told myself it’s ok to pull back if I need to. You know, when life gets in the way! Like today – my hard drive crashed yesterday on my main computer, the one with my photo database and editing software, and pretty much everything. So I should be installing a new hard drive and restoring my files this morning, but instead I’m here on my laptop visiting blogs and writing a review.
Oh too bad about the crash! But YAY that you are not worked up about it and instead are enjoying some blog time 🙂
Nope, not stressing out about it. It happens and I’m just glad I can do the repairs myself. And while I fix the pc I can listen to an audiobook. 🙂
Awesome! 😛
Wow!! Your post really did help me. I do get discouraged some times. It really helps to hear you do too. My daughters continue to encourage me. BEA was a big help – getting to meet everyone, seeing the energy others have for books and hearing other peoples stories. It was nice to hear it is okay to take a break. I have always been afraid I would loose followers if I took a break. Thank you very much. You encourage me.
Oh I am so glad!!! I think sometimes people see some of us who post frequently and always have something to talk about as beyond this but as you can see from these comments that is not true. We burn out like everyone else and have busy times where it just isn’t possible to sit and write. I keep a note pad with me at all times, sometimes something someone says, or something I read or do will trigger an idea for a post – but I have to write down that idea or it will be gone and I would stare at my screen with nothing to say 😀
Great idea!
I think I still like posting daily but about other things, too…not always books…and only posting once a day helps me…plus sometimes letting go of weekends…mini breaks are refreshing.
Another note…Sheila…are you familiar with Minnesota author…Rebecca Hahn? If you are please forgive me…I am reading A Creature Of Midnight…fantasy, YA, her first book…it’s lovely!
I do as well like posting daily. I think it is important to plan at least 3 to 4 posts a week to keep your readers engaged – plus it engages me too 😀 I do not think I know that author but I will need to check her out…. always looking for Minnesota authors 🙂
Sheila, as you know, I’ve yet to launch my blogs. This is the aspect that plagues me whenever I think about it—the time spent and can I make it consistent and last without KILLing the rest of my life. So far, social media has been a blessing and a curse since I became truly active last year. I expected the curse of the “time suck” and can’t seem to get a handle on that yet, but didn’t expect all the blessings, which is the one thing that is fueling my fire. Meeting people like you through blogs like this has been a lot of fun, to say the least! I love interesting topics (books, of course!) and meeting great people so I naturally get drawn in.
Regardless of the emphasis on posting daily (for search engine spots, etc.), I won’t be doing that because I know I can’t. I want to still be able to follow other people’s blogs AND have a life which I desperately want to include writing my novels.
Anyway, with all that said, I am in AWE of people like you who make it work and make it last and STILL have a life! There’s nothing wrong with taking a break, that’s for sure. I, in fact, started following you when you were returning from your “sort of” hiatus! So glad to have found you here 🙂 And, honestly, I don’t think anyone minds when bloggers don’t post all the time!
I like how you said that you “didn’t expect all the blessings”. I think that is what keeps us going. I like my conversations with fellow book lovers. I feel like I know them, and some, thanks to this little adventure called Book Journey, I have met, and that is beyond expectations 🙂
Really good to read your post. I am very new to blogging and loving it. My aim is for my reading not to be driven by the need to post reviews. I adore reading and all things bookish and hope that my new found love of blogging will enhance that. It was good to read of your experience and what you have learned from your many years of blogging. So glad you have continued
Thank you Angie. For me, and I think for many of us (most of us?) this book adventure is meant to be fun, a hobby…. and I really am enjoying it. I think I mentioned during my blogiversary post about how this blog has changed me – built my confidence in speaking, engaged me with our local library, made me a book advocate…. I could go on and on 🙂
I started my first blog in 2008, but didn’t do much connecting until a year later when I joined Book Blogs.ning. Then I discovered Word Press and started adding blogs. I like having a lot of them, as they keep me energized…I alternate between them and find that I use them for different purposes.
Even though my laptop is fairly new, and hopefully crashes are in the distant future—knock wood!—that is my biggest fear. Not being able to get on a computer and connect.
I enjoy the connecting…and visiting blogs and writing posts. I review every book I read, and I love reading.
Hang in there.
Thanks Laurel 🙂 I knew you were a connecter 🙂
I wish there was a way to collect all of the rain pouring down across the country so we could funnel some of it to California. We are in dire need of water. It didn’t even snow at the ski resorts this year so the water levels in all of the lakes have dropped like 12 feet. That is like the plot to some apocalyptic story.
Anyway… I think this Feb is my 6th year blogging. As you said, so many of the blogs I’ve grown to love literally just closed up shop without a word or put up a message letting us know that they were taking a break and then just never came back. I had two blogs I followed by a reader that let their domain lapse so all of a sudden, I was getting posts in Japanese. Lord, I was so confused.
I think most bloggers that stop blogging still keep in touch through social media but some just vanish. It’s sad really.
I always think “the worst” when anyone suddenly “disappears” whether online or in places I frequent, like Barnes. I always hope it’s not for tragic reasons!
I agree.
It is sad… if they leave without a word I wonder what happened and hope they are well.
I have been blogging about books since 2010, but I took an extended hiatus (previous blog was “Best O’ Books”), because I wasn’t confident enough with it, and I copied other people’s styles instead of doing my own thing. I have since scrapped that blog, and feeling newly energized, I made a new one from scratch last May– “My Home of Books”. I now follow my own “rules” and stay true to myself, and it works! I find one of the things that works for me is that I don’t review every single book I read, maybe 2 out of 3. Also, I don’t accept books that I am not pretty sure I will enjoy. I don’t want to dread doing what I love; it’s my hobby, not a job, and certainly shouldn’t be a chore.
Great advice – I have become more selected about books as well. I try to review every book I read, mainly because I like to add it to my book count for the year. 😛
I am 6.5 years in and remember when you took over the It’s Monday meme (makes me feel like we are old timers). I am kind of going through the whole “need a break” thing right now. I am probably going to take a week off in July and recharge. My problem is probably do more to stress over my work project than with blogging 🙂 I get the whole getting to a point where you just go: Do I continue or not? I did that 2 years ago and switched over to mostly audiobooks. I just needed a change 🙂 I even went so far as to delete NetGalley 🙂 I am glad you decided to stick around!
6.5 years! WOW! Yes it was less than a year after I started that J K (J K’s Book Blog) asked me to take over the meme as she stepped out. I was so unsure of myself and taking on that meme made me really work hard to not let her down. 😀 I have never really been involved with Netgalley because it is just one more thing I do not have time for 🙂 I wish I did….
I don’t blog, but is just thought this would be a good spot to tell you how much I enjoy and look forward to your blogs. Since I also live in Minnesota, I know about many of the places you mention. I ‘ve lost count of the number of books I have taken out of the library based on what I have read in your blog. This week, I checked out The Lighthouse Road. It’s great to read local authors and books about Minnesota places. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Lynette! That is very sweet! I love that you are checking out books from the library! 😀
Make that I just thought…
😛
I started blogging about 8 yrs. ago, with a blog that was just everyday stuff, photos, recipes, misc. (not book) memes, fitness etc. Then one day I stumbled upon a book blog. What??? People had blogs about books? It sure didn’t take me long to close out my blog and start one about books. That was 5 yrs. ago. I’ve had some reading slumps, even had my first book blog disappear one post/widget at a time so decided to start over with WP. Since then I’ve had a few server down times, but that’s ok as long as my blog is still there when the server comes back up. No matter what, I love books too much to ever stop blogging about them all together. Books are SO COOL!!
Right? I have always been on WordPress and feel pretty secure here. Some day I want to go to wordpress.org but I am scared to death to run it without support 🙂
I’ve been at the point a couple of times where I’ve thought about what to do with my blog, to keep it going? To give it up? But in the end I always come back to it and I’m always happier for it. Happy blogiversary! I love that BEA inspires you so much. I’m sorry we didn’t run into each other this year. Next year, YES?
Yes – lets try to connect next year! You know we probably passed right on by each other 😉
I used to be a foodie blogger but really needed some motivation to read more and more diversely. Was sooo surprised that a whole book community was online!
Your enthusiasm really shines through! I look forward to more! Happy 5 years 🙂
When I started I had no idea about the other book bloggers… I thought I was unique… now that makes me giggle. 😀
I am energized by the bloggers I meet online and especially the ones I have met in person…and of course one of them is YOU, Sheila. 🙂 You make others want to live life to the fullest And READ and BLOG ON. 🙂
You are an amazing person. I am glad you haven’t decided to stop.
It will be four years for me in July. I love every minute of it.
HUGS.
Thanks Elizabeth 🙂
I’ve had an online presence for about 8 years now. Since my true passion is reading, I’ve let all but the book related presence go. It takes awhile to figure out what is comfortable for you to maintain, what continues to be fun and feeds that passion. Right now, I am a bit scarce as our first grandchild arrived a week ago. Things happen in real life that take our attention away from our blogs. I’ve learned to be okay with it and not stress. As Rita stated, I’ve also given myself permission not to review every book I read. It helps keep it fun and enjoyable and less of a chore to complete.
Great comment and I agree – life comes first 🙂 I love this chat time with all of you – but I will totally pass it up for an adventure, bike ride, hanging with friends, family, reading, vacation, road trip, helping someone… 😀
I LOVE, LOVE this post. I’ve only been blogging for 15 months and have already gone through some of the emotions some of you experienced bloggers have as well. I started out all gung ho with an audience of 1 person just wanting to share my love of literature among some other things. Then I felt a bit of “pressure” (from myself) to get ARCs, build a bigger audience, have a cooler looking site (I’m in the same boat about staying on WP.com) but this networking has been the saving grace because it’s not about popularity or all the free books you get (which is nice) but spreading the love for reading and meeting like-minded people.
I SOOO AGREE. Meeting other readers is THE BEST.
Thanks for commenting! YES!!! It is about awesome book talks, discussions ( I love chatting along with the comments!)
Sheila I have been blogging for almost 6 years now and honestly I am surprised I have lasted this long. I never thought it would last but honestly I am really happy that i did because I have meet some amazing people from this and perhaps something wonderful will be coming from this (I will know later this week if it pans out).
I think its common to want to throw the towel in. I have been down that same path and I think just stepping back and taking a break makes you rethink things and that is what I do when I feel no desire to do it, I take a break and then come back recharged.
I think having a friend encourage you to keep going helps.
Its true so many have come and gone with no signs until they pop up one day.
Now I am super curious about the “something may pan out this week: 😀
Great post! It’s great that the Expo energized you. I remember going to Bouchercon in 2012 and it made me feel like I was with people I wanted to be with. In the past year and and half I have considered quitting (I started in January 2008) because my son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (autism). That diagnosis has such a huge learning curve and I’m still struggling with it. BUT, I can connect at night after he and my husband go to bed. Being able to do this when I have the time has made it doable for me. I would hate to lose the friendships!
I agree Stacy, I enjoy the online relationships 🙂 I do a lot of my post writing and chatting after my hubby goes to bed too. 😀
Yay!! I’ve been struggling with keeping up and finally accepted that it’s ok to not post every day. I would hate to see you go, so I’m glad you’re still here. Despite my crazy self (dashing from lunch to the Javits), I loved spending time with you in NYC. If we room together again, I promise to stay in bed and listen to my audio instead of waking you up by making coffee. :))
LOL Candace – it was awesome! I am used to being the first one up so you challenged me 🙂 I would happily be your roommate again 🙂
I’ve been at this blogging thing for over seven years, and what keeps me doing it is that I’ve finally come to accept that there’s no one right way to do it. Posting 3-4 times a week and not posting exclusively about books keep me on track, as does occasional IRL face time with my blogging friends (like you, Sheila)!
Thanks Florinda 🙂
6 years in October for me and like you many of my ‘old’ bloggy friends have hung up their blog hats. I’ve seriously considered giving it up a couple of times when I’ve been overwhelmed with life but that’s usually when I draw back a little and realise I’m just not ready to let go. I’d miss the connection too much, not just sharing the book love but the family news, projects, recipes, photos. I absolutely love it! Like minded book loving bloggers have become firm friends, many across the miles and that makes it so worth the time and effort and I know if I need down time they’ll be there when I return as I am for them.
Great comment! I feel the same way 🙂
Great post! I just had my 4-year blogoversary and I’m still having fun with my blog. But we all go through slumps sometime. Glad BEA reinvigorated you 🙂 You are such a positive voice in the blogosphere so I hope you stick with it for years to come!
Like yiu I’ve found that so many people who inspired me in the beginning at no longer around. It does take time and energy to keep up the activity and I don’t always have those things. But it keep going because otherwise I know I would miss the conversations which I love most.