This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Book Blogging Pro’s and Con’s

My blog, The Reading Chick, is now almost two and a half years old. Wow, where did the time go?!!

Initially I started blogging because I wanted to talk about all of the books I read. When I first started blogging all of my book choices were what I was drawn to read. As time went on I started following authors Facebook pages and twitter accounts, sometimes reaching out to let them know I’ve read and liked a book. Even making friends (of sorts) with some of them, joining review clubs and Facebook discussions, etc. Then I discovered NetGalley. Like many bloggers I went out of control. All of those books, free!!! All I had to do was write a review and post it on my blog, Amazon and wherever. When I couldn’t keep up, I had to reign myself in, stopping those requests until I honored the commitments I had made. Although I’ll confess, there were a few books that I just couldn’t get into and just sent a note back to the publisher saying I was sorry but I wasn’t going to be able to review the book. I felt so bad!

Once I was back in control I asked myself why I was doing this? The pressure of putting out a blog a few times a week can be another full time job, and one that doesn’t even make me any money. Is it worth it? I decided to make a list of my Pro’s and Con’s of being a book blogger to help me decide my feelings.

PRO’s

  • I read at least two hours a day. On weekends sometimes 4-5 hours. At 50 pages an hour I get through 2-4 books a week. The point is, I read A LOT.
  • I love to write. I get a really great feeling when I craft my post. Not all of my reviews are great, but some of them are really really good. When an author take one of my quotes and tweets it at me? Wow, there’s no better feeling.
  • I have made friends in the blogging community that I can discuss my passion for books with? How cool is that? Something I have in common with hundreds, if not thousands of other bloggers!
  • FREE BOOKS. I have a few authors that I jones for. If you know me well, you know I love Urban Fantasy authors like Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs and Anne Bishop and romance authors like Jill Shalvis and Kristen Ashley. If I can read them free? Bonus!
  • Helping authors get the word out about a new book. Although this can also be a Con because they don’t hit a home run EVERY time they write a book, but still, I do love supporting them and seeing other bloggers talk about those same books.
  • Reading a review about a book that I’ve already read and reviewed myself. I LOVE this! I love writing a note about what I liked or disliked. I love opening up that conversation.
  • I love that I seem to be on a couple of publisher’s lists to send out notes asking me to read a novel because I’ve read and reviewed a similar novel for them. It makes me feel special.
  • Reading my fellow bloggers posts. I love to find new books that you all recommend as well as chime in on some great discussions.

CONS

  • Keeping up with my blog schedule. I put out three reviews a week and on Sunday I try to be more creative. Either a discussion, interview, or well, anything besides a review. It is HARD to come up with good ideas!
  • Book review requests. I would love to help discover that next great novelist. It is hard to find the time!! Lately, I’ve started to get about 5-10 book review requests per week. Does everyone else get these too? How do you handle them? I try to respond to everyone thanking them for sending me their letter and I so want to support them, but I am only one person reading and just don’t have as much time as I’d need to get through them all.
  • Not getting carried away on NetGalley. It’s so easy! I have my favorite authors, and sometimes they all have publishing dates close to one another. It makes life difficult when I’m a day away from their release date and I haven’t read the book yet. I know, they’re my favorite. I should read it as soon as I get it, but I don’t. I try to honor all of my commitments, so soonest date published gets read first. When they stack up? It freaks me out.  LOL
  • Sometimes I just don’t want to write a review but with the need to put out three a week I feel like I have to write one. I know that reviews mean a lot to an author, especially on site’s like Amazon where they get ranked and show up in more recommendations the more reviews they have listed, either good or bad. It’s the thought that I should write one that makes writing difficult.
  • I have a full time job. Occasionally I write during the week, but the majority of my writing gets done on the weekend. So, that’s 2-4 posts I have to write in two days. The first one goes down like a fine wine, and then it gets less sweet and more acidic.
  • Finding the time to keep up with commenting on other blogs. I love having that conversation, but there are some weeks where I just don’t get to it. I feel like I’m letting people down.

I could throw a couple more Pro’s and Con’s onto the list, however, I think these help you get my point. There are many great things about blogging. That’s why I keep doing it! There are also a lot of things that weigh me down when it comes to blogging. However, I do think that the Pro’s out weigh the Con’s. It all comes down to the fact that I like to read and I like to write. Now that I’ve started could I stop? I think I would miss it too much! I would miss you all too much too.

Do you have some of the same Pro’s and Con’s on your list? How do you handle the sacrifice you make to write daily or spend your weekend writing like I do?

How do you keep your commitments to put out a review as the book comes out? Do you fall behind? Not care? Are you always on time?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Until next Sunday,

Deb

Book meme

23 thoughts on “This Chicks Sunday Commentary: Book Blogging Pro’s and Con’s”

  1. I make sure to have only one or two books at once for which I have to write a review (which I got from publishers or authors). That leaves me with enough time to choose my own books for the other reviews!

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    1. I wish I could do that! I do try to make sure I only have one commitment a week so I can read books I want to read. How do you respond to review request emails? Do you ever review books you receive that way? Or do you stick to NetGalley?

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      1. I received an email a few times and every time I received one, I did have the time to add that to my reading list 🙂 I have to say I did become pickier about books I receive for free, as I know what kind of books I like and I don’t want to read all the books anymore just so I can receive them for free and read them for reviewing them on my blog. If I know in advance that it is the kind of book I might not like, I won’t read it for the publisher, as I want to spend my time reading books I probably will like!

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      2. I only read books that are in a genre I enjoy. That certainly helps keep it to a minimum. I now get more email requests than I could possibly read. I try to pick a couple a month, which reminds me I need to do that soon. Thanks for keeping the conversation going! It’s always interesting to hear how other bloggers make their choices. Have a great day!

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  2. I love this post so much, you perfectly summed up how I feel about blogging and the pros and cons I’d have in my own list, haha 🙂
    I love that blogging made me discover SO many books and made me even more passionate about something I already loved before. But it is hard to keep up with everything, with the reviews, with the emails, with commenting and writing blog posts; I am working full-time as well and it is SO hard sometimes to keep up with everything. Yet, at the end of the day, we still love it so I guess it’s all worth it 🙂
    I have time dedicated to blogging on my weekends and on week days, to blog hop, write blog posts etc. I do my best with ARCs I get and, these days, I am mostly requesting myself what I really want and seeing whether I get lucky or not. I’m regularly closing my mailbox to authors and publicists asking to me directly for reviews, because I can’t keep up. I also get lots of mails but they’re not for the kind of books I read, so…. I usually don’t bother. Might sound mean, but I wrote a review policy and no one ever reads it hahaha. 🙂
    Great post!! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I try to mostly request books that I’d want to read anyway also, but sometimes I get sucked into requesting a book because of the hype and then have to make myself read it. I don’t know why I do that? Lol. I have listed on my blog what genre’s I like to read and am frequently amazed that authors for those genres request that I review their book. At first I tried to explain why it’s not good for them for a person to review their book if they hate for example horror books. I can’t stand them! I certainly wouldn’t want my opinion to influence anyone just because I don’t like horror novels. They could be the next Stephen King! Sheesh! Now, I have given up trying to explain. I do try to read an email request occasionally though because of the excitement in finding a new author and getting the word out. I don’t have a ton of time anymore.. i just want to read books I want to read. Selfish, I know. Thanks so much for the encouraging words! I appreciate your opinion and input!

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      1. Oh don’t worry, you are NOT alone, I sometimes do that too…. I try not to let the hype get to me too much, and I am making progress, but it’s hard. Part of us will always want to know what the hell is going on with that particular book 😂
        Oh that is SO not selfish at all, I am currently in the same mindset. It’s just… it’s not even selfish, it’s just that we have so little time in the day, we want to focus on the things we really want to do and read 🙂

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  3. Congratulations on your blog! I had similar dilemmas until I realised it was not longer fun, it was becoming a chore. You have to get that buzz when sitting down to the keyboard! Now I mostly write on the weekend. I blog my way, if people like it that’s a bonus. In publishing houses, the slush pile can be read and culled by juniors-students so don’t worry about being selective, they are ruthless. You’ve got a good theme so I reckon keep reviewing and read what you want to read, when you want to read it 🙂

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    1. Great advice! Except for a few books that i regret saying I’ll review when I lack the time, that’s pretty much what I do. I started the blog because I wanted to talk about the books I love to read. I haven’t strayed to far away from that theme. Thanks for your thoughts! I love to hear how every one has made their choices for their own blogs. Read on!

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  5. I don’t read as much as you do, Deb. If I’m writing my own efforts, I don’t read at all. Lately if I read, I fall asleep! My biggest CON with blogging is having something to say. I feel at times that the well has run dry. Blogging by themes didn’t work at all. I didn’t even finish the week out! How sad! So I’m blogging this week more like a journal to see if I stick with it that way.

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  6. susankietzman

    Hi Deborah,

    I am an author who has recently discovered the world of bloggers. Why has it taken me so long? Because I am busy writing! So, I completely understand your dilemma. We have a limited number of free hours in a day/week, and we have to figure out how we want to spend them. I write and read, but I also like to be outside or meet a friend for coffee or have a conversation with my husband that lasts more than a minute! It’s hard to find a balance that both energizes and rejuvenates us.
    I’ll go into solution mode for just a moment: Can you blog less frequently or read fewer books? Perhaps you have set a goal for yourself that is hard to back away from. But please know that authors and readers appreciate what you do and the amount of time it takes for you to do it. I hope you reach a decision that brings you peace of mind.

    Susan Kietzman

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    1. Hi Susan! I actually read more books before I started blogging. I think the dilemma is that just like when you have a job you love and HAVE to go to work, sometimes its a trial rather than a joy. I would say that 90% of the time its still a joy. Not bad odds! However, just as you said, there isn’t enough time in the day to do everything I want to do. Thanks so much for taking part in the discussion! I do still love blogging, and really still love reading books, so there is no way I will be stopping, thanks!

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