Getting Back Into Blogging (& Some Tips)

Thoughts for Thursday is a discussion post mainly about book related things. It isn't every week but we try to do it as often as possible.

If you've been around for awhile or have looked back on some of my posts, you'll notice that my blog posting became really sporadic and inconsistent for quite awhile. I was burned out from blogging, had very little time to read for pleasure, and just generally busy with so many things. Basically, I stopped posting and reading when I hit college. It was so overwhelming! And I already had a ton of textbooks that I had to read for classes. Oh man was my first semester a mess. 

Luckily, I've figured out a way to organize my time so much better so I'm not frantically skimming textbooks the night before the exam. This will hopefully allow me to have more time to read during the school year! I've also gotten so much better at trying to organize posts on the blog. I also worked hard to give the blog a new look, kind of like a fresh start because I really needed it. I've also realized that I like writing discussion posts, not just reviews. Before I really limited myself to what I could post and now that I try to post what makes me happy, I'm so much happier.

One of the worst things that happened while I was too busy to blog was I lost touch with so many bloggers that I used to talk to or they also stopped blogging. It was really daunting to try to find new blogs because a) there's so many and b) I couldn't remember where to start looking for ones that interested me.

As a result of my break and trying to get back into blogging, I've come up with a few tips for people in the same place as me or even for new bloggers. This is by no means the only tips out there, but it's just some things that really seemed to work for me.

5 Tips to Get Back into Blogging or for New Bloggers

 

1. Don't stress about the # of posts

 I am the queen of stress, but I found that by not feeling like I have to post something every day I don't stress as much. I like having no brainer posts like New Releases or Can't-Wait Wednesday because they're fun for me to do and I always liked seeing new release posts on other blogs. I found those crazy helpful because sometimes I would find new books to read (and I wouldn't have to wait long for them to be out). 

2. If you're looking for blogs to follow check Goodreads groups

This for me was something that helped a lot in finding other people to follow. There are so many great book blogs out there, but I was having some trouble finding some that I really wanted to read and follow. On Goodreads there are groups specifically for bloggers and even bookclub groups usually have a section for bloggers. Personally, I find big bloggers really intimidating. I'm much more likely to comment or try to talk to bloggers that don't have hundreds of comments because I feel like I'm just one blogger in the sea of many and what's really going to make me stand out from everyone else that's saying very similar things?

3. Don't let social media consume you

I am notoriously terrible at social media. I have a Twitter, but tbh I don't really know how to use it effectively. I usually post links to my posts or other blogs, but other than that I don't really use it and I'm ok with that. I was letting myself get really stressed about stuff like Twitter before I realized that it's not really for me. I'm more of a Goodreads girl. I considered using instagram for awhile and I technically have an account, but if I do start using it I will be sure not to let it take out time from reading. It just seems like a really great community and social media is there so you can interact with others. I just think it works better (for me at least) if I keep that sort of thing secondary to reading and my blog.

4. Give it some time before looking into ARCS

Back in the day (lol I sound like I'm a grandma or something), I got a fair share of ARCS. I was in no way bombarded with free books, but I greatly appreciated it, especially because at the time most of my books were bought and books are expensive. Obviously, since I've been inactive I haven't been getting any and I didn't focus on that for awhile and now I'm just getting back into that area, but primarily through Netgalley. When you're first starting out or coming back from a blogging break, don't immediately jump back into ARCS! Establish yourself a little first and that will definitely be incredibly helpful.

5. Blog because you love reading, not the other way around

This is like key to not getting burned out while blogging (for me at least). I was getting burned out because for awhile I felt like I was reading to blog, not because I really wanted to read and it took the fun out of reading for me. It became a job and I was less motivated to read and therefore blog. Blogging is supposed to be fun! If you're every feeling like it's a job, take a step back and remind yourself why you started blogging in the first place.

Do you have any tips for getting back into blogging or for people new to it?