Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.
Book Blogging...
I've been a part of this community for approximately 14 months now, and I just can't help but love every minute of it. Okay, there have been some ups and downs associated with it, but overall I wouldn't trade anything for it.
Here are my Top Ten reasons I wouldn't give this up:
10. Sanity
Blogging helps keep me sane. Well, saner, at least. When I took breaks from the blog, I think I actually suffered more than revived. Yes, the blog can get overwhelming (mostly due to my own procrastination) at times, but ultimately it provides an anchor that I can keep coming back to even when everything else is tossed into chaos.
9. Flexibility
As much as I like schedules and having things done "on time", it sure is nice to be able to push things back when life has other plans. There are no rules or regulations when it comes to book blogging, no time limit, no word limit, no speed limit. It's completely flexible with whatever I want and need to happen.
8. No Boss
Somewhat analogous with #9, having no boss means that what I'm doing isn't being judged by anyone. Well, I suppose my follower-count might be somewhat of a judge, but anyone in this business will tell you that subscribers aren't a measurement for anything. With blogging, you're held to a standard that is only your own, which after years of school, competitions, and then low-tier jobs, it's quite liberating.
7. Winning
I'd be lying if I didn't say I loved winning giveaways/contests. I normally don't consider myself very lucky, so on the off-chance that I actually do get my name drawn in a giveaway, it's just exhilarating and brightens my entire day/week. Then there's the second thrill when the package arrives! So much fun!
6. Motivation
Graduating with a degree in "Creative Writing", then moving to the job market where every writing job demands "7 years professional experience" (don't ask me why it's always 7) can certainly get a girl down. But lo and behold: a place where I can practice and improve my trade!
Who could ask for more?
5. Creative Outlet
Not only in writing posts, but also designing layouts, graphics, color schemes, and even post templates, I've got the perfect canvas for all my creative aspects to shine.
4. Recommendations
There are so many books out there, it's nice to get a nudge in the right direction every once in a while. Or even the wrong direction, just to know not to go back.
3. Discussions
I've seen some sites where 'comments' dive straight into the territory of spam and trolls. It's nice to have a place where it's expected to be sincere and cordial but still honest and open with opinions. And where the prompts and responses both are extremely well thought-out, clear, clever,
and 99% typo-free. Please, sir, can I have some more?
2. Doing What I Love
Really, I couldn't ask for anything better than reading a book and writing about it. Even back in 8th grade, I fell in love with writing book reports; I wrote one that was over 10 pages (granted, most of it was the summary of the book, but still). Over the years the 'study' of books became more intense - trying to find themes, comparisons, reasons for, etc, etc. And yet, I still managed to hang on to my initial love of reading, and grew to accept my own opinions on the matter as worthy of statement. I believe that whatever life throws at me, I'll still make time for book blogging.
1. Community
There's so much I could say about the book blogging community, and I still wouldn't even begin to cover it. Reading and writing are both solitary experiences, but having all of us endeavoring to share our experiences with one another... It's more than a book club, or a fan forum... Oh, I don't know how to explain it without sounding completely corny, so I'll just keep it simple. Book blogging has connected me with like-minded people all over the world: whether it be authors I can aspire to, reviewers I can reflect on, or readers I can relate with, I know am not alone. And that's a great feeling.
Book Blogging...
I've been a part of this community for approximately 14 months now, and I just can't help but love every minute of it. Okay, there have been some ups and downs associated with it, but overall I wouldn't trade anything for it.
Here are my Top Ten reasons I wouldn't give this up:
10. Sanity
Blogging helps keep me sane. Well, saner, at least. When I took breaks from the blog, I think I actually suffered more than revived. Yes, the blog can get overwhelming (mostly due to my own procrastination) at times, but ultimately it provides an anchor that I can keep coming back to even when everything else is tossed into chaos.
9. Flexibility
As much as I like schedules and having things done "on time", it sure is nice to be able to push things back when life has other plans. There are no rules or regulations when it comes to book blogging, no time limit, no word limit, no speed limit. It's completely flexible with whatever I want and need to happen.
8. No Boss
Somewhat analogous with #9, having no boss means that what I'm doing isn't being judged by anyone. Well, I suppose my follower-count might be somewhat of a judge, but anyone in this business will tell you that subscribers aren't a measurement for anything. With blogging, you're held to a standard that is only your own, which after years of school, competitions, and then low-tier jobs, it's quite liberating.
7. Winning
I'd be lying if I didn't say I loved winning giveaways/contests. I normally don't consider myself very lucky, so on the off-chance that I actually do get my name drawn in a giveaway, it's just exhilarating and brightens my entire day/week. Then there's the second thrill when the package arrives! So much fun!
6. Motivation
Graduating with a degree in "Creative Writing", then moving to the job market where every writing job demands "7 years professional experience" (don't ask me why it's always 7) can certainly get a girl down. But lo and behold: a place where I can practice and improve my trade!
Who could ask for more?
5. Creative Outlet
Not only in writing posts, but also designing layouts, graphics, color schemes, and even post templates, I've got the perfect canvas for all my creative aspects to shine.
4. Recommendations
There are so many books out there, it's nice to get a nudge in the right direction every once in a while. Or even the wrong direction, just to know not to go back.
3. Discussions
I've seen some sites where 'comments' dive straight into the territory of spam and trolls. It's nice to have a place where it's expected to be sincere and cordial but still honest and open with opinions. And where the prompts and responses both are extremely well thought-out, clear, clever,
and 99% typo-free. Please, sir, can I have some more?
2. Doing What I Love
Really, I couldn't ask for anything better than reading a book and writing about it. Even back in 8th grade, I fell in love with writing book reports; I wrote one that was over 10 pages (granted, most of it was the summary of the book, but still). Over the years the 'study' of books became more intense - trying to find themes, comparisons, reasons for, etc, etc. And yet, I still managed to hang on to my initial love of reading, and grew to accept my own opinions on the matter as worthy of statement. I believe that whatever life throws at me, I'll still make time for book blogging.
1. Community
There's so much I could say about the book blogging community, and I still wouldn't even begin to cover it. Reading and writing are both solitary experiences, but having all of us endeavoring to share our experiences with one another... It's more than a book club, or a fan forum... Oh, I don't know how to explain it without sounding completely corny, so I'll just keep it simple. Book blogging has connected me with like-minded people all over the world: whether it be authors I can aspire to, reviewers I can reflect on, or readers I can relate with, I know am not alone. And that's a great feeling.
I love all of your answers, especially 1, 3, 4, and 9. :) Numbers 1, 3, and 4 can go with each other wonderfully. You get to read others' thoughts on books while also sharing your own, and you can hear about many new reads through the community, too. And I like blogging being flexible so I can blog when I want. :) It's good to see you back in the blogosphere!
ReplyDelete