I’m taking advantage of “quiet January,” to talk about the blogging life with The Secret Life of a Book Blogger tag.

Book Tag: The Secret Life of a Book Blogger

It’s a rainy day in quiet January. I’m bored. I’m staring into the fire. I’m in between books and can’t decide what to read next. I’m working on a second Book Club Kit, but I need a brain break. So, a book tag to the rescue!

I wasn’t tagged to do this, and I’m not going to tag others. I found this tag on Jo Linsdell’s blog. If you would like to do the tag please consider yourself tagged and link to my post so I can see your answers!

How long have you been a blogger?

I’ve been blogging 6 1/2 fun-filled years! I started this blog in my mind on my bittersweet drive home from my last day as a 5th-grade teacher. I was bereft after cleaning out my room and also at peace with my decision to retire from a rewarding teaching career. However, I knew I needed something challenging and all-consuming to occupy my days. Since I’m a lifelong reader and literacy advocate and I love to talk about fabulous and memorable books I read with anyone who will listen, I began to entertain the idea of a book review blog. By the time I arrived home, my mind was made up and I brainstormed a blog that evening. I invited a tech savvy friend (thanks Chad!) to help me with the technical aspects of launching a WordPress blog and jumped into the deep end, learning as I went. Here is a link to my very first post in July of 2017.

At what point do you think you’ll stop blogging?

I have no plans to stop blogging. However, I know that life will ultimately decide that for me. Case in point, my detached retina and surgery last October. One never knows. Life is a gift to cherish each day.

My blog is called Reading Ladies, because I have always envisioned a review team or at least a partner that shares my passion and reading tastes. I’m still open to that idea.

What is the best thing about blogging?

As I’ve mentioned many times before, people are the best thing about blogging. Reading people are the best people!

• The blogging community! The support, the encouragement, the inspiration, the shared vision, the books recs, the tech help….thank you! (you know who you are!)
• The authors! I can never adequately express my deep appreciation for your creativity and craft that bring us these incredible, unputdownable, and memorable reads.
• The characters! Wow! I’ve connected with so many memorable characters throughout my reading life!
• The real-life heroes! Thanks to the histfic authors who are committed to telling the untold stories!

What is the worst thing about blogging?
What do you do to make it Ok?

I love my blogging life, but if I have to pick worse things I will have to include relentless social promotion and spam.

• Social promotion is tiresome because it’s routine. However, there is a silver lining because social media is where I can connect with my fellow bloggers and different platforms, generate blog views, and attract potential followers. I routinely promote my blog on Twitter/X (one click on my post link brings visitors to my blog), Instagram/Threads (blog link in bio), Goodreads (by leaving my blog review link at the end of my review), Pinterest (a surprising number of click-throughs), and Facebook (personal and blog pages). Some bloggers choose one of these platforms, but I post to all of them because each one reaches a different audience. My blog views at the end of the day/month/year make the effort worth it.
• Thankfully, WordPress filters catch most all of the spam comments. I would certainly be discouraged if I had to deal with it myself. Every once in a while, spam will slip through the filter…but not often. I also check my spam folder once a month to catch any legit comments (filters are not perfect) and then bulk delete the rest.

How long does it take you to make/find pictures to use?

I discovered early in my blogging career that I’d rather be reading than taking pictures (although I enjoyed a brief stint as a photographer and am capable). I am a huge fan of templates and I make good use of PhotoGrid and Canva to create book review templates. I find free pictures/images in Canva or Unsplash, etc. and free backgrounds in PhotoGrid. I do what I can with free images and do not use the paid features of these apps (although I’m tempted from time to time). I’m happy to answer more questions in the comments.

Who is your book crush?

I’d like to change this to the most admirable fictional character. For eighteen installments of the Chief Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny, I’ve admired Armand Gamache. He has integrity, compassion, kindness, and wisdom. He’s a devoted friend, loving husband, caring father, and a moral and thoughtful man. Yes, he’s well-seasoned, but so am I! Do you know him?

What author would you like to have on your blog?

No doubt about it. Fredrik Backman. I’m a Backman completist. He’s thought-provoking, creative, passionate, compassionate, quirky, vulnerable, honest, whimsical, entertaining, and serious. His expertise is characterization. From Ove to Benji, I’m always eager to meet his next character! Do you have a favorite Backman character? If you follow him on Instagram @backmansk you know that he has also personified his dog! I will read anything he writes, including silly IG dog stories!

What do you wear when you write your blog posts?

When writing blog posts, I’m always wearing something comfy because I’m at home. Occasionally I’ll brainstorm a post or jot notes for a review in a coffee shop (Dr. Pepper for me!), but I always write blog posts from home so I have easy access to my laptop. I could never write a blog post on an iPad or iPhone! My laptop doesn’t hold a charge for more than an hour these days, so I rarely carry it with me. My home is my office, and comfy loungewear and a diet Dr. Pepper are my jam!

How long does it take you to prepare?

The short answer is “It depends.” I’m a heavy user of templates! If I don’t have a template for a particular type of post, I copy a previous post and rename it (carefully here to remove or update all information).

Another time-saving strategy is to keep notes. For example, I take notes while I’m reading which makes review writing faster and more efficient. I also brainstorm Top Ten Tuesday topics or discussion topics in advance of writing the post. I have a robust folder of blog drafts. When an idea for a post strikes me, I’ll likely create a draft right then and work on it over a few days or weeks. I’ve been working on my next Book Club Kit for the last month.

Labor intensive posts such as my Book Club Kits, my Summer Collaboration, and end-of-year wrap up reflections are worked on over days or weeks.

There are ways to save time, and I’m always looking for new ideas. I prefer to work ahead rather than work behind whenever possible. A typical review post takes me about two-three hours from start to finish. A Top Ten Tuesday or Discussion Post takes about two hours. I can write all posts in less time than I could six years ago! I spent more time recently when I switched to Block editor and made all new templates. Do you have a favorite time-saving tip? I’m happy to answer questions in the comments.

How do you feel about the blogging community?

The blogging community is THE BEST! Amirite? One blogger alerted me that when I commented on her post, my avatar wasn’t linked to my blog. Another blogger indicated that my Twitter share wasn’t connecting (now that it’s X it doesn’t connect at all because WordPress dropped Twitter/X for financial reasons) and helped me troubleshoot that. When the Amazon affiliate program changed their format, a blogging friend helped me navigate the changeover. As I made the final leap to Block editor from Classic, my blogging friends had my back. If I have a technical questions, I have bloggers who will help me. Last but not least, are the faithful bloggers who visit my posts and leave likes and treasured comments. I find that bloggers in general are happy to offer support and encouragement, share your content, and answer questions.

What do you think one should do to create a successful blog?

1. Be consistent in publishing, promoting, and quality of content.
2. Connect! Visit other blogs, and leave likes and comments.
3. Be supportive and kind.
4. Give it time.
5. Pay attention to SEO from day one.
6. Promote!
7. Persistence pays off.
8. Enjoy the process (Joy is contagious.)
9. Be honest and transparent, and let “your voice” show through.

Is there one thing you have done that has contributed to your success?

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QOTD:

Thank you for visiting today! I hope you’ve enjoyed the post. If you have questions about blogging, I’d be happy to attempt an answer.

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Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

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Blog posts may contain affiliate links. This means that I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price at no extra cost to you.
All books I review are bought or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that they are free (arcs).
Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website receives all credit for book covers and author photos used in the creation of a blog post.
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