2017 is nearing its end, and as I read many book bloggers’ wrap-up posts, I am noticing a sad trend… Examples:
“This dumpster fire year is finally ending…”
“No more of this 2017 nonsense…”
“Maybe 2017 will finally leave us alone with all the Twitter negativity…”
And it makes me think. Okay, 2017 was not an easy year. But how much longer can we keep hearing this stuff and not break down? And how much longer will we keep saying it?
To top it off, there our usual book blogger insecurity. Stats, likes, comments, shares. We’re not good enough. We’re never good enough! You’ll turn a corner and see someone better! Or maybe you don’t get any ARCs? Enough ARCs? (Maybe you’re international? Then go read this.)
Well, I don’t want 2017 to look like that. And I don’t want amazing bloggers to keep feeling crap about themselves. (Yes, I often feel like that too. I don’t really want to keep feeling that way.) So let’s look at a list of things that we should be happy about! Let’s try to find positivity in the act of blogging!
Book Blog Positivity And Love ❤️
#1. The Community
Small blogger, big blogger? I don’t care! You’re welcome in the community. And you’ll find sub-communities too! YA bloggers, librarian bloggers, diversity bloggers, international bloggers… There are many different groups that will accept you and warmly welcome you. (Give me a shoutout in the comments if you’d like to join the international bloggers group and I’ll arrange that!)
#2. Your Voice
Your blog is an outlet for your voice, and believe it or not – nobody else HAS that voice. That’s if you’re being true to yourself! Don’t copy other bloggers, don’t try to be like them! We NEED your unique voice. It’s what makes our community diverse! And also, by searching for your voice, you are searching for yourself. You are embracing yourself and finding out what you didn’t know about YOU! If this isn’t positivity, I don’t know what is?
#3. Yes, Your Stats
Actually, your stats will be the thing that most commonly give you anxiety, probably (amirite or amirite? If you don’t fret over your stats, I bow down to you in great respect! Teach me your ways!) But I say (even to myself…) that we should stop paying that much attention to stats. So I don’t have as many followers. But you know what? Most of my followers engage and comments, and I value that so much! It basically means that even if I don’t have a ton, the ones I do have are gold! YES, you heard me. YOU ARE GOLD. Go frolic.
But back to the topic. I suggest, on Dec 31st, to take little post-it notes, write down your follower count, your total comments and your number of posts during that day, and put it down somewhere. On your wall. In a scrapbook. Photo album. Or even somewhere you can see. And BE PROUD of what you have achieved this year! Even if it’s 6 followers! You HAVE achieved them! You probably know those people! You have this many friends who care to hear what you say. Isn’t that great?
Also, keep in mind that up to this point, this is how many posts you wrote. This is the number of times you sat down and spoke up. This is how many times you’ve been heard and maybe even heeded! Is that not worth a lot?
Let those numbers remind you that they’re not a measurement of popularity, but rather a stone to the steps you have built to reach where you are standing now. (Complicated sentence much, huh…)
#4. Blogger Besties
I already said community, I know. But even aside from that, there will also be those 3 or 4 people whose messenger contact you’ll have. You’ll message them at night for any kind of non-blog related thing. Even if they’re all over the world! If their day is your night, even. They might even send you treats and books (with international shipping!) If that’s not friendship, what is?
(You know who you are.)
#5. The Fact That You Know What’s Going On
Before I started blogging, books were just books. Libraries and bookstores held them. They were something of a mystery. Now? I know only the Western scene of publishing, which is a little bit different from where I live, BUT. I will go into a bookstore now and I will not need help. I will go like “oh, this has been published here now… And this. And this, go Lithuania!” Basically, I know what is coming out and when. What people might like it. Why I might dislike it, even. I might even know actual author names. Tell me what layman does that? Nobody knows names! The best they’ll know is the name of a book (that’s usually a classic as well, so it’s been around.) Meanwhile you? You, my kind Lady or Sir, know all the new releases. You cannot be trumped in any bookish trivia. My hat off to you!
#6. Communication With Authors
So what about that time when your favorite author tweeted you? Or, okay, liked your tweet maybe. What about that time?? How awesome did that feel? None of your workmates, classmates or friends have probably ever had ANY sort of contact with the people they admire (possibly movie stars or whatever you’ll have it.) You? You own the place. I’ll bet if you blog for at least a year, you’ll have had contact with more than 3 authors you like. Or maybe even more than 5. What I’m proud of? My name being on the special edition of the ARCs of Senlin Ascends. #lifegoals
(it’s there on right under the author’s last name!)
#7. ARCs
Hey, even if you’re a small time blogger, even if you’re international – you’ll still get SOME ARCs! And that’s definitely a thing to be happy and positive for. Do I need to explain?
#8. Education And Diversification Of Reading
Chances are, before you became a book blogger, you just sort of read whatever you found or what was popular. Do you now? I mean, do you really? Or do you choose, based on what you should read more of? Like, diversity? PoC? LGBT? Discriminated groups of society? Maybe war? Maybe just other cultures? I’m sure you read more of that! You wouldn’t, had you not started blogging. I’m sure of that.
#9. You’re More Goal Oriented
So, we fret about our stats and popularity a bit. But you know what that makes us? It makes us work and fight to get better! It makes us reach for newer and higher goals. And that, in the end, makes us better people. You’re always bettering yourself, if you have something to strive for.
#10. Insert Your Own Reason!
And now it’s time for your own reason! I know you’ll have ones I didn’t list! So tweet a link to this post with YOUR REASON of how blogging has been positive for you this year, or maybe in general. Or you can just comment and tell me! Spread the love, share the post and tag the ones you want to also take their own positivity from this. Or if you know that someone has been feeling down about their blogging game, tag them and tell them they shouldn’t!
And just please keep this positive vibe throughout the holidays! Happy upcoming holidays, everyone!!
I’m Evelina and I blog about books that made an impression on me. I love middle grade, women’s, scifi and some literary too.