Blogging is not as easy as you would think. I have a food blog that I started many years ago but it is nothing like Book Sniffers Anonymous. I only post recipes when I have something to share and I only started it so that I could share recipes with my family and friends without having to send out multiple emails. So, when I decided to start BSA, I thought it would be the same, low key thing as Holy Cannoli Recipes. I was sorely mistaken. I mean, I could still have the same slow, on my time, posting schedule but you can’t really do that when you are accepting review books and taking part in tours. Not to mention that there’s a huge difference between spending a couple hours in the kitchen cooking up a recipe, and spending a couple of days reading one book. So, it’s safe to say that BSA takes up a lot of my time. It’s even more true considering that this blog is a one woman show. I don’t have other bloggers coming in and helping me out by posting, reviewing, or doing social media. Which is why some things fall through the cracks and I’m not always active on all the social media sites. I just don’t have the time to read, post, stop by my favorite blogs, make sure my social media sites have the latest review link uploaded, cross post reviews on bookseller sites, and post multiple pictures on Instagram every day. Heck, I’m lucky if I get one picture in a week on there. I just don’t have that kind of time. Seriously, how do some of you guys do it?
One thing I recently did was convince my sister to help me out on the blog. She’s a big reader and I figured if I could have her help me out with reviews, that would be some weight off my shoulders. If you’ve been with me from the start, you may have noticed that I have had a couple people help out over the years. I actually started the blog with a very good friend of mine. However, her life started to get really busy and she didn’t have the time to work on the blog with me and I felt bad that I was pestering her about reviews. After that I enlisted my best friend from back home to help out with reviews. She has a completely different reading preference than I do. She would read more self-help and non-fiction books and I loved having her on here to mix things up. But again, she was climbing the corporate ladder at work, buying a new home, and really just didn’t have time to read any more. So, I’ve been chugging along just trying to keep my head above water when I decided to practically beg my sister to help me out. Thankfully she said she would come on board and I’m really happy I was able to persuade her to help out. So, you will be seeing reviews pop up from time to time from Jodi. She doesn’t have any social media handles yet but if she decides to set something up, I will be sure to include them on the website. 🙂
I am curious though, for those of you that have book blogs, how do you guys manage to keep up with your blogs?
I totally agree with you. Blogs are totally different than what I expected, and at one time, I really became overwhelmed. What helps me is that I’m a reader, but I no longer review books anymore, preferring to focus on actually interviewing them. I also have to mix things up on the blog to stop the potential burnout. Some people pick two days a week to blog, and it works. Others can get it done for 5-7 days a week, which is what I started doing, and it became too hard. When I’m online, I make up my mind to focus just on Social Media and nothing else, then the blog and nothing else and then emails. I was trying to get it all done at one time, and pulled out my hair! Glad your sister jumped in to help. Great post! Hugs…RO
oh great discussion here!! I do agree that it can be so difficult to run a book blog. I do it on my own as well, and sometimes I get jealous of some bloggers that have help. So now I am super jealous of yours truly hehe But it can be exhausting work, having to do everything. Quite frankly, I have a instagram account, but I normally have time for a post a month let alone what everyone else does hehe
One day I want to be more organized and do more with the social media.
I do get that, I have had online friends review over the years, and for the last couple of ones it has been Carole 🙂
To be honest, I listen to quite a bit of audiobooks now which really helps fill in some of the reviews. I also juggle a paperback/ebook of another book during that same timeframe so I’ll finish roughly 2-3 books a week that way. Most of the other posts I schedule well in advance so I’m just left with commenting on other blogs in the mean time.