Book Blogger Appreciation Week: Community II

 

The world of book blogging has grown enormously and sometimes it can be hard to find a place. Share your tips for finding and keeping community in book blogging despite the hectic demands made on your time and the overwhelming number of blogs out there. If you’re struggling with finding a community, share your concerns and explain what you’re looking for–this is the week to connect!

I think that the best way to 'find and keep community' is the same as finding and keeping friends in the real world - be yourself, be nice and make an effort. Start meaningful conversations either by e-mail or through commenting on posts - don't just post a link to your blog and have done with it. Nothing annoys me more than a comment that has obviously been copied and pasted on to everybody else's blog too.

Once you've connected to a few people, you realise that you're slowly getting more traffic. I frequently mention my book blogger friends in my posts - not purposefully, but if I've had a book recommended to me, I'll say so and link up. Not only does a sense of community make blogging more enjoyable, it makes your blog more successful too.

I recently discovered Google Reader, and I've found that ridiculously useful. I can't believe I never used it before! It highlights new items from your feed and allows you to favourite particular posts. I really can't recommend it enough - before I used it, I found I was only visiting particular blogs over and over. I don't work so time constraints aren't an issue for me, but I know people that struggle to get round us all!