Armchair BEA is an opportunity for those of us that aren't fortunate enough to be at BEA to connect with one another, and have a little fun of our own, all from the comfort of our favourite chair!
My blog is nearly a month old! Oh my gosh, I have no idea where that time has gone!
As a newbie to the blogging world networking is still a challenge for me, and something I continue to work on. It's something every book blogger had to deal with early on, and a road I'm still trying to travel.
So in honour of "networking", these are some or the barriers I have faced in my blog's young life.
There are so many amazing book blogs out there, it ends up being rather intimidating for us newbies. How do I get my name out there among this sea of already amazing, well established blogs?
I live in a crappy location. Don't get me wrong, I love my farm town, but I have to drive 40 minutes just to get to the bookstore. It's a bit easier when I'm not living at home, as a go to school in a fair-sized city. On the bright side, in both cases, Toronto is about 1.5 hours away, which isn't bad. Does anyone else deal with living in the middle of nowhere? How do you network?
I also feel very young compared to a lot of bloggers. I'm (almost) 20, while everyone else seems to be older with kids and lives and such. How old were you guys when you started?
The book blogging community is much bigger, and much more diverse, than I imagined when I started. It's amazing to see so many great people out there sharing the magic that books have brought to their lives. I am so incredibly thankful of everyone who has welcomed me to this community. Y'all are truly amazing!
Much love, Samantha
Thanks for visiting my blog, I'm now a new follower of yours :)
ReplyDeleteI started my blog two years ago, when I was 24. I used to worry a lot about getting my name out there but once I started connecting with other bloggers properly (and not just getting followers for the sake of numbers), I became more concerned about having quality followers rather than being a big massive blog, if that makes sense. I'm sure you will carve out your own niche :)
Thank you! The number of followers I had was never really a concern of mine. I mean, I love when people follow me, but like you said, quality is more important than quantity. The number of comments I've been getting this week has been overwhelming enough!
DeleteI live in rural Japan so I don't network at all! ;)
ReplyDeleteI see so many cool bookish things going on in Toronto all the time, if you are able to get there often. The wonderful author Kyo Maclear will be reading at the Little City Festival on June 17th, which I wish I could go to!
Thanks for stopping by! I love the diversity in the book blogging community! A lot of cool things do happen in Toronto, and I really wish I could get out to more of them! I feel so close, yet so far away. Rural life is so wonderful, yet so hard at the same time! ;-)
DeleteHello fellow Canadian! I live in a suburb but work (and used to go to school) in Toronto. My commute is TWO HOURS each way! I totally understand how hard it is. If this is really important to you I say pick an event once per month (or every other month) and make the trek. It's worth it I promise.
ReplyDeleteAlso feel free to connect with other Ontario bloggers--like me! ;)
Eeekk! I love meeting fellow Canadians! I've been keeping an eye out for some cool events in the GTA to go to! Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteWelcome to the world of book blogging! I love meeting new bloggers - I remember how overwhelming it was for me as well, so many fantastic blogs out there!
ReplyDeleteBut remember you are doing this (hopefully) because you love it and you want to share that love with those who come across your blog and decide they want to stick around. The rest falls in place - just be as active as you want to be, and make yourself happy and your readers will come. =)
Thank you! I am definitely here for the love of reading, and to meet other who love to read!
DeleteAwww, Samantha!! A newby book blogger!! So cute :) :) hihi, not that I am that old of a one :P :P I started 9 months ago and it still feels like yesterday!! And I totally get your comment about being intimidated by all these well established blogs which rocks socks! I was too. But after 9 months of blogging, I've learned something. I won't blog, just to gain followers. Don't get me wrong, I always do a *happy dance* when I get a new follower, but I really wish people will follow my blog because of what I write. To comment, and therefor have some interaction :) I see SO many blogs with 1000+ followers and 2-3 comments on every post. I don't want this. I rather have 20 follower who interact with me about my issues, gushing over book guys and stuff like that :P you get what I want to say? :) And in the end, I am doing this for me :) And I love my blog like it was my baby :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post! And yes, I know how you feel! Enjoy aBEA and see you around! ;) :)
Thank you! I completely agree! Who cares about having a ton of followers if they're no fun to talk to... :-)
DeleteI could never live in a rural area! We moved to the country in high school, and I hated having to drive so far just to get anywhere. What happens if you run out of gas??
ReplyDeleteAnyway, networking is tough for everyone, I think. I started blogging in my mid-twenties--and I'm still in my mid-twenties if we're saying mid is anywhere between 20 and 30, lol, but I don't think age is really a detriment on the internet, especially if you're planning to read and review YA. It's good to get that younger perspective!
Thank you!
DeleteMy roommates at school all say the same thing. But I have never ran out of gas anywhere. :-)
I was 19 when I started - you aren't that young!
ReplyDeleteI have to drive 30 minutes to the bookstore, currently.
Thank you! It kind of sucks doesn't it? Especially since, when I'm away at school, my bookstore is within walking distance.
DeleteI was 23 when I started my blog. I've come across people of all ages who blog so don't even worry about that :)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the middle of nowhere. I was lucky that I had a Coles in my "mall" (and I ended up working there my first summer after university!). Pretty much everywhere I've lived has put me around 2 hours away from TO - where everything seems to be! I'm going to try to make a point to look into bookish events and go every few months even though I realllly dislike the city. That's dedication, baby! :)
I was also impressed and amazed at the size of the community when I first started. It is daunting but focus on your own stuff, chat with others (Twitter and leaving comments on other blogs are great tools). Work away and as long as you're having fun, consider it a win!
I only wish I lived in the middle of nowhere! I live within sight of NYC & should, by all normal people standards, have gone to the actual BEA but I'm just silly or something. I envy you your locale! Wanna switch?
ReplyDeleteAs for networking, I'd say you're doing a pretty good job, getting involved with a program like Armchair BEA. It's a great way to meet book bloggers from everywhere. And keep looking for the younger bloggers. They are out there! I could point you in the direction of a few if you like. :)