Today's topic for BBAW is "How Do You Do Community?" This was a huge question for me when I first started. How do I become a part of this group of people who appear to be having so much fun? Fortunately, I had two people who gave me all kinds of wonderful tips, Mari of Bookworm With a View and Lisa of Books On The Brain.
The number one thing both of them told me was comment, comment, comment. I was game for that but one problem was finding new blogs to comment on, a way to expand the blogs I might want to visit on a regular basis. Enter blog rolls and comments already left on the blog. Any time I found a blog I liked, I figured there was a good chance I might like some of the blogs on their blog rolls or the blogs of the other people that comment there. Sure enough, my own blog roll continued to expand.
Lisa also recommended I look into challenges, memes and weekly posting topics. Clearly I've gotten a little carried away with the challenges but it has allowed me a way to meet a lot of other bloggers as did the memes. I wouldn't recommend doing them too often, but it is often easier for someone to interact with you through comments on a meme post than it is to interact on a book review. I tried the weekly things (like Mailbox Monday) but I've never really been able to stick with any one. It does, however, offer a great way to find new bloggers and make new friends.
One of my favorite ways to build community is to participate in the big blog events (like BBAW and Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon) and smaller events (such as any one of the smaller readathons or the blog hops). It's a great way to meet new people and find new blogs that interest me. I'm already looking forward to the fall edition of Dewey's Readathon. And when is that next Bloggiesta coming up?
I've been largely AWOL for the past few months from the blogging community. But this week is convincing me that I need to make more time for blogging. It does a body good!
I have been remiss in stopping by here lately. So sorry! I got behind when I was on vacation and now I can't seem to catch up. UGH!
ReplyDeleteI remember that you were among probably the first 10-20 bloggers that I met and started following. So it has been two years that we've "known" each other. I've really enjoyed our interaction and I hope it lasts for a long time. =O) I'm looking forward to Dewey's too. And, of course, my Frightful Fall Read-a-Thon is the first week in October. I'm hosting it over at my new horror review blog, just for ambience. LOL!
Anyway, I know all about AWOL. A lot of people probably think I am, that's for sure!
TTYL
Great post Lisa. I'm in the same corner as you this summer... life took over. I haven't been able to work on the community part of book blogging with meme's, events, etc... I am starting to re-engage!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the shout out - I do love the friendships I have made with a few bloggers. Women I know I would be fast friends with if we lived near each other.
I agree with all your tips, and have to say that commenting is one of the most important. It's not even really about getting people back to your blog, it's about making ties to the community and having relationships with people. I find that I have made so many friends in blogging through commenting alone, and even if I am slow to start joining in challenges or readathons, I know that there are a lot of people who I just enjoy visiting everyday. Very wise post today!
ReplyDeleteThat's great advice! Commenting and participating really do work.
ReplyDeleteI just asked my mom yesterday if she'd help me with the babe on readathon day. Not attempting to do the 24 hours (don't want these circles under my eyes to get any darker), but I can't wait to participate.
ReplyDeleteThere is so much emphasis on commenting in the community and I agree it's important--who doesn't love comments. I often have too much guilt over it and have to recognize that we can only do what we can do. In reference to your comment yesterday, you're a wonderful commenter Lisa. And I truly appreciate your responding to comments. But yes, blogging does a body good, huh? ;)
Scoping out other bloggers' blogrolls and comments was a big source of new blogs for me early on, too. Occasionally I still find some newbies that way!
ReplyDeleteCommenting is important! So true. I haven't ever participated in Bloggiesta or the Readathon, but they sound like fun ways to get involved in the community. Oh, and I only joined like three challenges... and apparently for me that was overdoing it! Not the best at commitment especially in blogging, but oh well. :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes life take first place and other things fall by the wayside. I've always enjoyed reading your blog and see what you're delving into!!
ReplyDeleteI love challenges and I too can't get enough of them! I agree that they are a fun way to be a part of the community!
ReplyDeleteI struggle to keep up with memes, too. With the weekly ones, the day comes up to post and I find myself thinking, Didn't I just DO this?? I LOVE the big community events, especially BBAW and the Readathon (which I'm already making book piles for!). I've only been blogging through one Bloggiesta so far, but I'm excited for the next one and really hope it happens. I got SO much done and learned some great stuff during the last one!
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