Paperback's Pondering's is a weekly discussion when I take a topic and well, ponder about it! This week's topic is about the developments that you make as a blogger overtime.
When
thinking of what topic to talk about this week, I stumbled upon a thought that
has been on my mind ever since I started to blog, and that is: blogger
development. Let me explain:
We all know
what it feels like to be a newbie blogger. You start off at point zero: zero
pageviews, zero followers, zero comments. You may even sound weird putting up
your first post because you may feel that you are essentially talking to
nobody. Of course, with time, you gain a following, develop blog buddies, and
start reaching more original ideas. However what if you haven’t developed as
much as you had wanted to? What if you are, a bit envious of such more
developed blogs?
I do not
consider myself a large blogger at all. However I do not care much about the
numbers, I am happy with the following I have right now and I enjoy meeting new
people. However when I first started out, within the first few blogging months,
I found myself staring at developed blogs. Reading their reviews of brand new
ARC’s and seeing their pictures with authors whom they have made friends with,
made me wish to be just like them. Fast forward a year and a half later, and I
still have never been able to be approved to receive and ARC, and I do not
found myself and leading contributor in the communication side of things, i.e.
Twitter, Instagram etc. However what’s different now about my development now, is
that I don’t particularly care anymore about where I’m at.
The point
I’m trying to make here is, that everyone develops at their own pace. Just like
in life, you’ll have someone who will reach their growth spurt fast, and
someone who wants to take themselves slow and steady. I would consider myself
in the slow and steady range.
I think the
important thing for newbie bloggers to remember when wanting to develop is to
not compare yourself to other’s. Don’t make my mistake, constantly worrying
about doing something because so-and-so did it on their blog. Do what makes
YOU comfortable, and do not force yourself to do something just because you
think that’s what all the “cool kids” are doing.
It also goes
without saying, but talk to people! While some bloggers with larger followings
may seem intimidating, there is no blogging hierarchy and you can talk to
whoever you like. Make friends, participate in social media, but don’t feel
like you have to be followed by everyone.
So what I’m
trying to get across here is, don’t worry if you’ve been blogging for a
significant amount of time, and some other blogs may seem like they’re “doing
better than you”. Take things at your own pace, do things that you are
comfortable with, and soon, you can be your best confident blogging self. :)
I want to know what you think! Have you ever been self conscious about your blog, or are you happy with the place you're at now? What's your opinion?!
Emily @ Paperback Princess
