To keep your minds off whether or not your basement is likely to approximate Lake Superior by tomorrow, let's dive in to today's Oh Susanna question, which is one that strikes a real chord with me, and I'm guessing a lot of you will feel the same way.
Penny asks, How in the world do you decide which blogs to follow regularly??? I would love to follow everyone! I would love to comment on all posts! But, if I do that, I have no time to do what I really love, which is writing! I read lots of blogs that I only comment on randomly, so the writer never knows that I read them often. We have become so connected by the Internet that I sometimes feel rude because I can't spend time with all my writing friends equally. Does anyone have a "qualifier" list for what blogs they will choose to best suit their goals? Do those who blog rely on comments to "keep them going"...or are you going to blog no matter what? Is anyone else as frustrated about this as I am? (I know you covered time management in one of your Oh Susanna! posts...but I think I need a refresher focusing on blogs.)
Yes, Penny! I am definitely as frustrated as you are! :)
As Penny mentioned, we did discuss this a little in the Oh Susanna post on Time Management. But I decided to post this more specific question because it's something I think lot of people wrestle with every day (including me! :)), and I'm very interested in hearing from everyone out there about how they handle this issue.
I think the answer partly depends on what you hope to get out of blogging. If you're trying to hone your craft, then you'll read a list of blogs that focus on craft and you might not need to comment unless you have a question. This is a very different picture from that of someone who is trying to build a platform and will have to visit and comment on many blogs regularly in hopes of encouraging them all to follow back.
If you, like me, blog for community - for the connection, the interaction, the discussion, the feeling of being part of a group of like-minded people, the friendship - there's really no limit to how much time you CAN put in, which is where the problem lies. And from the way Penny asked the question, I think this is at least partially what she's talking about.
This is a knotty problem, because we do develop friendships. There is a large group of people out there who I am very fond of even though technically I've never met them in real life :)! I feel guilty if a day goes by when they post and I don't have time to read, or I read but don't have time to comment. I worry they'll feel slighted and think bad thoughts about me!
But let's face it: there are only so many hours in the day. And most of us here have things to do besides blog :)
Just for fun, let's take a quick survey:
#1
If it helps to share concrete information, I'll tell you what I do: (and I will admit straight out that I DO NOT have the answer!)
The blogs I follow regularly belong, as a general rule, to writers, illustrators, teachers, librarians, and a few agents, editors, book reviewers, and mom bloggers - at least, those are the blogs I read with commitment. (I confess there are a couple funny ones I read sometimes that don't fit into any of those categories :)) These are the people I share common ground with, the blogs where many of my interests lie, that also intersect with what I have time for. (I would love to read blogs about horses and dogs and a few other things, but I simply don't have time, so for me blogging centers in a more professional area.)
I like having new posts delivered straight to my inbox, even though it fills up, because then I'm sure to see them. Anyone whose blog does not include an email option is likely to get sporadic reading from me because I read so many that I tend to forget about some without the reminder.
I try to carve out a chunk of time at the approximate beginning, middle, and end of my work day to read and comment on blogs, but it is rarely that neat... reading and commenting on blogs feels deliciously like being productive at moments when the writing isn't going well which makes it a nearly irresistible distraction :)
I read an average of 30-40 blogs per weekday (fewer on weekends - I'm trying to cut back :)) I comment on an average of 20-25 per day, maybe a little more. Chances are high that if you ever see comments from me (and you have an email option for delivery :)) I'm reading your blog all the time - every post.
As for comments on my own blog, they are very important to me. They let me know that I'm not just shouting into the abyss - that I hopefully provide something enjoyable maybe sometimes even valuable on some level. And I genuinely like hearing everyone's thoughts on everything.
Truthfully I feel like the amount of blogging I do is both insufficient and far too much.
Wouldn't it be great if we could agree on some sort of system? So that we could spend a little more time on our actual work without worrying that our friends are feeling neglected and unloved? Maybe an "I'm-Up-To-My-Eyeballs-But-I-Took-The-Time-To-Come-Over-Here-So-You'd-Know-I-Still-Love-You-Even-Though-I'm-Not-Reading-Or-Commenting-Today" button? :)
What works for one may not work for another, but it sure would be helpful to hear from you all about how you manage. How do you decide who to read? How much is enough? Please share!!!
(And remember! Only 2 days until the Halloweensie Contest! Rules HERE!)
