Tell Me Something Tuesday: What Are Some Big Misconceptions You Had about Blogging When You Started?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings, where the blog's owner Heidi discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.

Here is what is on deck this week:

WHAT ARE SOME BIG MISCONCEPTIONS YOU HAD ABOUT BLOGGING WHEN YOU STARTED?

Well...in my case, I wouldn't use the word "misconceptions"...it was more a case of "I didn't know what I was getting myself into". I didn't have any particular expectations, like becoming famous or getting ARCs (I didn't even know ARCs were a thing back then...). Then again, there were so many aspects of blogging I wasn't aware of before I actually started, and I bet most of them are the same for everyone (unless they're friends with another, more seasoned blogger, that is). Here goes my list...

Sorry, Ten. It's addictive...😉

IT TAKES TIME AND DEDICATION TO PUT YOUR CONTENT OUT THERE

I suppose that, back when I started, I sort of thought along the lines of...build it and they will come. I didn't realise that my posts would float into a metaphysical void until I advertised them...somewhere - and until I became part of the community. I mean, I didn't expect visitors to flock to my blog. But maybe I thought that posting my teaser reviews on Goodreads and waiting for Google to notice my posts was enough. Heck, I don't even know what I thought.

IT TAKES EVEN MORE TIME TO GET COMMENTS

You see the stats and...someone actually found your posts. They've been read (skimmed?). How come there aren't any comments waiting for approval? Someone made the effort to read your post...why didn't they leave a small, small comment? Don't they know how lonely it is in here? 😭

...AND IT TAKES LOTS OF COMMENTS ON YOUR PART, TOO

On the other hand. Do YOU comment? Have you commented on a post in the latest, I don't know, week? Or were you too busy producing "content"? Have you actively looked for blogs related to your niche, gone out of your way to meet other bloggers? Of course, one feels disoriented at first. I know I tried to fit into the community back when I started, but it was probably a heartfelt attempt. I joined a Goodreads group where people shared posts (hello Hannah Sophia Lin @ Bookwyrming Thoughts, my first follower in a follow-for-follow train, later to become a mischievous, but true friend 😉. There, there, don't cry now *hands out handkerchief*). I OCCASIONALLY commented. To say that things were slow would be an understatement. (BTW - even now, I'm not the most prolific commenter I know. Nor do I get tons of comments myself. But things are still going far better than they did back then...). 

YOUR FRIENDS WILL BE YOUR PRIMARY READERS (a.k.a. "the blogging community effect")

And then, as if by magic, you start making some friends. One of my firsts was Karen @ For What It's Worth, because we read the same book once 😂. (Seriously, I think we have, like, seven or eight books in common, so...). Plus she was hosting the Book Blogger Confession meme at the time, and I decided to participate, and...well. I met other people through it, most of which I've lost sight of over the years (I've gained some in the meantime though...). But that was when I started realising that your blogging friends will be the ones most likely to leave a comment on your blog, while passing strangers may read it, but rarely go out of their way to say hi, great post here. Your friends will occasionally even read a post of yours about something that doesn't interest them THAT MUCH, and comment on it...just because they're your friends and they want to cheer you. How awesome is that?

EVEN FRIENDS WON'T ALWAYS READ YOUR POSTS - OR COMMENT ON THEM - FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS (then again, the same will go for you...)

And yet. Sometimes a post doesn't get comments, or only a couple at most, even if you DO have friends. (Of course, I'm talking about small blogs like mine here). Maybe they didn't know what to say. Maybe they didn't have the time to leave a comment, because they don't like to just write "Great review!" or "Awesome post!". Then again, I'm guilty as charged too. Sometimes I do read a post but I feel like I don't have anything to contribute to the discussion (or maybe it's a review..."Great review!"??? No, thanks). So, basically...we're all in the same boat.

SOME REVIEWS WILL BE HARDER THAN OTHERS TO WRITE

So you've read a book, and it's review time. Sometimes you feel THAT power in your blood, and you set the page (well, the virtual one) on fire. Some other times you have too many feelings/points to make/opinions and you don't know where to start. Some other times the book left you lukewarm, but you still feel the responsibility to write a thorough review. Some other times...you're just lazy, or tired, or busy. What I mean is, not all reviews are created equal. Some of them just don't flow, or you don't even want to start on them for some reason, and you have to apply some discipline to the task...until the darned thing comes out, and sometimes it's even GOOD. But still - you had to WORK for it, dammit.

BLOGGING IS FAR MORE THAN SITTING UP AND VENTING OUT YOUR FEELINGS (at the very least, you'll need pictures and gifs)

And if writing reviews weren't enough of a slippery slope...whatever kind of post you set to writing, it's always MORE than spilling your guts. As I said, some discipline is involved. And lots of proof-reading, editing, polishing, you name it. Plus...you can't throw those HUGE blocks of text in your readers' face, can you? Where's the right gif when you need it?
And again. Of course you're supposed to speak your mind - it's your blog, after all. But you also want to sound professional, and steer the right readers towards a book, and be honest and all. So...your reviews will end up being a compromise between your aforementioned guts and...whatever inner truth the book possesses. Especially if you didn't like it as much as you expected, but you genuinely think it's a case of "it's not you - it's me"...

Well, that's it for now. And if you're interested in participating, here is the TMST prompt list for the rest of February:

• February 12th: What are some of your favorite recent romantic reads?
• February 19th: Book pricing: how much will you pay for an ebook? a hard copy? a paperback?
• February 26th: How have you learned to keep your TBR pile in check, or how would you like to control your pile?

I'll be back for the meme on Feb. 26th, with a SHOCKING post LOL. Really 😉.

Now tell me something...did you know what you were getting into when you started blogging? In the long run, what preconceived ideas did you have to discard? And what truths did you discover instead?