Perfect Readers (Part Deux)
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Yesterday, I pondered the role of the “perfect” reader. Today, I ask a related, but different question.
What is the best way to build a “perfect” blog readership?
When I first started blogging almost two years ago (so hard to believe), I was eager to build an audience. And quickly. As you might have guessed by now, I am a wee bit Type A, and when it came to this blog, I wanted it to explode. Overnight. Well, ha. That doesn’t happen. Growing a blog takes time. It is an organic and opaque process. There is no magic formula. Truth be told, I did not love learning these things. I am an instant satisfaction kind of creature and utterly lacking in patience. But I did love writing words here. Asking questions. Floating bits personal and philosophical into the odd internet ether. And so I kept at it. Even though I had very few readers and nary a comment for a long time.
Recently, several readers have asked me if I have any advice on building blog readership. And this strikes me as crazy because I am hardly an expert and this blog is far from huge, but I do have some thoughts. Thoughts borne from experience and imagination and, yes, struggle. And so I will share those thoughts with you today. Because I know that many of you reading these words are bloggers. Some of you are rookies like I once was. I imagine many of you are eager beavers like I was and am, and want results. And readers.
Comment away. It is important for you to get off your own blog and leave comments. Everyone says this and it is true. But do not do this randomly. Find blogs you love. Blogs where the writing sings and the topics grab you. Blogs that might attract, and appeal to, a similar audience as your blog. (If you blog about life and love, it isn’t going to help much to leave a comment on a personal finance blog.) Once you find these blogs, lose yourself in them. Swim in the words. And then leave a bit of yourself there. Respond to the writing. Engage with it. Say hello to the blogger. Announce that you are new if you are. Explain how you found your way there (i.e. I found you via the lovely X at blog Y…) And don’t just stop there.
Look through the comments on blogs you like and admire. This is where the true gold is. Why? First of all, these are people who leave comments! And chances are, many of those leaving comments have blogs of their own, potentially wonderful blogs. Visit these bloggers. Whether they are big or small, leave a comment if you like what you see. (Again, authenticity and appropriateness are key. It is often obvious if you are leaving a comment just to bait a reader.) Leave a comment. A thoughtful one reflective of who you are. And then? Visit another commentor’s blog. Rinse and repeat and hope for the best. There’s a good chance these bloggers will come visit you in return and maybe they will love your blog. Maybe you will collect a new reader or two. You never know.
I am no expert. I do not believe in experts. But these are things that I still do (when I have time), things that have worked for me, things I believe in and endorse. There is nothing quite as exciting for a writer than finding lovely new words and lovely new readers. A good place to start? My comment section below. Leave one. A comment. Say something. About this post. About yourself. Tell me if you are new to this blog or new to blogging or have been at this for some time. Sift through the comments on this post and others. Visit some of my readers’ gorgeous blogs. If you like what you see (and I trust you will), leave a comment. Say hello.
Alas. A practical post. But one I wish I had read when I started out. And I will end here by saying thank you. You guys? You are why. Why I love this place. I could never have imagined I would collect such a diverse and amazing troupe of readers.
My perfect readers indeed.
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Do you have any tips on building a blog readership? Any questions or insights about blogging? Do you agree that finding the “right” readers is more important than finding the most readers, that quality indeed trumps quantity? Please leave a comment here and make sure to link to your blog. From among the comments here, I will pick one blogger (or more) to feature on ILI in the coming weeks.
Everyone struggles and...
Awww, you’re welcome! You bring a lovely spot of sanity, reflection and general warmth to my 11am “I can’t deal with this financial document any more” moment.
I have no useful advice whatsoever, being new to the blogging business myself. For the first year I just used my blog as a storage space for my thoughts. After a while I saw how much fun other book bloggers were having with their reviews and connections and publishers’ events and free books in the post and thought I wanted some of that so I started commenting and commenting and commenting. And slowly people have come to check out my little bit of the interwebs – I still get so excited about every pageview, and even more about comments!
I would say that bloggers need to decide what they want from their blog (you can see I changed my mind, both when I decided to connect, and more recently when I have changed the tone to be much chattier, trying to commit every day to something rather than just a book review every now and again).
I don’t know what I think about quality v quantity – I get excited about stats because I think it’s great that someone has landed at my page. If even a tiny fraction of those people are willing to take the time to engage with me, that makes me happy. I’d rather have 40 pageviews and 2 comments than 5 pageviews and 3, because I know that those 40 will develop into more if I keep them coming back.
Also I love your honesty, Aidan, the way you let us into your life but are also very upfront about your protection of Husband and the girls. You permit your personality to shine through but it’s not overshare. A chatty tone and questions seem to be the most inviting (at least to me) for readers.
I couldn’t agree with you more on this one. Building a blogging audience, and blogging relationships, takes TIME!
I found your blog after I read “Life After Yes” and wanted to find out more about you. I love your thoughtful, insightful posts and look forward to them every day.
I’ve been blogging for over two years now, and am just starting to get an “audience”. There are blogs that I visit regularly, and ones that I visit once in a while. The most important thing for me was staying true to my voice. I’m not going to read and blog about books solely because they’re popular or likely to draw an audience. I blog about books that I’ve read and enjoyed, books that I read and didn’t enjoy, and I’ve had to take on the attitude that even if it takes me a long time to obtain a “following”, at least I’m attracting the right readers to my blog. Hopefully I’m attracting people who will leave a comment once in a while, or add something to a review that I’ve written. I love that interaction, and I’ve built some fantastic virtual friendships over the years!
I love to come here and swim in your words. I have found other blogs that I love through comments left on your blog. You are right,it is a struggle to build a blog. The greatest satisfaction is when someone comments. The comments mean so much because as the blogger you want to be seen and heard. You want to know you are not alone. I love to come to your blog every morning
Add generous to your list of good qualities Aidan. I feel some people keep their blogging secrets but then again some people keep all their secrets/tips to themselves. I felt your post about blog comments and the connection to your mood was honest and something we all can relate to. We put our words and advice out there and though that’s enjoyable, it’s the feedback and reaction that interests me most.
Thanks for sharing these tips. To be honest, you are part of the reason I actually went through with blogging. I remember stumbling upon yours over a year ago and was instantly attracted to your voice & outlook on life. I noticed little by little your readership grew to what it is now and decided to go out there to try it out for myself.
I don’t know what I’m doing yet (do I ever?) and just purge what’s on my mind. But I seem to have gotten over my paranoid-fear of “you never know who’s reading” and actually enjoy it! You’ve helped turn a fear into a strength
These are great tips! Another idea is to use Google Analytics to learn more about why people are visiting your blog. What search terms bring them there? How many find you through Facebook or twitter? Which posts have been the most popular? I recently discovered that one of my posts has been TWICE as popular as any other, so I’m planning a follow-up series on that topic.
Good tips! I am a bit Type A and impatient as well. I know building readership takes time and I am still trying to find my “blogging” voice”. I love your blog and really enjoy reading what you have to say on a daily basis!
Hi Aidan – at one point, I think I hit a “commenting” stride, where I had a steady stream of comments from loyal readers but when I stopped posting regularly during the holidays, I found my readership waning. The ones who do come back to read my posts are people from this bloggy community I’ve come to love, and even though my numbers sagged, the support and love I feel from comments continue to propel me forward in my writing.
I used to be obsessed with numbers, and I’m wondering if I’d like to start getting those figures up again, but when I see a comment from those who really know me and who’ve come to know my family this past year, I feel I already have enough.
It’s great to read your take on this, Aidan, because it reminds me that blogging, like life, is a process. For those of us who are fairly new to this game (me), it’s easy to idealize others, who seem to have it all figured out (that would be you). I find myself looking at seasoned bloggers as I would the cool kids on the playground–both seem to have deftly mastered the rules and learned to navigate relationships. It’s helpful to remember that it’s never as easy or straightforward as it appears to those of us still on the uphill climb. Although maybe we always feel that way–that we’re not quite where we’d like to end up. Anyway, thanks for your honesty, as always!
I think blogging is hard, because so many folks will take in your words, but leave no feedback, leaving you to wonder what the wide, webby world out there really thinks of your posts. So comments are like gold, and a wonderful way to stumble upon other wonderful wordsmiths. I too am kind of an analytics nerd, and am fascinated by how people find my site.
Aidan, I know you had a self-imposed project of reading blog entries from everyone who posted here not long ago. This made me wonder how that went for you? Did you stumble upon more wondrous words, or did you find some were more of a chore to read because they just didn’t grab you? Would you do it again or recommend it to other bloggers out there?
…and I do think if you find the “right” readership (people who share something in common with you, whatever it may be) the comments will come. I know that sounds kind of mystical and “Field of Dreams”-ish, but there is no fast & easy magic formula for blog success!
These days, I do try my very best to visit the blogs of each and every one of my commentors. It is something that has become important to me and it has forced me to ingest wonderful words of others. Sometimes, I get a bit behind on my visits, but I try to catch up and trust that my readers understand. As a general rule, I think it is good to try to visit your readers’ blogs, but I think it is always tricky to make vast promises that can’t be kept. For now, I am able (and more than willing) to keep up with my visiting vows, but there will come a time (enter baby) when this might become impossible. But even then I will continue to try because this blogging thing loses its magic when it is not interactive, you know?
Please be kind to yourself here. I love that you love the process. There is another process you will love in a couple weeks. And then there’s also sleep. We’ll understand. We, too, are mommies.
I am new to this game and sometimes it feels like all of my ideas are so hodge podge and don’t belong in the same blog.
I need to be more reliable about my post. But sometimes I just can’t find the time between my two jobs and sleep!
I love coming to yours just to read your elegant words. Thank you for my daily dose of reality somedays.
Aidan, your words are the reason that I keep coming back here. Like I told you in an email I sent you, this VERY reason is why I started blogging. I LOVE the connection that I can form with other bloggers. I love to find blogs that speak to me, to my situation, to something that I’ve gone through. I love when I can see part of myself in another person’s post. It’s amazing. I am fairly new to blogging (7 months) and while I AM working on building my readership (I mean, who isn’t?), I am working MORE on building connections. I want to inspire others as much as they inspire me, which is why I keep coming back to blogs when I find one that I can connect with. I may not have time to visit a blog everyday, although that it ideal, but I do like to play a bit of catch-up when I do visit. Hehe. And reading other comments.. what great advice. I cannot tell you how many great blogs I’ve found just by the comments that people have left. Score!
(PS: Life After Yes… lovely so far. Quinn speaks to me.)
Hi Aidan, It has been a little while. The changes that we all have been through in the past few years, WOW. I have quite a few of what I now call ” Closet Readers ” I know that they are there ( the # don’t lie )but rarely comment, then, there are those that I have come to expect some sort of comment from. I love all of my readers, but yes, you do enjoy the comments. I think that over the course of time, as you comment on others work you begin to find your voice and have confidence in your comment voice. I try not to comment just to comment but to add to the overall thought. Yet, sometimes it is just nice when someone stops by and says HI. The process is slow, which I think is a good thing as it allows for development. Have you ever Googled yourself? Something that most Bloggers forget it that each comment that you leave Google finds and it helps when people search for you. It is a win win.
Thanks again for being there
Always, Bumby
since i started blogging on my own (i blog with my mom, too, but she’s sort of the captain of that ship) i’ve been wondering what the magic equation is for happy blogging. i write to my kid which seems to be a deterrent to a lot of people when it comes to leaving comments (though i’ve posted about how it’s an open space, but maybe not clearly enough? anyway….). it brings up the age old form and content question over and over again for me.
along the way through the past few months i have wondered and wondered and wondered about how to build a readership and what sort of readership i’m interested in building. new to the blogging community, i haven’t had anyone to ask. thank you for sharing your insights today. i feel a little calmer now, reassured that it takes time and that–as with all things–i am seeking quality over quantity. thank you!
Blogging and all of social media can be so overwhelming. But as you said, it really is a process. You just gotta dive in, swallow a bit too much water, then rise to the surface. There, you’ll start looking around and seeing what truly anchors you, that being, writers, topics, ideas that attract you. Soon you start feeling a virtual network emerge which includes people who dig you. Then the fun begins!
Love this image. I’ve found myself coughing many times.
Hello…this is my first time on your blog. I found you via LK Warrells tweet. I am thoroughly happy with this post. I like how you kept it short and pointed. Some blogs tend to go on and on. I usually walk away before I’m done. I used my own attention span to determine how long my blogs are. Another suggestion I saw…somewhere…forgive me…was to try and be in the top 15 comments. Often times if I am late and there is over 30 comments I’ll keep my thoughts to myself for another time.
Great info and thanks for sharing. I remember a piece of advice I picked up from a blog (the pioneer woman?). She suggests writing like you are talking to a good friend or sister and I think that is brilliant and keeps me honest (when I do it, lol).
When I finally relaxed into doing this, the virtual world lost its fright. I can talk to anyone face to face.
Ohhhh…I like that Judy. Good advice
I have a little over a dozen faithful readers to my blog. Only about half of those comment regularly. I used to feel bad about that, until I got thinking that I was never the “popular” girl growing up anyway – I was always the one with a small handful of close friends (and until I read some of my first posts, after which I wondered why I had any readers at all!). And I like that. I like that my readers/commenters are people I consider friends, whether I’ve met them in real life or not. I like that I can make a quilt for a friend I’ve never met who’s having her first baby this spring, because through our blogs we have become so close. Once I determined that I wanted my blog to be more about forming real relationships, and less about seeing the numbers stack up, I was able to relax a lot more. And interestingly enough, my readership started to increase after that! I think the relaxation showed up in my writing, too, and made it stronger.
Great topic! I struggle with the comments thing a lot on my own blog. It seems like a vast majority of my readers are people I have known at some point in my past and found the blog through the facebook fan page but they never comment. When I see people in person, they are always quick to tell me that they read and love my blog and sometimes I want to exclaim, “Then why don’t you ever comment?”
Oh well. I am getting over it, I think… Other bloggers tend to comment much more than non-bloggers. Us bloggers get the effect of a single comment on the author. Such a big impact!
I think my problem with my own blog is that I don’t focus. I could be a mommy blogger, a travel blogger, an advice blogger or an exercise blogger, certainly not a foodie blogger, but I like to incorporate all of those things in from time to time, so when readers aren’t interested in all of those topics, perhaps I lose people.
I have this own internal struggle as to whether or not the time I put into the blog is worth it or not and ultimately I always come back to the conclusion that if nothing else it is my creative outlet, my therapy…and that in itself is worth it.
Anyway, now that I have talked all about myself (my goodness!), I do really love your blog and enjoy coming here each day. I still haven’t read your book yet, and it’s nothing personal…just a lack of making time to read non-online media. I am really looking forward to it and hope to tackle over maternity leave.
Thanks for all you do!
Great topic, especially as I have just began my blogging journey! I, like you, want readers and I want them NOW.
So thanks for reminding me that it’s going to take time. I’m still rally new at it…haven’t figured out how to insert links or change the thumbnail when I post on facebook….sigh, hopefully I’ll get to where you are. I do admire your consistency and vast array of topics on a daily basis!! How do you find the time in between writing your second novel, being pregnant and caring for 2 kids–not mention ALL the in betweens!? I would love an answer for the last quesion, b/c I NEVER seem to have enough time. THNX!
Thanks for this encouragement for new bloggers–myself included. I started in Dec. 2010 as a way to keep myself accountable for writing to reverb10 prompts. While I need to write for myself without regard to what others may think or how many may read it, I found immense satisfaction when just a few people commented on posts where I pulled back the layers of artificiality and let my heart speak…when they expressed that those few words helped them through their own life journey.
I appreciate the community of fellow writers (your site included) that I’m discovering through this process and it keeps me coming back to writing…whether in a private journal or this open forum.
Here’s to many more posts!!
As a new blogger (please visit my “Betterment Blog” at http://www.BettermentBlog.com), I certainly appreciate your advice and wisdom! Another great way of gaining readers is by getting exposure on other blogs via guest posts and interviews — which is how I found this blog.
Seven years ago it was much easier to develop an active readership that would comment on blogs. We didn’t compete with Twitter, FB or any of the myriad distractions that have since come around. And frankly there weren’t nearly as many blogs.
Your advice to find like minded individuals is very well founded. Similar interests go a long way- but don’t forget that content drives it all.
Your passion comes through in your writing and that invigorates others. If you don’t love blogging you won’t last.
Comments are certainly a valued form of currency for bloggers but don’t forget about the lurkers. You never know how many people value your words but just choose not to comment.
My readership is far larger than what the comment section shows it to be. I always find it fascinating to see how many people come by to visit.
I’d also add that it is important to be consistent in your writing. Your readers will come to expect new material and if you don’t provide it they’ll eventually migrate elsewhere.
I’ll echo Jack’s endorsement of your like-minded-bloggers advice. I have found that when my comments are sincere responses to something I’ve read that people typically respond to my thoughts. But if I force it, my thoughts are never as interesting.
As for building readership in general, I always love new readers. And I’m always touched and flattered when I learn that someone I know is a reader I didn’t realize I have. However, I get into blog-reading ruts and return religiously to blogs I already know and love, but am not good about meeting new blogs. I’m inspired by your post, though, and would like to get better about that.
ADR. Sometimes I think you are in my head. There are many many times when I’ve been pondering a post subject or wondering about something and I come to your blog to find you pondering the exact same thing. Quick recent examples- the day you posted about the Bachelor, I had started writing my own. The day you posted about “what do you think about”, I had been up at night thinking about that very thing. And today. I have been considering writing you an email to ask you this very thing, because I feel like I need to re-focus my blog and yours is the one I turn to most often. And here you are, answering my thoughts already!
Thank you for being here every day and thank you for providing some inspiration for us rookies.
On a slightly different slant, I’ve noticed that blogs that have lots of readers tend to be focused on something – parenting, food, politics, etc… Blogs like mine, where I’m all over the place just because I feel like writing, seem to not have the consistency these other, more focused blogs in readership.
The idea of spending time looking at the blogs of commenters is ingenious. Blogging is about making connections, and the chance of connecting thru a blog that you both enjoy is like making a new friend in the real world during a shared activity! Thanks for the tip!
I have been blogging for almost 1 years and I too wanted it to explode overnight. But I quickly realized that in order to keep readers they need to find me on their own.
Now I realize it isn’t quality, it’s quantity.
Commenters always seem to be a good mix of people who genuinely come to your blog because they are curious about what you have to say, what you are up to, and then people who are clearly commenting because you commented on their post or because they would like you to comment on their post.
I’ve been guilty of both.
Your post inspired me to be thoughtful about what I comment on, and what I read. Not to make my blog more popular, (but wouldn’t that be nice), but also because I know that when someone comments and makes it obvious they have read the post and understand my meaning (or lack of meaning, I suppose, in some), it means more to me.
And I like to mean more to people in return.
Hi there! I’m new to this whole blogging thing… like really new, as in I just started mine last week.
So I found your post very useful, to say the least. You bring up a few really good points. I guess it should be obvious, but I never really thought about checking if the people leaving comments had blogs. If you’re constantly looking at the same blogs, you’re bound to see some familiar faces, which is great, because we have such a great community of writers and all of this really helps bind us together. Thanks again for the insight!
~Christine
Aidan,
Great and generous post. Thank you.
I’ve just been reading you a couple of weeks (honestly can’t remember what surfing frenzy brought me to you!)and am really enjoying your wit, smarts, and willingness to share yourself in meaningful ways in your blog.
As a new blogger, I’m impressed by the generosity of the vast majority in the blogosphere. People seem willing to share what they know and tell their “secrets of success.” I really appreciate this spirit of community and abundance. Aidan, your post exemplifies this spirit.
Thanks again.
I love the interaction that goes on within the comments — at some blogs, sometimes it can be more entertaining than the posts!
I also try to keep up with my readers’ blogs, but time doesn’t always allow. However, if blogging is about connecting and not just spouting off to the masses, then it’s worth it.
Have a wonderful day~
Thank you for sharing your tips, and it is reassuring to know that successful/popular/well known bloggers have once, too, started with little and struggled with readership.
I really do believe in quality over quanitity. I came to this realization through trial and error, though, and some crushing of the self esteem! I used to look at the number of comments as the sign of good and appropriate blog writing. The longer I’d hung out in cyberspace, though, the more I learned that it is more complex than that. I visit just a handful of blogs, but those blogs I read and comment on fully and thoughtfully. I feel it is an injustice to the writer if I simply whipped through their blog posts to leave an insincere comment just so I can try to lure a reader to my blog. I’ve found that my blogging personality reflects me in real life. Sure, I’ve yearned to be popular at one point in my life but I’d also found that, given my personality, I was happier with a small group of friends with whom I can relate on a deeper level.
Having said that, I do continue to blog with anxiety from time to time…wondering how I can attract more readers…will people continue to read even if I don’t have time to comment on their blogs? There is a tit for tat nature to blogging that is unfortunate but inevitable, I feel…
I began blogging less than 3 months ago and I am amazed at how many fantastic blogs I have found. I truly enjoy connecting with other moms to learn from them, to share with them and to laugh with them.
Your tips on growing readership are both inspirational and reassuring and I really appreciate your sharing them. As I’m sure you know, it can be discouraging for a new blogger (or any blogger) to check their site after a new post and not find any comments. It certainly can be an emotional roller coaster at times!
I’m new to blogging too and am trying to build a following for our book “How to Wed for Life When You’ve already got a Life: The Garter Brides Guide to Grown-up Love” ti bepublished in Junbe by Harlequin non-fiction. There are tons of books on how to get a guy if you’re over 35, but none tellyou what to do after that. We deal with kids, dealing with the ex-spouse,finances, whose home do you live in? Lots of great stuff and I realize I should have started a blog two years ago I’ll follow your good advice to get the word around. Many thanks, Garter Bride Ann
How fortuitous to come across this post when it’s the very thing that was on my mind.
I have been blogging for years, but just recently had a New Year’s resolution to start a “Love Project” on my blog and to try and seriously grow my readership.
Just yesterday I was telling my friends Rebecca (www.altaredspaces.com) and Shirley (http://shirlnutkin.blogspot.com/) that January was about blogging more. February will be about commenting more.
Rebecca sent me to your beautiful Snowledge post about grief. I lost both my father and a very good friend (to ALS)recently and so grief is on my mind a lot. But it was through that grief that I was inspired to start The Love Project. My friend, Craig, was so courageous and showed his love even when he couldn’t move or talk. And so The Love Project has helped me keep a little piece of him alive…
Even though it’s hard to visit all the blogs of all the wonderful writers that I find, there are some — like this one — where the writing is so beautiful and you see a little bit into the soul of the writer and feel moved.
You have a great gift and I’m so glad to have found you in this vast blogosphere. Your authenticity combined with your beautiful writing are the perfect mix to draw in readers like me. Thank you.
thanks for sharing! i came across your blog because i saw your comment on yvette’s “the love project” (week 5 – one word). glad you are participating.
and i don’t necessarily have any tips as i use blogging more of a ‘life journal’ kind of thing (so far). meanwhile, i do believe that, aside from visiting friends’ blogs, a blog with a message and a “brand” that is consistent with one’s message is very important. that has kept me engaged. and i have been reading tyler’s thoughts (of advanced riskology), who has shared several ideas, along with a book he wrote that captured how he has evolved his blog, etc.
i’ll make sure to share with you any other thoughts i hav on this. and i will visit again and more!
Thanks for posting this. I love reading blogs, I do it all day. They’re just so fascinating. But this post totally reminded me that I need to comment more. I’m more of a lurker, which is bad, bad, bad. And I do need to engage in conversation more often.
There are some blogs I’ve read as a subscriber for over a year, and have never commented. It’s crazy because I feel like I get to know the bloggers fairly well, but they still have no idea who I am, and as a result – not only is that borderline creepy – it’s possible I’ve missed out on developing great relationships with people who I really connect with. And that, is sad.
Anyway, this was a great reminder to me that this is one area where I really need to improve.
Hi Amanda,
I thought your reply here was very cute and kind of funny (about the borderline creepy part!) and even though I feel like it’s borderline–something… tacky?.. for me to be suggesting this, I just wanted to offer up my blog if you are feeling the need to “catch up” on commenting…
I am woefully missing commenters, even though I do tacky stuff like begging people to comment. Oh… I just thought of the word I was searching for… desperate. It’s not borderline desperate, it’s very overtly desperate! Yes, might as well paint a bit BL for Blog Loser on my head!
So, for you, or anyone else who has witnessed this pathetic attempt at luring in commenters to my blog, all I’m asking for is ONE WORD to describe yourself:
http://singleagainonlinediary.blogspot.com/2011/01/assignment-5-describe-yourself-in-one.html
Aidan, I know blog-commenter-stealing was not in your list of suggested actions, but… once again, I’m desperate!
Thanks, Aidan! Super helpful.
I am still so new to this magical world of blogging. And I have to admit, I wanted overnight results. But I am still struggling to find a readership. I’m still trying my hardest to get my head out there in the blogging world. To find the community that I want and crave. Your blog has really been a wonderful model to me. I love your words. I love the conversations that you spark up. And while my blog is first and foremost a book blog, I want it to also be more than that. After all, I read as a way of figuring things out and I want to discuss life, love, and all the experiences that make up a person. It’s complicated and beautiful and it is something that I believe needs to be talked about. Over and over again. This is wonderful advice. Advice that I will take. I love discovering new blogs. I love supporting other bloggers. And most of all, I love discovering new voices. Voices that inspire, recommend, rant, rave, but most of all voices that are honest and authentic. There is something wonderfully authentic and intimate about blogging. I think that is really why I wanted to start blogging and why I keep it up.
Aidan thank you for this, so inspiring. I enjoy reading blogs and came across your by accident. However, I need to make more time to read, as I sometimes read in blocks, especially when off work.
Starting my own blog, is something I am always pondering and this piece has made me more at ease with the idea. So maybe one day!