Question Time! Part Two: The Blogging Life

I offered a bonus entry in my Blogiversary Giveaway to anyone who asked me a question (I will be announcing the winners tomorrow!). Last week I took on a variety of queries; this post primarily but not exclusively includes the ones specific to the blogging life.

Sheila from Book Journey asks:

"5 years... what things have changed since you started blogging?  Community?  Your own style of posting?"

My reflections on the five-year milestone are the long-winded answer to this question, but in response to the items Sheila singles out:

I didn't really have a community when I started, and it took quite a while to build one. And that community shifts over time--not everyone sticks around, for various reasons, and new ones enter the fold. And I find that the ones I feel closest to are the ones that I've gotten to know beyond our blogs. And as for my style of posting, I'd definitely say my book reviews have improved! But I don't post as much general-interest commentary as I once did, and I'd like to get back to it.

Deb at Readerbuzz wants to know:

What has kept you going for five years?

For five years, let's say five things:

• Comments--feedback and conversation are good to have, and I've been very fortunate that the trolls rarely show up here
• Community
• Discovering new books--see the current population of TBR Purgatory
• A sense of accomplishment--this blog has opened doors for me, and I think it's improved both my writing and my critical-thinking skills
• Still having things to talk about!

Jill from Rhapsody in Books has a question that surprised me a little, but ties into that "community" thing a little:

How much time do you spend on BlogHer versus the rest of the blogisphere?

Probably not as much time as you'd think, or as much as I'd like to! I'm glad to be part of their blog network, and I participate in their book clubs and review programs when I'm interested. I've been thrilled every time they've syndicated one of my posts (it's happened twice). And I think it's an outstanding source for commentary and content curation: posts from BlogHer have their own folder in my feed reader. I don't always read them all, but I do skim them daily and nearly always find good reads. (But if they'd give me a job, I'd be glad to spend even more time there!)


Kathy (BermudaOnion) asks:

What is the one thing you wished you'd done differently when you started your blog?

It's not something I thought of at the time, but in hindsight, I should have looked at Wordpress before I jumped into setting up on Blogger. I suspect I would have used Blogger anyway--it's so tied into my Google life, I don't really want to self-host, and it's still free--but  I should have researched a little more.

From Jessica at Quirky Bookworm:

Are there any specific blogging things you used to do that you don't anymore? (Themed posts, memes, series, etc...)

Some of the memes I used to do, like Ten on Tuesday, seem to have gone away; I've dropped out of others, like Booking Through Thursday. I didn't deliberately stop doing my Week-End Review link roundup, but since I've shifted to sharing links on Twitter and Facebook as I come across them, the link-out post started to feel redundant and too much like work. I also suspect that it probably sends less traffic to the posts I link to than the social-media sharing does. Having said that, I'd love to have anyone who misses the links posts "like" The 3 R's Blog's Facebook page, because I send a lot of them there!


Sarah from MomsLA has this question:

What's the best thing about being a blogger?

I can think of two, but they're related: it's opened a lot of doors to opportunities and introduced me to so many amazing people I doubt I'd have encountered any other way!


Hannah (Word Lily) wonders:

What, if anything, do you plan/hope to do differently in year 6 of blogging?

I want to put less pressure on myself to blog "often," which for me means 4 or more posts per week. This was also a goal moving from year 4 to year 5, and it looks like I'm getting there--304 posts in 2010 vs. 239 in 2011. Some weeks I'll have more content than others, and I may do NaBloPoMo once more this year, but I'm still working on feeling like it's OK to post just two or three times in a week.

I'd also like to do more general writing and less blogging about blogging, and I want to make more time for blog reading. I tend to keep up with the "professional" blogs in various niches that update multiple times per day, but that's been at the expense of the individual blogs--blogs like my own--by the people I consider my community, and I need to fix this.



And Melissa (The Betty and Book Chronicles) has a rather challenging query:

As someone who has seen a lot of changes in the book blogging community in the past 5 years, what are your predictions for the NEXT 5 years of book blogging?

I don't know if I'd have predicted even half the things I've seen in the past 5 years of book blogging, so don't put down money on any of these "predictions"! Having said that, I think any or all of these things could happen:

• More population growth: some bloggers will close their sites or just drift away, but there will be more than enough entering the sphere to fill the gaps
• More fragmentation: This is a conversation that's been going on for at least a year now, but I don't think it makes sense to think of a single "book-blogger community" any more--it's too overwhelming. I see more sub-communities forming among bloggers with similar aims and interests, and I don't think that's a bad thing as long as there's peaceful coexistence.
• Factions: This is what does concern me about fragmentation--marginalizing sub-communities because of their different interests. Book bloggers are gaining influence and attention within the publishing industry...and that's turning out to be a mixed blessing. The BEA Bloggers Conference/Book Blog UnCon face-off is one current example of the differences in perspectives and goals. I think both sides have good points...and I'm somewhere in the middle. I really don't want to have to take sides, and I hope I'm not the only one who feels that way.

I'd like to throw that last question to the crowd--what are some of YOUR predictions for the next 5 years of book blogging?

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Mobilizing Your Reading

I'd originally complied this as part of my "mobile blogging" mini-challenge for Bloggiesta, but some of the information drifted from the challenge itself (and made that post very long!), so I decided to save it for another day. That day has come!

But before we talk about specific apps, let's talk about where to find them! My go-to source for info on practical, useful apps is Lifehacker, and the appSmitten "App of the Day" e-mail newsletter comes to me.

Mobile Reading: Books

E-book apps let your books travel with you so you can read them anywhere, and with highlighting, note-taking, and bookmarking functions, they make it easy to mark up your books, too. Personally, I'm not crazy about reading on a smartphone screen--it's just too small--but I've been won over by a tablet.

The Kindle app can be used on every major mobile platform--iOS (iPhone/iPad), Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry. iBooks is available only for iOS devices, and since I began using it on my iPad, it's become my preferred e-reader.

Kindle and iBooks are the two most popular reading apps, and both have hundreds of thousands of e-books available. However, it should be noted that the e-books for each of these apps are formatted to be read only in that app, and that exclusivity bothers some users.

If you prefer a little more independence in your reading and book shopping, there's the IndieBound Reader app (Android and iOS), which lets you buy your e-books from independent bookstores. (Disclosure: I am an IndieBound affiliate.) 


There are other reading apps that support a variety of formats and let you download e-books from public libraries and online book catalogs, including NetGalley. Thanks to Jacinda (@ReadingWifeJac) for telling me about these, so I can tell you:

• Bluefire Reader app (Android and iOS): supports e-books in EPUB, PDF, and Adobe formats from a variety of online sources
• Overdrive mobile app (all platforms): supports EPUB e-books and MP3 audiobooks, including those available from public libraries
• Aldiko e-reader app (Android only): supports e-books in EPUB, PDF, and Adobe formats 

Mobile Reading: Blogs

The iPad has become my preferred device for blog reading, even more than a computer. There are some great feed-reader apps designed for it, and it's easy to open a post in the browser so I can leave a comment on it. Many feed-reader apps have smartphone versions too, although the layout and features may be a bit different on smaller devices.

A great mobile feed reader should have these features:

• Facebook and Twitter integration so you can share links easily
• Sync with Google accounts and Google Reader (if your feeds are all there already, you shouldn't have to import them)
• Clean, uncluttered reading interface, with the ability to click and see the original post in a browser 
• Loads feeds and stores them so you can read them even if you're off-line
• Integration with a "reading list" save-and-share-service to save posts for later reading and/or reference; my new favorite is Readability, but ReadItLater and Instapaper are other options. In addition to feed-reader integration, each of these lists has its own iOS app; Readability and ReadItLater have Android apps too.

Lifehacker has compiled lists of the top five feed-reader apps for iOS and Android. I can't speak to Android recommendations, but as an iPhone/iPad user, I'll call these out:

• Feedly: works almost everywhere--browser extension, iOS app, Android app--and it's free in all versions. It has search and feed-management functionality as well as the integrations mentioned earlier.
• Reeder: not free, and doesn't have search or the ability to add or delete feeds, but the interface is easy to use and easy on the eyes. It comes in different versrion for the iPhone ($2.99) and iPad ($4.99)
• Flipboard: lets you add your Google Reader blog subscriptions, Facebook and Twitter feeds to the variety of Web content it hosts. It's very pretty (and free!), but I actually find it a bit overwhelming.
• Early Edition (iPad only): not free ($4.99), but my new favorite and worth the price. It looks like a newspaper, but reads much more easily--fonts and backgrounds can be tweaked to personal preference. It can be searched and browsed, has the share/save options, and allows subscribing and unsubscribing to feeds via sync with Google Reader.

What are your favorite apps for reading on the go? (Yes, books are indeed mobile, but we're not talking about them right now!)

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Bloggiesta Report Card: Missions Accomplished (and not)

How was your Bloggiesta? Did you do the things you thought you would? Let me compare my plans vs. reality:

Posts prepared for this week: 2, including this one; 2 more outlined and in progress

All reviews posted on Goodreads: done!

Mobile mini-challenge: done, using both tablet and smartphone! (I composed the post in BlogPress on the iPad, saved it as an online draft, retrieved the draft in BlogPress on the iPhone, added the pictures from the phone's camera roll, and then published it)

Other mini-challenges: (Strikeouts mean I didn't get to them at all)

• The Top Ten of HTML Basics by Pam at Bookalicio.us. (@BookaliciousPam)
• Using Pinterest to Promote Your Blog by Joy from Joy's Book Blog (@joyweesemoll)

I'm already doing many of the things in this challenge--I have a Pinterest account, a "Pin It" button on posts, and link to my Pinterest profile in the sidebar. The problem is I rarely pin anything that comes from my own blog, because I use Pinterest more for reference than promotion, so this will have to be a longer-term strategy modification. However, I did start a Pinterest board for my Shelf Awareness reviews, and pinned a few books to it as I was updating my Goodreads list.

Do you want to join Pinterest, but need an invite? E-mail me at 3.rsblog AT Gmail DOT com--I have a few to hand out!

• How to Build Readers for Your Blog Through Commenting by Sheila from Book Journey (@bookjourney) (I pretty much know this, but I've really fallen down on it lately and could use a little inspiration!)
• SEO: Get Noticed by Search Engines by April from Good Books and Good Wine (@booksandwine)

I "SEO-optimized" my February 2011 review of The Warmth of Other Suns and saved April's challenge post for reference. Some of the steps she mentions are things I already do, but I'm going to work on incorporating more of her recommendations into more of my posts. Fortunately, Blogger has just added tools to make this easier (but as I understand it, it's still a ways from catching up with Wordpress).

• Five Tips to Write Reviews Faster by Melanie from Melanie's Musings (@MelanieFoust) 

I couldn't actually do this challenge since I'm current on reviews, but I've saved the post for reference. I'm already following the "have a format" tip--I've had one for a while.

•  Eight Ways to Freshen Up Your Content! by Emily from Emily's Reading Room (@emsreadingroom) 

Another post I've saved for another challenge I didn't end up doing. It didn't fit into my Bloggiesta goals this time, but I think it will be very useful for future reference!

• "10 Things Bloggers Should Not Do" at WordLily 

One more saved for reference, but that's as far as it got this time

• "Analyze Your Blog!" at Bookish Ruth

Grader.com has made some changes since the last time I used it, and its website and blog-grading tools have been re-worked as "Marketing Grader." Those changes have dropped my blog score from the mid-90s to 80%, but the feedback and advice from the process remain valuable. This is a fast, free, and informative exercise, and one worth repeating periodically.

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Bloggiesta Extra: An illustrated guide to avoiding grammar goofs

On this Bloggiesta weekend, it occurs to me that "blog improvement" certainly should include "better writing," so it seems appropriate to share this here today.

Just because today is April Fool's Day does not mean there's any reason to look foolish in writing! This infographic sorts out some very common grammar mix-ups and misuses, and sets them right, in a simple but memorable manner. Save it for reference--I know I will!

(Thanks to my sister for posting the link to this graphic on Facebook! Posted with permission, using embed code provided in the original post.)


Like this infographic? Get more copywriting tips from Copyblogger.

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Doing my own Mini-Challenge, and other things I did today

I've used BlogPress before to draft posts, but this will be my very first time doing it live! If I'm going to challenge other Bloggiesta-ers, I should join in too, right?
I actually haven't spent much time on Bloggiesta today, in all honesty. I did one mini-challenge this morning and worked a little on my Goodreads updates, but most of today was reserved for belated-birthday celebrating with my sister.
First she took me to breakfast at the Firehouse Cafe. I don't know if it really was a firehouse once, but it's definitely got a theme.


Then we did a little shopping, and then she took me to the movies to see this:

I thought it turned out quite well--if I have some time during the next few days, I'll say more than that.
Now Tall Paul and I are off to forage for dinner, and maybe kick back with some TV. Good thing there's more Bloggiesta tomorrow!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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Bloggiesta Kick-off! The Best-Laid Plans...

Good morning, Bloggiesta-ers! Who's ready for some spring cleaning of the bloggy kind? Thanks so much to Danielle and Suey for bringing Bloggiesta back!

I've got a few posts in draft that I want to get finished up and scheduled for next week...and since I am NOT doing NaBloPoMo for April, I only need a few posts for next week. But my
primary task for Bloggiesta weekend falls into the general category of "catching up on reviews."

I'm actually current on reviews here. However, I want to set up my Goodreads account as my primary review archive, so I need to get all of the reviews posted there. It's a project I've already started, but my goal for the weekend is to get it finished--and by "finished" I mean "caught up," so that future updates keep pace with the blog. And I'll get to count my work for Janicu's Bloggiesta Goodreads Challenge, too!

The Mini-Challenges are such a good source of inspiration for Bloggiesta projects, and there are lots of new ones this year! Suey has the complete list, and these are the ones I want to check out:

• The Top Ten of HTML Basics by Pam at Bookalicio.us. (@BookaliciousPam)
• Using Pinterest to Promote Your Blog by Joy from Joy's Book Blog (@joyweesemoll)
• How to Build Readers for Your Blog Through Commenting by Sheila from Book Journey (@bookjourney) (I pretty much know this, but I've really fallen down on it lately and could use a little inspiration!)
• SEO: Get Noticed by Search Engines by April from Good Books and Good Wine (@booksandwine)
• Five Tips to Write Reviews Faster by Melanie from Melanie's Musings (@MelanieFoust) (I'm curious, although my problem is more slow reading than slow writing!)
•  Eight Ways to Freshen Up Your Content! by Emily from Emily's Reading Room (@emsreadingroom) (Hey; it's been five years--I'm sure some "freshening" is due around here!)

Danielle has collected all of the Mini-Challenges from previous Bloggiestas, and there are some excellent ideas there too. (I created my blog favicon and gravatar thanks to a Mini-Challenge during the Summer 2009 Bloggiesta.) I plan to explore "10 Things Bloggers Should Not Do" at WordLily ((Winter 2011)--just to make sure I'm not doing them!--and "Analyze Your Blog!" at Bookish Ruth (Summer 2009), which I've done before, but not for a while.

I also plan to participate in my own Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge using mobile blogging apps--care to join me?

Good luck with your Bloggiesta goals, and wish me luck with mine, would you please?

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Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge: Mobilize!

If you have a smartphone, or a tablet, or both, there's no need to be chained to your computer for blogging any more. Have you explored some of the ways you can read and write while you're out and about? For my Bloggiesta Mini-Challenge, I thought we'd look at a few mobile apps that can benefit your blogging.

(I was going to discuss reading apps here too, but the post was getting so long that the mini-challenge would have been reading it all the way through! But I won't waste all that research; I'll post about those in a few days.)

Mobile Blogging

If you have Facebook and Twitter accounts, their apps were probably among the very first you installed on your mobile device--they're essentials. Although status updates aren't proper "blogging", the apps do let you share posts you read and get ideas for posts of your own. (There are other apps that let you manage your FB and Twitter feeds--sometimes together--but since I've been pretty satisfied with the official ones, I've only dabbled with those and can't say much about them.)

Evernote is another must-have app--very useful for blogging prep, and it works pretty much everywhere (including BlackBerry devices). It saves links and web clippings, and lets you create new notes via typing, photos, or audio recording. (I use it for my shopping lists, too.)

One thing that's not essential for mobile blogging is a camera app--but it can be very nice to have one. If you take a lot of photos with your mobile and want to include them in blog posts, it's good to be able to edit them a little right on your device before you bring them into your blog draft. Instagram (iOS, coming for Android--and free) and Hipstamatic (iOS) both have their fans, but my personal favorite is Camera+ on my iPhone--it has a very impressive set of tools. It's not a freebie, but it's more than worth the 99 cents.

It's easy to share photos from camera and social-media apps, but what if you want to save them for your blog...and maybe even add some words?

If you blog on WordPress, you're in luck--it's got mobile apps for iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone platforms, plus Nokia phones and tablets using WebOS. Blogger users don't have it quite so good, I'm sorry to say--its mobile app is only available for Android and iOS phones, and not optimized for tablets like the iPad. Tumblr has apps for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry; I deleted my Tumblr a few weeks ago, but I have used the iPhone app, and it's very streamlined and user-friendly--not much different from the desktop experience, really.

But maybe you don't use any of those platforms...or you use several, but don't want several apps. There are some apps out there that work with a variety of blogging platforms. I've experimented with a few of them, but the one I keep returning to is BlogPress, which supports just about every major blogging service--thanks to Kristen Howerton for making me aware of it!

BlogPress doesn't have the "compose" mode, so it takes a little getting used to the appearance of posts when you work in it; having said that, the HTML editor is very easy to use. If you have online access while you're on mobile, you can sync with your blog and edit drafts you saved from your computer, and you can save posts you start on the mobile as online drafts. BlogPress is for iPhone and iPad only--if you know of similar apps for other devices, tell us about them in the comments!

And now for your Mini-Challenge, should you choose to accept it! it's actually not all that challenging, but it has to be done during Bloggiesta weekend.

• Create a blog post on a mobile device--photo, text, or mix. The content is up to you.
• Post to your blog from the device (Tumblr blogs count, Facebook and Twitter don't!)
• Leave the link to your mobile post in the InLinkz below (not in the comments!). Links will be accepted through Monday, April 2.

And to encourage mobility, one random challenge participant will receive a $10 iTunes/App Store gift card or e-gift card! I'll draw a winner next week. (I wanted to make this a nonpartisan prize and offer an App Store or Google Play/Android gift, but I can't figure out how to "gift" Android apps!)

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