I don’t know what kind of blogger I am.
- I’m not sure that I’m really a “book blogger” since I don’t only blog about books, so it feels weird to put myself under that umbrella.
- I don’t think I’m a web design blogger because I do so many posts that aren’t web design related. Also most of my design/coding posts are honestly pretty basic.
- I’m not a lifestyle blogger… because I’m just not. The closest I’ve come is talking about low carb like twice.
- I’m not a food blogger. Because talking about low carb “like twice” doesn’t cut it. π
So what the hell am I?
I know that labels aren’t important.
I know that I can be whatever kind of blogger I want.
I know that I don’t have to confine myself.
I know all those things. So why does it matter?
It feels nice to be part of a community
I guess I still think I’m closest to being a book blogger, especially since I’m most closely involved in that community. But I still feel like an outsider sometimes. I don’t post memes, blitzes, or promos. I don’t host authors, do interviews, host guest posts, or promote giveaways. I rarely even post reviews anymore. So I just find it difficult to connect with book bloggers, get involved in some of the discussions, and I even find it hard to read some book blogs.
Now and then I see the lifestyle blogger Twitter chat (I think it’s #lbloggers?) and that has some fun topics. But I feel like such an outsider because I’m not a lifestyle blogger. I just find it fun/interesting when the chat topic has to do with WordPress, hosting, social media, or followers. It’s fun! But I can’t really connect with anyone there because I’m not a lifestyle blogger and I don’t think I like reading them. I almost feel like a fraud when I participate in those chats.
I know I don’t need a label, but sometimes I wish I had a community
I still love the book blogging community, but sometimes I feel a little outside it. I guess it’s hard for me because my blog is so random. It has books, coding, food (a little), life, design, and mostly just whatever the hell is in my head. But it would be so nice to have a community of blogs similar to mine that I could be part of. Is this just a lack of engagement on my part, or am I really stuck in the middle of all these labels?
Awww, Ash. I always saw you as a book blogger and still do.
Yaaay *hugs*
I completely get what you’re saying. The thing is though… it’s your blog. You can post whatever the hell you want. If it’s a book review, then you’re a book blogger that day. If it’s about something else, then you’re that kind of blogger that day. You have an amazingly successful blog here and I for one am not judging you for posting other than book reviews. Maybe this is wrong, but I think if you post nothing but book reviews, then it could be (for lack of a better word here…) boring.
I find my blog a bit boring because I pretty much post nothing but reviews. That’s why I grabbed a couple of giveaways that came my way and now I’m starting to post other topics periodically as well. I’m hoping to branch out a bit, but still mainly be books. Add some spice.
Your blog totally ROCKS, Ashley! It’s got everything. I sometimes spend a couple of hours in here reading through old posts.
Thanks so much Carrie! π
I am pretty confident in what I do post, I just wish I had an easier time connecting with other bloggers. I’m not about to change my posts, but sometimes I look around and feel like I’m alone in this. I know it’s silly, but it would be kind of comforting if there was a hybrid reader/coder/eater blogging community that I could turn to, haha.
Hey, lets start our own community-we can label it ‘eclectic, dabblers of everything’ bloggers π I no longer consider myself a book blogger either, though I do still post my Reading Highlights posts and blog about other bookish topics once in a while. I’ve just decided to not label myself anything anymore. I do follow mostly book bloggers, but I’ve also started expanding that a bit and now follow a few non-bookish bloggers. I think this will become more prevalent as time goes on π
Let’s do it! π
I guess I just wish I could participate in some kind of community/chat without feeling like an outsider.
You may not be confined to a single, or even a couple of communities, but that’s what I like so much about your blog! It’s random and I never know what I’m going to read from you for the day! I like that you’re so comfortable to post any thing you wish! And it is YOUR blog; you keep doing you, Ashley! π
Thank you Rosie! π I’m so glad you like it!!
Tell me about it… I used to write a lot of lifestyle posts, so because of this, I describe my site as a bookish (and the occasional lifestyle) blog. But my blog name’s Priscilla and her Books. I’ve even considered deleting my lifestyle posts. Bwahaha! I’m focusing more on books now though π
Aww don’t delete your posts!!
I imagine it’s difficult when your blog name is so book-oriented though. But still, keep those posts!!
I totally feel you because I feel the same way. I do bookish posts, digitalbstuff and cocktails – so random!
” lets start our own community-we can label it βeclectic, dabblers of everythingβ bloggers “… I love it! LOL
With such a variety, you can mesh with all kinds of communities. Why restrict yourself to one? Enjoy being eclectic!
I think it is so cool that you can blog about a variety of things that you enjoy and still have a readership that interacts with you regularly – that in and of itself is a community of sorts, I think. I am a book blogger, but I can imagine that if you have a more eclectic-style blog, it may be more challenging to figure out which community is “your” community. Or maybe you belong to several. (: At any rate, it’s very cool to blog about various things and be able to do it well.
Interesting post, and good question! I have only recently started to follow your blog, and it was mainly because I saw that you review books — right now I don’t even remember what review brought me here, but I must say that I really enjoy most of the other post you write even though I don’t read them all.
On my blog, which is in Danish and only 1,5 years old, I review books and rarely write about something else; therefore I define myself as a book blogger, but lately I have started to read more posts about other things than books, and I found myself wanting to write different things too; It makes me wonder if I shouldn’t have defined what I want my blog to be about, so that I don’t have to define myself, not to promise anyone anything, and not just go into one of the ‘community boxes’ because now I clearly don’t know where I belong, or want to belong, because I want to contribute to different communities, and that would mean that I’m not participating enough in a specific community to be able to say “I’m this” or “I’m that”. So, yes I understand what you are saying and sometimes feel the same — and I’m not even actively handling more than one topic.
Hi Ashley I’ve been following your blog since a few months ago… When I started I read your reviews, or your blogging tips, I know you don’t post memes, promo, blitzes… when I was researching about self hosting and design I read all you have posted about it.
Lately you posts is about your wedding, your honeymoon, your job as freelance designer, your income reports, how is your daily routine, about your diet, what you think should be the book blogging world, your advices or thought about this about that. Do you catch the commonplace?
Maybe you don’t fit as book blogger or life style blogger because you’re not the book blogger anymore but neither a life style person, you started your “book blogger travel” when you was a college student and now you’re a graduated, married, and business woman, so you aren’t the same person.
Maybe a place like Lauren Conrad’s would be more suitable
Have a wonderful week everyone
Oh drats – you know even though I see less reviews on your site, I still think of you as a book blogger. You still do review and you help so many of the people in the BB community. Plus I don’t think doing memes and promos and giveaways is what makes folks book bloggers. I don’t do memes anymore and I really don’t dig promos, blitzes, reveals, bla bla all that stuff. I like hosting giveaways cause heck the pubs usually sponsor them or I do when I can. I like doing the author guests and interviews sometimes – though I’ve cut back cause sometimes I get tired of writing interviews that I know get way less hits and don’t really get read by many people unless they are already interested in the author.
In this case I don’t think you need a specific label as long as you’re happy blogging about what you want and bonus kudos for everyone still visiting as regularly as they do. So to pfffffft with the labels! lol.
And hey – don’t knock your so called “basic” stuff LOL so many of us find it useful and heck it probably has saved countless folks headaches. (and yeah what I’m saying is I’m sure many of us don’t think it’s basic – whats English to you is Greek to someone else yes?)
Thanks Tabitha!
I don’t mind not having a label, it’s just the community part, you know? Sometimes I’m just not sure where I fit in.
Mine is mostly a book blog, but I do random posts about food, baking, beauty, family stuff, like milestones and even crafts. I post what I feel like posting, I don’t think labels are needed all the time π
Yeah, I agree, label aren’t needed! I don’t really mind what I call myself or what people call me.. it’s just the community part. Sometimes I feel a little bit outside the line. It would just be nice to have that feeling of “belonging”, I guess.
Your blog is perfect the way it is! I like how there’s a little bit of everything in your blog. Just do you. π
Thanks so much Leigh. π I’m so glad you like it!
I will always see you as a book blogger, Ashley! And it’s evident to all of us that you LOVE blogging and helping out book bloggers!!! You’re the go-to person for many of us, never forget that!
Thanks Henrietta, that means a lot! π
Hm, I can’t say I really face the same kind of “identity crisis” you do, since I still mainly focus on books and nerdy stuff. And I have to admit that your blog never really fit into a particular label to me… but I’ve always thought that a good thing, since that means you’re one of the most original and unique bloggers around. I mean, I can count on one hand the number of bloggers who blog about books, coding tips, design stuff, AND lots of personal experiences! I don’t know, I just see that as a really good thing, since no label can actually define who you are, if I’m making sense. π Then again, I know how you feel about wanting to belong to a community. If it helps, I’ve also always thought that you belonged to the bookish community — and I’m sure loads of people would agree with me! We love you! π
Thank you Mega. π I like that my blog is different, but sometimes it would be nice to really feel like I belong in a certain community, you know? It would be nice to be able to say without question, “THIS is my community. THIS is where I belong!”
I guess I still feel that way about the book blogging community, since everyone is so awesome. Sometimes I just feel like I’m a fraud hanging out with all these book bloggers, but not really being a book blogger myself.
Maybe I’m just weird and over thinking it!
I know that sometimes we feel the need to fit in a label, but as you’ve said, it’s not important. But I see you as a book blogger, talking about books and the book blogging world.
I confess I feel relieved you don’t post memes and promos, it’s quite boring seeing the same stuff on 10 blogs the same day.
I think you have a pretty strong identity, Nose Graze is original, and most important, so fun! π
I totally agree—memes and promos are boring! I never enjoyed reading those.
Thanks Renata. π
Like most of the comments, I see you as a book blogger, Ashley. But I love that you write lifestyle posts, coding posts, web design posts etc. I like that I never know what I’ll get to read from you when I open up Feedly every day – it’s a lovely surprise in a life that can be a bit Groundhog Day π
Let’s start our own community…. I’m switching my blog to be less books and more ME. I thimk tht is what your blog is…. just you. π
I started reading Nose Graze for the blog tutorials. I think I’ve only read a couple of your book reviews. I guess I think of you as a member of the book blogging community but as more of a Glinda the Good Witch presence. Several of your posts gave me confidence to be myself and not go changing the way I do things to “fit in.” Thanks.
I’m glad my posts have helped you out!! π
Great post! And yeah, I still see myself as a book blogger, but I’m incorporating more tea posts, or music posts, or life posts into my blog … I had a baby 11 months ago and still don’t feel part of the community, in a way, and I find that the community has changed so much over the past few years that it’s still hard to feel like a part of the community even if you’re an avid reader or blogger. I’m definitely not going to change anything … I like how I’m doing it and if I’m happy, that’s what matters! Same with you … so long as you’re happy!
Yeah communities like this constantly change—especially the people in them. Sometimes you join a community with certain people, then a few years later you look around and realize:
* All those people have left
* There are new people in their places
* You aren’t close with any of those new people
* Where do you fit in???
It’s tough! π
A few years ago I was part of a pretty close-knit community of new mom bloggers. Nearly all of them have moved on from blogging, although we still follow one another’s Twitters/Instagrams/etc. I know what you mean, though, because my blog is constantly evolving into whatever I’m interested in at any given time. And I don’t like to pigeonhole myself, but it would be nice to have a blogging community to bounce ideas around with.
I know exactly what you mean. It’s less about needing a label than wanting to be part of a community. Blogging isn’t as much fun when no one reads your posts, but it’s hard to get involved in a community when you don’t have a clear-cut profile! I’ve mooostly been blogging about books (sans giveaways, blog tours etc), but I’ll post random stuff as well and often I restrict myself from posting too many other things because I’m not sure it would fit on my blog. But no more! π I guess I’ll have to join the eclectic dabbler community as well.