Better Blogger

My sister shared an article with me the other day on CNN.com called "Lighten Up On Yourself" by Elizabeth Gilbert. The article is specifically aimed at women, but I think it could apply to anyone (guys, you'll have to back me up on that).

The article's title sums up Gilbert's primary point: We need to lighten up and not dwell on mistakes we've made or compare ourselves to anyone else. While the point is a good one (and I highly suggest you read the original), you may be wondering what all that has to do with a blog dedicated to the 'joie de lire.'

1. LIGHTEN UP
So I can't finish reading a book because I've lost interest in it. Why should I beat myself up about that? The book wasn't required reading, and the reading I do for fun should be just that--fun. I don't need to lose any sleep at night wondering what happened in the last 400 pages of a book whose first 300 pages weren't what I needed to hold my interest.

2. NO COMPARISONS ALLOWED
I subscribe to some pretty amazing book blogs. When I read other bloggers' posts, I have moments of blog envy, followed directly by thoughts like "Why can't I be more like that blogger?" I get down on myself for not blogging more frequently and being able to offer regular features because my frequency is so erratic. I get down on myself for not having as many followers as other blogs or not having as many hits per week as other blogs. Instead of making those comparisons, though, I should be focusing on the fact that I have an outlet for my thoughts on reading and that there are other people out there willing to take time out of their busy days to read through those thoughts. If only one person reads my posts and gets something out of them (every once in a while), I've made a difference.

I need to accept the fact that I will most likely never be able to stick to a blogging schedule--much like I've never been able to stick to any strict schedule for sustained lengths of time (which is why being a professor and having a semester-by-semester schedule works great for me). I would love to be a blogger who posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday by 8:00 a.m., but I know that while I could (and did) do that for a while, I will invariably come across a rough patch where all my energy is directed at another project. Because for me, I know I work in cycles: I read 5 books in a week and then don't pick up another book for a month; I write blog posts every day for two weeks and then don't have time to look at my blog for a week; I get massive amount of research completed in a week and then don't spare another thought to the topic for months; I grade stacks of papers in three hours and then ignore grading for a week. Is it the best way to work? Probably not. But it's me.

And as Gilbert says, I need to "map [my] own life." I may not be the picture of perfection, but I love what I do, and I love that other people are willing to go on my reading journey with me. Even when my blog only reflects that journey at irregular intervals...

Happy reading!

Weekly Poll 10/21/09

The question from last week's poll:

Which of the following elements is most important for you to get the most out of a book-related blog?

• book reviews/discussions
• language discussions
• links to featured authors, books, or blogs
• book-related activities

You may have guessed it, but the only reason I posted this particular question was purely self-serving.  I wanted to get an idea of what my blog readers enjoy most and what I should try to continue to focus on in my blog.  Out of the two answers I got (I didn't quite reach my goal), I found that 50% of my readers like book reviews and/or discussions while the other 50% like language discussions.  Whew.  I hope that means I'm doing something right.

I'd like to take a moment to share my current goals for this blog:

1. to increase my readership
2. to provide more interactive content
3. to make enough money for this to be my "side job"
   

As I wrote the third goal, I cringed.  It makes me feel like a money monger to say that I'm blogging--doing something I enjoy--to make money.  And yet, I admitted it because I learned from another blogger (Makeup and Beauty Blog) that you should not be ashamed to admit all your goals (even money-related ones) to your readers.  Sometimes that's the only way to start meeting your goals.

What am I asking of you?  If you like my blog, please share it.  If you like any of the pretty ads you see in either of the sidebars, please click on them.  If you have any ideas for me to help me meet any of the above goals, please leave a comment with your ideas.  In return, I will continue to try to keep a steady schedule and to include content that you might find interesting.

The new poll question of the week is up in the left sidebar; my goal of 10 votes continues.  On top of that, I also have a goal of doubling my current number of readers/followers.  I have to post this before I lose my nerve (setting public goals is difficult because not meeting those goals also becomes public), so I'm going to end this goal-sharing session here and hit "publish post."

Happy reading... and voting on the new poll question (hint, hint)!  :)