Many moons ago (ok, 4+ years…) I started this little book review site called Book Journey. It was a lot of fun to get going and every reader comment was so exciting to see in my email. In those beginning years I was able to not only comment back to very comment given me, but if they were fellow bloggers I went and visited their blog as well. This really was the start to my readership and my daily visitor stats grew.
It really was a lot of fun to book chat every day with those I came to “know” through this blog. I would learn their name, and remember things they posted so I could comment about their dog, something going on in their life, or a particular book we both enjoyed. It was like a whole group of friends out there in the world that I may or may not ever meet face to face and this was pretty cool.
The “It’s Monday What Are You Reading” meme opened blogesphere doors for me with new visitors and I made sure that when they stopped in, this blog was something they would want to come back to. I kept my sidebars current and my reviews frequent. I posted about bookish topics, I proposed questions about e readers, publishing trends, and one of my person favorites… what to do when authors attack. I engaged my readers in conversations with me and with each other.
As time went on, I even wrote for a few Book Reviewer events on the topic of bringing in readers and keeping them. I answered questions and wrote posts about blog traffic. Each day I came home from work and would quickly check my email to see who had commented on my review or my meandering, and I would respond. I set a goal to visit 20 blogs a day and maintained it…
and then one day…
I didn’t.
(ok not really the picture above but that pic is fun….)
Life became…. busy. Between work, writing, working out, reading, and everything else I crammed into a day… for the past 9 months… this blog has been fairly quiet with about one or two posts a week. I stopped responding to comments. I found no time to go and visit other book blogs. I rarely requested a book for review or accepted a review offer. The Monday What Are You Reading post became a”had to” instead of something I wanted to do; and yes, for a while I was wondering if I had lost my love for blogging.
I am not sure what, but something made me hold on. I enjoyed and still enjoy my online friends. I knew I was not ready to give that up. I wanted to hang on to see if after the busy time of summer and fall if I would be able to retrieve some of this bloggers life I love…
and I am glad I did.
Over the past few weeks I have started updating some of my page links here. I started writing the reviews that have backed up in my mind like a massive car pile up on a highway. I started making time to visit the blogs I enjoy reading and hope they did not die of shock when they seen a comment from me. For the first time in probably over a year, I visited all the blogs that linked to this weeks Monday What Are You Reading, something I used to love to do – and loved doing it again.
What I guess I am trying to say is, I am back. 😀 I know I do not have to go to the extreme in which I once blogged… but I truly am getting that desire to write posts again. For the first time in a while when something funny or odd happens to me I think, that would be a great Morning Meandering post. (It has been a while since I have thought in “posts”).
I am glad it is not over for me as I love this life of reviewing and chatting up books – one of my FAVORITE all time topics. This post was mainly to let you know that readers, I hope you are still around and I hope you pop in once in awhile and say hi and chat books with me. My promise to you is:
1. I will always write honest book reviews (you get my real thoughts here 😀 )
2. I will occasionally be snarky, but never mean.
3. I will share with you the craziness of the life of a want to be writer, half marathon training, book loving, adventure seeking, constantly on the go, audio book addicted, frequently fails but gets back up again, rescue dog adopting, gets up too early and stays up too late girl.
Welcome to Book Journey. Hope to see you around the blogs. 😛
Book Journey 
I hear you on what’s happened to you. I had a similar thing happen for me, and I’m hoping I’m over the worst of it too. Not back to posting regularly yet, but posting more often.
Here’s hoping your enthusiasm stays for the long term.
Thanks so much! It makes me sad to see some of the bloggers I received such great advice form int he early years, have now disappeared from the blogs. Life changes, but I am not done 🙂
I enjoy reading your Blog and its diversity. Thank you for sharing
Sure 😀 Thanks for reading!
I’m glad to hear that you have found your blogging inspiration/motivation again! I have had a bit of the blogging blahs too but I’m hoping this mini break that I have been taking will help!
I feel it coming back. It was so fun to go and visit blogs this weekend 😀
Sometimes life happens and things have to take a backseat. The best thing about the blog is that it waits patiently. I’ve been super busy with a wedding this summer and then laid up with my back issue this fall, but all the while my little book haven was ready and waiting when I could get there. Glad you did not leave it behind as you would be missed tremendously!
Thanks Nise 🙂
Sheila, I think every book blogger can identify with what you’ve been going through re your blog. I’ve cut back to one or two reviews/week and a Sunday Post. That’s it – and I still think about cutting back more, ha. I’m glad you’re going to hang in there and look forward to visiting more often. Happy Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving to you too Mary!
I’ve been blogging since 2009 too and I also feel the strain sometimes. I’m on the go and have projects constantly happening, and I wish I could visit all the blogs I want to but it’s not always possible. I loved this post, BTW, the way you set it up with all the pics. I laughed at one point. I hope we meet one day, maybe at BEA. 😀
Thanks Laura! I was trying to make the post “not so serious” by adding the pics… we are after all visual people 😀 I hope to meet you too!
Glad to hear you’re getting back in the blogging saddle. I’m still kind of in the “busy with other things” stage of blogging negligence, but hopefully I’ll be able to get myself back in the game soon, too! 🙂
I am hoping I am here for the season – I know spring through fall gets busy for me but hopefully throughout the next 4 months I can get a good rhythm that will stick 😀
Glad to have you back, enjoy your blog!
Thank you 🙂
That was a very entertaining and obviously heart-felt reintroduction. Way to go!!!!
Thanks…. I tried…. hee hee
Hi Sheila, I was happy to hear from you and when I read this post, I nodded in agreement to much of what you said. Sometimes blogging begins to feel like another job and we just need to be able to step away and post on our terms to make it work. I’m glad you are still hanging in. Happy Thanksgiving,
Thanks Diane, I have been learning that. At first I felt guilty when I realized I had not posted in days but then it was ok. I hope to still get in a couple of reviews a week but I am not going to force it.
Girlfriend, welcome back to the fold! I hear ya about needing a break occasionally, or when life jumps in the way. I’m on my 18th year of being a book reviewer (5 as a blogger) and there have been times when I just want to chuck it all – but I always come back to my books and my book friends! It’s ok to take a breather now and then! But I am glad to see you back! Much love!!!
18 years Sharon????? I had no idea! Holy smokes! Thanks for the warm welcome back… its good to be back on the blog 😀
I understand what you mean. It’s tough to keep this going when there is so much living to do. Glad that you feel like coming back a bit more. Just keep it balanced. Take a vacation when you need too. We all need a break once in a while.
thanks 😀
Yup, we all go through those times when blogging takes a backseat to other things happening in our lives. Good to see you back.
Thanks Leslie, good to be back. 😀
I so get this post!! There for a little while, blogging really felt like a chore for me but there were aspects I still loved so I didn’t give it up. I decided to ease up on myself and cut back some and I find that I’m enjoying it again.
I am glad Kathy! There are so many that were blogging when I started that do not any more. Its good to see some of of us still around. Its a comfort really! 😀
As many others here, I also understand where you’re coming from and went through a similar thing as well. As real life gets busy, online life gets to be on-hold. Glad you are finding your way back 🙂
Thanks and it is good to know its not just me but others go through this too.
Sheila I know you have a busy life. Sometimes you have to take a step back. You might have gotten burnt out. You did the best thing for yourself. I’m glad you’re back 🙂
Thanks Lori 😀
Thanks for the honest post! I started blogging much less this summer, too, and I don’t envision that changing. I’ve decided I’m okay with only posting a couple times a week, and with having less readers. I still love visiting the blogs who visit mine – as well as some others who probably have no idea who I am! – and I love the conversations I have with my fellow book-lovers. I’m so glad you’ve found your joy in blogging again – and I will keep reading, no matter how often you post. 🙂
Thanks so much! I love your posts so I will be at your place too 😀 I am ok with the less posts as well, for years I posted two times a day – a meandering and a review or a book topic… 7 days a week. 😯 Those days are over… I have no idea how I did that.
I’m so glad you are back and hopefully if you maintain a balance it will continue to be something you enjoy 🙂 I’m off to read about when authors attack now!
LOL… enjoy 😀 It was a fun post 😀
I completely understand. I used to blog at Ulat Buku in the City. Then I got pregnant, started a new job and somehow my blogging activity halted completely. That was close to 2 years ago. I miss blogging and meeting new people through blogging. I’ve recently restarted my blogging activity and hope to reconnect with other bloggers soon. So hold on and continue what you are doing! I left and came back and the first thing I did was to follow your blog!
Thanks! What a great comment!
Life does get in the way of doing things you enjoy. But sometimes those things are good as or better than. It’s all about the balance. I don’t get as much traffic as you do but even I have a hard time commenting and visiting other people’s blogs. But some people I feel I’ve connected over so I make more of an effort with them, Keep up the great job and hopefully you will continue enjoying doing this!
Thanks so much 😀
Sometimes life is what happens when you were busy making other plans! Happy to see you are planning to be around more 🙂
Isnt that the truth? 😛
Glad you are here to stay!
Thank you Harvey!
Reclaim your mojo Sheila Deela!
LOL – thanks Belinda 😀
Great post! I went through this once before. I stopped reading entirely for about 2 months. It doesn’t seem long in the big scope of things, but I was just so burned out from all the reviews and expectations of bloggings. Finally after two months, I really missed reading and blogging and now I’m back again 🙂
I am glad you stuck around too. Its good to now we can take breaks and come back to it.
Welcome back!!!!! 🙂
Thank you Rebecca!
while I did miss the morning meanderings I completely understand…..blogging seems like a lot of work!! will enjoy what you send out when you can 🙂
Thanks Diana! It can be a lot of fun but yeah… when pressed for time it can be a lot of work as well 🙂
I absolutely love this post. It’s inspiring because I’ve been in the same place as you for a while now. I just cannot seem to get back, though. Every time I post that I’m back, I don’t manage to follow through. I’m using you as an inspiration. I’m going to start commenting on your posts more often, and hopefully that will lead me to comment on others as well. I love blogging and hate that I’ve gotten so far away from it.
Julie I did the same thing for months, saying I would be back and then not. It scared me that I could not commit to it but after doing what I could I started to miss the conversations. I am hopeful now that I am back for a long time 😀
Life happens, and especially now it’s going to get crazy again given the season! Glad to see you back and that you’re not giving up blogging 🙂
Hi Charlie, we have a small family so our holidays are pretty low key and I LOVE it that way. 😀
I’m glad you didn’t give up on the blog. You would have been missed for more than just reviews. A very gracious lady you are, and I will always appreciate you sending me a book to read that wasn’t for a giveaway. You just passed it onto me in kindness and that went a long way to putting you and your blog ingrained in my heart.
Ahhhh thanks Freda! 😀
I really appreciated your honesty in today’s blog post. It’s good to read about other bloggers and their struggle with finding time to write and update their blog. I think about my blog all the time and what to write about the books I’ve read. But I have a full time job, taking 4 online classes trying to finish my degree in library sciences with a hubby and kids that I want to spend time with too. Your post is inspiring and reminds me to keep finding time. I’ll come back to writing, just like you did. Happy thanksgiving!!
Thanks. Sometimes it is hard to do everything we want to and what we need to do. As much as I wish I had unlimited energy and availability… its just not true 😀 I am learning. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
Reblogged this on The Redhead Bibliophile and commented:
I really like this blogger’s honesty because she speaks about one of my struggles in finding time to update my blog regularly. I want to but ” stuff” happens and the day is over. This blog gives me hope that I will be able to get back to what I love, reading and writing about books.
Thanks 😀 Here is hoping that you will get your mojo back as well 😀
I haven’t been reading other bloggers for quite a while because of slow computer problems and I missed that so much. Recently I bought a little laptop to tide me over until I can buy a good computer; it’s fun to try to catch up with what all my virtual friends have been reading and doing – that includes you even though you wear me out with all your activities. 😀
I am so glad I remain on your hit list Barbara 😀
I’m glad to see you have found your passion again 🙂 I am starting to blog again too! Super excited to say I’m focused, have a plan, and time.
Me too! YAY!!!! 😀
Welcome back! 🙂
Thank you. It really is good to be here.
I was really, really worried when I started reading your post that it might end in a different direction. So happy you are hanging in here in blog world with us.
And that’s for an excellent reminder of What It’s All About. We forget sometimes and get caught up in doing unimportant things, like trying to see how many people can follow us and how many books we can snag, instead of focusing on the important things, the connections we make here and the books we share.
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz
Thanks Deb, a great comment. The best thing I love about this blog is the conversations I have with all of you 😀
I too appreciate your comments and can somewhat relate. I had always been amazed at how you responded to comments and made time for visits too. I am terrible at both. In my case it is hard with three professional businesses to juggle. But you do so much in many areas that you share with us and it is interesting. Thanks for being out there and being real in life!
Thanks Martha! 😀
I completely understand what happened. It happened to me too. And I am trying to change it although visiting all the blogs each days is bound to be hard for me sometimes. But it is always good to try, right?
Happy to have you back 🙂
Sounds like a lot of us are going through this or have gone through it. WOW. We should start a support group 😀
What a wonderful update and “return”! I have struggled with many of the same issues you mentioned here – trouble keeping up, motivation sometimes flagging, and for me, soooo many other things dividing my attention (including many other writing projects that I might actually get paid for – lol).
So far, I have come out where you are – I really do enjoy my book blogs and “talking” books with other like-minded people. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I am trying to stick with it for now.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences – that helps 🙂
Sue
Book By Book
Book by Book is now on Facebook!
Thanks Sue. I wanted to make sure everyone understood what was happening with me. I have wanted to stay -love this book chatting 😀
Welcome back! I am glad I am not the only one that struggles sometimes with all the demands of blogging and it is hopeful to see the feeling comes back!
I am hit or miss with responding to comments but I always visit the blogs of commenters. Life with a 3 year old has not given me as much time to blog this year either, but like you, I’ve been holding on 🙂