Okay bloggers, I have a couple of questions and I wanted your opinion.
On challenges -
When you finish a book for a challenge are you dilligent about posting your review not only on your blog but on the challenge blog (or Mr. Linky page)? I'm having a horrible time keeping up with this.
How do you keep your challenges organized and running smoothly?
On Twitter -
I just don't get it. I mean, really. I don't. But more and more people are tweeting and I feel like I need to jump on the bandwagon (I was probably one of the last to join FB!).
Do you tweet? If so, why?
And, if you don't why dontcha?
I just started twitter a couple of weeks ago, mostly because I need to learn how to use it for work, and I thought I would enjoy the learning more if I tied it in to my blog.
ReplyDeleteThe things I like about it are the opportunity to follow publishers and find out about new books that are coming out. I also follow some book bloggers some of whose blogs I don't have in my reader. If it's a blogger who doesn't often write about books I'm interested in but sometimes has something interesting to say, then twitter lets me keep up with what they're talking about without requiring me to fill my blog reader with posts I don't want to read. And people often post links to articles and such that they may not bother to write a post about. (That's what I do. I also mention books in progress, which is too much trouble to post about on the blog.)
I've also enjoyed some of the #litchats. There's a set time (usually 4pm EST) and people just get on twitter to discuss some book topic--book clubs, genres, etc. I can't join in often, but it's fun.
That said, it can be a major time suck. I use tweetdeck to manage my tweets, and I don't sweat it if I miss stuff. I like it more than I expected to, but it hasn't revolutionized my online life.
With challenges, every time I put up a review, I automatically go put the review URL onto whatever pages/Mr. Linkys applicable. I also have to put those links up on several review lists that I keep, on goodreads, and I post them on Twitter. I guess I like lists and organization...
ReplyDeleteAs for Twitter, I was on it for awhile and then quit because it seemed pretty pointless. Recently Scott Westerfeld joined, which gave me a reason to reactivate my account, and since then, I've kind of had fun. It's like having a multiperson chat room. I go on there sometimes and have conversations, get off when I'm done, and that's all. I don't really think anyone cares much about my posts, but I've made some friends and get to have real time talks with people sometimes, and that's worth it to me.
I try and update the links to my books to the challenge sites once a week. I keep a track of them by keeping them in my sidebar, so I can look at them at a glance.
ReplyDeleteDon't do Twitter,as I would never leave the computer.
I rarely ever post on challenge blogs. I just don't have the time to write a review on my blog, then leave a review on the challenge blog.
ReplyDeleteTo keep everything running smoothly, which was rare, I would type out my list and print them out. I also keep a list of the books I read. That way at the end of a challenge, if I didn't have enough books to complete it, I could go through my list and see about other books that would fit the challenge.
But I've given up almost all my challenges in the last couple of days. I want to be more free with my reading.
I've been on Twitter since the end of last year. Twitter is a great way to find other bloggers and also network with bloggers, authors, publicists, and publishers. I've met a lot of bloggers on Twitter that I didn't know existed.
There are a lot of great conversations going on Twitter about literature, favorite books, ways to improve blogging, and more. There are also book clubs on Twitter that people can join.
I haven't participated in any challenges yet, but my guess is that I would keep track with a notebook and checklist system or a computer spreadsheet.
ReplyDeleteI haven't used Twitter, either. I like to keep my computer usage to a minimum, and I'm sure I would spend a lot of time on Twitter if I used it, so I'd rather stay away for as long as I can.
Teresa - Thank you so much for the in depth response! My biggest concern is adding more internet time to my life. I'm already pretty guilty with spending way more time than I should online, and sorta figured it would be a time swap. Still, everyone is doing it. (Haha, now I sound like my students) and I wanted to stay tech savvy!
ReplyDeleteAmanda - I want to be as organized as you with challenges. I think that's going to be my goal next year (haha, I'm such a planner). I get so overwhelmed and then end up spending a good Sunday evening takin' care of bizness (so to speak:P)
Scrap girl - ME TOO!
Vasilly - I'm staying pretty organized with maintaining my list, but I agree, it's difficult to remember to go back to the original page and post a review.
Charley - I think you and I are coming from the same place. (Except I bet you're more disciplined than me with computer time. My goal is to spend less time on the creature!)
ReplyDeleteChallenges: I used to, but these days I always forgot :(
ReplyDeleteTwitter: Teresa, Amanda and Vasilly said it all. You know, I resisted joining for a long time, but now I love it. And I don't even find it that much of a timesuck because I only ever use it when I'm on the computer doing other things. I decided from the beginning that I wouldn't try to catch up with what happens at other times.
I am a tweeter.... errr.... twitter.... er tweetie?
ReplyDeleteAnyway I have trouble remembering to do it... but I kind of get the point. Twitter is suppose to be just small snipits of life for friends to share in our every busy world.
I use it mainly when I have posted a really good review, or a contest. I also find other peoples good reads and contests on Twitter...
I am somewhat dilligent about posting my reviews on my blog and updating my challenges on my blog. But I am not so much on the challenge blog or Mr. Linky page. I tend to forget those two.
ReplyDelete