Blogging Insecurities

A couple of days ago I came across Chasing Faerytales' post on the 'Insecurities of a Book Blogger.'

It's a fab post and you should check it out if you can.

So, anywho, it got me thinking about my own blogging insecurities, and, well - I can't be letting you guys have all the fun/crippling anxiety, can I?

Here they are then, my own blogging insecurities:

• No-one will care what I have to say: who am I after all? Just some random Welsh chick with a laptop. Who would care about my opinion?

• I'm socially awkward: have you noticed my comments are a little... stilted sometimes? I have no idea what to say, or even whether I need to say anything. I resort to short answers and smiley faces in an attempt to let you know that I do appreciate you taking the time to talk to me - I just have no idea what to say to you.

• The quality of my writing is no good: I know that this isn't true - but sometimes, I can't help wondering... do people like reading my blogposts? Are my reviews any good?

• ARCs - specifically, getting round to reading everything I said I would: I have a habit of underestimating myself, and stressing the small stuff unnecessarily - it's all linked in with my depression and anxiety issues. So if I request a lot of ARCs, and somehow manage time and again to get approved, I have a small freak-out about how quickly I'm supposed to read them. I keep forgetting that there's no supposed to about it. After all, I purposefully avoid blog tours so that I don't have to deal with deadlines.

• Being overly-unique: this makes no sense. I know this makes no sense. But I've noticed that the majority of book bloggers either have kids, a job, a spouse, etc., or are teenagers. I'm neither of these things. And while I know that that gives me a unique spin on life, the universe, and everything, sometimes it feels like you won't be able to relate to me and my opinions because you're just at a completely different place in your life to where I am in mine. Plus, I'm weird - you know this, I know this, we all know this ;)

• Not making money/being judged for trying to make money: I know this is a touchy subject blogging-wise, but I need income. I'm self-employed, and it's important to me that I get income wherever I can so that eventually I can be financially separate from my parents, just for a start. So, yeah, I have Amazon associate links for the UK and US - not because I'm a sell-out, but because I damn-well need the small amount of commission they provide if people buy things.

So, there you have it. Hopefully I didn't sound overly-neurotic, and you all still like me ;) You know I try to be truthful and open wherever possible (it's even one of my New Year's resolutions,) so, y'know, all that jazz...


Like this post? Try these:

• 2016 Bookish Resolutions
• The Bookish Rebel
• The Writer Diaries (or, Blogging is a Fickle Mistress)

The Writer Diaries (or, Blogging is a Fickle Mistress)

You may have noticed... I tend to blog. Quite a bit more recently, in fact.

NaBloPoMo 2015 kind of sparked a dormant blogging demon that I didn't notice I had. I suppose it's not that big a surprise, a blogging demon is just a type of writing demon, and I have plenty of those.

But blogging can be fickle. I have absolutely no bl**dy clue whether a post is going to be popular before it's out there, in the big wide world, for everyone to see (and for quite a few people not to see I suspect.)

I can spend ages planning out and writing a post, for it to get a handful of views. But my most popular post to date, The Bookish Rebel, is a post that I wrote all-at-once in the space of about quarter of an hour, basically just about me being me.

Don't get me wrong - I'm mightily proud of that post! Neither will I let myself get sloppy and just throw posts up willy-nilly (pride comes before a fall and all that jazz.)

I guess this post is just me having a think about blogging in general - and writing - and all of that. I may be rambling, it wouldn't be the first time! :)

The Writer Diaries (Or, I Blog From the Heart, How 'Bout You?)

There are a lot of blogs out there. So very many blogs are out there. Some like to wow with the flashy-flash, some like to use gifs until your eyes bleed, some feel very club-y and exclusive, some very welcoming.

I try to blog from the heart - as random-a** and batty as my heart is. I also try not to worry about chasing followers and views - you chase them, and they'll run away. Wait for them to come to you, grasshopper (man, I haven't watched Kung-Fu in ages...) Anywho, believe me or disbelieve me if you wish, but I try to just be really open and genuine with what I blog, and my reviews. If I enjoy it, and I really think it's worthy of praise, then praise is what it will get. If I dislike it, then I will say so.

I also have to admit that I'm not particularly good at being a part of either the Blogsphere or the Booksphere - you know, the social stuff, and what it's 'cool' to blog about at any particular time. And I'm OK with that. I'm a bit older than a lot of the girls out there blogging (granted, I'm also younger than many other book bloggers,) I have different interests, different life experience, and different tastes (I am nerd girl, hear me Squee!) I don't read things if they don't interest me, no matter how much buzz there is about them. I have my own, sometimes quirky, opinions, about a variety of subjects - and hopefully the people who actually do read this blog appreciate that.

So, I have no idea what spurred this post - something that was brewing in my fangirling heart, clearly. I will write what I mean though guys - always and forever (sorry, I've been watching too much of The Originals,) so I promise that I will do my best (honestly, you can tell I was a Guide,) to be an honest, quirky, and non-bandwagon-jumping blogger. Hope that's ok with all of you :)