Hosted by Tiger at All-Consuming Media and Karen at For What It's Worth Reviews.
There's a blogging time machine! Pretend you can start over. Knowing what you know now about blogging – what do you wish you did differently when it comes to creating your blog?
I don't have many regrets when it comes to my blog. Sure, there were plenty of false starts, abandoned ideas, and some pretty meh reviews until I got the hang of it. I had a rating system and abandoned it. Along with my reviews, I used to do a bunch of memes but strategically abandoned most of them, doing them only when/if it suits.
Really, the only major thing I'd change about my blog is the name. Originally, I'd wanted it to be a play on my last name which starts with a "B": bees--honey--hive, you know, that kind of stuff. But all the names I came up with were either really bad or taken. Until I came up with The Book Swarm and the tagline "All A-Buzz About Books".
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| From AxeCop |
Anyway, now that I've been blogging a while (almost two years, as of June 26th!), the name's stuck.
Other than that, I'm pretty happy with my buzzy wee blog. What about you? Anything you'd change or do differently?
I have been blogging for 4 years and didn't know there was a blogging community when I started. I wouldn't change a thing, honestly. My first reviews sucked, my reviews now are a little better (not great) but they work for me. I have made some great friends and really have my blog where I want it. Actually it is beyond where I thought it would be so from this point out everything else is just gravy! My blog name is horrid if I was a marketer but alas it fits who I am as a person. For the purpose of my blog that is far more important LOL
ReplyDeleteI like your name! And like how everything in your blog really reflects your personality. :)
DeleteI think some of the changes I made early on (like throwing out my grades as ratings and switching to an enjoyment scale) were simply an evolution of blogging. Like, there's a certain learning process that you have to go through. The name thing, though. That would be tough. I put a lot of thought into mine before I started (and knew it was important), so I'm happy with it. It would be different if I wasn't, I'd guess.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree about the learning process and evolution of blogging. It shows you've grown as a blogger. And I like your name, too!
DeleteI love your blog title & header! I think finding your blog name is the hardest thing you will do and then you're stuck with it lol
ReplyDeleteThe rating thing is always an issue for me. I'm always pondering about what to do about that. Maybe that's a good future Book Blogger Confessions question.
I gave up on the ratings, just because I usually like *something* about a story and, if I don't, I usually DNF. It's always something, right?
DeleteWhoa Mary! We started our blogs at almost the exact same time! I think my 2-year blogoversary is the 28th or 29th of June. *high fives* And I love your name, though now that you've mentioned it I'm going to be picturing the dive bombing books. Love it:)
ReplyDeleteCool beans! And happy almost-blogoversary! *high fives back* *sends dive-bombing books your way* Heh.
DeleteI wish I had been more outgoing in the beginning just so that I could have gotten to know the amazing bloggers I know now even sooner. I was a lurker on a ton of blogs when I started mine but I was too shy to actually comment. Blogging is so much better now when I reach out to other people.
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog name-thanks for the background information about it!
I agree with the being outgoing. It's taken me about a year to really start commenting and only recently have I become more interactive within the community!
DeleteI am glad that you don't have regrets too with how you did your blog too. Congrats on the 2 years . I love the your name :)
ReplyDeleteLOL--I adore your name! Every time I see it, I have to smile (picturing monkeys does that to me).
DeleteI'm with you! It took me some time to get the hang of bloggin and at firt I wasn't even sure it was going to stick. And, really, I'm not crazy about the name of my blog, Idon't know why. It used to be AnimeGirl's Bookshelf but it sounded too generic to me so I switched it and I like it better but sometimes feels too long and I wish I had named it something cuter. LOL
ReplyDeleteBut I love your name and I imagine cute little bees when I think of your blog, I really do! :D And your header with Fi is awesome :D
I like your name--it works! Names really are the hardest thing, to me. :)
DeleteLove your name! Period! :)
ReplyDeleteStarting over? Now, I don't think so... when we started we all had no idea about how huge the community is and ..we had no idea about ARC's.. I'm always happy to know that we started not for the ARC's but only for the love of books! I love our name... so, nope I think I grew with my Blog and the Blog grew with me and I am happy where we are right now.
Now, that sounds cheesy hu? :)
Aw! Thanks! I was just like you--no idea how big this community is/was, absolutely no idea about ARCs. Pretty cool when you're book-focused, rather than "free stuff" focused.
DeleteMy blog name's grown on me and, while I still get the vision of dive-bombing books every once in a while, I quite like it.
LOVE CHEESE!
I wish I'd made more of an effort to join in, as I've been blogging for a year and a half, and only started joining in a couple of months ago :P
ReplyDeleteI did the same--just kind of lurked, rather than jumping in. Nothing wrong with that. But I'm glad you're joining now! :)
DeleteHa! I wish I could go back in time and change my blog name too. I love naming things, but I'm terrible at it. If I could go back in time, I think I'd join a group blog then run one on my own. It's fun to do your own thing, but it's also a lot of pressure. I think by being part of a group blog, I could have been happy posting once a week or something. LOL
ReplyDeleteI love your name and see nothing wrong with it! But MY blog name is LAME. I would do a do over on that. When I started it I thought it was just for me. But I actually really got into blogging and now I'm stuck with it. But at least people know its me!
ReplyDelete