Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday: Reasons Why I Love Being a Blogger

Hosted by Top Ten Tuesday
There are blogging-burnouts, occasional drama-fests, and crazy schedules that come with being a blogger. But there are also many reasons why it's great to be a blogger. Of course, it's great to just be a reader too! Amazingly, I was able to limit myself to 10 this week and be a rule follower.

1. Blogger friends. Before I started blogging, I heard my sister talking about the people she was talking to in the blogosphere and I actually thought it was weird. You're talking to strangers? Really? But I quickly realized how great bloggy friends are. They bookishly connect with you in a way that most "in real life" people can't comprehend.

2. Interaction with authors. One of the greatest things about blogging is that you have more interactions with authors. A reader may be able to as well, but I know I interacted, connected, and talked more with authors once I started blogging. They went from being untouchable celebrities in my mind to a friendly pals.

3. Meeting new people. This relates back to the previous two points in a way because usually those new people are bloggers and authors. I love discovering new people—from bloggers to authors to only readers to publicists—and connecting with them in some way.

4. Community. The blogosphere hosts a wide variety of perks within. There's the connection with other people I've been harping on, but I also love participating in events, such as RBWL, and blog hops and Twitter-y things. I don't always have as much time for Twitter as I wish, but there are fun happenings over there a lot. Fun that I would never know about if I wasn't a blogger.

5. Tastes have expanded. I'll be writing a post about this soon, but one of the things that amazed me when I became a blogger is how much my tastes have expanded. I love that, because I joined in the blogosphere, I was introduced to new genres and authors and loves.

6. ARCs. They can be a headache for many bloggers, but I think every one of them appreciates and loves ARCs. ARCs are definitely perks and I'm grateful to receive them. Which leads to...

7. Publicizing. When talking about books, you're publicizing them. A rant, a fangirling post, a mini-review, a intellectual review, a Top Ten Tuesday, a Waiting on Wednesday, a month in review post...all of these posts publicize at least one book, negatively or positively. I love that. I love seeing commenters say that they never heard of it before or that I influenced them in some way. I love knowing that in a very small way, I can publicize a book and an author.

8. Judgement-free outlet. We all have differing opinions, and while I have seen horror stories (in which shaming, bullying, and drama occurs), I have only had positive experiences in the feedback of my input. Basically, I use my blog as an outlet for my thoughts (of course) and there's no judgement. I know that I have to be careful to respect others and in return, someone can have an opposite opinion, but then that can lead to a great discussion. I love discussions.

9. For all readers: the perfect transport. Some of the points above may apply to non-blogging readers as well, but I know that this point definitely does. Reading is the perfect transport, which I talked about in my first ever post (which is so embarrassing). From aristocratic Europe in the 1800s to a small, contemporary beach town to a whole different universe in the distant future; you can experience all of these situations. What's better than that for a girl who dreams of traveling?


10. For my selfish moment of the day: future/college. I'll be honest, as I always like to be, and say that one of the reasons I love being a blogger is that it helps with my future. College applications, resumes, college essays. My blog impressed the Scholar program, the senior publicist I talked to wanted to see it, and I wrote about it for my college application essay. Something I love doing helps me with my future and that makes me love it even more.

Why do you love blogging or reading?

23 comments:

  1. My tastes have really expanded since book blogging too. I read much more genres I wouldn't have come across myself. Great list! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love that, don't you? I went from only contemporary to fantasy and sci-fi and dystopian!

      Delete
  2. Great list! I agree with the ARCS, they are pretty much a pain, but definitely love them still! <3 OH AND I LOVE THAT DAVID TENNANT GIF totally made your post even better lol

    Followed you on blogger yay :)

    My TTT

    ReplyDelete
  3. #10 is perfect. If I weren't blogging, I'm not sure I'd be doing anything colleges see as worthwhile (just reading and writing).

    And blogger friends are the best. :)

    Here's my list! http://bookworm716.blogspot.com/2014/02/top-ten-tuesday-being-bloggerbookworm.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My thoughts exactly. I've done some extracurriculars, but I think blogging really makes a different sort of pop.

      Delete
  4. I love this list so much and I agree! Though I'm wayyyyyy beyond college, I'm so so happy that you were able to use your blog as part of your application process. You should be very very proud. But I LOVE this community so much. I feel very accepted for my reading voracity. I also love that you pointed out how you have been challenged to read outside of your original book tastes. I'd definitely agree with that! It's so fun to read a review of a book that you might not have thought to pick up on your own, but then be convinced that you MUST HAVE IT. Thanks for being such a huge wonderful part of my reading/blogging life.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, Lauren. This comment made me smile SO MUCH. Thanks for being a part of mine as well <3

      Delete
  5. I love your list, although it took me a while to stop staring at the DT gif and read it >.<

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love your list and I agree with most, although I'm definitely more on the shy side, so the "meeting new people" part probably doesn't fit for me. LOL At least not meeting in person. I love my "bloggy friends" that I've been chatting with online. I have my few regulars that I visit daily, but I've never been to a book signing or blogger event where I would actually get to meet other bloggers or authors in person. Being in Connecticut makes it tough to attend events. I agree with so many of your points though. It's great being a blogger, isn't it?! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't met any in person either, except for one :) I want to though!

      Delete
  7. #1 is one of the things I agree with the most! Almost all of the people I know IRL don't read, and it's wonderful to talk to people who really love it! And #2 is awesome! The first time I got to talk to an author online I thought that was the neatest thing ever! (Yeah, I'm a major geek! (;) #5 is one that I really agree with, too! A few of my favorite books now are ones I never would have tried if another blogger hadn't talked about their love of it! And #7! I love talking about a book that I love, in the hopes that one person might try it and love it, too! When a person tells me that they're going to try a book that I told them about, I love that feeling! :) And #9, too! LOVE opening a book and being able to "go" anywhere I want! :) Wonderful list, Summer! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And I forgot to mention it, but I LOVE the 2nd gif you used! :)

      Delete
    2. Thanks, Jessica! I just couldn't stop loving your whole comment.

      Delete
  8. Oh wow, I love that you mention that you tastes have expanded because 1) this is the first time I've noticed this on a list so far today and 2) mine have too! I obviously didn't include this on my list but I'm reading entire genres I NEVER EVER would have picked up before I began blogging. Great addition to your list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whoa, really? I think that's the biggest thing that happened during my blogging experience!

      Delete
  9. Great picks :) I love how many new books I have found thanks to blogging, I've definitely started reading books that I never would have even looked at before. My TTT

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh my gosh--how freaking fabulous that your blog has helped you with college entrance stuff!! That is awesome, Sunny--and what an affirming thing for you I imagine:) I agree with all your points--many mirror mine. I like that you mentioned how blogging has made you venture out and expand your reading tastes--that's a great point I didn't think of but I wholeheartedly agree. I never would have picked up a copy of Anna and the French Kiss in a bookstore because I felt like I was just FAR TOO OLD for a book like that. Had it not been for blogging I would have missed out on that and so many other wonderful contemps--and that has now become my favorite genre to read:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Very! It's been really helpful and probably the only thing I can say that I have when it comes to applications. That's great!

      Delete
  11. THIS POST. It is so sweet and so true, and I second all of it. It's particularly fantastic that you wrote about blogging for your college application essay. Just yesterday, I was telling my mom about how I will have nothing interesting to write about for mine because I have a boring and privileged life, and she told me I should write about my blog, so it made me smile to see that you had the same idea. I guess great minds think alike - you and my mom both have very great minds.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's so cool! I'm glad that your mom suggested that because obviously, it's a great idea ;)

      Delete
  12. Oh, Summer, I adore you, I really do. I never even contemplated the fact that blogging about something you love like this could ever actually help you in future endeavors like college. Writing your own book, maybe, but on college applications and such? Wow, I'm impressed. I knew you'd been talking to publicists and such, but wow. Good for you! And I love all the other aspects of blogging that you touched on, but I wanted to specifically remark on that one. =) Also, kudos to working in a David Tennant GIF...I try to do that, too. :)

    ReplyDelete