Life as a book blogger isn’t as easy as everyone thinks it is. So for today, I’m going to write up all the struggles I’ve experienced ever since starting this blog.
Knowing which social media platform to focus on
I know bloggers who are active on their blogs, Twitter, Goodreads, Bloglovin’, and have bookstagrams. I can barely manage Goodreads and Twitter. TELL ME.
Getting ARCs
Let’s face it. Every book blogger wants to receive ARCs, but the true struggle is always on how to get them. You need enough followers and views, plus the right contact person (which can be difficult to find especially if you’re based outside of the US).
Emailing them is also another struggle. You write and rewrite your email, trying to sound like the perfect reviewer to send a copy to. And there’s the waiting which is the most painful. you try not to get your hopes up and expect mail just in case they decide to send you an ARC without replying. ARCs are a source of stress. It’s a true struggle.
Seeing people get ARCs that you want
ARC jealousy is real and it’s hard to tell yourself that it’s okay not to receive this certain ARC that you really, really want. Staying positive is a hard feat when you feel so down and jealous.
Not liking a book an author sent to you
Aside from having trouble finishing the book, there’s the entire issue of the high probability–if not a guarantee–that the author will see your review. Writing a negative review is hard enough, but imagine having to write a negative review knowing that the author will read it?!
Waiting for galley approvals
I’m not sure if other bloggers experience this, but galley approvals either take a day or 300 years to be approved. THERE IS NO IN BETWEEN.
Not being able to organize your thoughts when you love a book to write a coherent review
What you want to write: I LOVE THIS BOOK I WANT THIS BOOK TATTOOED ON MY FOREHEAD EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW I LOVELOVELOVE THIS BOOK SO MCUDHFASHDFKSJFRK
What you end up writing: This book much wow.
Slipping into a book slump when you should be reading more books
There is nothing worse than slipping into a book slump when you know there are books that you need and want to read. You simply feel uninspired and can’t stand the thought of picking up a book and reading.
Intense mourning periods that make you wonder why you started reading in the first place
These mourning periods are caused by those books. You know what I’m talking about. Those books that rip your heart out and make you feel things you’ve never thought you’ve felt before. When the book is done, you feel empty and hollow. You wonder what your life was like before reading this book. You don’t know how to live your life after this book. You’ll think about it for days and feel like crying. You try to move on by reading a new book and fail. It’s the worst kind of hell, but you’d do it because you love this book.
Balancing the tasks of reading books, reviewing them, making book tags, networking with the book community, and reaching out to authors and publishers
This is more complex than focusing on what social media platform to focus on, because this one is key to the survival of your book blog. How the hell do people do this especially those who still go to school?! My new idols. Let me in on your secret.
Having to go on hiatus because of other responsibilities
THIS. IS. THE. WORST. It’s like abandoning your child because you realized you can’t handle everything all at once. Having to go on a hiatus always breaks my heart. It’s also a struggle when you do go back to blogging. You feel so lost. There are new people to follow and so many new books to read. You feel like Captain America did when he finally came out of the ice. Out of his time.
Explaining to nonbookish people that you run a book blog
“Yes, I run a blog about books.”
“What do you do?”
“I read and review books.”
“Anyone can do that though.”
It’s so weird when you get an email from Netgalley a million years after requesting a book. And you’re like, Um, I totally don’t have time to read this anymore? Or I don’t even remember requesting this book?
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I agree, I have a book pending in Netgalley from July last year, annoys me every-time I see it now haha
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Ahh I love this post!! I can relate to every single one of them!! I feel like I spend so much of my time on wordpress, Instagram, goodreads and twitter….writing blog posts and trying to get my blog out there is hard work, and I don’t think us bloggers get enough credit for what we do (not that I am asking for credit, you know, it’d just be nice if someone paid us all a million dollars or something like that….as a bonus ya know haha). And I know exactly what you mean about explaining the book blog thing to people…some people are just like “eww why?”. Once again, great post!!
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Gosh darn this is too true. Everything hits home. Especially the review part, one where you try so hard to form coherent sentences to make other people believe that you truly enjoyed what you read. And some people just say meh when you say you blog about books. I mean come on, we deal with a lot of stuff, too. I feel you with these struggles. 💪
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Lol, you just described everything I’ve experienced blogging 🙂 . Still have no clue with social media at all, not sure I ever will 😮 !!
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Agree with Elizabeth. I’ve done the whole, ‘I didn’t even request this book’ on NetGalley, then realise I did, four months ago.
I’ve had the same with Bookbridgr.
One of my things about blogging is agreeing to review too many books and then not being able to read the books that I want to because of trying to keep up with my TBR list. But I have found many a brilliant book via my TBR list too.
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The struggle to review a book you loved is so real 😩 arc jealousy is so real. I’m happy the person got the arc but also like WHY COULDN’T I GET IT TOO!!!!
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My biggest problem is the socialising. I’m an autistic introvert, most days I don’t do the communicating thing very well at all. “this book so wow” is pretty much me. 🤣
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this is…the realest thing i’ve ever seen
i can’t even pick which i relate to most
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That last one always gets me. When you tell people run a book blog and they look at you like, “Oh, isn’t that cute. But what do you do with all of the rest of your spare time.” They have NO idea how much of my life my blog consumes!
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This post is so relatable! It’s so hard balancing everything in life. On top of running social media accounts. Blogging is such a big job that non-bloggers don’t even understand. It’s such rewarding work, but also very complex work.
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Intense mourning period: check. Finished a book last night that left me, my heart and my soul broken in a thousand pieces. I cried hard and long; my boyfriend didn’t have a clue what to do with me. I simply.. broke? I’ve started another book since then, making the obvious decision of going for a totally different genre so it keeps me out of a slump but my lord… Empty I was, empty I still am.
As for the rest of the struggles you mention: yes, yes and yes.
I keep trying Bookstagram but it’s like I can’t keep it up for longer than two weeks to post every day and it feels soooo bad. My Twitter is always dead during the weekends because I’m simply stuck in books then? Ugh.
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Ha awaiting Netgalley approvals and forgetting you’ve requested so many until you get 10 approvals that all publish in the next few weeks, at that’s a pretty good dilemma to have
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I just started the blog part but I’ve been doing reviews and proofreading and editing for a little while. You’re dead on! 😂
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Yep. After being refused an handful of times, I got one the same day I requested and the other was sitting there for like … 3weeks o.o BOTH OF THEM releasing in march.. well poop.
Also I am totally with you on the review thing 😂😂 I try to focus in some particular points now though, with my last review, but if you check my others ones im basically just « chebidbsjsnsk II LOVE TJIS!! » none sense.. 🙈
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I’m dying at ‘this book much wow’ hahhaha. If I love a book A LOT I might even end up not reviewing it and just mention it in a different post with a ‘READ IT’ because I just can’t put my thoughts into words 😂
Omg HOW do people manage to balance everything and keep up ALL the social media?? They are legends honestly
That Captain America metaphor is brilliant – I had never thought about it but that truly is how you feel after a hiatus. It’s like the book blogging community has just,, changed?? In such a short amount of time?? HOW
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