Happy Saturday!
Are you relaxed? I mean it’s weekend after all! Well, I am!
Still, there are times when life is just busy! You know it yourself, work is busier than usual, your kids just demand more attention, school is just getting crazy, etc etc.
I think every one of us knows about these times…
With me, it’s mostly my job. As I am not having kids and a wonderful husband who loves when I’m happy (and, reading and blogging makes me happy) I might have more time than others. Still, there are times when everything else has to take third place. Often, I have to teach classes which run for 2-3 weeks and those are just incredibly stressful.
I come home, take my feet up on the couch and just want to relax. But, I can’t just abandon the Bookworms, so I spend my evenings writing posts and then fall into bed.
So my question now is – what to focus on when time is short? Here is my list to prioritize..
This clearly has highest priority. I still take the hour I need each day to write my post. That is a must-do, even if I’m stressed having content on the blog is the most important. I would feel bad if one day there would be no blog post up!!
Visting my favorite blogs and go through my feed – reader has second priority when time is short. Mostly, I spend an hour in the morning going through the latest Blog Posts. When I’m having more time I also spend time in the evening, but when I’m stressed and have no time, there is only the morning hour for this.
Reply to Comments- That is the hardest and most difficult for me!!! I LOVE to reply to every comment – but sometimes I just can’t! Time is too short and I’m too exhausted so this is something I skip when I have no time.
Still, I feel bad! And I have no idea what is more important, replying to all the comments I get on my posts or go and visit other blogs?
So, I’m asking you – how do you prioritize when time is short?
What would you wish from me, come to your blog and comment on your post or reply to your comment?
Of course, I am also interested in Non-Blogger Readers! Are you sad/mad/disappointed when I do not reply to your comment?
Much Love,
Latest posts by Danny (see all)
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- Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer – Blog Tour, Interview with Hunter! - May 21, 2013
I have been having issues with time again. I have the obligations with the tours and publicity I do so that sucks up a lot of time. But I feel interaction with bloggers is actually not only important for my blog but for the business as well. I like to know each blogger personally. And when they know me they feel they can trust that I’m not going to pitch a bad book. Obviously content on the blog is also priority. And none of this works if I’m not also reading.
I have mostly stopped replying to comments on my blog unless they specifically ask a question. I do return comments (visit them back) almost all the time. With being a mom I spend most my days chasing kids so yeah, time management has been a challenge lately.
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I perfectly agree with you! Interactions with other bloggers is super important, so I try to visit them as often as I can!
Oh and don’t get me started on Kismet this takes up so much of my time too. In just happy to do this with Pushy otherwise there would be no way to manage. But since we’ve been doing and running Kismet for quite a whole now, I have the workload under control – mostly looL!!
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HI Danny,
I’m torn on this one because I look forward to reading your blog (and pinterest, etc) every day that I can…. but as a non-blogger it is exciting to receive a comment back sometimes. So, there you have it…. I have been of no use whatsoever! I would say though that whatever /whichever emphasis lines up with your original goal when you started your blog, is still what it should be centered on. Good luck figuring it all out
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Oh Kim!’n thank you so much for your comment and you know what?? Your comment helped me so much, because it made me just realize the best option!
I know that bloggers might be happier if I go to their blog and leave a comment on their post.
However, readers like you might appreciate when I reply to their comment..
Sooooo this seems like the perfect compromise and solution when times too busy!!
*hug* and thank you so much!!!
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You KNOW this is an issue with every blogger so I’m right there with you. I’m not having kids either (my pups are more than enough for me!) and, at the moment, am a swingin’ single, so it *seems* like I should have more time (and probably do) but between a new job that’s sucking up about 12 hours a day, reading, writing and, oh yeah!, having a social life…finding time to blog is all about finding 15 min. here and 30 min. there.
Still, I think you hit it. Keep the posts going, keep up with readers and bloggers and just do the best you can without burning yourself out! *hugs, girl!*
Mary @ BookSwarm recently posted..Novellapalooza: a little romance, a little paranormal
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Sigh! Yes I guess we are all in the same boat right??? And oh you have a social life! I feel like I don’t so much and most if my social contacts are either at work or online! But I do talk to pushy nearly every day on the phone if that counts lol!!
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Because I visit and comment on so many blogs, I never revisit them to see if the blogger commented back on my comment.
While I enjoy it when people comment back on my blog after I visit theirs, it’s not mandatory. I have found, though, I do tend to stop commenting on blogs when it’s obvious the blogger doesn’t visit mine (there are a few exceptions). I’ll rather spend the time visiting someone else’s blog. When you consider I have 30-60 comments a post, and I make the effort to comment back, then there’s no excuse for others not to, especially when they only get 10 comments. But in order to find the time to do this, I found it necessary to cut down to blogging twice a week.
Now this doesn’t apply to every blog I visit. If you aren’t a writer, it’s not much value to visit my blog. So I definitely don’t expect book bloggers to visit my blog and comment. But most of the time I don’t comment on book blogs anyway.
Stina Lindenblatt recently posted..On My Writerly Bookshelf: The Moral Premise
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I told myself that I would try to blog everyday, but blogging comes third to school and my job. I’ve been lax the past couple of weeks, but I think regularly engaging in other blogs is the most important, other than posting, because it lets people know you’re still aware of other people’s blogs.
Janita @ Book, Interrupted recently posted..Beautiful Creatures: The Movie!
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I am always having an issue with time management since I am a full time student. I also have community service hours and exercising and an array of other things. It sucks and I always try and make sure to have something posted on my blog no matter how big or small. I am with you on the fact it’s important to continue to post avidly as well as comment on other peoples blogs. That’s always important to me. I think time management it crazy important and also an important issue for bloggers a lot of the time. 8)
Reese’s recently posted..Feature & Follow #21
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Danny, I love your discussion posts! I’m having so much trouble with time-management, that I keep falling asleep, and then waking up to my computer on my lap! Lol. I feel like I need a secretary just to sort through all of my email! Blog posts take 1st priority, then commenting back to those who took time to write to me,, then visiting the blogs of the bloggers that visit me the most, a d last would be visiting blogs that I enjoy, that don’t visit me.
For one of your discussion posts, can you talk about how you go about turning down review requests that you don’t want to do.
Talk to you soon,
Lindy
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I am so bad at going over to people’s blogs and commenting that it’s embarrassing. It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s mostly because I don’t have time. So I prioritize my time so that I’m commenting on other posts when I go to other people’s blog to comment on their Top Ten Tuesday or Waiting On Wednesday. It doesn’t always happen but these two days, I try my best to comment as much as I can. Oh and on book haul posts as well.
Sana @ artsy musings of a bibliophile recently posted..Review: Focus by Alyssa Rose Ivy Blog Tour + Giveaway
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I’m pretty terrible at keeping up with other blogs. I’ve come to the conclusion that rather than stressing about it my only goal is to post once a week, though I’d prefer to post twice a week. If and when I can, I’ll comment on other blogs.
It’s a stress free blogging way to live, but the consequences are that your readership won’t grow as much, because you’re not connecting and making as many friends.
If my “offline” world wasn’t so complicated, I’d probably post more, but I know I have limited time, so I do my best to blog and read books I want to share, since apparently none of my friends have the same taste in books I have.
Liza recently posted..Pre AP Books & Their Movie Version
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I don’t network as much as I’d like to. Lately I try to keep up with Top Ten and Feature / Follow posts, but they can become overwhelming. When it comes to the most traffic / comments, those two posts weekly are it for my blog. One reason why I don’t keep up with other blogs is because it is hard to find that balance. If a new visitor to my blog comments and they have a blog, I’ll check them out, but I notice a majority of bloggers don’t so trying to find the balance of who to start networking with, etc is time consuming (and more so for new bloggers).
Jessica recently posted..Sims’ By Summer Seas
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Time management is an issue for any blogger. Some more than others, my blog isn’t really big right now so I’m not under as much pressure to have something new 5,6 or 7 days a week but I do like to stay current.
Whenever I get comments on my blog I usually reply back and then go visit their blog. If I see something I like I’ll comment on their blog as well. My blog is small so I have time to do that. As I grow I’ll probably have to change that.
Avanti recently posted..I Am More Than Books
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I’d say visiting instead of replying. Unless my comment asks a question I don’t NEED a reply you know. The comment is for you. So reply if you want but I always enjoy it more when you visit us. Which you do – and we love you for it!
Pabkins @ My Shelf Confessions
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I think what suffers with my blog when I don’t have much time is reviews. Memes like “Waiting on Wednesday” or “Top Ten Tuesday” are easy to pump out. I also really like writing about K-Dramas and K-POP, so those posts always get written. But usually when I’m stressed, I don’t want to read, so I have nothing to review. This has happened recently, so I’ve been having to post a lot of fluff…and reviews of books that either came out like 6 months ago or don’t come out until this summer. (Oops!) I also don’t visit other blogs often, except for my absolute favorites.
KM recently posted..Top Ten Tuesday: Authors on My Auto-Buy List
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I have 1 day where I only write up book reviews. That leaves the rest of the week free to read and comment. I do try to leave comments and be social on twitter & my blog. But this hobby is time consuming if I don’t watch myself. I don’t do too many meme’s because if I don’t have anything to post then I won’t.
Julie@my5monkeys recently posted..Deep Betrayal Book Review
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I am with you guys. I work a full-time job (sometimes more than full time), sit on two not-for-profit boards, am working towards my Masters degree, have two small children at home (2 and 4 yrs old), and run the Reviewing Wonderland book blog. I’m not really sure how I find time for it all. But I have found that scheduling my days (I have several calendars for each of my “lives”) and making what is important a priority helps some. The hard part is deciding what is important. And that would be a personal decision for everyone.
Good luck finding your balance!
Meagan recently posted..Missing in Action
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I’ve really been struggling lately to fit in my reading, writing reviews, and commenting. I usually tend to prioritize what I feel like doing most. So if I want to read, then I read. If I want to comment, I comment. That helps keep me in balance.
Bookworm1858 recently posted..February Thoughts and the Week to Come 03MAR13
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