Today’s topic is Community and how we do it:
The world of book blogging has grown enormously and sometimes it can be hard to find a place. Share your tips for finding and keeping community in book blogging despite the hectic demands made on your time and the overwhelming number of blogs out there. If you’re struggling with finding a community, share your concerns and explain what you’re looking for–this is the week to connect!
Gosh, it has gotten hard for me to stay connected! At one time, I was able to get on Twitter occasionally at work, but now it’s blocked. That really hurt my community access! Now I only know if something is going on if they tweet with my name in it, I get it in an email. And thanks to Tweet mail, I can email a tweet in. Thankfully, I’ve made what I think will be lifelong friends in this community and I can email them.
Oh, and now, since work refuses to update MSIE past version SIX (YES! SIX!) I can’t get on Google Reader any more. Thankfully, I found Blog Lovin.
Then there is the whole promotion at work eating up what little free time I had at work. Now I’m lucky if I can look at a few blogs during lunch and break! Whoa, this is turning into a whine-fest!
So how about something good? About a month ago, I discovered a feed reader in the App store for my Mac. It cost $10, but it had some stellar reviews. I was feeling a little courageous, so I bought it. And I haven’t. looked. back. I hate you Google Reader! Reeder is amazing. It has really helped me stay in tune with my favorite blogs. I can save posts to Evernote, in different categories. It’s gorgeous. I love it. Blog reading has NEVER been better. I’m not even sure how I lived before Reeder and Evernote. The best part? I update Reeder. I can take all the time I want reading the posts that I’ve downloaded, and it can take days. Once I finish, I click the update button and bam! There are all the new posts from the last few days. No more 1000+ posts waiting for me and y’all. Seriously. It is the best thing ever. That 1000+ can stress me out and I hate hitting mark all read! I always feeling like I’m missing something! Now, I don’t.
Screenshot of Reeder
Without these tools, I would be so lost, and gosh y’all, I love the book blogging community so much. I doubt any other blogging community is as close, accepting, and amazing as ours. I’ve been here for 6.5 years and I don’t foresee going anywhere. I wouldn’t know what to do without y’all!
How do you get your network on? Any work friendly tips for a poor girl?
Wow, your new gadgets sound awesome! Thanks for sharing. I don't read anything in Google Reader…I like actually visiting the blogs.
So I have some on my Blogger blogroll or RSS on WordPress that I visit…plus, those I subscribe to via e-mail.
Here's MY BBAW POST and
MY WEBSITE
Reeder sounds great. I may look it up for my ipad but I usually blog from my laptop which is not a mac, unfortunately!
Wowza! You're far more organized than I! I'm pathetic, really. I can hardly keep up with the handful of blogs I just can't live without. I wish I could fit in soooooo many more…maybe someday.
Love your post about Reeder. Have considered switching over to a MAC and that could come in very handy!
Yippee!! I can comment.
Um thank you for the heads-up on these nifty products. I get so that I don't want to hear about better apps to do stuff I already don't have time to do but when these are so enthusiastically endorsed, I have to wonder what I am really avoiding! Happy BBAW!
I do a lot of perusing on my smartphone, at least of Twitter, but it must be hard to have all your channels of communication cut off!!
I haven't heard about Reeder! *runs away to check it out*
Stupid work.
I find I have the same problem, especially with the baby at home which means that if I don't take a lunch break then I'm completely unconnected.
This has nothing to do with blogging or books but I've found Pinterest to be a fun way to in a roundabout way get to know others interests. Silly, huh?
Sounds like Reeder is working great for you! Very pretty screenshot!
I am MADLY in love with Reeder! I have it on my MacBook and on my iPhone. I still like Feedly too, which I use on my office PC (yeah, I read blogs at work…until I get busted. Don't tell!). And I like that both of them are driven by my Google Reader account, so I don't have to re-subscribe to all those feeds!
Does Reeder work on the MacBook Air? (I was kind of tickled to see my blog in there!)
Work and access to these sites really makes all the difference doesn't it? Funny how much less connected I feel when I'm working from client sites!