This is our weekly discussion feature where we discuss bookish/blogging related topics.
The Hosts:
Emily at Read Your Bookcase
Michelle at Pink Polka Dot Book Blog
Blogging Pet Peeves: What Annoys You Most in the Blogging World
So this topic feels a little negative and I'm trying to be a more positive person, so I'm going to go light today and just keep it to 3 things.
1. How Competitive the Book Blogging World is Getting
When I first started this blog, I didn't know that there even was a big book blogging world. I just wanted to keep my reviews somewhere and maybe share my love for my favorite books with a few people. After about a month I realized that not only are there tons of blogs, but they are really competitive. It seems like everyone is competing for views, comments, ARC's, author communication, publishing contacts, and just everything. And sometimes it gets to me. I am a competitive person by nature, but I want to save that for sports and my career, not my blogging hobby. Sure I want people to like and visit my blog, but I just can't get caught up in all the craziness. I don't want to play high school popularity games with my blog.
2. Confession: I really don't like the phrase "All the feels".
Where did that even come from? What's wrong with being like it was a really emotional book.... it made me sad, it made me cry. No it's I want to read this book because I heard it has "All the feels". I know I am in the minority here, but when I read it or hear it, I am just like BLAH! To me it's something a 3 year old would say.
3. Posting Pet Peeves
- Hard to read font- I need to be able to read your post w/out my eyeballs hurting. This goes for weird colored font, esp on a black background.
- Constant link backs to previous posts- I don't mind a few, but if I'm reading your post and it's like remember when I blogged about this and this and this and this review and this review... no one cares that much.
- Too much negativity or fake positivity- Some people are just mean and some are fake... I like ppl in the middle.
- Reviews where the person clearly had nothing to say- I want to read about what you thought about it!! You can't just think yes it was great. I want more!! What was the overall message, what are you going to take from it, what made you mad, etc.
So what are your biggest pet peeves?
High School - I couldn't have said it better myself!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure I have come across any fake in the blogs I read but I have seen real negativity. That gets to me too. I understand you didn't like the book and telling me why is fine but negativity towards the author or their ideas gets me. Its their story and they have a right to write how they want just like any reader can like or not like it. Constant link backs drive me nuts too.
ReplyDeleteI guess I don't really see the competitiveness. I blog for fun and and I visit the blogs I love and those who take the time to comment on mine (which often become favorite blogs). I hear people talk about the competiveness but for the most part I must ignore it. Yeah I'm striving to make my blog better all the time but I don't really feel like I'm trying to better then anyone or anything. So maybe I just ignore it or force myself to look at it differently. I like just being in my bubble and doing my thing I guess. I know there's room for all of us so I'm good. :)
ReplyDeleteI hate the black backgrounds. I don't think there's a way to make it easy to read.
I like reviews longer than one short paragraph cause I really want to know what people FEEL. There are exceptions to this rule though. If its purposelessly a mini review and the thing they mostly talk about how they felt, for children's books or for DNFs or books that didn't leave much impact, in which they say so.
Sorry about the typos. I'm on my phone and it wouldn't let me correct anything. :(
ReplyDeleteMost of my pet peeves relate to posting. Black backgrounds are the worst. I like to read a variety of blogs with different review styles, so the length of review doesn't really matter to me, but the content does. If you can get across why you liked/disliked a book in a paragraph or two that's great, but if there's absolutely nothing there it drives me crazy.
ReplyDeleteFinally, I'm not alone! Someone who also doesn't like the phrase "All the feels" (& "it's giving me the feels" & "right in the feels"). Where *did* that come from? I just remember logging into my blog and Twitter one day and it being all over. The competitiveness also gets to me (come on, it's just a hobby and most of us started at different times/have totally different blogs anyway) and if a blog has hard-to-read font, I probably won't visit much. Blogs with really hard Captcha for the comments also don't get many comments from me. I don't have Captcha, so I don't know how it works, but some blogs seem to have a lot harder/longer/blurred ones than others. Great discussion post! :)
ReplyDeleteAlice @ Alice in Readerland
I have no idea where the "all the feels" expression comes from. I used it once, felt awful and promised myself never ever ever to do it again *hangs head*
ReplyDeleteLOL too funny!!
DeleteI think the "all the feels" expression comes from the fact that some books are just SO good you can't explain what you are feeling. I use it on twitter, because I don't have enough space to write down everything I want :p I don't use it in reviews, because I agree that it looks a bit like something a child would say, but I don't judge people who use it either.
ReplyDeleteMel@thedailyprophecy.
The black background is the kiss of death. If I go to a blog with a black background I am closing that window ASAP. At 28 years old my eyes are too old to try to read that nonsense!
ReplyDeleteI have two big blog pet peeves. First, when I leave many, many, many comments on a blog and the blogger never visits my blog or acknowledges my comments on Twitter or through email. I think most blogs in this community are still small enough where they can acknowledge most of their commenters in some way.
Second, bloggers who talk about how stressful blogging is or how they're in a blogging slump or some ridiculous word. I have a low tolerance for complaining of any kind (which I'm doing now so I realize I'm being hypocritical), but blogging is pretty much a hobby for probably 98% of book bloggers, I get the pressure, but ultimately if you need a break or you're not happy step away momentarily or permanently. Don't subject your readers to your bitching and moaning about how you feel like you have to write reviews for them.
I am SO with you! I can't stand people complaining about their hobby! I am not going to want to come back to visit your blog if all you say is how much you can't stand doing it. AND I have also quit visiting quite a few blogs because I left them like 15 comments and they never once visited me back. or acknowledged that I was there in any way.
DeleteI just love it when I read something that Ivan tell was written by a person who really cared about what he/she wrote. From the heart. I am different when it comes to colored font, unless it's over black like you said. I just like looking at gorgeous colors.
ReplyDeleteSplendid post! I really dislike competition too, I just rather do what I want and enjoy life.
Just found your blog and I completely agree with you. When the blog becomes more than a place where you're being honest with your thoughts, without thinking "oh will I attract readers by doing that" then this is something that puts away.
ReplyDeleteBook blogging can come across as highly competitive, but I try to keep out of that mess. If I'm going to compete with anyone it is going to be myself because that's how I am (I blame sports). =)
ReplyDeleteIt seems we share some pet peeves...mainly the ones about overly loving or disliking a book and bad fonts.
Nice post. =)
Saw your feed on twitter. I agree and I am much newer in this game than you are :-) Black font on purple background - seriously? I cannot believe the color choices for text. I do not want to compete either. I love reading - that's why I have my blogs.
ReplyDeleteI have a blog that covers many niches. I'll have no part of the competitiveness. If I find a blog that is too catty or high schoolish, I won't go back to read from it again. I graduated from school a long time ago, and all its drama.
ReplyDeleteIt is a dog eat dog world for blogs these days, but that shouldn't get someone down. We should all build each other up and support each other. After all, we all started from scratch.
I'd never heard of "all the feels" until I read this post. It's not a phrase I'll be using. The one phrase that drives me bonkers is "I don't know about you, but..."
The only real peeve I have is when someone hosts a follower blog hop and doesn't take the time to follow the people that are now growing base on their blog. Also, it's a little hurtful when I take the time to comment on so many blogs and only a handful take the time to leave comments on mine.
by the way, I followed you on Twitter through a rafflecopter, and now am following you on Bloglovin and GFC as well on your blog. Imagine my delight if you could do the same for my new blogs! :-))
ReplyDeleteI promise, no competition. Just friends. :-))
http://something-wordy-reviews.blogspot.com/
http://wingbackchoices.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloglovin.com/margitte
Twitter: @MargitteMeyer
Most people take superb pride by way of performing qualified carpet plus upholstery cleaning up service to the family dwelling or your enterprise. For over years, we were consistently providing top of the line workmanship plus outstanding support service. So, around today’s community, everyone hopes to give a lower number of efforts around cleaning. Hence, our carpet cleaning services around Dubai company construct this plan to offer you cleaning service in your doorstep, our company of industry experts is making use of the best detergents that you can buy and high-quality devices which allow for. In basis, our company of industry experts is making use of the best soaps that you can buy and high-quality fabric, which would probably enable: sofa cleaning dubai
ReplyDelete