Hello guys!
In my discussion posts I usually talk about reading and books or writing. But this post is talking about everybody’s favourite hobby- blogging! When people said that blogging was hard- they were not kidding, not even by a smudge and I think many people would agree with me when I say blogging is a full time job.
9-5 (or really 24/7)
Blogging is an everyday thing. When you start blogging for long enough it becomes apart of you, just another part of your everyday routine. You can’t really go a day without thinking about your blog in one way or another if it’s from getting post inspiration to taking pictures for a blog post. It’s always in your mind 24/7 with no restbite in sight.
Making Appearances
If you have a job, it’s great to show your face a little so that you don’t totally blend into the background. Same goes for blogging. Us bloggers go out of our way to comment on each others blogs, build friendships slowly but surely. I’m no expert here, but one of the ways to make your blog successful is to comment and show that you read the post and comment something thoughtful about it- just like a job. You wouldn’t read a report and say something rubbish back to the person afterwards.
Organisation
If you have a job, or any obligation, you would know that organisation is key and if you lose that key then you are drowning. Blogging is the exact same. If your a headless chicken running all over the place, blogging is going to be ten times more difficult. I am currently one of those headless chickens, but that’s okay! It’s all apart of the fun that goes with blogging right? And that leads me onto my next reason.
Stress
Jobs cause stress. Blogging causes stress. I never knew when I signed up to blogging how stressful it was going to be and if I did I don’t know if I would of signed up so willingly hahaha. Well you can’t have your cake and eat it! Of course not everybody has blog stress, but from the end of monthly wrap ups that have to be done by the end of the month, to the countless blogs that you follow and try to look at regularly, blogging stress does occur. That doesn’t mean that you throw the towel in no no no, you take on the challenge and try to make it less stressful for yourself.
Co-Workers
I would never really call my fellow bloggers co-workers as it sounds too formal, but if you are thinking about it in the context of blogging being a job, then yes fellow bloggers are co-workers, the nice kind. We push each other up, we read each detailed discussion posts together and of course gossip about everything bookish! The Christmas themed posts are own special Christmas office parties and every book haul is cause for celebration! You guys are the best part of the job!
Loyal Worker’s Perks
For normal perks this may be a bonus check or extra day off, but for us it is the ARC’s, the author retweeting your tweet or the blogging awards that you get nominated for. These and others are what make your job sweeter and easier to get through! These perks are not everyday presents, but are infrequent so when they come they make you smile (in my case smile like a crazed clown).
Paycheck
This for me workers is why they work. For the money they get to spend on shelter, food and then what ever the hell they like. But for us this is the friendships we make with other bibliophiles, the thoughtful chats we get be included and understood in. It’s the comment-‘I totally agree with you’- because once you are a blogger, you are no longer a lone voice shouting out about their love for books. You are apart of a community- a friendly, understanding and exciting community. Those might be the biggest reasons why I blog.
Those are seven reasons why blogging is comparable to having a full time job!
This post was all my opinion of course and I would love to know if you agree with me with some of my reasons or if you can find any more similarities or maybe some differences!
I’ll write soon!
-Astra
Instagram (Bookstagram)
OH YES, YES TO ALL OF THIS. It’s so hard, and I feel crazy and stressed about my blog ALL the time, who knew a little hobby could take SUCH a huge place in my mind? I didn’t haha, but I’m grateful. The paycheck we get, friendships, wonderfully sweet comments, and people we can relate to and fangirl with about books, really is THE best thing ever ❤
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Hahaha YES I’m glad you agree with me on this post!
I know! Like on the blogging contract I didn’t see THIS WILL TAKE UP ALL OF YOUR FREE TIME. But of course it’s all worth it for that paycheck! This book community is basically goals for every other community!
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Why hello there fellow headless chicken!
Once summer is here and I have a break I am going to focus on getting myself organised, stopping myself being overly critical off my own writing on my blog and just basically have fun with it.
Great Post, definitely right with how blogging is like a job and payment is that feedback from other bloggers and readers. Getting a comment saying someone enjoyed a post or discussion from something you’ve said in your post always feels really good.
❤
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Good to see I’m not the only one!
That’s a great idea! Blogging is all about fun but us bloggers can suck the fun out of it when we are too self critical. I can’t wait for the summer, I need to organise my blog loads!
Thank you, I’m glad you liked it 😀
Definitely! It’s that kind of payment that I get from blogging. With a wage this good, who would ever want to give up?
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I totally agree with you. I think blogging is a full time job as well.
It also depends on what the blogger’s intentions are for their blog. I know some bloggers don’t care to be apart of the community, they just blog whenever they feel like saying something. They use their blog as a journal. And I think in that point of view, it’s less stressful and less like a full time job.
Great post. It was nice to read someone’s opinion on how much work blogging can be. 😀
As a fellow blogger do you ever pay attention to your blog stats? I find numbers pretty exciting, but I don’t stress over the numbers. No matter what the number is, I find it rewarding to see my work translate into a number.
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Yay! Glad you liked this post 😀
If the blog is used more as a journal for themselves then it is not really like a full time job, but I think the majority of book bloggers blog to share their opinion and interact with others which can be tiring work sometimes!
Hmmm I do, but I don’t really lean on them. It’s pretty cool to see in numbers how great your blog is doing, but I definitely do not stress on them! Blogging is for fun after all!
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Hehe yeah I agree! It can be tiring to find bloggers to discuss books over, but it’s definitely fun after you have found a select few to talk to.
Do you use any tools to schedule and organize your blog ideas and posts?
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Definitely!
Umm not really! I guess I’m not the post organised blogger! I just go with the flow. I should really start scheduling posts, but then I don’t have the time to read more then one blog post a day!
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Great post! I totally know what you mean.
I’m feeling pretty stressed about my blog at the minute, due to not blogging for a fair few days, now I feel like I need to catch up! I feel soo behind!! :O
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Oh my goodness. This is too true!
My first month of blogging was so fun but extremely busy. I barely had time to do anything else! 😥
Thank you for being part of the blogging community, Astra. You are awesome and I’m happy to be your “co-worker”/ blogger friend!
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Aaaw! I love being part of this amazing community and I love all the friendships I’m a part of now 💞 Totally agree that it’s like a job, but a very fun one and I wish I could just do this for a living!
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It is definitely not easy having a full time job and maintaining a blog. I know, cause I do it. Great Post!
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I can only imagine the lack of free time you have!
Thank you:D
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I know. But I do love blogging so I make time for that! ❤️📖
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This is a wonderful post!
I can definitely see how blogging can feel full time – my blog is never far from my mind. I have a very time consuming real job already, so I try really hard to keep my blog part time so I don’t just do myself in. I see how this affects my stats, followers, and general relationships with the book blogging community, though, as my blog doesn’t grow as quickly as others that popped up around the same time and my relationships within are rather limited to date. It’s interesting, and it makes me want to put more time in over the summer when my school programs end and see what the result would be.
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Thank you!
I’m sad to hear that your job takes up so much time from you! Life just does this to us sometimes!
Hopefully during the summer you’ll have more time to dedicate to your blog. Summer can’t come quick enough!
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I absolutely agree with you Astra! I started blogging almost two years ago after I became disabled and had to leave my job as a children’s librarian. While in some ways it can be incredibly stressful, for me it’s the chance to interact with other bookish people. I wouldn’t trade it for the world!🙋🏻
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I really adore your blog name: by hook or by book
haha!
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Thank you!
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Thank you! I love yours as well!🙋🏻
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Yay, glad you agree!
Nothing can beat those great conversations we have with other bookworms. It really outweighs the same stress we sometimes experience!😄
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Absolutely!🙋🏻
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I’m a big fan of the paychecks. I’d rather sit and read others posts anytime but I do enjoy writing my own almost as much! Almost. I love the comparisons, and yes it is 24/7 job that never forgets to stress one out. Glad to be your co-worker ^_^
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I think everyone loves the paychecks:D I love reading other people’s posts! Everyone has such interesting view points and opinions, but I love writing up my own opinions as well like yourself!
Glad to be you co-worker too😊
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OMG LOVE THIS POST!!! Blogging is just a part of me! I’m always thinking up things that would make good posts or discussions, I can’t help it!
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I’m glad you commented on this! Love your blog Emma 🙂
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Thanks!! Love yours too!!
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Hahaha THANK YOU!
Blogging has just melded into my life now, it’s pretty weird but awesome!
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I started less than a year ago but I forget what it was like without it! I definitely feel you!
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My first thought when I read your title was ain’t that the truth.I never realized how much blogging is like a job. I even blog while I’m working. I agree with you 100%. I love being part of the book blogging community. Everyone is so nice and supportive and it’s really been a wonderful experience for me. Nice post!
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This was wonderful to read!! It so true. And believe it or not, blogging and being good at social media can actually get you paid. There are such jobs out there called “Social Media Managers” and what they do is keep the company’s social media feeds active. I was actually a social media manager for a company and now i’m going on for more similar jobs with others. Good work on this post!
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I’m glad you liked it!
Yeah, I’ve heard of such jobs and it’s so cool that they exist! I think I would liked to keep to blogging though.
Thank you!
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Fantastic post, Astra! I completely agree. Before I started blogging I had a lot more free time, but that said I love it because it helps keep me busy and I feel like I’m actually /doing something/ – even if it just updating a blog 😂 Some days it can be super stressful trying to catch up on posts and comments and I have zero time to actually read or do other things and sometimes when I’m rushing to get posts up it almost feels like I have a deadline haha. Ultimately though I love it and if blogging was actually my serious full time job I would be cool with that. I’m actually extremely interested in social media and would love to manage it so I guess this is sort of practice, haha.
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When I look back at my life before blogging it seemed like I had LOADS of free time, not complaining now though!
If blogging was a full time job I would jump at the opportunity even though the stress sometimes kills me😄
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Ah yes, the stress! (I rhymed. Did you notice. Because I did. Very proud of myself.) Blogging really does seem like a job sometimes—at times the most exciting job in the world, at others it feels more like a chore…maybe one day we’ll all get raises and they’ll pay us! Ah, wouldn’t that be grand.
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Accidental rhyme is the best kind of rhyme, just saying 😀
Hahaha yes, sometimes I think ‘I’m so happy I created this blog’ and other times when I’m feeling tired or stressed the added stress from blogging doesn’t help!
If one day I’ll actually get paid to do my hobby, that will be the greatest thing yet!
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OMG this is soo true! Such a great comparison!
The last point was so sweet! It’s definitely great to be part of this community where everyone loves to fangirl about things, recommend stuff and just let your fingirl side see the light. It’s one of the best things!
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Glad I’m not the only one who sees the similarities!
The community is such a great benefit to blogging. Just being around people who love the same things you do, is wonderful!
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I absolutely love this post! Blogging can definitely be seen as a full time job, especially because it’s so time-consuming. When I first started, I wasn’t aware or this facet of book blogging, but I wouldn’t have it any other way! This community is incredibly welcoming, friendly, and supportive of everyone in it. I’ve made many friends in this community who share my passion of reading, and I’m able to be more of myself here. I particularly like your comparison of a paycheck in an actual job to the benefits we reap as book bloggers. Everything about blogging is very rewarding! 🙂 ❤
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I definitely agree with all of this post, running a blog is just as time consuming as having a nine till five job, hell I think it could be more time consuming than my job at times, but just as worthwhile in the end. It definitely takes up a lot more time than I originally thought it would (all worth it) and I know what you mean about making appearances as well. Honestly I felt so guilty about not being able to get onto WordPress this weekend while I was away, but then again I feel the same when I leave my job to go on holiday. I seem to be phsically unable to disconnect from everything important to me and blogging is definitely important to me.
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I am one of those chickens! No matter how much I convince myself every night when Ingo to bed that tomoorow I will start to be organized concerning my blog, it never happens. The urge will come, the idea will germinate, the fingers will type, the hours will pass, the day is gone and nothing else has been done! And no-one warned me blogging makes you put on weight! It attacks me on two fronts: all the testing of recipes and all the sitting and writing 😂
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You know! I’m glad to see I’m not the only one with this procrastination issue.
Hahaha I can spend a full day just being on WordPress if I didn’t force myself to do all the other stuff I have to do.
I know right! Even me with my fast metabolism can see that I’ve put on some weight because for hours on end I am just sitting, eating and blogging!
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Thanks for the follow! Hopefully reading about the juicing and raw treats will at least keep you healthy via osmosis while you blog! 😂
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Hahahaha yeah hopefully! I’m so unhealthy while blogging!
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So perfectly stated!! Found you through a recommendation from a Meet & Greet:)
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Thank you!
Aw really! I’m just catching up on my notifications so I’m a bit behind!
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Oh yes! We have all been there;) Hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend!
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