When I first starting book blogging, I pretty much expected to post my reviews into a void with maybe an occasional reader. I didn’t expect anyone to ever comment on my blog or to ever be truly interested in anything I had to say, let alone be interested in who I was.
In a way, I thought my blog would just be an outlet where I could write about books and maybe reflect on particular issues they raised. At the very most, I would use this blog, if I ever needed, to present writing samples when applying for jobs because there had been such requests when I applied for internships.
Discovering the Community
Clearly I had no idea about the book blogging community and all the lovely people in it. For a few months I contented myself with posting book reviews, thinking little about other possible content. Then when I tweeted at an author (specifically, Julie Mayhew), she replied! I got curious about author interactions with readers and bloggers and as a result, discovered all these book bloggers on Twitter.
As I’m sure many others are prone to do, I started lurking on other book blogs, amazed at all the interaction. So many people commented, bloggers replied comments, and book lovers were in constant conversation not only about books but everything else under the sun on Twitter, on blogs and Goodreads too.
The very first book blog I commented on was Asti‘s when she still blogged alone at A Bookish Heart. She was so sweet and happily reached out to me, which in turn gave me the courage to interact with other book bloggers too. And it’s not just bloggers, but also non-bloggers who are in conversation online because they love to read.
Defining Community
Togetherness and Commonality
In Sociology 101, the simplest definition for community is that derived from Ferdinand Tönnies, a German sociologist who lived around the turn of the 20th century. He wrote Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft. This book is translated as Community and Civil Society. According to Tönnies, a community is marked by feelings of togetherness and mutual bonds.
Technically communities were fostered through close spatial proximity such as in families, where commonality encouraged close ties. While such spatial proximities don’t apply to book blogging, I do think there is a close virtual proximity among book bloggers, regardless of location or time zone. The Internet makes it possible to stay connected around the clock, no matter where in the world we are.
Shared Experiences
Another mark of a community is memories. Memories bind people together, which is why siblings who have very little in common can still develop close relationships over time. Their childhood spent together manifests itself in the love siblings have for one another, even though siblings don’t have a choice about being part of each other’s lives.
Memories in book blogging pertain a lot to the same books that are read. Knowing that someone read the same book and enjoyed it just as much (or maybe hated it with the same passion) lays a common ground. Even talking about the same issues on blogs fosters shared experiences, as we rant about incidents of book banning or gush about author signings (though I’ve never been to one).
Beyond Virtual Spaces
As much as book blogging is largely conducted online, there are occasions when book bloggers get to meet. One event which draws many book bloggers is the annual Book Expo America (BEA). Those who have the opportunity to go make it a point to meet fellow bloggers. Other events are author signings. In some instances, bloggers organise meet-ups for those living in the same area or those who have struck up close friendships might even decide to meet in person.
Book Blogging as a Community
If we look beyond the mere act of reading and reviewing books and hacking away blog posts on keyboards, there is a community waiting to be discovered.
Bloggers are people who want to be heard. Why else would bloggers bother typing words on public domains? As an extension of wanting to be heard, bloggers want to communicate and communication is the backbone of a relationship.
Behind book blogs are very real people who are able to look beyond their screens and recognize the connections that they have with others who might very well live on the other side of the world.
What are your thoughts on the book blogging community?
Confab ˈkän-ˌfab, kən-ˈ noun an informal discussion, often about a particular topic
Discussion posts are some of my favourite posts to read. New ideas get shared that way, or old ideas are revisited and given a new spin. And of course, I get to be my opinionated self as I hoist my views upon others, while pretending to be objective. Or maybe not. I do welcome alternate views and I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Tabitha (Not Yet Read) says
I totally love being part of the book blogging community. I’ve been doing it for over 3 years now and I don’t think I’ll stop anytime soon (heck I paid up my hosting and domain fees for the next ten years so I better stick with it! lol)
It’s really neat that people care enough to visit our blogs and comment and interact with us and I’ve met so many great people that way and have been lucky enough to meet some of them in real life. I now consider a few of them true friends that I talk to on a daily basis not just via my blog.
Joséphine says
Wow! 3 years! I wish I would’ve thought of setting up a book blog earlier than I set up mine. I spent years just blogging for myself without a thought of blogging about a particular topic of great interest to me. And ten years is definitely a commitment! Haha.
I agree. I’m very fond of this side of the book blogging community and I think it’s wonderful that you found friends with whom you can connect on a personal level! :)
Charlotte @ Books and Baby etc. says
It’s lovely that there is a whole book blogging community and I love interacting with readers, bloggers and authors on Twitter and through my blog. I do think there seems to be a whole other side to it though; of bloggers being horrible to each other and jealousy becoming an issue that causes problems in the community.
Joséphine says
I’m with you. Those negative instances can be very disheartening but at the same time, that’s just the nature of a community. People interact, sometimes they misunderstand each other or have disagreements, which may or may not escalate to affect others. But at the end of the day, there is so much to love about the book blogging community, I’m not going to let that kind of drama deter me from being part of this community. Most everyone I’ve come across is friendly and open.
The only thing that has truly irked and affected me directly were people who plagiarised/took my photos and didn’t even credit me. This however isn’t something confined to book blogging and is something I have to live with if I’m going to post things on the Internet.
In any case, here’s to the book blogging community! :)
Dana @ The Nerdy Journalist says
When I started blogging almost a year ago (I can’t believe my blogoversary is in three days!) I had no idea how involved I’d become in the blogging community. I expected the occasional “Nice review!” comment, maybe a few followers who read every post but never commented. I never expected I’d get some awesome friends in the process, friends who don’t care when I fangirl nonstop.
Joséphine says
Hahaha. Yeah, I would’ve never guessed either! It was a completely unexpected discovery for me but I’m glad I found my way into the community. And hey, it’s always nice to have more people to fangirl with ;)
Jess @My Reading Dress says
Joséphine, this is an utterly brilliant post and I couldn’t have said it any better myself. What I absolutely adore about book blogging is the interactions. I think I value that the most. The opinions, the connections, the friendships that have been forged–all that is priceless. I think we get the best of both worlds with blogging because not only do we get to let our babies out into the world (clearly I’m a little attached to my opinion hahaha) but we get to receive a response to them, we get to connect to likeminded people, learn of other opinions. It’s truly an amazing community to be a part of! Wonderful discussion!<3
Joséphine says
Thank you, Jess :) You’re right, the interaction among everyone is what elevates the book blogging experience by a mile. Without all the interactions, it’d be a rather lonely pursuit. Although, we’d probably still blog just to get our opinions out there somewhere. Hahaha.